5th August ~ Dahlias are really taking off now. The earwig traps are working as long as I remember to empty them every day. Perhaps the bark mulch paths were a mistake. Probably an earwig magnet!

6th August ~ A small amount of rain tease us.

7th August ~ There is so much to cut now it’s exciting. Someone questioned why I grew so many different things and had not grown a large quantity of a few things. I think that would be a different kind of business. Having all the grasses and twiddly bits to hand makes all the difference when creating interesting designs.

8th August ~ Dahlias are hung all around our house to dry. An interesting experiment with the heads which have opened too far to cut for vases. So far they look promising but may be very fragile.

9th August ~ Our beautiful ducks have destroyed my last planting of lettuce. They really do very little damage when let loose in the garden but have a taste for lettuce and spinach. I’ll need to find some way of covering the few which are left. I do give them lettuce leaves so…

10th August ~ Be careful what you wish for. We have had a decent amount of rain but they bring heavy winds with them. Thankfully we have staked and netted most things and the nets are doing a good job. I’ve just been out to check my dahlias and they are all standing up superbly. Completely by fluke, I think we’ve planted them in a sheltered spot!

11th August ~ a few things had fallen in the high winds so some staking was needed but we got off pretty lightly really. Good progress in tidying the Cutting beds. Mr C did valiant work edging the membrane paths and I cleared some plants which had gone over and removed plenty of weeds making it look better for open day next week. In truth the garden is very dry and green and there is little to see in the way of flowers. There are even bare patches. I always mean to have more colour in August but have failed again. The cutting beds, at least, are brimming and, of course, there are the dahlias.

Stung by a bee.

Torrential rain this afternoon and thunder. I know my fleece is outside and I wonder how many tools I’ve left out.