There’s not much you can do in a heatwave like this. Extraordinary. It changes the nature of our days, what we can do, and when we can do it. It’s also put considerable strain on the young plants that we’ve recently planted in the vegetable garden. This heat, this early, means they’re not mature or strong enough, so they need extra watering and care.

We’ve finished picking and distilling the last of the cornflower at the farm. It’s too hot for any more to flower, but that gives us the opportunity to turn to the lavender. The olive trees are thriving in the heat and the first fruits are forming, and there’s been a couple of short storms to keep the ground hydrated.