This afternoon Jackie drove me to Sears Barbers at Milford on Sea, where Peter cut my hair. We continued into the forest.
This lane is one we traversed at North Ripley.
From high ground near Linford we admired landscapes over farmland. Horses may be seen in some, and a stretch of hawthorn in another.
The Modus is still managing to cope with the narrow, winding, crumbling Holmsley Passage, on the verges of which bracken is unfolding.
Back at home I dead-headed clusters of the diurnal poppies. On the way round the garden I paused to take a few photographs. Blue solanum scales several arches, and the large wisteria drapes its arbour outside the stable door. Sculptural euphorbias tower in the beds, and clumps of erigeron carpet paving stones and walls. Geraniums macrorrhizum are sweetly scented and make good ground cover. Another rhododendron is blooming in the Palm Bed. A wasp makes a beeline for the open flower in the close-up image of this. The last of these photographs is of Libertia.
A number of our own ferns are unfurling.
This evening we dined on Jackie’s deliciously spicy pork paprika, boiled potatoes, crisp carrots, and tender runner beans, with which I drank more of the Garnacha Syrah.
What stunning photos of beautiful plants.
Thanks very much, Gary
Gorgeous flowers and I love the unfurling ferns. What beautiful landscapes you photographed on your coiffuring trip. 🙂
Many thanks, Sylvia
Love the landscapes! And the ferns! I hope Holmsley Passage holds up for your trips – it’s a bit of a worry!
Road maintenance is one of the tasks that has fallen by the wayside since the crash. They do what they can here, though, because it is such a tourist area. We’ll have to see what happens. Thanks very much, Pauline
You can almost see the ferns unfurling!
Such lovely photos–and it looks like you had such a beautiful drive down that lane (newly shorn). 😉
🙂 Many thanks, Merril
🙂
A good day for a drive.
It was. Thanks a lot, Tootlepedal
You are so far ahead. I am just now getting buds on the first of my flowers
I trust you will catch up soon. Thanks very much, Mrs W
Thank you.
Beautiful Roll on Summer. -However I did see a photograph of some Gorse. In Australia it is known as Spanish Gorse and was introduced as a hedging plant. It escaped, as many imports have, and now can be found covering acres of land. One of our top ten noxious weeds and very difficult to eradicate.
Our forest is covered with it. In the right areas, like moors, it brings a lovely splash of colour
I will leave you to enjoy it. It is the thorns that cause the most harm
What amazes me is that the ponies and donkeys with their leathery chops chomp away at it
There are regular ‘controlled burnings’ of the Gorse in the forest. warning signs are put up, (to stop folks from reporting a forest fire I think), We often drive past large areas of blackened remains of burnt gorse.
We don’t have such bracken ferns here, but I made a recent trip to a place a little over two hours away where there are ferns, and it was a delight to see them. I always enjoy it when I find similar species in quite different settings — I like that Texas and England can share some things in common.
That is good, Linda. We have many different ones
All of these photos are stunning, Derrick…but the first 3….WOW! Gorgeous! Thanks for sharing!
Many thanks, Jill. I thought you would like the first especially
Most definitely!
Lovely photos Derrick. You have a beautiful garden.
Many thanks, Wombat
Very lovely. Ferns are a very special plant. Of course, we do not have them in Arizona. I’m sure they couldn’t survive here.
Thanks very much, Luanne. We have many different ones
You are a Wordsworth with a camera! It seems you returned to the poppies the attention bestowed upon on your hair by Peter.
Well spotted, Uma. 🙂 Thanks very much
what beatifual landscape. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks very much, maw
Good morning Derrick!!
Imagine the world without any feathers
Without an angel—wing in tether
What would be the calling of a thing?
Like a Turtledove, without a ring.
Imagine this world without a marriage
What needs, then us, of a horse and carriage?
The Hurst has been forever busy, as a bee
Who’d want to buttonhole a flower upon me?
Imagine the world without any magic spells
What child would throw pennies downs the well?
Love is but a ripple on a mill pond
And time a green unfurling fern-frond.
Mark Heathcote
You’ve done it again with a quotation, Efi. Thanks very much, and good morning to you
Wow, your poetry is as beautiful as Derrick’s photography!
Thank you so much!!!
Thanks very much, Jan
From barbershop to forest to farmland to garden…I can’t imagine a better outing and photography jaunt! 🙂
I love ferns! When we lived in the redwoods in Northern California there were lots of ferns growing everywhere! Then when we moved, I grew ferns for myself at my next home. 🙂
All the plants you shared photos of are beautiful, Derrick! And some of the plants have such perfect symmetry! 🙂
Ha! I typed “pants” instead of “plants” and had to correct it! 😀
Oh, and yay for a haircut, too! 🙂
HUGS!!! for you and Jackie!!! 🙂
Many thanks, Carolyn. Had you left ‘pants’ we could have had such fun with it 🙂
HA! True! 😀
Here are some pants…
👖 👖 👖 👖 👖
🙂
Hopefully you’ll show us your new haircut tomorrow?
🙂 Next time the Assistant Photographer catches me unawares, perhaps. Thanks a lot, John
Simply superlative photos today Derrick! Your garden seems to provide unending variety! 🙂
Curiously, i also photographed some Solarnum in my garden today that has revived and flowered after almost drying out and dying in our loong Summer . I’ll post some pics later and you can see how mine differ. Yours have many more flowers in a single bunch!
I was also treated to a very rare visitor of the avian kind which i might have to post tomorrow, as i took so many photos it will take ages to select which ones to put online. 🙂
Wonderful click – there is poetic beauty in each of the photos. Regards.
Thanks very much, Harbans
My pleasure sir. Regards
I, too, love unfurling ferns. Ours are just staring to come up. And that landscape!
Many thanks, Laurie
Amazing landscapes and nature photos.
Thanks very much, Rabirius
Living in NW Montana where spring is barely visible and we had anther gray rainy day, these photos and your apt descriptions were a breath of fresh air. Thank you, Derrick.
Thank you very much, Jan
I had a haircut today too. 😀 … short back-n-sides for the summer season, but my ears are sure feeling all those Spring drafts. 😀
My barber always offers me a short back and sides as a joke 🙂 Many thanks Widders
Such a beautifully serene shot of the LIbertia! The first photo of the wooded lane is lovely!
Thank you very much, Clare
We had a large bed of ferns at our previous house, one of my favourite things. I used to wonder how things were growing out there. But we drove by once, only to see they’d dug out the perennial beds and put down gravel to make the whole back yard a parking area. Ugg! Talk about paved paradise…thug life :/
Sometimes it is best not to go back. One of my old houses was similarly vandalised. Thanks very much, Boomdee