The garden is looking very summery.  The oleanders are in full bloom and that for me screams “SUMMER”!  But not just any old summer – Mediterranean summer.  They are the ultimate “I’m on holiday” flower for me as I associate them with childhood vacations in Greece and the south of France. Of course I’m now lucky enough to live in summer holiday land so I get to see my oleanders for a whole season and not just two weeks.  I also get to gaze out on the most magnificent Callistemon bush, ablaze with fiery red bottlebrush flowers.  Something about the climate agreed with it this year.  It’s superb!

  summer garaden flowering callistemon

The long cold spring has meant certain flowers are late; the lavender is only just fully purple.  But surprisingly it doesn’t seem to have adversely affected the insects.  The lavender, bottlebrush and an unknown yellow flower that self-seeded in abundance are alive with bees.  Which is all very well as we all know bees are in danger.  I’ve signed countless Avaaz petitions to stop the use of dangerous pesticides killing off bees and happily they seem to have had some success as the EU has agreed to suspend their use for two years.  But on a more local level, our bees just love all the flowering weeds.  We don’t use pesticides and have let certain areas of the garden grow wild and the result is lovely.  Maybe it’s time to put in a hive and start making our own honey.

  bees in yellow flowers

I hope you enjoy the photos of our flora, if only you could smell the jasmine!  Funnily enough the bees don’t like it, but just try and count them in the yellow flowers.  For more pretty pictures of the garden at Lou Messugo at its best in spring, click here

  bees in lavender summer garden

  oleander

  summer garden jasmine flowers

  bee in weed

  agapanthus

  lavender and poppies in summer garden

  bee in clover

  laurier rose

  bottlebrush 1

  blackberry flower

What’s growing in your garden right now?  I’d love to hear from you.

You may enjoy these other posts about the garden at Lou Messugo:

September Mediterranean garden

May garden

Go garden grow!

Oleander – the flower with power

Colourful autumn garden

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