Jackie, with token assistance from me, continued with planting and watering today. I mostly rambled around, carting a few items along the paths.
We have a selection of marigolds;
ajugas, such as this one blending with pulmonaria, are popping up everywhere;
and our monstrous Spanish bluebells are thriving on the enriched soil.
Among the recent plantings along the back drive are
three different osteospermums.
My friend Julie at https://ramblingsfromjewels.wordpress.com/2016/04/30/blushing-rosy/ has displayed a fine crop of crab apple blossom. This alerted us to the fact that we are a little behind her part of USA.
Ours still look like this.
Not prepared to wait for their nectar, bees have already arrived in Downton, and restlessly search such as
humble honesty,
and little lithodora, also on the back drive.
No one plant satisfies, so the insects rapidly flit about from one to another and my lens must catch them on the wing.
This evening we dined on pork rib rack in barbecue sauce, somewhat charred because we rather overextended our drinks session in the rose garden, and Jackie’s lovely vegetable rice. I drank more of the Margaret River cabernet sauvignon and Jackie drank Hoegaarden.
Just as I was about to publish this, Matthew telephoned with a story I might like. He had watched a courier ringing the doorbell of his neighbours across the road. Several times. He thought it a bit strange that they did not answer because he knew they were in. Eventually the deliveryman asked Mat to take in the parcel, which he willingly did. When he gave it to the neighbour she said ‘Oh. That will be my new doorbell!’
When I’d finished cackling, I had to pass the phone to Jackie for him to repeat the tale.