Summer 2026 — An Elegant Sufficiency

We’ve had friends here for the weekend and as we wandered around the garden, I thought that I really ought to record how it all looks at the end of what’s been an extraordinary summer here in Gloucestershire.

We can’t remember when it last rained. Perhaps I might amend that to “rained properly”, that is, rained enough to leave the ground wet.

Not only has it been dry, but it’s also been hot.

Most days, the temperature has been in the mid to upper 20s C, or high 80s F with occasional days in the low 30s.

Not only are we not used to such extreme heat, our poor garden, growing on the very porous limestone of the Cotswold hills has suffered too.

The creatures who normally live quite comfortably in the area around here are desperate for food and water, so come looking for whatever they can find - here, my roses! I’m sure they - probably roe deer - didn’t mean to trample everything down as they went to drink from our small pond.

The view from the kitchen window is usually green, often with birds looking for the insects which live on that steep slope. This year, nothing.

But as I looked into the corner of the garden I thought I spotted a bit of colour. a quick zoom in on my camera confirmed that yes, there were some story-book red apples on the tree up there! I took a plastic bowl from the kitchen with the intention of gathering them in.

When I got up there, it was clear what had happened to most of our apple harvest: I’d seen a cider farm on TV this morning reporting that most of their apples had fallen from the trees in the last couple of weeks and it seems ours had done the same.

But what of those gorgeous red beauties? Well, though the tree is ours - we planted it some years ago on our side of the fence, the apples were actually growing over the wall in our neighbours’ garden. I suppose I could have gone and got a step ladder and reached over for them, but really, it didn’t seem worth it.

Especially as a closer look revealed quite a few green apples of a different variety up there and very much in our garden.

But when I reached to put the first one into my bowl, I realised how small they were compared with the usual. I made the decision to leave them for the birds and other wildlife that’s been so short on food this summer. I can go and buy much better apples in the supermarket, after all.

Whilst up there, I gave the little Thai temple bell a ring and wished for rain soon. That little bell has been hanging on that tree for probably 15 or 20 years and used to chime occasionally in the wind. I’ve not heard it for a while, so I gave it another little jingle, just because I felt like it!

I made my way back over the crisp brown grass, carrying my empty bowl.

It wasn’t empty for long though, for under the fir trees lay so many cones, I filled my bowl with kindling for our woodburner in no time. I made a mental note to go out and collect more whilst it’s dry - they’ll store well in the garage until it’s time to start lighting the stove again later in the year. I didn’t want to risk there being ants, earwigs or any other creepy crawlies in there however, so rather than bring it in, I left it outside beneath the outdoor table.