Mad Max

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE. REPEAT IF REQUIRED

It was finger-tingling cold when Jackie continued her winter planting on this sun-bright  morning and I photographed some still lingering blooms.

Pelargoniums, petunias, erigeron

Outside the kitchen door pelargoniums, petunias, and erigeron vie for space.

Pelargoniums

More pelargoniums,

Pelargoniums and verbena

some with autumnal plumage, as in this urn shared with verbenas, continue to spread their colour around.

Geranium Rozanne

Rozanne geraniums add splashes of blue

Clematis Comptesse de Bouchard

palely reflected by clematis Comtesse de Bouchard

Gazebo path

just about thriving on the gazebo

Clematis Cirrhosa

along with the winter flowering Cirrhosa.

Fuchsia 1Fuchsia 2

There are still hardy fuchsias

Fuchsia 3

I may not yet have featured.

Maple

This maple on the grass had been cut down when we arrived three years ago. We are encouraging it to come back to life.

Honesty

Honesty seeds are masquerading as Pauline’s light catchers.

Cryptomeria and bed

They are seen here in the Cryptomeria Bed.

Rose pink climber

The roses to the right of the tree rise over the Oval Bed. As can be seen, there are more to come.

Salvia Hot Lips

Hot Lips salvia,

Nasturtiums

varieties of nasturtium,

Antirrhinum

and even of antirrhinum, still bloom.

On such a day a late afternoon forest drive was essential.

Sway Tower and pony

A pony in a field off South Sway Lane was more interested in the grass than in Sway Tower.

Landscape with gorse

Opposite Longsdale View, where gorse blooms among the bracken,

Isle of Wight, Solent, moors

the Isle of Wight is visible across the moors.

Reflected trees

Along the stretch of Highland Water just outside Brockenhurst,

Stumps by water

where stumps stand like ancient tombstones on one bank,

Trees and Highland Water 1

the deciduous trees

Trees and Highland Water 2

now wear their temporary autumn plumage;

Shadow and reflections

the banks are becoming waterlogged

Trees and reflections 3

enough for arboreal reflections.

Dog in water

It was here that I was introduced to Mad Max, who had no fear of freezing his nether regions.

Forest scene 1

The forest road between Brockenhurst and Beaulieu displayed trees resplendent

Forest scene 2

 

with the last of their glowing golds

Autumn leaves 1

and burnished browns;

Autumn leaves 2

falling fast

Forest scene 3

to carpet the floor.

Ponies 1

As we approached Beaulieu, a pair of backlit ponies prompted Jackie to park the car on the verge and me to wander back to photograph them. Maybe it was something I said,

Pony 1

for, in turn,

Pony 2

they turned tail,

Pony 3

and crossed the road,

Ponies 2

to join companions enjoying greener grass.

The portions of our meal at The Raj two nights ago were so generous that we couldn’t eat it all and brought some home.. Jackie added samosas and onion bahjis  for this evening’s repast, with which I finished the malbec.

 

 

 

 

51 comments

  1. Just a few days ago, when my summer potted flowers were still in bloom alongside the pumpkins, I was wondering how I’d know when to stop watering and let them go. We had a hard frost, and I found out the next morning.

  2. There is such an immediacy and freshness about having photographs fresh from your camera, Derrick. I find it interesting also to compare your weather conditions with my own, perhaps a hundred miles away.

  3. Lovely post, Derrick. Your flowers are certainly lingering. I especially liked the forest photos, but the way the sun glows on the ponies in the last photo is beautiful.
    Your dinner sounds delicious! 🙂

  4. I too had noticed several of these varieties/species still clinging on in our garden, despite the recent frosts and low night-temperatures, though ours are more sheltered by other plants.
    Ref. your pic of the Isle of Wight:  have you posted the right one?  I ask, since a) you mention The Needles, which aren’t in shot;  and b) I can’t recall being anywhere on the mainland where you can see so much shallow-sloping land facing you:  the Island always seems to present a series of hills, or their silhouettes, or cliffs, though there ARE shallow parts of the Island on the north coast (Newtown Harbour, for instance); it may be a trick of the lens, but the “island” looks far too close, here. If it’s right, what part of the Island are we looking at?

    1. Oh dear, Paul. I have posted the intended picture, but my information may be incorrect. I have taken out the Needles reference. We were on high ground opposite the car park at Longsdale View? Thank you for this

  5. I didn’t know that fuchsia’s came in white. 😀

    I see now why you mistook my comment on your last post for one on this post. Max’s ‘undercarriage’ might’ve indeed received the icing the young lad in the previous post needed. 🙂

    1. Another good observation, Widders. Actually, having woken up, I’ve binned my first response on yesterday’s and amended the second. No matter. I’ll leave this one of yours alone – it is too good to mess with 🙂 Thanks

  6. It’s amazing how Winter tiptoes into the backyard while we are asleep for a night. Autumn is rapt in a brief dance fluttering the colourful plumage of its soul. And while the golden brown shimmer is captured by many, only the truly inspired are able to capture its heart.

  7. Jackie was very brave to continue planting. I love the water features and the autumn colours in the woods. Your garden is still so beautiful. I would love to see what it looks like when the snow slowly comes on it.

  8. Are you sure that max’s nether regions are still intact and might get frozen? If so please explain how com you know.
    Why the Sway Tower, does it actually sway or is there another explanation, perhaps it was built by a Mr Sway, or was it built to sway a reluctant lover. Why do you do this to us?

    1. Many thanks, Brian. Come to think of it, Max didn’t bark. As for Sway Tower – if you could be bothered to follow the blue link you’d get the answers. Sway is a village. 🙂

Leave a Reply