[Umbrian]

Weatherwise, this year has been very different to most since I have been living in Italy with, above all, unusual temperature fluctuations. However since the very welcome rain that fell at the end of August the garden has sprung back to life and subjects that had performed poorly earlier in the year and gone into early summer hibernation mode once really high temperatures set in earlier than normal are now covered in bloom. Many salvias for instance, rosemary, nepeta,etc and my Trachelospermum asiaticum is blooming, albeit sparsely, for a second time for the first time ever. Gauras, Verbena bonariensis and Erigeron karvanskianus - all favourites for filling difficult spaces -  are flourishing again and proving their worth. It almost feels like spring
Are members in other countries experiencing this?

[JTh]

After nearly four very hot months without rain I did not expect to see that everything (almost) in our garden Halkidiki would be doing so well when we arrived a week ago; the rain a couple of weeks earlier really  helped, so I agree with you, Carol, it is almost like spring. Many brooms have started producing new leaves, and yesterday we found new shoots of wild asparagus when we walked in the olive groves around here, they were delicious eaten raw.

[MikeHardman]

Just had the first proper rain for months here in western Cyprus; will be interesting to see what sort of transformation it brings...

[John J]

Green with envy here, Mike. This afternoon we've been watching the black clouds away to the north-west and listening to the distant rumbles of thunder but not a drop down here in the south.

[Alice]

Even greener with envy. Not a drop here yet either. And not much likelihood for another ten days or so, it seems. Everything bone dry and dusty.