Jackie, having kept me supplied with plenty of food, drove off this morning for her annual three day holiday with her two sisters.
The griselinia hedge between us and the corner bungalow has begun to push Jackie’s spring planting across the back drive in search of light. After today’s earlier rain, I decided to give the trees a good clipping. This also meant tackling stubborn brambles and ivy infiltrating from the neighbouring garden. The brambles got their own back with thorns, the ivy with stubbornness, and the griselinia with drips.
Every so often we need to remind ourselves what each area looked like two years ago.
This was the back drive then. Jackie is at the far end.
This is as it is today. To the left lies fencing that Aaron and Robin are working on. To the right the griselinia clippings have spilled over the orange bags. A dump trip or two will be required on the Driver’s return.
The New Bed which lies on the former compost heap at the corner of this drive contains, among other plants, two clematises, aquilegias, geranium palmatums, erigeron, poppies, and dahlias on their way up. The fuchsia is in fact behind it.
In the rose garden, Aloha, which was rather poorly until The Head Gardener set about feeding and nurturing it, is now doing well.
As the sun emerged later in the day, they bees came out in force.
They flitted about among the yellow heucheras, taking the nectar on the wing.
Bottle Brush plant
On the also yellow Bottle Brush plant, they did have time to stop and burrow.
A second clematis has now bloomed on the gazebo.
I dined on Jackie’s luscious sausage casserole and mashed potato, followed by her delicious rice pudding. Doom Bar was my beverage.
Oh – the before and after shots are so telling ! What a beautiful difference – Bravo!
Many thanks, Jodie
I agree. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you, MSW
Brambles!!! I have fought ours for nearly thirty years, and guess who’s winning?
It’s no contest, John. Thanks
Hope Jackie had a lovely trip! I know I tell you occasionally, but it bears repeating, I am a big fan.
It does bear repeating, thanks, Leslie
I’m sure we are all relieved to hear that Jackie left you with adequate meal supplies! The back drive improvement is phenomenal isn’t it – even though there is something quite enticing about venturing into the wilderness that was previously there.
I do feel a bit nostalgic for the wilderness. Although Giles’s garden is well managed, it does have that charm. Thanks, Pauline
Thanks for sharing another photo of the bottle brush plant, Derrick. If I were a bumble bee, that’s where I’d hang out. 🙂
My pleasure. Thank you, Jill
What a transformation Derrick!
Sausage casserole and rice pudding … you are a lucky man 👍
Many thanks, Val
I see you looking forlorn as Jackie’s car disappears from view and lifting the camera, take a photo of the empty drive 🙂
Glad to know that Jackie left you with food and occupational therapy. I wish her a happy holiday and both of you a glad reunion. Here it is already Tuesday; see how time flies ? 🙂
A fun reply, Mary. Thank you
What an amazing transformation! Jackie really made sure that you won’t starve whilst she’s’away. I hope she has good weather for her jaunt.
Thank you, Sylvia. The forecast wasn’t good, but they’ll still have fun
Wow, amazing before and after pics. A lot of hard work there, and persistence.
Thanks very much, Peggy
From mutual fun to hedge fun, you are bound to have high returns!
Thanks ever so, Cynthia
🙂 🙂 🙂
There’s a word-weaver’s response
Being not at all a maven of finances, I like that you spotted that, Paul! 🙂
You both work so hard at your garden. It’s interesting to see some before and after shots.
I like the photos with the bees, too!
Thanks very much, Merril
Nice to see happy bees flitting about. And very glad your supplied with good food.
Many thanks, Lisa
It’s so important to look back occasionally to see how far one has come and it is one of the things about being able to capture instant images. Your transformation is nothing short of miraculous (if miracles are down to hard work and forethought).
Many thanks, Osyth
What a beautiful garden you have.
Thank you, Suzanne
The things I learn from your posts:
“Doom Bar is the preferred drink of Cormoran Strike, Robert Galbraith’s private detective in the novel The Cuckoo’s Calling”
Doom Bar yeast tank at Sharp’s Brewery
Doom Bar is the preferred drink of Cormoran Strike, Robert Galbraith’s private detective in the novel The Cuckoo’s Calling.
Well, now I’ve learned something, Yvonne. Thank you 🙂
And, a big whoops … I didn’t delete an extraneous part of my reply. So now you’ve earned that I don’t pay attention to details!
I don’t think I earned it 🙂
Oh, cr*p, I’ve done it again!!! 🙂
🙂
While a 3-day bachelor, you are certainly keeping busy!
Well, she might be reading the blog 🙂 Thanks, GP
Good thinking!!
🙂 🙂 🙂
She wouldn’t be THAT cunning, would she?
Actually she didn’t take her PC 🙂
The holiday for Jackie is nice and special for her. That hedge looks like a big challenge, Derrick! The Aloha rose is stunning. Have a nice week ahead! 🙂
Many thanks, Robin. You too
What vision you two have! And it’s amazing what you and Jackie have accomplished. I’m sure Jackie will have a wonderful time with her sisters.
Many thanks, Laurie. She will
These are beautiful, Derrick! The difference in those before and after shots is amazing. You two sure work hard out there! (Where do you live again? I am sorry I can’t remember……I am 55 after all.) 😉
You poor old thing. 🙂 We live on the edge of The New Forest in Hampshire. Thank you, Patsy
how gorgeous Derrick!
Thank you, Lynn
most welcome!
That is quite a transformation! Kudos to both of you for your amazing work on the garden
Thank you very much, Geetha
Most welcome Derrick 🙂
So much vision and effort–job so well done–impressive how you continue to manage this garden. Cheers!
Thanks, Cynthia
I’ve never seen a Bottle Brush plant before. They look very cool!
I hadn’t either before we came here. We have a couple of red ones, too. Thanks, Weekly
Your gardening endeavours are certainly bringing rich rewards – two years seems such a short time to have achieved such a transformation. Wonderful to see so many bees.
Thank you, Peggy. We do have many bees.
You have different yellow heuceras? Mine lemon one hardly survived deer hunger!
Many thanks, Tamara. Our only enemy is vine weevil, which, of course, originated in Hampshire, where we live. Jackie is working hard to eradicate it
Oh, is it a bad enemy? My enemy-Deer looks great in our garden, but Little is safe , they love roses, tulips, clematis, to name just a few
It’s just that the deer don’t come to our garden. They did in Minstead, just a few miles away. The weevils are devastating. https://derrickjknight.com/2014/10/25/chips-and-gravy/
I’ve just visited the link, awful creatures , I am happy we don’t have them! About deer, there is my post from yesterday portraiting one of those waiting to jump over our garden;(
Beautiful again.. Its amazing those before and after photo’s when you look back the transformation. xx
Thanks very much, Sue
Great garden, though I would like to point out that brambles are not a weed but a food crop. I point this out to my neighbours several times a year but they remain unconvinced and ungrateful.
😉
Thanks, Quercus. We did get quite a crop early on. 🙂
I’ll have that! And, Derrick, they make a great addition to wine. Some time, when you’re at “The First” at the right season, you can sample what I mean.
Thank you, Paul. You’re on.
you’re hard working gardeners! Looks all super. I haven’t grown Bottlebrush but it’s really interesting!
Thanks, Boomdee. I’d not seen bottlebrush before
What a beautiful transformed garden! Everything is so colorful! 🙂
Thank you, Krupa
The real beauty! 🙂
Thank you, Krupa