We're having a heatwave!

 

Cut the first little bunch of flowers from my garden yesterday - it really is looking

 and feeling rather like Spring around here. 

Living in North Carolina we are not having the winter weather conditions currently keeping much of the USA under wraps right now!  We are at the opposite end of the spectrum, no chill, no snow or ice, no way below freezing temperatures. . . . . . . and are experiencing a most likely record breaking spell of hot weather. February rarely hits 80F and higher days as it has done this week. Nights staying so warm that leaving the windows open, or even turning on the air conditioning as we did last night, was the only way to cool off and get some comfortable sleep . . . . . . . . plus hunting for a pair of summer-weight PJ's and kicking off the duvet!!!

Stay warm and safe if you are dealing with severe weather conditions now and through the weekend . . . . . . and of course we have cooler weather returning soon!

HEATWAVE!

Just really too hot to do much of anything requiring energy. Sitting in a cool

room with a good book is perfect.

Yesterday's official temperature, recorded at Raleigh/Durham International

 Airport, was 107F!

However the cottage is cool thanks to our wonderful a/c, so I did end up baking

 a cake late afternoon as I had apples and blackberries to use up.  

I made the bon appétit magazine, Blackberry-Yogurt-Tahini Cake. . . . 

with a couple of changes.  Chopped a large Granny Smith apple and added

to the fresh blackberries, and as I was out of tahini, I used French acacia honey

instead, and again added a few sesame seeds - both worked well and made a

 lovely dense cake. We enjoyed a slice for dessert topped with dollop of fresh

 whipped cream. . . . . and this morning I had a tiny slice for breakfast and 

found it even more moist and yummy - no wonder my linen pants are tight!

Above is a photo taken back in 2017 when I first made this cake - and a link 

to that post which has a link to the original bon appétit recipe . . . . .  and also to the

 really easy and tasty Tomato-Lemon tart you can see in the background. 

This simple tart is a great way to use up some of the fresh picked tomatoes

 we all seem to have available right now.

What's cooking in your kitchen?

Hope you have cooler weather than here.

P.S. I see Blogger is messing with photo uploading 

again today!

Heating up. . . . . . Daylilies and Sunflowers

Right now Bob is out watering. He beat me to the hoses at 6:45 am and is almost

done so I'm not even getting into gardening clothes - thank you Bob, I've saved

 coffee for you! I'll most likely have to do my share this evening - the heat index 

for today is 105 degrees - it will be a scorcher and people with breathing 

problems, such as my neighbor with COPD, need to stay inside with their a/c 

running full blast!

Even the cherub family looks hot this morning.

The daylilies love this weather. In all honesty, I'm not thrilled by orange flowers, 

however these double blooms (which I really don't recall planting) are quite lovely

 next to the blue hydrangea.

My sunflowers are dong well despite lower leaves, and a few buds, being

a nighttime snack for some creature passing through the garden - deer most 

likely. They have certainly grown by leaps and bounds these past couple of weeks

 and are now setting their spectacular buds.

These are all growing from the seeds I collected from last year's flower heads -

I feel like they are my 'children' and am so proud of them.

One of several of the sunflowers already in bud.  I think they are so 

amazing at every stage of growth, especially the strength and 

height, of the straight, strong stems readying to support the heavy 

 golden flower heads.

Hope your day is cooler than mine!

Hosta happenings -

Such special plants the hosta, grown mostly for their showy leaves. 

Sadly I've lost several over the years when voles have enjoyed 

their roots for breakfast!

My white flowering ones are over now, however this weekend the tall

 spires of blue ones seemed to open all together. . . . . . 

. . . . . . this morning the back garden is decorated with their lovely color.

These blue flowers may be the only cool touch in the garden 

all this week. Our temperatures will be the high 90's daily.

We are having to water now - a small storm was supposed to 

bring a little rain last night but it didn't happen!

Off early to drive neighbors to the airport this morning. 

A busy week ahead as we'll be "going on holiday" soon!

Reaching New Heights. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . the smiling faces of the now tall sunflowers continue to face toward the east. 

My beauties, for some reason, don't turn to face the sun as it moves across

 the sky. . . . . . .instead they seem to enjoy the view down the street.

Each scorching day, when there's no rain, I'm out there giving them a

 gentle drink, watching the flowers unfurl, and of course taking photos.

Each one is so beautiful whether with fully opened ray flowers (yellow petals),
 or just peeping out from the bright green bracts. Love how they last so long, 

soaking up the heat and sunshine, preparing their awesome number of seeds

 for the bees now, later the birds. . . . . . .and possibly squirrels agile enough
 to climb and cling to them come autumn. 

I too will be gathering some of the seeds in hopes they will grow here in my
 garden next year. These have reached astounding heights, the tallest
are well over six feet!

Looks like the 'sunflower chronicles' are continuing - I just have to share them with you!

Previous recent posts of the sunflowers in my garden, if you missed them,

 are HERE and HERE.

Yesterday was a tad cooler, 91F, and the heavy rain Sunday evening

really helped the garden. Temperature climbing higher again today!

🌻 Enjoy the sunflowers of summertime 🌻