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Now, please don’t get too excited. It’s birds I’m referring to. Pigeons, to be precise.
I am no good at sexing birds, so I’m not sure which was which in this couple, although I suspect that it was the female who remained aloof whilst her suitor performed on the trapeze.
Not greatly impressed, she turned and flew away. He swivelled on the high wire and set off in pursuit.
Jackie continued her mammoth weeding and planting in the garden.
My contribution was digging out bamboo roots that had strayed into the gravel of the Oval Path. This also involved lifting border rocks and replacing them after removing the interlopers. Afterwards I ambled around with watering cans, and, of course, a camera.
We are daily enjoying new tulips,
including these parrots.
We inherited some prolific yellow wallflowers along the back drive.
Encouraged by them Jackie added these beautifully red-veined ones last year,
and these varicoloured erysimum Red Jeps quite recently.
Another recent planting is mesembryanthemums,
seen here in situ beyond the russet heuchera.
It was so hot this afternoon that we took cold drinks on the Castle Bench because it was in the shade. There is a little table each side of the seat for drinks. Jackie sat on the right. I sat on the left. She is left-handed. I am right-handed. Work it out. Until she twigged what was going on, we both rested our glasses in the middle of the bench. Then we swapped positions, and there was nothing between us.
This evening we dine on Jackie’s delicious sausage casserole, carrots, cauliflower, and new potatoes. She drank Hoegaarden and I finished the fleurie.
Thank you for this very exciting post.
🙂 Thanks, Ann
Such a happy post! I love the antic of the birds and the left/right handed logistics. Your garden is getting more beautiful with every picture you share!
Many thanks, Lydia. It is amazing what difference a day makes at this time of year.
Totally titillating!
With birds of prey, the female is bigger than the male, but for more or less all the rest, the male is bigger. Very often, though, you can only see the difference when the two of this hem are together. Wonderful flowers by the way.
With pigeons (as with the human species, generally*), it’s definitely the male doing the approaching, and the female apparently not showing an interest. That would identify the sexes.
* or is that just what happens to ME?
I think that is changing in our emancipated world
Oh Derrick and Jackie the tulips are absolutely gorgeous – love the purple ones and red-veined ones. My favorite pictures was the last of the garden shot – so pretty to see everything filled, a beautiful English garden with prize worthy specimens.
Thank you, Mary. Another pic for you 🙂
Wallflowers are vastly underrated. And so are wallflowers.
Nice one, Bruce. Thanks
The garden is really astonishingly beautiful. All your work redounds to the garden!
Many thanks, Lisa. This could be the peak year
Looks like it!
I envy the activities that are going on in your garden. It’s looking great – love the perspective. With both my arms/hands impaired mine is looking neglected though I continue to work in slow motion.
Thank you, Mary. My hand was out of action this time last year. May you recover as quickly
Hope so…
I bet your stats will skyrocket with that title Derrick! 🙂 The garden is going to be even more spectacular this year isn’t it……… Those lilac coloured tulips are just lovely!!
Many thanks, Pauline. I wondered about the stats. 🙂 We should really get the benefit of the garden this year
Gorgeous- I’ve never seen mesembryanthemums before. The color is so vibrant
Thanks, Pleasant. Nor me. I had to look up the spelling 🙂
In my graphic design student days, I used the name in an imagined ad. for Interflora, and I had to look it up then (the slogan read “Mesembryanthemums to Zimbabwe-Rhodesia, or roses to Mum” [below which was an explanation that both were as simple with Interflora]; you might gauge how long ago by the reference to Z-R, as it was known during its transition period). Also at the time, I didn’t know what they looked like, I just knew of this long-named flower that fitted the idea.
Thanks, Paul
Your title made me laugh. The garden is beautiful, and it’s so nice to see those photos when here it is so cool and rainy.
Thank you, Merril
Your title did titillate me. Or should I say “twitterpate” me? And I always think the best marriages are those with nothing between them. Forsythia blooming in Ottawa. A few magnolias, too, still waiting for tulips.
Many thanks, Susanne. There was no ‘spike in my stats’, though 🙂
Lovely post. . Tulips are absolutely gorgeous. …
Thank you very much, Chitra
All of the flowers are gorgeous, Derrick. I’ve never seen lavender tulips…beautiful! Happy Weekend! I’m soooo ready.
Thank’s Jill. Enjoy yours, too
Great post derrick. Your garden gets better by the day it seems! The title made me wonder whether you’d had too much of the previous night’s wine haha. Re: sexing birds I just always default to guessing that the prettier or more flamboyant looking bird is the male- seems to work as a general rule of thumb. Your left / right dilemma made me laugh 😊.
Thanks, Mek. I don’t think that general rule works so well with pigeons against the light. 🙂
Hmmm maybe not. I couldn’t tell. Then you employ psychology. The more annoying one must be the male!
🙂
My first thought on reading the title was “Have I wandered onto Twitter by mistake?” They are less reticent about such things on Twitter.
Fortunately it was just a tale about a foolish pigeon. I can identify with him.
😉
I was hoping for a brief upsurge in views 🙂
Seeking that bubble reputation eh?
Derrick, you floral shots are always so beautiful. But today, you have a good capture with that bird that is about to land on the cable. Good one.
Many thanks, Lonely
a tranquil retreat.
Thank you, Kimberley
At first, I thought I was on the wrong blog, but the gorgeous flowers reassured me it was, indeed, your blog, Derrick! Lol. Your title threw me for a loop. Ah, you’re such a hoot! 😃
Many thanks, Rose. 🙂
Beautiful spring colours, great selection of flowers.
Thanks Inese
Amazingly beautiful flowers…the mesembryanthemums are awesome!!
Thanks, Maniparna. They only open for the sun
You know how to get our attention! Fun seeing those pigeons up on the wire!
I couldn’t resist it, Lynn. Thanks
Lot’s of dove hanky-panky a the little house in the big woods. There are so many things to admire in your garden that I wouldn’t know where to begin. Glad you two figured out where you should sit 😉
Many thanks, Laurie
The last photograph gave us colors and textures which completed a beautiful setting. I would love to paint this, someday I may in watercolors and display and give credit to you, Derrick. 🙂