Hot and dry in July

It looks as if this is going to be a dry hot summer.  It hasn't rained in over a week; usually with this kind of heat, thunder clouds build but not this week. Clear blue skies and temperatures reaching 34 Celsius (93 Fahrenheit) and humidity to make it feel closer to 40 degrees.

Thank goodness for air conditioning.

Watering is a problem however. Most people here collect rain water in barrels placed under down spouts.  But it isn't enough this year. A number of people are taking large containers down to the lake and filling up that way. But you would need some kind of lift to get the container off the truck and a pump to fill it. So I am watering with city water,  which I may regret when I get the bill.

Meanwhile: an inherited peony in the bed beside the garage. This bed receives little to no direct sunlight as it is completely overshadowed by a maple tree. However there are 3 peonies in here, all of them with white flowers. If they can survive here, they get to stay.

A clematis that was planted last August; it appeared to die soon after, turning black and wilting. But it returned this year and has just blossomed with tulip-like flowers that are rose coloured.
I don't know what variety this is, I was expecting the large flower type to bloom and am pleasantly surprised by these dainty tulip-shaped blossoms.

And inside, they are white with pink edges. Just lovely.

One of the raised beds with leeks, carrots, green peppers, and two varieties of lettuce, plus cheery marigolds.

The other raised bed with runner beans climbing a bamboo obelisk, a few lettuces, and 15 tomato plants.  Two of these have just sprouted flowers. Some of the beans were attacked by the rose chafer beetle, but the infestation seems to have petered out now.  I picked hundreds off by hand, the honeysuckle took the brunt of the damage.

A dahlia that survived the dog's digging frenzy. These are such lovely flowers and they last a long time which makes me ask:  why didn't I plant more? Given our cold zone here, the tubers have to be dug up in the fall, but that isn't too hard of a task. I will definitely be planting more next year.

Some malva that I grew from seed. Lovely flowers, they resemble miniature hibiscus.

And in the front bed, the campanula that were moved last week have begun to bloom. I thought the short ones were blue, but I guess I got that wrong. No matter, I like the flowers whether they are white or blue.

Close up of the campanula carpatica.
I love all varieties of campanula and hope these thrive and expand to fill this bed.