Strawberries, Sunshine, Surrey

We are now into summer here in SE England, but it honestly has felt like summer for weeks! It's been incredibly dry and warm as spring goes here. I've been out with the garden hose twice a day trying to keep my parched flowers and strawberries from wilting on the vine! The grass in many areas is no longer green; it's brown and dry, and reminiscent of the grass that they grow in Abu Dhabi! What is going on?

We've been finding it too hot to use the oven in the kitchen, so we've often been cooking on the grill outside. I even made a round of fajitas, which went over extremely well with fresh salsa.

As you know, most homes do not have or need air conditioning. Instead, you throw up the windows wide on the warmer days. Without screens on windows, we have to chase the occasional wasp or fly around the house with our special battery-operated fly zapper swatter, which Branduff and Niall think is a bit of fun!

Wimbledon tennis has begun up the road from here, and they are also having sunshine and strawberries. If you're looking for those moody, gray Wimbledon days, you won't have them this week. Bring the SPF50 if you're planning on being out for any time!

Back on the homefront, and we've been able to purchase really scrumptious strawberries from the stores for the last month. English strawberries are among the sweetest in the world, and I will sorely miss them when they are no longer in season.


I decided to plant up a few of them in containers at the house. They have been very healthy and happy, after I water them twice a day :-o. I have one type that grows miniature wild strawberries, which never seem to grow bigger than a 5-pence piece! I also have traditional size strawberry plants, which have given me, in total, about a carton full of fruit. I don't have anywhere to plant the strawberries in the ground, so I'm having to make do with the pots.


Pulling a ripe strawberry from one's own vine is such a treat! It is amazing how sweet they can be eaten right off the plant. We haven't had any problems with birds pinching the fruit, as they have quite a lot of seed in their feeders. However, there have been a few ants nibbling at some of the succulent berries.

Today I had strawberries and cream for lunch. I used a combination of thick Jersey cream and Rhodda's clotted cream to envelope my strawberries, which this time, came from Tesco's.


Here are a collection of photos from our garden.

We have a tree that is in full white bloom; anyone know what type of tree this is?


There's also a tall dahlia, which is a silky chocolate color with a hint of a chocolate scent.


I also have some hot pink petunias that are happily growing from pots on our patio.