Today is midsummer in the northern hemisphere. and today is the big Swedish midsummer celebrations. For us of course it is the opposite, with us reaching our shortest day and longest night. It has been an awful week in many ways, particularly weather wise, with continuous rain from Wednesday night. As today is also my husband’s birthday, and it is raining, there is no proper Six on Saturday post, as we have been celebrating Swedish midsummer in midwinter and the birthday. Plus I have been unable to get out and do anything this week. So no proper post from me this week but thanks once again to The Propagator for allowing us to share what is going on in our gardens.
Number one….it gets dark quite early….and as it has been so grey and wet, it has felt dark all week.
Below is the scene at 8am this morning…you can see the tecomanthe speciosa on the right. There are still flowers, but it has been to wet to properly have a look.
You can see how wet it is below. Certainly things are looking green, but it has been impossible to do anything outside this week.
So inside….I bought these lovely iris to brighten things up indoors. I just love the colours, and should really plan on planting some if I can find a spot outside.
The cacti are all fine, the other indoor plants are looking healthy. I love the shape of this cactus.
Finally, the camellia are all still looking good, despite the rain. I’m hoping that the weather will improve to get out and see the display in the Botanic Gardens.
That is all from me this week. As usual, I am looking forward to seeing everyone’s beautiful gardens in other parts of the world. Hope you are all well and are having better weather than us!
You can find Thistles and Kiwis on Facebook, and also on Instagram@thistleandkiwis. As for Twitter….am totally inactive these days. If you want to get in touch, email me on thistlesandkiwis@gmail.com
Thistles and Kiwis 
What a weird shape of this cactus that grows horizontally! Very pretty.
I also do liked this pretty Iris 😍
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I know! Such a great shape 🙂
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That Camellia looks very healthy!
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Ah, rain…..memories…..
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That cactus looks like buffalo horns.😃 Most unusual. At least the days will be lengthening for you now, if that’s any consolation. That iris is a beautiful colour.
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That cactus looks as though it’s ready to crawl right out of its pot. Happy birthday to your husband! And, please, send some of your rain our way. We are officially in a drought.
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I would love to send you some of our rain…it feels like it hasn’t stopped for days.
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That cactus is amazing! And what a lovely color the wall is behind it, and a beautiful window.
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Thank you!
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The cactus is great!
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You made me realize I dislike both the shortest day and the longest day of the year. Too extreme! Love your cactus.
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Our weather has been similar to yours, and not much done in the garden. Love the cactus! Your Camellia will look amazing soon – it is full of buds!
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It has been so wet, grey and dull here for days, but am looking forward to more camellias.
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We also have rain. And for midsummer it has been dark and gloomy most evenings. At least you are on the up now whereas we are on the way down.
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Yes…the days should start to get a bit longer. Now for a couple of days without rain please!
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Oh we’ve had rain here for midsummer too. Happy midpoint!
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Yes Happy midway through the year!
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Have rain here for our midsummer. Not nice!
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Hope the weather clears up for you!
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A hot week is forecast so I’m not too troubled and we certainly needed the rain. Thankyou
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I hope your rain stops soon. It’s summer here, and I hope ours stops too. Your iris is lovely, and that’s a really unusual cactus.
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I hate during the Autumn and Winter when it is dark all the time. I hope all is well across there.
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Yes it isn’t the best time of year! We saw a little bit of blue sky yesterday! All is fine otherwise thanks 🙂
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What a shame you’ve experienced such poor weather especially on such auspicious occasions.
I do like the Cactus featured in your blog, as you say it’s unusual. The iris is stunning. Hope you get some better weather soon. We are in a spell of very warm weather for this week.
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That cactus is such a great shape! Still grey and dull here today…
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We’ve had a wonderful warm day with a breeze. Spent a fair amount of time clearing the back garden of bindweed and brambles. Phew 😅 that was tough going and still yet more to do.
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Oh your Iris, are stunning. I always think of planting them, but haven’t found a spot. Perhaps I will grow them next year in a container 🙂
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