March 2016 – Page 2 – derrickjknight

The Light Fantastic

Today the sun put in intermittent appearances. Early on I applied my lens to the light.

The Gazebo Path retained its colour,

but this bench, lamp, and eucalyptus called for Black and White to enhance their shapes,

as did the shadows on the bench on The Helicon Path.

During the rest of the day, whilst I produced most of the remaining prints chosen by Paul for the exhibition, Jackie achieved considerable garden planting and maintenance,

including completing the refurbishment of the dump table photographed on 15th.

All I have to make now are a couple of A3 prints, the paper for which should arrive tomorrow.

Whilst tomorrow’s lamb jalfrezi simmered gently on the hob

we dined this evening on Jackie’s excellent liver and bacon casserole, potato wedges, carrots, and green beans. The Cook drank Kingfisher while I imbibed Reserve des Tuguets madiran 2012.

On this dull, overcast, day, Aaron and Robin made considerable headway on weeding the gravel paths. Certain alliums that self seed everywhere, when wrenched from the paths, fill the air with the smell of onions, nowhere near as appetising as when they are being fried.

Jackie did some planting in the front garden.

This afternoon we drove out to Pilley Cottage Garden on Pilley Hill near Lymington.

Jackie parked the car in the School Car Park and we walked down the daffodil-lined hill to the cottage.

We were warmly welcomed by Stephanie who opens her garden, featuring its own swathes of narcissi, as part of the National Gardens Scheme.

In the left foreground of this picture stems of willow, pressed into the soil, have sprouted. Others, equally apparently rooted, provide arches such as that further back on the left, through which a visitor has walked.

We were pleased to note so many people viewing on what was quite a cold day.

The couple in the centre of this shot have just crossed a bridge conveniently laid over a potentially boggy area. The lines seen in the foreground are placed to deter visitors from venturing onto other muddy patches.

On the right of the next photograph can be seen a pergola made of live willow.

The hilly nature of the plot offered intriguing views on different, terraced, levels.

Strategically placed sawn logs weathered beautifully in the beds, providing homes for flora such as ferns, and no doubt fauna.

Even the shed was an attraction.

A gate at the top of the slope opened onto a deceptive arch. Can you see the trick? This photograph contains one of the many examples of fascinating pottery,

such as this abandoned game of chess,

or this ring of elephants bearing succulents,

bounded by little globed boxes,

within the circumference of which Jackie contemplated the layout,

before we wandered up to the house for tea, and, of course, the purchase of two plants.

We considered this trip an excellent way to brighten a dull day.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s luscious liver and bacon casserole, crisp potato wedges, carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli. I finished the Costieres de Nimes.

More Possible Prints

This morning I placed an order with a local printer for the A2 copy of Jackie picking daffodils two mornings after our arrival in Downton on 1st April 2014. Rather fittingly, Paul has selected it to be the largest picture on display.

I then continued bombarding him with e-mailed suggestions for further, smaller, prints.

This frozen pond from 19th January this year could fit the bill for a semi-abstract A3.

A number of roses include this Apricot Abundance from 6th June 2014;

Festive Jewel,

and Summer Wine pictured on 19th October 2015;

Absolutely Fabulous the next day,

and For Your Eyes Only and another Summer Wine on 1st November.

Further blooms include a rhododendron from 21st May 2014;

camellias from 18th

and 30th March 2014;

and myrtle embracing a shy little pink rosebud on 16th July that same year.

This being the final day of The Six Nations rugby tournament, I spent the afternoon and early evening watching the games between Wales and Italy, and Ireland and Scotland.

After this, the marinade of yesterday’s baked ham nicely matured the juices for a second sitting today. This was served with ratatouille, mashed potato, and Brussels sprouts. I drank more of the Costieres de Nimes, whilst Jackie abstained.

I am now about to watch the grand finale, between England and France.

More Printing

This morning I filled two more cuttings bags, and this afternoon we took them to the dump. This time, the Head Gardener only liberated a trio of terra cotta containers from a wine rack.

I spent much of the day printing and exchanging e-mails with Paul about the exhibition. The final batch of 50 completed my tally of 250 flyers.

Paul Clarke has put as much meticulous effort and skill into the hanging and display of the exhibition at The First Gallery as he did with the design of the flyers. He has made quite specific size suggestions for prints with which to adorn the walls, ranging from A2 to A6. As I Can only go to A3+ on my printer, I will need to investigate the cost of commercial printing for the one A2.

Here are some of the offerings I have sent:

This was the view through the red Japanese maple on 21st April 2014.

I made a very small crop of this gladiolus in order to position the burrowing fly;

on 14th September 2014, just a week before that one, another alighted on a colchicum.

Two days later this bee settled on an eryngium planum;

another made for this libertia on 18th May last year.

On 25th February 2015 snowdrops were in abundance.

This Red Admiral butterfly cast an intriguing shadow on 21st November 2013.

Finally, here is a tulip from 14th April 2015.

For this evening’s dinner Jackie produced perfectly baked ham, moist ratatouille, creamy mashed potato, and crisp brussels sprouts; followed by sticky toffee and ginger pudding and custard. I drank Louis Virion Costiers de Nimes 2014, and the Cook drank lemon squash.

Container Delivery

Today we transported four more bags of cuttings to Efford Recycling Centre.

The first two,

giving us the sense of a light at the end of the tunnel,

we disposed of before lunch. For most of the winter the heaps have lain the length of the left hand side of the drive. Most are from the griselinia hedge that Aaron trimmed in the autumn.

The left hand corner of the entrance, beyond our five-barred gate, was continually being driven over by vehicles entering and leaving the care home alongside. We have finally constructed a suitable deterrent. The chain is actually plastic, but it works, and these daffodils, pansies, and primroses remain unscathed.

Here is a current view centred on The Shady Path,

and another on the Gazebo Path.

Birds, like these crows, often stand sentinel on the scrawny oak across Christchurch Road.

My replacement inks were delivered this afternoon, so I was able to complete the best part of my allocation of the flyer printing after we drove the last two bags of cuttings to the dump.

At the moment the two huge containers dedicated to garden greenery are constantly being filled and emptied again. When we arrived for our third trip, the huge structure to the filling of which we had contributed this morning was being replaced by another. Watching the driver reversing his lorry into the very narrow space available, I was full of admiration for his skill.

This morning’s recycling haul was six terra cotta pipes which we bagged in order to test The Head Gardener’s ingenuity. She’s bound to find some use for them.

This afternoon we returned with pair of aluminium garden chairs in need of a nattier coat of blue. They went straight into the front gardener’s rest.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s super sausage casserole; mashed potato; and crisp cauliflower and broccoli. I finished the El Sotillo. Jackie abstained.

Three For Them, And Three For Us

Having made more progress on printing the flyers last night, I have run out of several inks and therefore ordered more on line today, in addition to paper for the photographic prints. That is not a major problem.

The daffodils and primulas in Jackie’s tiered front garden pots are now in full bloom,

offering an interesting conundrum to those driving by. To the right is the autumn flowering cherry that has bloomed throughout the winter.

Different varieties of daffodil bloom in the main garden,

and on the back drive,

where we also have primroses.

From that drive we transported three more canvas bags of cuttings to Efford Recycling Centre; one Aaron had filled on Sunday, and two more we filled today. That meant three trips. On the first we returned with a mirror and a quartz clock which did not work when we inserted a battery; on the second

a rather splendid cane chair in need of a cozy corner.

This, of course had to go straight onto the decking.

On the third trip the Head Gardener garnered a well weathered, and therefore probably frost proof, terra cotta pot. If we discount the clock that didn’t work, that makes three for them and three for us.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s excellent chilli con carne, vegetable rice, and green beans. I drank more of the El Sotillo and Jacki abstained.

The Flyer

On another springlike, sunny, morning, beside a pot of primulas, Jackie began work on renovating her recent dump table purchase. This involved glue and screws.

Hoverflies are back in town. Can you spot this one? (Yellow attracts)

This is a view across the eastern end of the Heligan Path towards the Rose Garden.

These hellebores are different from those in the above scene, and blend well with some little star-shaped bulbed plants, that we haven’t identified. (I am grateful for suggestions on this question. See the definitive comment from the biking gardener below)

The kiwi communes with the pheasant by the eucalyptus shadows.

Later in the morning, Paul came over, bringing printing paper, final drafts of the exhibition flyer, support, encouragement, guidance, and assistance with the printing process. Jackie produced an excellent ham and vegetable soup for lunch.

After the break, Paul and I worked well into the afternoon, and he went home with the first sixty copies. I continued after he had left.

Our friend’s superb design has created a two-sided document that can be folded to provide an informative little brochure.

The picture of Jackie picking daffodils finishes up on the front, with the map on the back.

Further information on us and the other exhibitors appears within the folds.

I just do the printing. Margery and Paul do the origami.

This evening we relished dining on Jackie’s choice chilli con carne and mushroom rice, followed by Tesco’s yellow ticket chocolate eclairs. I drank El Sottino, a Spanish red wine Ian brought at Christmas, and Jackie drank sparkling water.

Tulip Time

This was a bit of a relapse day. Nevertheless we took one of the bags of cuttings that Aaron had filled yesterday to the dump, and returned home with a lawn rake. There was such a long queue that we didn’t go back with the second load. Clearly the entire local population had spent the weekend spring-cleaning.

A wander round the garden in glorious sunshine revealed

tulips, like this one, given to us by Danni and Andy for Christmas;

including the dwarf variety now spread out like a discarded paper handkerchief;

a range of colourful primulas;

and many new daffodils.

The sunlight that set the flowers glowing glinted on the numerous flies basking on euphorbias;

and enhanced the view across the beds, such as those named for Cryptomeria Japonica and Weeping Birch.

This evening we dined on a Hordle Chinese Take Away meal. Jackie drank neat sparkling water and I added lemon squash to mine

No Pictures Today

Jackie and I are very touched by all the get well wishes we have received from you all. When I tell you that we dined out this evening with Elizabeth at Dynasty in Brockenhurst, and all three drank Kingfisher, you will realise that these have paid off. We both seem to be rather improved.

This morning Aaron began work on weeding the gravel paths, and filled two more large canvas bags with griselinia cuttings.

This afternoon I watched the Six Nations rugby match between Scotland and France.

After this Elizabeth paid us a visit and helped me learn how to print on both sides of a sheet of paper, so I was able produce a sample from Paul’s design for the exhibition flyer, which she will deliver to him tomorrow. It would be premature to publish this before The First Gallery’s set is distributed. That is why I have published no pictures today.

Prints For The Exhibition

Whilst Jackie has started on her antibiotics, the virus has come back and bitten me again. I was therefore not up to much today apart from watching the Six Nations rugby matches between Ireland and Italy, and between England and Wales. It was no reflection on the first game that I dozed through much of it.

I also printed up more photographs for the forthcoming exhibition.