Friday 2 August 2013

The Inula is in bloom.

I looked out of the bedroom window this morning and saw that the Inula in the front garden was in bloom.   It is not a flower I am particularly fond of but I grow it for one reason only.   The Peacock Butterflies seem besotted with it.


Sure enough, I went out with my camera five minutes later and there was already one on it.   Not a fantastic photograph - but I thought I would put it on for you anyway.

It is official that it has been the hottest month here in the UK for something like twenty years.  The weather is set to change to rain on Monday, but if we don't get any more Summer at all then this one has certainly been a cracker.

People in countries like parts of the United States, where heat is the norm every year (I was once in Phoenix in late May and that was far hotter than I wanted thank-you) don't always realise that here in the UK we only have sunshine like that now and again.   I think our memories of every Summer being hot and dry are probably enhanced by time, don't you?

14 comments:

JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes) said...

We have rain here too in NW Washington today - after weeks and weeks and weeks of sunshine, and moderate temperatures - mid 70s, which is delightful.

I've lived in the desert SW and don't miss that heat one little bit. I much prefer our sometimes rain/sometimes sunshine summers. Fortunately we haven't seen the hotter temperatures this summer that sometimes sneak up on us for a few days. We are expecting the sun back by this afternoon. Hooray.

Lovely butterfly - I'd never heard of the flower or the butterfly.

JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes) said...

We have rain here too in NW Washington today - after weeks and weeks and weeks of sunshine, and moderate temperatures - mid 70s, which is delightful.

I've lived in the desert SW and don't miss that heat one little bit. I much prefer our sometimes rain/sometimes sunshine summers. Fortunately we haven't seen the hotter temperatures this summer that sometimes sneak up on us for a few days. We are expecting the sun back by this afternoon. Hooray.

Lovely butterfly - I'd never heard of the flower or the butterfly.

Arija said...

It must be fun watching those butterflies peacocking around your flowers. I too plant flowers i don't particularly like, like dahlias, just for the butterflies.
Weather memories are like mirages, unless we can tie them to particular events, they tend to be more like wishful thinking. I can only safely say that on the 9th of Dec, on Mount Lofty it has rained 37 out of 40 years. We became aware every time our daughter was to have a birthday party, it rained, so I was careful every year to check weather it would again and it did. Sometimes a few drops from a sunny sky but mostly from a sprinkling to a deluge.

angryparsnip said...

What a beautiful butterfly. I too would grow that flower for just that reason.

cheers, parsnip

Hildred said...

Fabulous butterfly, - don't think I have ever seen a Peacock butterfly. Have had a couple of amazing thunder and lightening storms here in the last twenty four hours which caused the cat to dive under the duvet and stay there for hours, - it is a welcome relief from last month's heat.

Heather said...

I have loved this summer even though I can't cope with the hottest and most humid days. My remedy is to stay inside and enjoy looking out at the sunshine from a cool interior.
That butterfly shot is beautiful - they always close their wings up as soon as I get near.

Twiglet said...

We have loads of cabbage whites - a few meadow browns and small tortoiseshells but as yet haven't seen one peacock! Lovely photo. x Jo

Dave King said...

another blow to memory, but alas, I think you must be right - even if I do still tend to believe in mine! I didn't know about the inula. Thanks for that piece of info'.

Irene said...

Tyke chased a cabbage white this afternoon during our walk. It kept fluttering just ahead of him. I haven't seen many butterflies yet, but I hope there are more to come. Today brings cooler temperatures, thank goodness. It's been way too hot. We get whatever weather you had in England first.

Pondside said...

Yes, I believe that our memories of magical childhood summers are enhanced by time - the sun always shone and the water was always warm.
Your header - every time I look at it I want to sit awhile on the bench.

Em Parkinson said...

Absolutely. I don't have much memory of summer rain at all, other than the odd thunder storm....that can't be right can it?

Terry and Linda said...

I loved your header and the beautiful butterfly. I have not seen many butterflies this year, which is rather a tad sad.

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks for your visit. Our forecasters tell us that the weather will break tomorrow and that then for the rest of the month it will be 'changeable' - looks as though it is the end of the heat wave, but at least the farmers have all got their first loads of hay and silage easily this year. I hope there will be more butterflies on the Inula over the next week or two.

Crafty Green Poet said...

I haven't seen a peacock at all this year, even though I've seen many more than usual of butterflies like meadow browns and ringlets,