The End Of British Summer Time

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Aaron was so pleased with our John Cook sculpture of him that he asked for a photograph. Naturally I printed him a copy of each of those that appeared in ‘A Particularly Strong Clue’.

Owl in New Arbour

Among other tasks today, he strengthened the new recycled gates arbour, under which the owl now stands on its plinth.

West Bed and Brick Path

The planting in the foreground of the above photograph is just part of the extensive clearance and refurbishment of the West Bed that Jackie has achieved in recent weeks.

Urn planted and erigeron

At the bed’s southern end verbena and pelargoniums still thrive in the urns, and erigerons carpet the surrounds of the New Bed.

Pelargoniums

Pelargoniums,

Begonias

 begonias of various shades,

Geraniums RozanneGeranium Rozanne 2

and geraniums like the blue Rozanne still add colour.

Fuchsia 1Fuchsia 2Fuchsia 3

Fuchsias abound;

Salvia Hot Lips

tiny Hot Lips salvias dance in the Cryptomeria Bed;

Petunia Million Bells

Million Bells petunias entice campanologists at the corner of the patio alongside the kitchen wall.

Hebe

Hebes

Honeysuckle

and honeysuckle seem to think it is Spring.

Rose Margaret Merrill

Roses like Margaret Merrill,

Rose Lady Emma Hamilton

Lady Emma Hamilton,

Rose Penny Lane 2Rose Penny Lane 1

Penny Lane,

Rose pink climber

and the deep pink climber soaring above the Oval Bed, remain confused.

Nasturtium

Nasturtiums twine everywhere,

Clematis Cirrhosa

yet the winter flowering clematis Cirrhosa seems a little early,

Gazebo Path

as it festoons the gazebo under which I stood to produce this image of the path named after it.

Garden view across Cryptomeria Bed

To the right of the far end of that path, this was the view across the Cryptomeria Bed, showing the few leaves of the weeping birch that survived the recent storm.

The setting back of our clocks by one hour at 2 a.m. this morning signalled the official end of British Summer Time. Of course no-one gets up at that time to adjust all the timepieces in the house. We just have to try to remember when we get up.

This evening we dined at Lal Quilla. My main meal was lamb taba shashlik jalfrezi; Jackie’s was chicken chom chom. We shared onion rice, an egg paratha, and onion bhaji, and both drank Kingfisher. Service and food were as good as ever.

 

 

83 comments

      1. Derrick – that’s interesting – I had always thought it was for the farmers to have more light – but builders makes more sense. Farmers aren’t as tied to time as builders are.

        1. My mother always told me it was for farmers. I would have written that, but checked it first. Given that in UK the Act came in in 1916 I wondered how much the war might have had to do with it, too.

      2. So cool you fact checked, Derrick – I had never known the date when daylight savings time started. It really makes more sense the way you say it – a farmer can rise with the sun and work till it’s dark – what does he care what the official time is? I think we have been fed an alternate truth all these years.

  1. Beautiful photos. Our plants are tired by now. Your gardening season seems to start earlier than ours and lasts much longer. Perhaps we have colder winters and hotter summers than you do.

  2. I find that all these clock changes play havoc with the weather. I wish our governments would stop meddling. Most of the clocks in the house are computerised and change themselves – except for the grandfather clock and the clock in the car. I try to change these manually before they need to be changed back.

  3. Such a wonderful garden you have! Our winter-flowering shrubs started flowering earlier than usual this autumn but we also have a few new opium poppies in flower!

  4. I am always fascinated with those names but even more mesmerising are the words you weave around them: lilting, alliterative, onomatopoeic and startling. I like the idea of setting the clock ahead or back. Our nation is yet to implement this much needed juggling.

  5. In every photo of yours, if you see it minutely, it look as though God’s image is there in all imagery. Just outstanding. Regards.

  6. What a gorgeous garden! Rambling, flowing – indeed, overflowing – in the best possible taste. From your photos we could be looking at midsummer!

  7. Derrick, while I realize that your garden (and your photography efforts) will continue through the year, I want to take this “end of summer” moment to acknowledge the sheer volume of work you and Jackie have spent on these labours. I have thoroughly enjoyed it, even though I haven’t been a constant visitor. Thank you.

  8. Your garden looks like it is still spring despite the weather. So nice to see that bench fixed by Aron. I wish there were similar craftsmiths here but there are only people with limited notions of gardening and crafts at that level.

  9. I’m amazed there is so much life and beauty left in your plants, even though summer has drawn to an end! I think your weather is much like ours, here on the Canadian Pacific West Coast. I actually love the next few months—less work to do, and Nature can do the watering!

  10. Your garden still looks so beautiful, but I know how much effort you and Jackie put into it–with the help of Aaron, too.
    I hate the time changes. It always takes me a while to adjust.

    1. It takes me a while, too, and I can never believe it – it’s only an hour! But I think: It’s 5:00, but the dog thinks it’s 6:00, so she’s hungry, and I am going to be tired at 9:00? 11:00? What is the real time as per my body? I get all confused.

  11. Lovely post. 🙂 We set the clocks back this coming weekend. We have had a touch of snow-rain here, yet somehow some of the flowers go on blooming, including some roses. We seem to be slowly sliding from above normal October into a a regular November.

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