The Still Before The Storm

This morning, fearing for the garden during the very heavy storm we are due to experience tomorrow, Jackie wandered around our plot with her camera in order to record such an unusual array of blooms for this time of the year.

First, she had to pander to Nugget who was convinced that his fans would like to admire his back view.

Tete-a-tetes and irises were doing well,

as were snowdrops, primulas, and bergenias.

We hope a variety of camellias will survive.

The autumn sculpture has sprouted lichen curls to blend with his mottled skin.

Dragons and hellebores are hoping for the best.

Daphne odorata marginata,

wood anemones,

crocuses,

pulmonarias,

and euphorbias all add their splashes of colour which we hope will not be watered down.

For lunch we joined Mum and Elizabeth at Woodpeckers, Colton Care home.

It is my sister’s birthday.

She complimented our mother on

enjoying lasagna which is ‘foreign food’ to someone of her generation. The others also chose lasagna; my choice was cod in parsley sauce. We all enjoyed lemon tart with cream or ice cream.

After the meal Elizabeth drove Mum on a trip into the forest while we

left the birthday present on the Pilley doorstep.

A little later the two ladies arrived at our house to finish the afternoon with tea and Victoria sponge.

Jackie and I dined this evening from bowls of Hordle Chinese Take Away’s delicious fare on trays on our laps while watching recordings of the afternoon’s Six Nations rugby Internationals between Wales and Ireland and between England and Scotland. The second match took place in swirling gales and lashing rain such that neither side deserved to lose. It is a wonder that anyone could play at all. I drank Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2018.

 

 

59 comments

  1. It’s possible you have all four seasons represented in this vignette of your garden – but certainly three! We live in interesting times says she who is currently back in winter. Amazingly, I can actually recall when lasagna was thought exotic 🙂 Good luck with the coming weather event.

  2. Your mother looks wonderful, and your gardens look so colorful no matter what the season, Derrick and Jackie! Good luck with the storm. Hope all comes through unscathed, including your robins. Nugget is stocking up on food. He does seem quite proud of his backside. 🙂

    1. I took several pictures of Nugget and each time he presented his rump as I clicked! this is the only one that shows his beak, it is a lovely round backside.

  3. Your garden is looking lovely and I’m glad you had all a good day with your mum.
    We moved our pot plants into a sheltered spot and hope for the best. I think the storm has begun, up here, as I sit in bed I’m listening to the howling wind and the rain beating down upon my bedroom window and I don’t doubt it will get worse as the night wears on.

      1. My kitchen is leaking water again from the balcony above and the garden is beginning to flood. We’re up to 60 mph at the moment, and even though we are high up, you being on the coast are likely to have it far worse than us. All the best with it, hope you don’t have any damage.

  4. Your garden really is glorious. Well, at least during the photo-taking. I hope all is surviving well; it would be a shame to see real damage. Your Mum is looking quite well, too. It’s wonderful that she’s able to have occasional trips into the forest, and it was especially nice that your sister was able to be there on her birthday.

    I remember when lasagne was ‘foreign food’ for my family, too: quite exotic. Once my mother learned to make it, we begged for it regularly.

  5. Happy Birthday, Elizabeth!!! 🙂

    I bet she loved her live-flowering gift!
    It sounds like a lovely day of drives, food, fun, gifts, tea, dessert, etc! 🙂
    So good to see your precious Mum! She looks well! I’m so glad! 🙂
    Hope all of you, Mr. and Mrs. Nugget, and all of the plants and flowers are safe in the coming storm.
    We’re supposed to have rain and snow on Monday and Tuesday.
    HUGS!!! 🙂
    PS…Oh, Nugget…your rear-end is butt-iful! 😀 HA! 😉

  6. The storm is raging here and kept me awake most of the night listening to the fence panels rattling and plastic plant pots blowing around the garden.
    I hope you didn’t suffer any damage.

  7. Does my memory fail me, or is the garden doing much better this winter than last?

    Mum is still looking terrific and please wish Elizabeth a very Happy belated Birthday!!

  8. Your garden looks beautiful, and Nugget quite handsome. I hope there is not much storm damage.
    A belated happy birthday to your sister. Your mom looks well.

  9. Do you know how many years it takes euphorbias to flower? I’ve yet to see one on mine.

    Anyway, lovely to see all your flowers. I hope they are still in good shape following today’s storm!

  10. I’ll echo the others about your gardens. Hope they didn’t get hammered by the storm. A little giggle about lasagna being a foreign food. But then I think about all the things I eat now that I had never heard of when I was young. So…

        1. Yes, indeed. At 2.30 p.m. I am sitting typing by my window – daylight has darkened, hail lashes the panes, and I am going to have to get up and turn the lights on.

      1. The winds have been quite awful recently. Even last night was noisy and it was difficult driving my daughter to the station this morning in the wind and driving rain. I hope things calm down next week.

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