Knowing that we were to expect further stormy weather today, Jackie helpfully took her camera into the garden at dusk yesterday and photographed
primulas,
cyclamens,
bergenia,
hellebores,
camellias,
clematis cirrhosa Freckles,
a pelargonium,
a mahonia with accompanying New Zealand flax,
snowdrops,
and Daphne odorata marginata all in bloom.
The Generous Gardener rose set to climb the recently heavily chopped cypress has taken well.
While she was at it the Assistant Photographer also added a fern owl for Pauline’s benefit.
Just about avoiding the rain that was to follow we drove early into the forest.
On Barrows Lane a row of daffodils were already in flower.
We were, yer honour, proceeding at a gentle speed along the narrow, winding Lower Mead End Road when
distant headlights reflecting on the wet tarmac alerted us to the approach of an oncoming vehicle,
As always in such a situation someone has to back up. Jackie is of the opinion that this is very rarely a BMW driver. So it proved today. My Chauffeuse did the gentlewomanly (You are chauvinist, WP – I did not type gentlemanly) thing and reversed until there was some degree of passing space.
Polite waves were exchanged as the gentleman in the other vehicle sailed by and we continued driving through the pools ahead.
The woodland and Boundary obscured grazing ponies,
yet cattle were quite visible among the moorland gorse.
You could be excused for imagining that this picture of Sway Tower against streaky pastel skies was produced either at sunset or sunrise. In fact it was 11 a.m.
After lunch Jackie brought back my first Easter egg from Tesco’s where these delicacies had been on sale for at least a week. Like the pictures that began this post her intention had been that I might like to “put it on the blog”.
This evening we dined on succulent roast beef, crisp Yorkshire pudding, creamy potato and swede mash, and firm, tasty, Brussels sprouts and carrots with which I drank more of the Garnacha Syrah and Jackie drank Maury 2013.
I am amazed that in the middle of winter, and regardless of the persistent storms, you still have an array of flowers in your garden, Derrick. The Head Gardener is obviously doing a fantastic job!
She is indeed, but the weather is playing its part. Thanks very much, Dolly.
You are very welcome, Derrick.
Beautiful photographs yet again Derrick. By the way, I don’t know much about gardening, especially flower types. Could you recommend a bright, hardy flower that blooms throughout the year?
No 🙂 But try a hardy fuchsia e.g. Delta’s Sarah – will do most of the year. Thanks very much, John
Underplanting with tulip and daffodil bulbs – should cover the rest of the year.
Ok thank you Derrick, appreciate it
Thank you for taking us along on your journey through the day!
And thank you for reading and commenting, GP
Captured by the glimpse of a white and blue owl I biggified to ensure my feeling was correct – I haven’t seen this one before – and it is an absolute delight. Pottery? I think it must be my favourite of all the myriad owls that populate your garden. So imagine my delight when finishing my close inspection of the lovely chap I saw Jackie had thoughtfully captured him especially for me. 😀 Thank you Jackie xo
But Derrick you forgot to include the pic of Sway Tower……….
Oh, heck! Just gonna do it. Yes, the owl is pottery. We have had it of about 3 years. Thanks very much, Pauline
Well done 🙂
🙂
My pleasure Pauline!
Your flowers are looking beautiful, especially at this time of year. Although some of our daffodils have buds, none are in bloom yet.
Thank you very much, Lavinia
Your garden always has something flowering and must therefore always be a riot of colour.
Thank you very much, Sheree.
Not exactly a “riot” more the occasional (very welcome ), splash ! More than we have ever had at this time of year, a false spring I fear.
🙂
Whatever Jackie, your garden always surprises and delights.
Daffodils? In January? Good grief, your climate is certainly better than a couple of hundred miles further north! I envy your lovely garden blooms too.
Oh, and I got started on ‘The Crown’ today. The system not fully fixed yet but I was able to get Netflix on the kitchen TV.
Thanks very much, Sue. Good luck with the TV and The Crown
So far so good. I watched three episodes today whilst knitting Joey pouches, and no guilty feelings for sitting in front of the TV all afternoon!
🙂 Well done for the pouches.
Thank you, Derrick.
An early Easter egg sounds perfect, Derrick, as does your dinner. 😛 Jackie is a real gem and she takes great photos too. What more could you ask for?
Not much, really, Sylvia. Thank you very much 🙂
😀
Nice to see so many flowers. C. ‘Freckles’ is always a treat but I’d forgotten it was so early. I’m looking forward to seeing R. ‘The Generous Gardener’ grow – that’s one of my favourites.
Thanks very much, Susan.
I’m amazed at all the flowers you have in January. Jackie has done a wonderful job–with photos and flowers. I was confused about the Sway Tower.
Like Pauline, I loved the owl.
We are equally amazed, Merril. Thank you very much.
Sway Tower pic now added. Sorry.
No need to apologize. I thought maybe I had missed it–but you’re right, it certainly does not look like 11 A.M!
🙂 Thanks for going back
You’re welcome!
Lovely tour of your garden and countryside.
Thanks very much, Peggy.
I’m so envious of your flowers! We have cold earth and shivering tree branches. I bought a bunch of closed up daffodils though today. Will happily watch them open up near my fireplace.
And um, I’m a BMW driver (2007 reaching its last legs) and I’m always the kind of driver who would back up to leave room on the narrow road. 🙂
I’m sure you would back up if necessary, Pamela. I was bound to have a BMW driver read this 🙂 Thanks very much.
🙂
Aw…I love that Jackie bought you your first Easter egg. 🙂 Gorgeous flower shots, Derrick!
Thanks very much, Jill
You don’t really have winter down there, do you?
Not yet, this year. It is predicted next week. Thanks a lot, Tootlepedal
Sorry I was away for a while.❤️
Thank you very much, Laleh
🙏🌹
I’m a fan of ‘Snowdrops’ Derrick…. there grew freely among garden plants, back in ‘our’ home….
Thanks very much, Ivor. Could you grow some more?
Actually your photos, brought me pleasant memories, and I’ll go to plant nursery tomorrow 😊🌿
Excellent
Astonishing to see plants blooming when outside my window the wind howled and the snow blusters by.
The growth of all these plants – particularly the flowers – is fabulous, as well as worrying at this time of year. Our garden, too, is ‘springing up’.
Jackie is worried too – she anticipates a destructive frost. Thanks very much, Val
I was briefly but completely discombobulated by the mention of the Easter egg. Suddenly, I had a sense that I might have missed Valentine’s Day! No… it’s still January. Flower-wise, those snowdrops are sheer delight. I found exactly one in my area last year, but at least I know where to look this year. They don’t do well here, generally — like tulips and daffodils, our climate doesn’t suit them.
Thank you very much, Linda. Quite ridiculous – it had me wondering how long it takes chocolate to go off.
Jackie is as good a photographer as you are Derrick! Hi Jackie 🙂
She is, Arlene. Thanks very much.
Hi Arlene!
Snowdrops and daffodils already! It smells of spring 🌸🌼😊
And that dinner though 😋😋
Thank you very much Ribana. 🙂
You have such an amazing growing season over there. I have not caught the garden itch yet for the year.
I’m sure it will come, Mrs W. Thank you very much.
Your welcome
Easter eggs already! The new school year has just begun here, so the shops are filled with ‘back to school’ specials – overflowing with pens, files, folders, writing pads and the like.
Thanks very much, Anne. That is more sensible.
I can’t believe the Easter candy is out already! Everything is dead where we are – our winters don’t allow anything to survive outside it seems so I loved the flower photos!
Thank you very much, Lisa. It is quite ridiculous to start Easter when Christmas is barely over. They were selling hot cross bums as well. I’m pleased you loved the flowers.
Jackie is howling with laughter at my typo in my first reply to you, Lisa. It is too good to correct. 🙂
Hot cross bums! Well, depending on who those bums belong to, I might have to get myself some. 😉😂 unless they are just people who are bums. Then I don’t want any. 😉
🙂 Jackie pointed out the US sense of bums.
Yes, there is bums as in butts and bums as in “that guy is a real bum.” But some use that term for homeless people and I don’t like that use because it dismisses those individuals as simple losers and it’s much more complex than that in most of those cases.
Absolutely
That’s a lot of lovely flowers brightening your garden just now. I have a hellebore in similar colours to your Freckles clematis.
Thank you very much, Peggy
No comments boxes on your posts – e.g. today’s lovely dahlias so well lit
Oh thank you for letting me know that, Derrick! A case of ‘post-hasty’ there for me with my dahlias! 🙂
Jackie, Your photos are lovely! We had a gloomy weather day here…so looking at these precious flowers with their magnificent colors…a definite day-brightener! Thank you, Jackie! 🙂
An Easter Egg already! You are a lucky duck, Derrick! 😀
(((HUGS))) 🙂
Thanks very much, Carolyn X
The unseasonal weather is encouraging premature growth, I hope it isn’t a false Spring.
Two hundred miles or so further north the garden is not so far advanced.
Jackie shares your concern, Andrew. Thanks very much.
I love those Latin / Greek names.
“hellebore”. A term applied to sixty minutes being talked at by Uncle Jack.
“clematis cirrhosa” A plant used to decorate the special offers section at the bottle shop.
“Daphne odorata marginata” I’m not sure about that girl’s perfume. I can’t work out if it’s too strong or too easy to miss.
Nice wordplay, John. Actually Daphe’s perfume is pretty powerful. Thanks a lot
Lovely garden
Thank you very much, More
You’re very welcome
Jackie was right to stay in the car … I imagine the “nice words” of this driver
ps: I would have liked to come and eat with you, the menu interested me very much and seemed appetizing; all that I love
Thank you very much, Yoshimi. Maybe when you are over here.
Derrick, are all these flowers blooming right now in your garden? If yes, what kind of the winter we have this year around the World. It is definitely something wrong with the climate. Hopefully, it is just some kind of fluctuation not dramatic change in general.
Anyway, it is nice to watch the flowers in the garden by that time of the year. Enjoy!
You are so right, Alexander. Thanks very much.
I still can’t get over your winter blooms! We had more snow dumped on us yesterday.
Thanks very much, Liz. It’s a long time since we had snow
From the photos, your climate looks similar to that of southern Virginia when I lived there.
So many flowers in your yard. Very different from mine, that’s for sure. 😉 And, oh, that Cadbury egg. How I love Cadbury chocolate!
🙂 Thanks very much, Laurie
One of our customers reported sighting his first daffodil of the year yesterday. We are not quite as advanced as you, and our pelargoniums are still under cover.
I saw Creme Eggs out earlier in the week, which seemed a bit early, seeing as we are still three weeks from Valentine’s Day.I can only cope with one thing at a time.
Quite reasonable, I’d say. Thanks very much, Quercus.
🙂
Your camellias are blooming early! Mind you we have some azaleas that have been in full bloom since November.
Thank you very much, Michelle. Our azaleas are not out yet.
Those are charming beings close to the ground and up in the canopy. Jackie is rather fond of owls. I suspect the posturing of the BMWs is a universal phenomenon, although there is no telling what a miffed BMW owner might do to one on the roads of India.
Thanks very much, Uma.
beautiful photos! Rain is a rare gift here in Los Angeles. I love sleeping to the sound of it!
Thank you very much da-AL
Much enjoyed all your winter flowers in your garden, I took note of the Clematis Cirrhosa as I think that is beautiful and to have it flower in midwinter is great. I hope that the coming storm did not do too much damage. Here our dividing fence came down, it has been very wet and very windy here too but today was wonderfully sunny 🙂
Thank you very much, Agnes. We got off quite lightly really
You are right Derrick in comparison with some part of the earth the British islands have it fairly easy and we can be thankful.