RHS Wisley

In the early hours of this morning it was the summer solstice - I know some people celebrated it yesterday but it actually occured at 3.42 am today. I get quite sad when we reach this point in the year as it means that from now on the days will be shortening - and for us in the UK the schools haven't even broken up yet for their summer holidays, so by the time most people go on their annual summer holiday we are already past the middle of summer.

Today was again a scorcher, 31C although we had a light sprinkling of rain this morning but nothing to get excited about. Gavin and I were trying to water some of the garden this morning, as our irrigation system is broken (the electronic timer that sets it off stopped working and we are waiting for the new part) when the irrigation man arrived with the part to fix it - that was a relief as the garden was wilting badly and some plants look like they are dying.

We then had a few errands to do in the village, including some delicious flat whites from Gails. I suggested going to RHS Wisley for a quick look around as Gavin has not been there in a couple of years, and as the A3 motorway around us is again closed this weekend due to the work on the A3/M25 junction, I figured that no one would be at RHS Wisley as the closure would affect them directly. We used back roads to get there and I was right, it was so quiet, worryingly so. Many cafes and food stands were closed, one can see why they are claiming compensation from the government for their losses. It was so hot there I was melting by the time we walked into the food hall for a cold drink and had some salads for lunch. This is one of the flower beds there, and in extras the lavender hill which smells amazing as you walk along the spiral path.

Tonight we are going to a friend's 60th birthday party, it will be a perfect evening to be outside, and it will be fun to see other friends there for a catchup.