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This morning, while Jackie weeded and I cleared up, Aaron smoothed concrete edging around the greenhouse base and realigned a section of The Head Gardener’s Walk.
At the other end of the garden the recent plantings in the Oval Bed have matured;
honeysuckle swings among the day lilies and petunias in the Weeping Birch Bed;
Violas grimace appealingly in the barrier tubs;
in the Rose Garden lilies still sway beside the Potting Shed,
while potted petunias and bedded penstemons offer accompaniment to the roses.
The view across the centre of the garden from the Shady Path has been opened up.
Out of sight on the far side pink and white sweet peas climb for Bruce.
Similarly hued fuchsias dangle from a pot beside the Gazebo Path.
I’m sure we were not the only children who held buttercups to friends’ chins, asking “Do you like butter?”. If your chin glowed yellow, you did. If not, you didn’t. Noticing this bee’s pollen coated butt, I asked the question.
“I’m not listening to this”, cried the bee, buzzing off with alacrity
This evening we enjoyed a second sitting of Mr Chan’s fare, with which Jackie drank Hoegaarden and I drank a delicious gold medal winning Saint Emilion grand cru, a birthday present from Danni and Andy.
After this, prompted by Becky, I watched the highlights of the fourth day of the Test Match between England and South Africa. This turned out to be a good call.
The variety of flowers in your garden seems endless…good shot of the bee’s butt 🙂
Many thanks, Mary.
The humble flower hidden away is always the best of all! We never did the butter with the buttercup – if it reflected yellow it was always “You are in love” (and not with butter!)
🙂 Thanks very much, Bruce
nice!⭐️
Thank you, Elisabet
yep excellent cricket
Fabulous photos, Derrick. I particularly enjoyed the last action shot, along with the caption. 🙂
Thanks very much, Jill
Yes – that was fun.
Yes, we did the butter question too – I thought you were going to show a pic of a buttercup which had crept unnoticed into Jackie’s superbly planned floral exhibition……… But the photo of the bee makes up for that loss.
Thanks very much, Pauline
What a delight to meander through your stunning flowers now that I am finally coming back to life myself safely installed in Oxford for a couple of weeks. And that bee at the end …. I actually think I have bee-love!
Many thanks, Osyth. Keep well
😊
Yes, I remember doing the “do you like butter” with the flowers, but your bee shot is wonderful. Your garden is so beautiful, and there are such a variety of blooms.
I’m you enjoyed that wine. 🙂
Many thanks, Merril
The best part of my mornings on these days down-under, viewing your lovely warm photos, thankyou Derrick.
And thank you, Ivor
I think the violas are grimacing because they protect the garden and must look fierce…
Of course! Why didn’t I think of that? Thank you, Lisa.
Butt??? Very American, I’d have thought the A word would be more in keeping, however…….
I love butter, I can never recall having it when I lived in England. I suppose I did before the war and when I was in Somerset in 1940.
My mother thought that tea was more important than butter and she swapped the whole of the family ration of butter with a lady down the street who didn’t like tea but loved butter, this went on right through the war and up until we left England in February 1951.
When we arrived in Melbourne we had butter, the real thing, Western Star, and I’m still using Western Star, I don’t spread it I slice it like cheese,
I have never forgiven my mother for depriving me of the joy and taste of real butter for ten years or more as a child.
But, Brian, I needed Butt, er, for the joke, innit? As a kid I opted for the revolting Echo margarine because it didn’t melt in the heat (no fridge in those days). Thank you.
I must be going senile to have missed that,
I do try to be slightly subtle 🙂
I do try to be slightly awake, obviously failing miserably :'( 😈
🙂
Of course I like butter, Derrick! But a surge of cholesterol in my veins warns me to buzz off. The greenhouse is shaping up nicely. I can hardly wait for the wonders that you and Jackie will conjure up there.
Very many thanks, Uma
I always smile every time I see blooms in your garden. Butter…I only use it when I bake.
Thanks very much, Arlene
Lovely warm photos, Derrick! Good afternoon from warm Athens!
Thanks very much, Sofia.
So many pictures to dream over, my favorite being the rose garden—I can imagine how wonderful it would be to walk the stepping stone path! I love the language you use in your descriptions, grimacing violas says it all!
Many thanks, Diane
The garden is delicious…the yellow butter butt bee is delightful.
Many thanks, Jeanne
Love the butter butt bee.
I remember the butter question from childhood. I have not heard that in a long time! Thank you for that remembrance. 🙂
Aaron does a nice job! I like to see how others tackle projects like that. Such beautiful gardens you have!
Very many thanks, Lavinia
Haha! I’d never heard of that butter game, but it’s very sweet. Your greenhouse will be sturdy enough to live in, I bet… perhaps in the winter you can turn it into a spa 😉
Many thanks, Rose
Wonderful flowers. Always a pleasure to look at your garden.
Many thanks, Quercus
The photo I loved, has the lilies swaying by the potter’s shed, with the lovely rose garden. The path is nicely cleared and stepping stones are ever so well placed.
I also liked the golden pollen upon the bum ofThe bee! Cute pun and play on words, Derrick. 🙂 😀
Very many thanks for your usual such careful reading and comments, Robin