Everything is very dry now in daytime temperatures of more than 30° C – good weather for lizards. In the garden we leave the tomatoes and peppers to ripen, harvesting and watering in the evening but doing little other work in the heat.
We seemed to lose most of our olive crop earlier this year, not long after the tiny fruits had formed (and others have reported the same odd phenomenon), but I’m pleased to see we have a few olives on each of our trees, and I’ve changed the header on this blog to celebrate. What a relief – I had thought I might have to rename this blog since the artichokes didn’t do very well this year either!
In the vineyards the grapes are beginning to ripen and the leaves are still the only touch of bright green in the landscape, but even with their deep roots the vines look a bit hot and drooping in the heat of the day. The grasses and other wildflowers at the edges of the vineyards are just dry seed heads now.
In a week or so the white grapes will start to be harvested, at night to keep them cool, and we’ll begin to hear the sound of tractors and machinery in the early hours of the morning all around the village while the red grapes will be left for a few more weeks to sweeten in the sun. August feels very different from July, there’s a sense of the natural cycle coming to its fruition everywhere.
olivesandartichokes 
Love those peppers!
Sorry about the olives – it doesn’t seem to have been a very good year for a lot of plants.
No, it hasn’t but at least we have some and our apricot harvest was the best ever.
I like the header photo…happy that a few olives have survived for harvesting . I probably have as many apples as you have olives in our orchard this year. Too cold and wet for the bees this spring. Many that were developing dropped off in June similar to your olives.
Yes, it was a strange spring here too. Sorry to hear about your apples.
It’s a shame about your olive harvest this year. This has been a bad year for growers everywhere, seemingly. And you’re right. August is different from July. Time marches on …
We nearly lost our olive trees, let alone the olives. The trees have recovered after radical pruning but I’m not sure if they’ll bear olives again. Our tiny garden is full of lizards in this weather and I think they’re enchanting. Your post really encapsulates the season. Nice one.
I’m sure your trees will bear olives again, if they’ve recovered from the cold, but it may take a few years.
My artichokes were looking better than they ever have before the snow, now I have none, they have vanished beneath soil completely. I am very sad. Yep, being a lizard in this weather is also probably too hot as I see all ours morning and evening only. Enjoy your Sunday Diane
Maybe our lizards are more used to the heat!
I am so relieved about your olives, we have lost ALL our fruit this year and it is awful when that happens.. I am also interested in this harvesting in the night time.. that is something to think about.. Lovely to see you c
The white grapes are harvested at night because they need to be kept cool until their taken to the cave – that’s not possible in the day time with temperatures over 30 C. Sorry to hear about your fruit – it does seem to be a very difficult year.