One of the advantages of living in the Outer Hebrides is the very light nights at midsummer. It's 2315 and this is my garden looking out over The Minch to the mainland of Scotland.
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Weekend Reflections
12 hours ago
Thursday, 19 June 2025
Almost Midnight, Almost Midsummer.
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The flip side of course is the long hours of darkness in the winter. I think I would find that hard to cope with.
ReplyDeleteOddly, David, I don't mind it but then I've had half a century here to get used to it.
DeleteGreat shot of the longest day. You are further north than we are.
ReplyDeleteRed, that actually surprised me.
DeleteIf you'd been looking for perfect weather, you probably wouldn't have chosen to live on Lewis. However, look at your beautiful garden, and that light at almost midnight. There are advantages to living everywhere.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, Cro. Rain is almost universal in the UK so it's really about coping with the wind. After living through a couple of storms in excess of 120mph in the last half century I've got used to the inconvenience of the wind. In the garden one just has to adapt and cope with the inevitable damage.
DeleteFabulous garden considering the latitude and climate.
ReplyDeleteThanks Tigger's Mum, wind is our worst enemy but we grow and position plants to suit.
DeleteIt's wonderful!
ReplyDeleteHere in the south of Germany, of course daylight does not last as long as that, but even at 10:00 pm I can still complete the rest of a walk on the fields where there are no street lights, without danger accidentally stepping into a ditch.
Thanks, Meike. yes we do get extremes of light and dark here because in midwinter we only get 5-6 hours of daylight.
DeleteIt is lovely. I don't mind these short summer nights up here. I can lie awake and look up at the treetops if I open the Velux blinds.
ReplyDeleteYears ago I slept under a Velux roof-light and never got used to noise of the rain hammering on the glass in a way that it never did on vertical windows.
DeleteIts beautiful, Graham.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kylie.
DeleteIt's beautiful and a view many would long for.
ReplyDeleteJanice even without the garden the view to the Mainland over the Minch is one of which I will never tire.
DeleteGosh, you have a gorgeous garden, Graham! Do you do all of the work on it yourself? It looks so perfect!
ReplyDeleteEllen until fairly recently I did everything myself. However during last Summer I found some of the heavier work and some of the alterations I wanted to do were more than I could handle now that I'm an octogenarian. So I now have an occasional gardener helping me. Apart from the slog of grass and hedge cutting he has also helped a lot with the dozens of big pots of bulbs and begonias that I display and things like painting the fences. As I'm surrounded by wild croftland even weeding becomes a major task in the summer.
DeleteThat garden and the view is just perfect.
ReplyDeleteThank you Debby.
DeleteI am absolutely loving your garden! So many colours, looks like you care for it very well.
ReplyDeleteAmy, my garden has always been my joy and an important way of keeping my equilibrium when times were very stressful.
DeleteYour garden is absolutely beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Damselfly.
DeletePerfect light to capture your beautiful garden. Although by 2315 I'm sure I'd be sleeping, whether it's dark or light outside.
ReplyDeletePauline, light does make such a contribution to the 'right' mood in a photograph and in the summer we have plenty of it.
DeleteAnd her in The Antipodes we are celebrating Matariki and very few hours of daylight, cold weather and hugely uninspiring gardens Envy! Margaret (Palmerston North)
ReplyDeleteMargaret, for the decade that I lived in New Zealand for 6 months of the year I never was there for Matarik. I have many happy memories of times with friends in Palmerston North and it saddens me that I shall never be there again - but I have wonderful memories which will have to suffice.
DeleteYour garden looks wonderful, and it's obvious that a lot of work went into creating it! The view of the Minch as stunning as ever. Hope you had a good Midsummer weekend! ♥
ReplyDeleteThank you very much, Monica. It's been a lovely weekend even if the weather itself has tried to provide a negative contribution.
DeleteYour garden looks spectcular, Graham. And that's quite a view you've got there. X
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jules. The view can be a great distraction at times especially as my 'breakfast bar' is also my main work area and so every time Imy mind gets distracted whe I am, for example, trying to write a blog post or a letter, I spend time just looking at the view. It is good for the soul though.
DeleteYour garden could be a wedding venue! It is truly lovely.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kay.
Delete11.15pm? Wow! By the way, may I say how gorgeous your garden is looking in those northern climes Graham - testament to your patience and perseverance. How very satisfying to have developed that garden from nothing.
ReplyDeleteThank you Neil. The first five years were a real slog because I was working full time and one could not work in the garden on The Sabbath. (How things have changed now!). At this stage in my life I look back and it was all worth it.
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