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This morning, Jackie went hunting for pond liner to mend a leak in the Waterboy fountain
whilst Aaron cleared wind-battered plants and cut back others encroaching on the paths,
and I dead-headed in the rose garden and beyond. In the first of the above two pictures, the paler Alan Titchmarsh stands beside Love Knot; in the second, Little Rambler’s label stands out.
The bright pink Rosa Gallica is beautifully striated;
Winchester Cathedral bears new buds ready to take over from the mature bloom;
and a bee lingered on Absolutely Fabulous long enough for me to get two shots in.
In fact bees busy themselves everywhere. This one takes itself into a pink foxglove;
another boards an aquilegia;
another a heuchera;
and, is that a shield bug sharing a berth with one in a Bottle Brush plant?
Elsewhere we have suspended petunias;
ascending clematises like this Star of India;
soaring Rosa Glauca;
white campanulas;
delicate rose campion;
tiny sisyrinchium striatum;
luscious lilies;
hardy fuchsias;
two different philadelphuses;
another pink rose Dearest;
and Wedding Day
joining the clematis on the Agriframes Arch.
After lunch we motored to Stewart’s Garden Centre just outside Christchurch where, at Maidenhead Aquatics, we found the liner.
Outside this outlet there is a large pool around which koi carp, some looking prehistoric, glide, fins flapping, or swoop, tails flipping, fins tucked into their sides, whirling interminably.
We also noticed that Broomhill Garden Buildings had a Spring Sale, where a rather good greenhouse was available at half price. Back home we sped to take measurements of the place where it would go. It fitted. Back we sped and ordered it.
This evening we dined on haddock fishcakes topped with Cheddar cheese; spinach (for the forearms); boiled potatoes, carrots, and green beans.with which I drank Louis Chamandiet Cairanne 2015.
With the secateurs dead-heading the roses, and your devouring of the spinach, your forearms will match Popeye’s in no time.
Nice one, Bruce. Thanks a lot
: )
Your feature photo is my favourite. Love the eyes.
Many thanks, Mary.
Looking at the third photo I was thinking it might be a bit of a prickly business perching on that chair……….. Glad the muscles are being taken care of – next a pipe will be required!
Thanks a lot, Pauline. What a shame I’ve given up the pipe 🙂
Derrick, the flowers are absolutely beautiful. I will be looking forward to seeing pictures of the new greenhouse.
Many thanks Terry. Delivery takes 8-10 weeks, which won’t be a problem – especially as it staggers payment 🙂
So glad you got both your liner and greenhouse too – at a great price! And you used an ‘enrichment word’ – striated. Which is un bon mot, in my opinion. such beautiful flowers, you two. congrats! How big is the greenhouse?
6 foot 6 inches x 6 foot 7 and much taller. ‘Enrichment’ is a nice thought. Thanks very much Cynthia.
Every photo of your garden is a feast for the eyes 🙂
Very many thanks, Rosaliene
Nice POST <3 <3 <3
Many thanks, Paulino
A few weeks ago, my sister and I visited the art museum in my town. One of the exhibits in the museum displayed the work of an art photographer. His subject was flowers, but in each of his large artistically taken photographs there was also a bug or a bee. As in your photos, the insect or bee is a nice punctuation point.
Your garden is amazing!
Very many thanks, Nicki
Derrick, I am expecting you to hand me down a degree in Floriculture by the turn of the year! Looking forward to enjoying the greenhouse. Hope the Big Beast doesn’t take a fancy to that!
Many thanks, Uma. All the information comes from the Head Gardener, from whom I am learning a bit. The Big Beast hasn’t got through the latest barrier yet.
You ate fish?! Glorious photos!
Neither of us thought of that, Luanne 🙂 Thank you very much
😉
Ha – good catch – (ba dum bum)
The haddock fishcakes sound right up my alley, I take it the C.Q uses fresh haddock,not smoked, which is all we can get here in Australia. I think Leslie exports it to us. It comes from Sudafrica,
personally I don’t think smoked cod or haddock lends itself to fishcakes; and I can’t imagine the CQ using the stuff.
Perhaps when she has a moment to spare from slaving away in your garden, kitchen and driving seat of your Peugeot she might let me know what else she adds to the fish before forming the cakes. I’ll try them with some cod, which we are now getting supposedly from Canada.
THANKS JACKIE! 😀 :bear: 😛
Oh confession time now, fishcakes were purchased from a well know super market! I like to look at the shelves that display reduced price items, these were fancy ones that were half price, I have made my own of course and I did actually use smoked haddock as I feel it has more flavour, nice cheesy sauce over the top yummy!
Shocked! Shocked indeed! Disappointed ❓ Is the Pope protestant ❓
Very well, I shall try the smoked cod or haddock, perhaps add some crab or prawn(shrimp) meat, then again the smoked fish may kill the flavour of that, Problems ! Problems!
Food for thought? sort of :bear:
Thanks Jackie 😀
We think the prawns sound good 🙂
Nice comment, Brian. Thanks. It’s a Porsch, by the way. 🙂
Snob! 😀
I assume you meant Porsché ❓
What a giveaway 🙂
Some beautiful fishes!
Thanks a lot, John
Not very edible I’d imagine! :'(
One can eat carp.( These are a variety) Very popular on Christmas Eve in Europe apparently.
Thank you, Helen
I believe that in Europe horse is considered good eating too. and in the Orient I believe dogs are quite the thing, Sir Joseph Banks on his voyage with Capt Cook took two dogs with him on the voyage, When they eventually arrived in Batavia he gave his greyhound to the ruler as a gift. Apparently the king or whatever he was found it most enjoyable. 😈
True story.
are you sure it was haddock? and not perhaps a stolen koi? haha, just kidding <3
🙂 Thanks a lot, Kim
Beautiful flowers and very fine fish!
Many thanks, Laurie
Rose campion – I had that years ago & loved it – I’ll have to get another, now that you’ve reminded me. “for the forearms” made me laugh.
Many thanks, Jodie
It’s so weird how things in my garden ebb and flow. A few years ago I had Love-in-the-mist everywhere. It just reseeded and loved me – year after year. Now i have none. Then my cleome took over & I had to dig them up and move them to where I wanted them every year, because they were taking over. And this year, I have none! I haven’t seen one seedling. I think there are so many forces at work that I am just not noticing that affect every living thing.
Fascinating, Jodie. Similar events over here. Sometimes, when we open up an area, we find plants that have lain dormant since before we came.
Wow – It’s always an adventure out there in Nature, isn’t it, Derrick?
Spinach for the forearms – so funny! How I haven’t been around for a couple of days Derrick and your flowers are exploding – this is just gorgeous this year. It’s so beautiful, I could spend hours wandering around in it – why I would even deadhead here and there if Jackie would allow.
that forearm comment made me laugh, too.
I’m sure you would be very welcome to use the secateurs, Mary. Many thanks.
I was busy working on Sunday and somehow missed this one. I’m glad I came back to see these glorious photos of fish and flowers. Are your forearms like Popeye’s now? 🙂
Many thanks, Merril. No. Must be because I gave up the pipe 🙂
Oh–I eat spinach almost every day, but I’ve never smoked a pipe, so that does explain it. 😉
🙂
Just love your garden, Derrick! Lots of work behind the scene. 🙂
Many thanks, Amy
Lovely flower photos, and grear bees.
Many thanks, Quercus
🙂
The gardens are beautiful! The pond liner project sounds like a bit of an undertaking. I would love a pond here, but it is too hot an dry in summer. I love the koi fish. Older fellows that have been around for some time!
Many thanks, Lavinia. Calling ours a pond is a slight exaggeration. It is a concrete shell water feature into which a little boy tips water – really no more than a bird bath
The garden is in full bloom…loved the foxgloves. Koi fish is quite common here…the fish pictures are beautiful… 🙂
Thanks very much, Maniparna
Look at all the beauty and fun koi fish! My favourite photograph of yours is the faded bench in the backround and crisp roses in foreground. 🌹
Such lovely flowers abound in yours and Jackie’s gardens!
I am starting in the 6 days ago past posts! I must tell you my son and wife with their children went on vacation and I had two dogs and other “chores” after my daily work all week!
I have my posts scheduled through when my own “vacation” to Lake Erie to watch my brother and SIL’s dogs and watering responsibility begins.
They are going to France for two weeks and then, Susan’s mother’s home on Bethany Beach, Maryland.
(As well as joyful visits with my Mom and Randy when he’s available.)
Thanks a lot Robin. I look forward to you posts.