Summer time -hot lazy days

It has been HOT HOT HOT -in Perth for a week or so. Several days over 40 degrees Celcius meant that we were struggling to keep our garden alive. Fortunately the new water tank has come into its own, because I can use the water every day on precious plants like this hydrangea and our asparagus crowns, to keep them alive.

We didn't plant a summer crop of veggies this year, because we were going to be away for ten days and knew that a hot spell like the one we just had, would wipe out anything we started. The beds have been fertilised and mulched and we have plans to plant-but only when things cool down enough to let seedlings get a couple of days of settling in before they have to face the heat.
Other plants enjoy the hot weather. These bougainvilleas next to our front fence are relishing the hot weather and are covered in flowers. I hope to encourage them to spread over the fence and soften it. We are happy to see the pomegranate has several nice big fruits just colouring up, and the new Eureka lemon has fruit too. The new olive is growing nicely and the quince has one -rather pretty -fruit too.

For the rest of us, it has been a matter of resting and enjoying the rhythms that summer in Perth imposes. We go for a walk nice and early when it is cool (or just cooler than it will be later) then we retreat inside. I have been making salads cooking as little as possible.

We are of course both back at work after our holidays, so we can at least pass the main part of the day in air conditioning. We don't have air conditioning at home, and that is our continuing choice at the moment. Our shade sails, our window blinds, our insulation, our ceiling fans fortunately make the house comfortable except for runs of extreme weather such as we have just encountered. The house inevitably heats up after a run of over 40 degree days as the overnight temperatures gradually rise too.

Then we get a respite -the sea breeze returns, the evenings become cooler -and so the season progresses.

I hope you are finding ways of enjoying your weather -and making whatever adaptations you need to it.