Back To Sleep

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At very brief intervals this morning the deceptive sun suggested it may brighten our day.

Chionoxa

We believe these little plants forcing their way between wet paving stones are chionodoxa. Just above them poppies are beginning to try their luck.

Pulmonaria

Hairy little pulmonaria seem to tolerate anything thrown at them.

Gazebo path

My walk down the Gazebo Path coincided with the sun changing its mind.

Margery's Bed and beyond

Later the daffodil at the far end positively glowed with pleasure at another change.

Dragon Bed

Heucheras and euphorbias lead the eye to camellias on the fence shared with Mistletoe Cottage.

Camellia blooms fallen

Earlier camellias have dropped buffeted blooms which continue to provide a pleasing display.

Crocosmia spears

Thrusting crocosmia spears caught the next bright beams. When gardening becomes possible again, many dead leaves will be removed.

Westbrook arbour

The Westbrook Arbour in the West Bed is now home to the chicken doorstops rediscovered in the cupboard under the stairs.

Daffodils and pansies

Here is the left hand side of that newly cultivated bed.

Across Weeping Birch Bed

From the Weeping Birch Bed with its blue vinca and yellow hellebore can be seen dancing daffodils.

Heuchera

Heucheras are beginning to brighten everywhere.

Brick Path

I do hope the Head Gardener will forgive my having taken this shot down the Brick Path without clearing up. It has been raining for days, after all.

Moss and sedum spectabalis

Moss covered rocks abound. Here one shelters a healthy sedum in the Cryptomeria Bed;

Cryptomeria Bed

another is about to be draped by vinca which will need keeping in check.

Pansies

Several hardy pansies have survived the meteorological vagaries;

Bee on pansy

one sleepy little bee had been persuaded to drag itself out of bed and into one of these where it appeared to have gone back to sleep.

Beef, mushroom and onion pie

This afternoon, Jackie made two beef, onion, and mushroom pies. This one is for the freezer.

Beef, onion, and mushroom pie meal

The second was served this evening with potatoes, carrots and cabbage, and thick, flavoursome gravy from the juices of the tender pressure-cooked beef. I finished off the 16 Little Black Pigs

 

93 comments

  8. The garden is beautiful even on an overcast day. I like the chicken doorstop display. And you have me wondering if bees dream? 🙂
    The pies are beautiful, too. I don’t eat meat, so maybe Jill and I can do a swap. I love mushrooms.

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  11. Your garden is suddenly extremely colourful again, Derrick. I do love camellias. I just wished the flowers would stay on their stems for longer. They seem to drop off just as they reach their peak. My own driveway is covered with them at the moment.

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  14. At first I thought the chionodoxia were spring beauties (Claytonia??) but on second look, the flowers are quite different. Ah, those pies made me sigh. Lovely.

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    1. Thanks very much Lisa. I looked up the claytonia. As you say, they are different. There was enough of the smaller pie for a second sitting tonight 🙂

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  17. There is a quiescent charm about your garden even in the bleakest weather. Some of the plants have defied the winter’s embrace after all.

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  19. My daughter and I watched gardeners at our hotel plant pansies yesterday. Some already had blossoms and were so pretty this morning as we left for our respective homes.

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  22. A quick google on 16 Little Black Pigs took me to a site that was trying to sell the stuff – it said to “Drink By 31 December, 2021” – you were very wise to finish it off before the expiry date.

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      1. Please stop saying “Many thanks when you can’t be bothered to answer!” I’m not following anymore – enough of what you had for dinner for God’s sake!!!!

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          1. No – but really Derrick – and you know it – there are better things to do than spend time (for a “thank you Bruce” when I spend a lot of time reading and figuring out a comment) than learning what someone I don’t know had for dinner because his wife cooked it and where they went for a drive and how they weeded the garden! You understand? It’s not lack of sleep, it’s a desire to escape the petty delusion you and many others seem to live under. So, Derrick, you and Jackie live your lives, share it by all means, enjoy it, but I’m not part of the wordpress pretend.

    1. I was just about to suggest the same!

      I have chionodoxa and scilla and I can never be sure which is which. I have just looked this up and the scilla have drooping heads, but so often they seem to turn into the others as they age.

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  30. AH! Spring has certainly sprung, the grass is riz.

    I wonder where the birdie is.

    The bird is on the wing.

    Don’t be absurd.. The wing is on the bird.

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  34. Good gravy, the weather is highly unpredictable for you! I think it changed several times in one post, ha! I love that you’ve named all the vantage points in your garden. It would really enhance the feeling of wandering. with specially named destinations ahead. My garden is quite small, but perhaps I should think of naming a spot or two just for fun. At first, I thought that moss covered rock was an old bicycle seat 😀 Do you do anything special to your rocks to get the moss to grow. I’ve heard covering them with milk? I love how they look. So guess what’s for dinner here…..roasted potatoes, carrot and cabbage ! That made me laugh for some reason. Cheers from Boomdee

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    1. Thanks a lot, Boomdee. The moss “just growed” – nice similarity with a bicycle seat. Our weather is certainly capable of changing several times in one post. I trust you enjoyed your dinner 🙂

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      1. oh I really did. I roast savoy cabbage and Jim’s not a big fan, so I got to have it for two more meals. I put potatoe and carrots in with the cabbage so he doesn’t starve 😉 ha!

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  35. Those are good looking pies. I’ve never quite mastered the art of decorating the tops properly. I tend to throw a few oddments of mis-shapen pastry on the top and pretend it’s a leaf motif, but I now have something better to aim for.

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  36. Those are delicious looking pies, Jackie! What a beautiful and fancy crust.
    The glowing daffodil and the pretty camellias blooms on the path were charming. I enjoyed this garden which had a lovely pot of daffodils with blueish-purple that I wanted to kidnap for inside my apartment, Derrick. I spotted an owl ?and enjoyed those ???? chickens, too.

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