Under the Beech Tree - JULY

Well, June passed in the blink of an eye..  and July arrived in glorious style - beautiful sunshine.  I love long hot summer days!

Lush deep green leaves murmering in a gentle breeze

Perfect blue July sky against the green leaves.. beautiful

Beyond the beech tree..

Wild blue bellflowers line the path from our back gate through the woodland,
I love these they're so pretty and flower for ages

I don't know what this one is called.. can anyone help?
I have tried to find it but no joy so far..

The bindweed is flowering :) 

and foxgloves are still here.. a lovely flash of intense colour

Bindweed always makes me smile and think about the small books Gary brought for Rachael when she was tiny..

Cicely Mary Barker's flower fairies..
Bindweed was my favourite :)

Much as I love to see those big white trumpets, there are many times I've had to rip out armfuls at a time.. when I worked at Oakhouse, where it used to swamp our kitchen garden. I spent lots of hot, drowsy Sunday afternoons working in that kitchen garden!  No sound but buzzing bees..  That's the other lovely thing bindweed reminds me of :)

July:

Gemstone - Tuby

Flower - Larkspur

Anglo-Saxons called this month Hay monath or Mead monath.. because they made Hay and Mead now.

According to weather lore:

'If the first of July be rainy weather

        Twill rain more or less for four weeks together'

This is the first year in the last 15 that I haven't had a child getting excited about 'breaking up' for the summer holidays :)  as my youngest left school recently.  It feels funny to think that my dear cousin, who is about the same age as me, is just beginning the same journey.. her one and only starts nursery school in September this year.

Whatever you have planned.. whether it's holidays or work, kids breaking up from school or no.. I hope that you have a lovely July :)