I very rarely stage a photograph, so I probably wouldn’t have thought of Jackie’s ladybird shots this morning. She spotted a somewhat sleepy ladybird – not literally of course, because this one already wore its spots – on a rounded pebble in a colourless corner. Thinking it needed something red to set it off, she picked up the pebble perch and plonked it among primulas in the window box on the front wall. The obliging insect stayed put.
We then filled two more canvas bags with hedge clippings and took them to the dump. Our spoils included two large pots and three folding wooden chairs.
Through the medium of donations of plants, seeds, gardening book and tools, the forthcoming First Gallery exhibition intends to raise funds for Southampton public libraries. Jackie will be donating some of the many seedlings that crop up in our paths and elsewhere in the garden. One of these is the geranium palmatum, a splendidly shrub-like perennial.
I made some small prints with which to enable buyers to know what they were purchasing.
This image of The Dead End Path shows the scale of the plants.
This afternoon I scanned another dozen colour negatives taken on my walk along the road to Bridgetown, Barbados, in March 2004.
Most gardens contained a brightly coloured, prolific, bougainvillea, which also adorned the roadside.
Taxis were really people carriers who happily held the centre of the road as they careered along,
occasionally stopping to pick up passengers at bus stops. Were they actually a variety of bus, I wondered?
An elegant egret, craning its neck in the undergrowth,
seemed oblivious of the BWIA passenger plane flying overhead.
Like the shady tree in the bus stop picture above
I could not identify many other blooming flowers.
This evening we dined on succulent chicken Kiev, creamy mashed potato, green beans, and ratatouille; followed by chocolate sponge pudding and cream. Jackie drank Hoegaarden and I drank reserve des Tuguets madiran, 2012
Lovely flowers…all of them… 🙂 Flowers always make me happy…
Thank you, Maniparna
I’m sure you’ll sell every geranium seedling if you show them that impressive picture of it. I’ve never seen one so big.
When Jackie had them in her London garden, people used to stop and ask what they were. Thanks, Mary
I kept seed and used to offer them to people who admired them, sometimes people passing by in London would knock on my door to enquire about certain plants I had, this got me into the habit of labelling my plants so folks could see what things were.
Wow just labelling all those plants would keep you busy, Jackie. I might do that with mine one day though I’ve probably forgotten what half of them are. 🙂
What an obliging ladybird that was! I found one in my tiny garden this past summer and was ecstatic – it was the first one I had ever seen here! It gives me hope that the beneficials are staging a come back 🙂
Thanks, Pauline. I had to look up beneficial as a noun – so I am grateful for that, too
Such stunning photos! Especially the flowers! Love them!
Thank you, Sofia
The photographs of Barbados are as beautiful as those of your garden. Loved the ladybug 🙂
Thanks, Geetha
Welcome Derrick. I share your posts when I remember to
Thanks for the sharing
Welcome 🙂
Barbados looks a very beautiful place. Hopefully, it’s not too hot!
Even in March I was advised to start that 10 mile walk at 5 a.m. In the event I set off at about 9. It was certainly lovely. Thanks, John
Good idea Jackie had–shot gave me a smile. What sort of camera do you use, Derrick? Such fine floral portraiture.
Thanks, Cynthia. It a Canon SX700 HS – quite a simple one really. (The Bajan shots were, of course, on film – a mix of Fuji and Kodak – with an Olympus OM2)
Appreciate the info-thank you. I use either my old pocket Nikon Coolpix or my newer Sony Cybershot DSC-H300, not too bad but would like a better one. (I am a bit of a photography nut, too. Posted an essay on taking pictures is so wonderful–of course….) And I do love and miss film.
Such a lovely path to take a stroll, Derrick. Jackie’s idea turned out quite well!
Thanks from us both, Jill
Breathtaking photos.
Thanks, Page
You know what stopped me and made me smile? The window planter that says “Old post house”. I know the history but I also thought of parallels with blog posts.
Thank you, Susanne. Jackie painted that
Wow amazing dinner and more gorgeous flowers!
Thanks, Lynn
I love the path to nowhere!
Thanks, Merril
The word “ladybird” had me wondering for a moment, until I realized you were referring to what we in the US call a “ladybug.” Being a language nut I pursued the language question a bit and discovered that before the insect was called a ladybird in the UK, it was called a ladycow. It resembles a cow even less than I bird, I thought….but such are the wonders of etymology and entomology. Before I became too smug about thinking that our usage was the best because it is not a cow, and not a bird, but a bug….I learned that it’s not exactly a bug either, but a beetle! A cowbirdbeetlebug it is!
Wonderful, Cynthia. Especially the two e….ologies. Thanks
That last photo is stunning, Derrick. I love the colours, and the leaves look almost 3D!
It was okay to set your good luck ladybug among flowers on the Rock. I loved your travel photos. The one path with flowers on both sides cries out for a poem, Derrick. That trip was an amazing one to Bridgetown, Barbados! Gorgeous photos for a calendar or book. 🙂
Many thanks, Robin
This post is so colorful, Derrick 🙂
Beautiful <3
Thank you, Monica
😀
The flowers are all so very lovely. 🙂
Thank you, Terry
Great walk this morning derrick – especially enjoyed the Dead End Path!
Thank you, Mary
Ah, that sweet ladybird. I think your staging set her colors off perfectly!! 🙂
And I love your Barbados shots… What vivid pinks in those flowers. My eyes were hungry for that color this morning, and I didn’t even know it. Thanks for sharing!! 🙂
Thank you, Ashley
🙂
I love this post and would like to be a taxi driver there. I think I’d be good at it!
Thanks, Claire Marie. You’d have to hurtle along the road sending walkers diving into hedges 🙂
Heh heh. That’s what I mean…