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Just before lunch today, Jackie and I arrived at Mum’s home in West End where we joined Mum and Elizabeth. Jackie had packed a plentiful picnic lunch of sandwiches, tomatoes, cakes and jam tarts; Elizabeth brought salad. These were enjoyed when Danni and Andy joined us a little later. We were a gardening party to spend the afternoon working on our mother’s garden.
Elizabeth began by assembling the new lawn mower and cutting the grass;
while Jackie pruned the shrubbery on the drive to the
front garden with, among others, its magnolia, heathers, and muscari. Perched on Mum’s raised garden chair, I helped to fill the bags with the cuttings
I offered similar assistance in cutting up the photinus that the Head Gardener pruned in the back garden. By cutting out the lower branches she gave the tree shape, and, in the process, revealed the hiding place of a blue cockerel.
Danni and Andy concentrated on weeding and redefining the edges of the flower beds.
In truth, I spent most of my time watching the others work. Well, someone had to take the photographs.
The penultimate photograph in the lawn mowing sequence contains an ailing rose with muscari at its feet. Jackie dug out the rose and set the smaller, healthy, plants aside for replanting while Elizabeth raked out and bagged up photinus leaves.
Until she began to feel cold and wish to go back indoors, Mum kept an eye on proceedings. She had been helped out without her walking frame. Elizabeth gave her a hand as far as the door, after which she made her own way inside.
Back home this evening Jackie and I consumed some of the lunch that had been surplus to requirements.
Great team effort.
Thanks very much, Peggy
Now that you are in the mood, how about paying us a similar visit? A really professional effort!
Many thanks, Leslie. I can get out of the mood pretty quickly 🙂
Drat!
🙂
Looks to have been the perfect family day.
It was rather, Susan. Thanks very much
Wow! You did a great job. Your mum’s garden looks lovely – so much colour and growth. Her garden couldn’t have been in better hands.
Thanks very much, Susanne
What a wonderful team you all make. It looks beautiful! So does your mother live independently, Derrick? If so, what a blessing.
Many thanks, Jill. Mum does live independently, despite her GP’s persuasions. She has carers visit twice a day and Elizabeth, just a few minutes away, is a constant visitor who wrestles with all the public bodies on her behalf.
Lovely to get everyone together like that and to achieve so much. Great family effort.
Very many thanks, Jane
Oh, Derrick! Such a lovely post. How nice it is to read about how families help each other. The picture of the hands tells it all.
Thanks very much, Laurie. So true about the hands. Interestingly, Elizabeth herself, no mean photographer, loves focussing on hands
Yes, they are so very eloquent. I certainly can understand why Elizabeth focuses on hands. Again, lovely, lovely post.
🙂 Thanks, again
What a wonderful family!!
Many thanks, Pauline. A little like yours, perhaps
I like but the like button is not working for me. sigh
You are having real WP troubles, Mary. Thanks very much for typing it out anyway
Wow team work!!! So nice that you all got in and did all of this work!
The closeup of the photo of your mother’s hand in Elizabeth’s is probably one of the best photos you’ve ever taken. Says volumes.
I’m so pleased you thought so, Oglach. Doesn’t it just? Many thanks
This is so sweet. I know she loved supervising.
So true, Flower. There was a debate or two :). Thanks very much
How wonderful your mum is living independently and that you are able to offer such valuable assistance. Great team work.
Very many thanks, Gwen. It is rather amazing how she manages
Lovely post. I know she is happy to have a yard to be proud of. You guys are the best.
Very many thanks, Jodie
How wonderful that your family can pitch in to help take care of your mother’s garden–and wonderful that she still has one. I know my mom misses being around greenery.
Many thanks, Merril. Mum is determined to remain in her own home
What a gorgeous garden your mum has and how great that you can all gather to keep it in shape. I bet she enjoys it greatly.
She does, Lisa, but, as you can see, can’t get out there much on her own. Many thanks
What a great family effort. I’m sure your mother loved having you all around and appreciated all the hard work. ?
She did indeed, Sylvia. Thanks very much
Wow! That was a massive Operation Gardenstorm of sorts! You are the coolest and kindest of folks I seem to know.
Very kind, Uma. Many thanks
It’s a lot of work, but in the end I know it is all worthwhile.
It is. Mum has macular degeneration and only has sight in one eye now, but she could see what we were doing. Thanks very much Andrew
Sorry to hear that. wish her the best Derrick. Be well.
Will do. Thanks
Who needs Alan Titchmarsh!
Laughing out loud, here. Jackie says she does, she “lurves him”
What a wonderful idea and joint venture, a family garden working-bee.
Thanks very much, Ivor
I remember we all did that for our Mum a few years back. Great to all work together and see the relief on Mum’s face that the job was done.
Lots of trips to the tip I seem to remember!
Thanks a lot, Helen. We left the tip trips to Elizabeth – but we did load up her car 🙂
What a great way to spend your time working on your Mom’s lovely garden.
Thanks very much, Arlene
One must be very clever to find the hiding place of a blue cockerel. They are a very sneaky breed.
Thanks a lot, Paol
Always nice to help Mom out. I am sure she appreciated it and enjoyed the visit.
Quite so, Terry. Many thanks
Wonderful photos and good to see your mother 🙂
Thanks very much, Lakshmi
How sweet to help out and I see a lot of smiles in those pictures. The place looks wonderful and all set for a season of warmth and sunshine. 🙂
Thanks very much, Diana
Great team work.
Thanks very much, Rabirius
Wonderful day!
Thanks very much, Leslie
Your mother is very lucky to have such a caring, hard-working family!
Thanks very much, Lavinia. She has two other offspring who also help out when they can
Ooh, I love this helpful gardening party. Such a caring and special family; all of you! The leftover picnic food would be lovely and you can special UPS that here, too. ?
I realize I may not be caught up but I did my best, Derrick.
Your best is always excellent, Robin. Many thanks