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This morning Aaron removed another shrub superfluous to requirements in order to make room for a larger than planned base for the West Bed bench. Jackie and I drove off to B & Q at Christchurch for six more bags of sand.
Aaron spent the rest of his time laying the base.
When he had finished he sat on the bench and surveyed the scene. As usual, I made him a set of A4 prints.
These are the views AP Maintenance’s finest could contemplate.
I enjoyed a fuchsia foray.
Delta’s Sarah defied the neighbouring geraniums to steal the limelight.
Red berries are forming on the ginger lilies;
a blue clematis drapes itself over the Phantom Path arch;
and roses such as Festive Jewel enliven the Rose Garden.
This evening we enjoyed a drink on the latest project.
Jackie had been rather dismayed that I should have photographed Aaron’s view of the Phantom Path before she had had a chance to remove the wheelbarrow and wash down the dry cement. It therefore seemed only fair that I should show what we were looking at then.
Beyond the chimney pot in the second picture, these diascias decorate a hanging basket.
This is our current view from beside the greenhouse.
This evening we dined on Jackie’s special special fried rice, chicken sag, prawn jalfrezi, and roast duck breasts. I drank Concha y Toro Cassilero di Diablo 2016.
All the beauty here has brightened my day
That’s good. Thank you, Pleasant
Loved the wheel barrow. Have you thought of putting it in a lot more of the photos?
I’d have to be feeling strong. Thanks a lot, Bruce
LOL
Stop it!
Oops! I didn’t mean to push my own barrow!
What a view! Jackie looks lovely
Many thanks, Lynn
Most welcome
Doesn’t she have the best smile?
She sure does!
Lovely photos again of your lovely garden, Derrick. Your Aaron is obviously a glory to have too. I’m getting desperate for a gardener who is reliable, works hard, and charges less than £20 an hour! I think I’m being too pernickety, or too mean perhaps!?
Aaron is a real treasure; reliable; hard working and a lot less than £20 per hour. Many thanks, Roland
Looking great with or without the wheel barrow. I wish I have one; alas there is no room for it.
🙂 Thanks very much, Mary
It’s always great to see Jackie looking so happy!
Many thanks, Jill
I love the bench! Great photo of Jackie.
It’s good that there is an owl to perch near Jackie on her new bench-with-a-view. I always like to see the signs of garden maintenance going on when they sneak into your photos Derrick – after all, the garden requires a great deal of work to stay at this level of beauty!
Many thanks, Pauline. Jackie wondered whether you’d spot the owl 🙂
Another benchmark towards a fabulous garden!
🙂 Many thanks, Leslie
Heh, heh, heh … I see what you did there. 😀
We are a witty bunch.
Leslie never misses an opportunity for wordplay
Beautiful garden Derrick! And now I take inspiration from you to do up my garden. It is spring in Sydney and a good time to take up a new “project”!
Thanks very much, Shubha. I think you would get more inspiration from Mary Tang of Life is But This 命, who also lives in Sydney.
Another excellent job by Aaron!
Yep. Many thanks, Jodie
That new base is a veritable studio! Until you pointed it out, the wheelbarrow had fused itself with the vegetation. I trust it deserves a portrait of its own.
Many thanks, Uma. I’ll see what I can get away with 🙂
You have such a beautiful garden and I love the new bench and its base. I enjoyed your fuchsia foray too.
Many thanks, Clare
We all need an Aaron in our gardening lives.
He’s mine, all mine!!!! and I know how lucky I am he’s such a star.
😆
Thanks a lot, Yvonne. We would miss him enormously if we didn’t have him
Thanks, Yvonne. I know when I’m not wanted… 🙁
Oh, Bruce Almkghty, there is only one of you. 💕
Argh, there are days/hours/minutes when I get fed up with this tablet keyboard, not to mention my lack of attention to detail. You are my one and only Bruce Almighty!
😀 😀 !!
I rather feel that Aaron has some lessons for the wider world in his attitude – graft hard, give more than you take and smile. To me he has a gentle and contented face with a smidge of mischief. I am glad that you have his help and I am glad that he has you and Jackie to work with.
He is not only a grafter but an all round lovely bloke, we are so lucky.
Very many thanks, Osyth. Lucky, we are
turned out nicely
Thanks a lot, msw
What a view! Jackie looks beautiful..
Many thanks, Satpura
Jackie is a Festive Jewel, as well! I wonder if it’s the new project or the delicious drinks that coax such a radiant smile?
Many thanks, Rose. Nice one. Definitely the project
Lovely project and you are blessed to have a good helper for your head gardener.
We certainly are, Geetha. Many thanks
Welcome Derrick 🙂
Well done, and you also got a great set of photographs.
Thank you very much, Inese
Lovely new project, and I can see that both Aaron and Jackie enjoyed contemplating the view. Jackie looks quite content.
I enjoyed reading all the comments above, too. 🙂
Very many thanks, Merril
You stay so busy with projects. I love the results!
Many thanks, Ellen
Adore your latest project. Such a cozy spot you created. Lovely.
Very many thanks, Pamela
Jakie’s beer has that cloudy look of the German wheat beer that I now favour,
Are those slabs concrete? They seem to have a look of marble about them in the photo’s
Reconstituted stone, Brian. The beer is Belgian wheat. Thanks very much
Aaron is a great worker and I like your newest patio and stepping stones leading to there. The flowers are extraordinary. 🌸 💮 🌻 🏵
Very many thanks, Robin
Jackie is as lovely as the flowers, and how lucky you are to have Aaron.
Many thanks, Laurie
Derrick this was indeed a wonderful project completed and by the look of happiness on Jackie’s face, she is extremely pleased too.. Or could that be the effects of the Beer?? LOL.. Wonderful job done by Aaron who also looked very happy with his handy work.. <3 🙂
Very many thanks, Sue. Happiness all round, and she hadn’t started on the beer 🙂
Wonderful! 🙂
Aaron does beautiful work. Your gardens still look so lovely, and I love the Festive Jewel rose and Jackie in pink in the photo below it. That is a beautiful color on her.
Very many thanks, Lavinia
Great selection of fuchsias. That looks like an excellent place to sit in contemplation.
Thanks a lot, Quercus. It has an arbour made of garden gates to come.
Looking forward to seeing that – sounds like a good plan.
We bought two sets of iron gates at the dump a couple of years ago, and have waited for the inspiration.
I guessed that a trip to the dump might figure in the story! 🙂