Today’s weather was once more clear, bright, sunny, and cooler.
Bees continued collecting nectar throughout the garden. On my walk around I captured them on bidens, and on the more mature blooms of Festive Jewel.
Crisp young examples of the latter await their turn at contributing to the queen’s larder.
Tomatoes continue to ripen in readiness for ours.
It is a good thing I was not using film in my attempts to catch the myriad of fluttering snowflakes in the form of Small White butterflies while they swirled through the air. I settled for those landing on a poppy head and on a verbena bonarensis. Another took pity on me and perched on a petunia.
Orange crocosmia Emily Mckenzie brightens the Dead End Path and pink sweet peas dance in the Weeping Birch Bed.
Our Bishop of Llandaff in the New Bed was eaten by a vole a couple of years ago. Its deeper red companion has survived.
Another plant that has proved impossible to grow in the various beds tried by the Head Gardener is the gaura. This one is thriving in a pot.
Lady Emma Hamilton produces multiple flushes.
Rows of small begonias sparkle on the borders of beds like these alongside the Heligan Path.
Nugget darted in and out nearby. I am beginning to wonder whether he associates the click of the camera with the clink of a trowel.
One of the pictures above should provide a clue to today’s “Where’s Nugget?” (9)
Late this afternoon we took drive into the forest.
The only sign of life on Hatchet Pond was this pair of swans.
The others must have heard that members of an excited family were feeding the birds beside the nearby Beaulieu River.
Kite surfers and sailboarders struggled on the Solent at the end of Tanners Lane, where they were watched by a young man on the shore. I suppose I made it two watchers so I could legitimately borrow the title of Stan Barstow’s novel.
This evening we dined on Lidl’s rack of pork spare ribs in barbecue sauce; the Culinary Queen’s flavoursome mushroom rice; and the Head Gardener’s tender runner beans, with which Jackie drank Belgium’s Hoegaarden and I finished Tesco’s finest Chilean Malbec.
Yep, there he is – but so hard to find unless biggified! I like to think he is simply attracted to your charming company and the odd worm is a bonus…….
🙂 Thank you very much, Pauline. Well spotted
I found him, too–once I biggified. Wonderful photos. Your flower photos glow–though my imagination is working over time imagining a bishop eaten by a vole and a flushed Lady Hamilton. 🙂
I’m glad my detail is never wasted on you, Merril. Well spotted. Thank you very much.
🙂
Verbena bonariensis is a great place to set up the camera for a butterfly shot, they really can’t resist it. And you don’t have to crouch..
That last sentence is an important consideration, Jessica. Thanks very much
Lovely pics!
Thanks very much, Kevin
We had a gaura and it flowered well but it didn’t survive the winter. Those tomatoes look very appetising. Do they taste as well as they look.
They do, indeed, Tootlepedal. Thanks very much
That is what happened to my previous efforts at growing Gaura so pleased I’m not alone! I will get this one into the cold greenhouse and see if I can over winter it ( I don’t have a heated greenhouse that was just descriptive!).
I hope that it survives. They are lovely plants. Mrs T is constitutionally averse to overwintering things indoors for some reason though this year for once she will take in some plants which have been growing in pots in the flower beds.
I had just used some eye drops, so I spotted little Nugget right away. Your tomatoes look yummy! Thanks for sharing the gorgeous flowers, Derrick!
Thank you very much, Jill. Magnifying eye drops is clearly the way to go.
I’m jealous Derrick, your tomatoes look fabulous……
Thanks very much, Ivor
Those tomatoes bring back memories. I love the smell of tomatoes growing inside a greenhouse.
I spotted Nugget, it’s his little red breast that gives him away!
Well spotted, Sue. Many thanks
More lovely garden photos. I do like the pictures of the kite surfers and their watcher!
Thank you very much, Lisa
So beautiful
Thanks very much, More
You’re very welcome
I was thinking, Nugget, who is bang in the middle of the Quiz, doesn’t need a kite to surf the waves or the wind. We can play bees to cherry tomatoes while the bees savour flowery feasts.
🙂 Thanks for reading and for such neat comments, Uma
Lovely pictures and a great narrative. I enjoyed this post!
Thanks very much, Andrew
thank you for laughing about Nugget who could suppose to associate the sound of triggering your camera to something else bioen more interesting for him
🙂 I’m pleased you got that, Yoshimi. Thanks very much
Beautiful flowers and butterflies! I bought a gaura this year and am hoping to keep it going until at least next year. It suffered somewhat in the very hot weather.
OH!!! Nothing like homegrown garden tomatoes! They taste SO delicious! 🙂 We grow some most years, along with several kinds of peppers, two kinds of squashes, etc. 🙂
I see you, Nugget!!! Your burst of reddish-orange gives you away! Even if only a tiny bit is showing! 🙂 Wonder what has captured attention off to your right?!
Swans!!! Kite surfers!!! Busy bees!!! Little “snowflakes” flitting around from flower to flower!!! All spectacular photos, Derrick! 🙂
HUGS!!! 🙂
PS…I’ve met some swans and geese that were quite aggressive! 😮 😀
Thanks very much, Carolyn. Those birds can be very aggressive – perhaps not when they are being treated. Well spotted. X
I’ve spent more time around geese than swans. Geese can make good watch-dogs!
The Romans taught us that
Malbec – a lovely way to finish yet another lovely day in your Forest. Thank you, Derrick.
Thank you very much, Roland
Beautiful photo’s once again Sir! The red dahlia is stunning. 🙂
Love the shots of Nugget as always. I prefer to think he just appreciates fine company rather than the opportunity of a fresh feed. 🙂
Your Where’s Nugget challenge would have been difficult on a smaller screen, but i spied him eyeing off your erigeron!
Well spotted, Bob. Thanks very much
That red dahlia is glorious. I do hope Nugget’s being careful, and not developing a habit of walking everywhere. We lectured a certain cockatiel about the dangers of walking instead of flying, but the lesson didn’t take, and — well, you can imagine the end of that sad tale!
I was surprised to see the gaura. We have several native species, and somehow I’d not imagined it growing in your part of the world. It is such a pretty plant; I’m glad yours has taken to its pot.
Nugget does fly a lot, too 🙂 I had no trouble growing gauras in southern France which is why I wanted to try them here. Jackie thinks it is the soil, so this one may have a better chance in the pot. Thanks very much Linda.
Beautiful flowers Derrick.
Thank you very much, Lakshmi
I finally have 5 peach-colored roses blooming at once and here comes a hurricane – wouldn’t ya know!!
Oh, I love having Bar-B-Que ribs!!!!!
Dammit. Thanks very much, GP
Nice post Derrick
Thank you very much, Gary
I found little Nugget right away. Nothing like fresh tomatoes. Bliss!
Many thanks, Laurie. Well spotted
Excellent pix. Love Nugget.
Thanks very much, Leslie
It was nice of the butterflies to let you take their portraits. The sailboarding sure looks fun, but I’ll bet it’s more fun to watch than if I were to actually attempt it myself.
Nugget, too, is a watcher on the shore, of a different kind of sea. 🙂
Thanks very much, Widders
Great shots Derrick – Those Tomatoes are looking good!
Thanks very much, Stuart