Shadows and Dragonflies, Courtyards and Gardens and rather a lot of pics

We're grateful for the garden shadows now

. It's too hot to garden in the afternoon at the moment but pleasant to  listen to a blackbird relentlessly scratching under the hedges for bugs and the soft chimes of the church clock from the village telling the hours from a shady spot. As the hot days continue  I idly watched a newly hatched dragonfly as it suddenly appeared dressed in its bright brief livery of life before disappearing beyond the next  hedge a brief memory of an impossible bright blue flirty with the hot air.

One of the half moon peep holes that now allow longer views
 through into the adjoining lawns in the Italian Garden

Evening light on one of the newly planted Agaves

Spud enjoying the cool of the evening above a
newly planted bed of Agapanthus

Our guests are enjoying the heat of course and every day i get out an Ordinance survey map  and point them towards those secret beaches and coves that are off of the tourist trail. I suppose I really should write a blog about it but I'm frightened to tempt the weather with a "Fabulous secret beaches for hot day" after all my "What to do on wet days" has worked so brilliantly that we must have had the driest summer for years here! Maybe I'll wait until it starts to rain  - that would be the safest thing to do.

Our courtyard garden is enjoying the warmth and the geraniums think it is "just right" for them and so I'll leave you with a few pictures from the other morning as the sun crept its early tendrils across the parterre and again in the golden light of evening as it rested supine after the day.

Early morning in the courtyard garden

Evening light in the courtyard garden

The raised upper terrace

The tempting side courtyards

A view across the former farmyard

Fountains and Palm trees

Geraniums sitting on the wall to the raised upper terrace formed by
excavating the sloping former farmyard

Those Geraniums!

Contrasting cool green foliage below

The upper terrace to the front door

Tucked in a corner by the lower gate the mood changes
with white Hydrangeas and a banjo Rubra  and Echiums
of course - lots of self seede Echiums
that I must sort out!

As every gardener knows a glass of wine at the end of the day
with a quiet companion is just perfect

Find us at www.ednoveanfarm.co.uk