As I mentioned in my post yesterday, we had a great deal of rain at the end of last week and over the weekend. The Perovskia didn’t think much to that, and the Centranthus also suffered a bit. But the view today is still colourful, with the pink Fairy rose still flowering…
And this Persicaria (which has a new name that I can’t remember) has been flowering non-stop since July…
We have had a few distractions in the garden recently… more of that in a couple of days. But today a tiny weeny snake was near our patio door, rather near my slippers!
If you don’t like snakes, scroll down quickly.
He was only about 20cm long, but very lively.
Probably a smooth snake, as that’s what we mostly have here.
Have you seen any snakes this summer?
Words and Herbs 
The Persicaria does look elegant and is certainly giving a good run, it is something I am not familiar with. I saw a couple of small whipsnakes at the bottom of the garden early in the year and a few days ago a long skin was sticking out of a hole in the house wall. They are very welcome as I’m sure yours is. Amelia
They certainly are welcome here too. I suspect we will see more next year as this one is sure to have a few siblings! The Persicaria is an amazing plant for a sunny spot with shaded roots.
Hi Cathy. Lucky you having had rain! Some friends about 20kms away had the most enormous storm last night whilst we had not a drop!! So dry here that everything is turning that summer-burnt brown colour! Lovely to have the Indian Summer but we SO need some rain! Lovely photo of the snake.
Wow! He’ s a beauty. Non- venomous I take it? I saw a little snake in the Esteral in France earlier this year warming himself in the sun. I had to step in and stop a man who wanted to kill it.
We have grass snakes here and slowworms breeding in the compost.
Hi Chloris, no dangerous snakes near us as far as I know. We usually see a lot of slowworms too… they sometimes give me a shock when I open my compost bin and they are on the top enjoying the warmth! Haven’t seen many this year though.
Hi Lindsay. The rain has worked wonders and the dry areas have been revived.. quite unusual but very welcome! Hope you get a soaking too soon. I think we are due for more in a few days too, so am trying to get ahead with outdoor jobs. 🙂
Lovely post–except for the snake 😉 I posted about my granny’s advice on snakes in August here: http://nestofsquirrels.com/2014/08/25/august-and-everything-after/ Have you ever heard of them being especially ill-tempered in the heat of the summer?
😉 A completely harmless one Benjamin! I haven’t heard of them getting ill-tempered, but I suppose the heat makes them livelier. LOL!
You are so lucky to have had some rain, I hope we do soon.
We usually have grass snakes in the garden, sometimes we see them swimming in the pond. Occasionally we also have slow worms which are beautiful.
I agree, slow worms are quite pretty, but I like snakes too. We sometimes see grass snakes, but mostly smooth snakes. I have seen one moving extremely quickly down the road and over the neighbour’s fence! Have never seen them swimming though.
Beauty of the garden is that it brings all kinds of interesting visitors.
We have had so many creatures visiting this year, we have been very lucky! 🙂
I am goad you are getting some rain, we also got rain today, big thunder storm! Loves the snake. Only seen a couple snakes this summer, black snake, copperhead snake and a rattle snake. The last two are very poisonous!
I think I would be so afraid of a rattlesnake! I don’t mind ours at all though, as long as they don’t surprise me while I am balancing in the rockery on one foot! 😉
The view continues to look very fresh and full of colour, your rose seems to have been flowers for months, it must really be planted in the right place. I’ve only seen a snake slither away out of the corner of my eye, I imagine it was a Western whip snake, that’s what I usually see in the garden, they can grow quite large; I can’t say I love them but I know they do more harm than good. I’m intrigued by your distractions, look forward to reading about it.
The roses have flowered almost nonstop this year! The pink ones sometimes manage to flower until November… I like the snakes because they probably keep the mice away. 🙂 (The mice can do terrible damage under the flower beds.)
We had to save a slow worm from a cat! (not a snake but reminds me of them)
Poor thing! I always have to look twice as we get both snakes and slow worms, especially in spring.
Happy impending autumn, Cathy.
Thank you Steve. And the same to you!
I finally see a touch of autumn in your slope, something about a long cool rain does that I think. The color is still wonderful though.
I wish my persicaria looked half as good 🙂
I did see a few baby snakes this summer (garter I think) and I hope they grow up nice and healthy since I don’t think this is a good neighborhood for snakes -with all the cats and cars….
I think our snakes are pretty safe up here near the woods but I hadn’t considered cats going for them! That Persicaria seems to get better every year, and I think it likes the combination of having its head in the sun and feet in the shade of the Euonymous shrub! 🙂
Your view is still looking good – plenty of colour against the green backdrop of the trees. Were you wearing the slippers when the snake passed so close?
No, but I did check them when I came back from the garden and have been shaking my gardening shoes before I put them on too! LOL!
Yes – I saw a snake last week swimming in a friends pond – very rare in England to see a snake. I love your Persicaria – I have never grown it but it looks like a good addition – I assume a dry sunny spot is its preference?
Hi Julie. Yes, the books say semi shade, but as long as the root is shaded it seems to love the full sun too!
I’m afraid I’m not very fond of snakes at all, so I’m extremely glad they’re not something I ever happen upon in the garden. Occasionally, I’ve seen small garter snakes while camping out on the prairies, and they usually send me jumping up on top of the nearest picnic table! 😉
I’m sure I’d react like that if I had dangerous ones in the garden, but I think they are more afraid of me than vice versa! 🙂
I like the light in your pictures!
I´ve only seen blindworms, which aren´t snakes. Your visitor is really beautiful. I´d like th watch one too. 🙂
“Blindworms” are called slow worms and we see them here too, although not so often this year. When we picked up the snake it was surprisingly strong, wriggling stiffly like a rod!
Yes, there are two snakes who live in my rock garden. I don’t like them, but have come to accept that they are there. I generally look for them before I start to work so I don’t get startled. They are both garter snakes, one brown (its name is Mittens!), and the other silvery with a yellow stripe (we call it Severus Snake). The silver one is actually kind of pretty, especially right after it has shed its skin. Its colors are really bright then. I tend to see them fairly frequently in the spring, and then a couple times in late summer–I don’t know where they go in the height of summer. We also had way too many baby snakes around here in the late summer this year–makes me a little nervous about next year.
Are garter snakes dangerous Kimberley? I rarely see ours, and they are usually very shy so they keep away from me I think. I am just pleased to have them because they eat mice… and mice eat my plants and bulbs and various vegetables too! I suppose this baby was one of many, so perhaps we’ll see more next year. And ours are completely harmless too. 🙂
Beautiful view…and yes we have had many very large garter snakes here this year.
I must now go and look up garter snakes. Hope they aren’t dangerous Donna!
Goodness, I’m a fortnight behind! Your slope is still full of colour, I have developed quite an addiction to persicarias, beautiful foliage, long flowering, loved by pollinators, excellent form that contrasts so well with daisies etc, what’s not to love! “Fat Domino” is next on my wish list…
I agree Janet – highly under-rated plants. I am looking for a spot for a “Red Dragon” for its foliage….