Dead Flowerbeds and Wildflower Meadows

While I was away for nearly 3 weeks, the Haute Vienne had some of the hottest weather this year. 41 degrees one day, apparently. Just my luck! I had asked friends to visit once or twice to empty my mail box, but they didn't look at the garden, round the back of the house.

Everything in pots is dead:

...and the plants in the garden have suffered too - the hydrangea is mostly dead, but has some shoots at the bottom, so I think it will survive and be OK next year. The lawn has not grown much but the weeds in it (oxeye daisies and the like) are about 18 inches tall. They'll be difficult to mow...

...click to see everything a bit better but ignore the fact that the photo is a bit weird - my Photoshop is not very good at merging photos, and they tend to come out a bit like a Picasso...

On the Good News front, Weldom in Confolens rang today to say the belt is in for the mower (they've had the machine for 7 weeks now), so hopefully I can fetch it tomorrow! Check back for photos of a beautifully manicured lawn...