From The Greenhouse

Once again the weather today was bright, sunny, and cool.

Nugget posted a brief tweet: “I’ve just dropped down to let all my fans know that I am very well and rather preoccupied at the moment. Sorry, Jackie, I can’t stop while you collect your camera.”

While Jackie worked outside and, as in this picture, in the greenhouse,

I wandered around the garden.Β The above shot was taken from the Rose Garden,

where pansies and tulips are now blending nicely.

Other tulips bloom elsewhere.

Japanese maple leaves are now burgeoning.

Moss carpets the low stone walls.

Paths, such as that named the Gazebo;

the Brick;

the Heligan;

or the Dead End are now flanked by colourful plants.

The New Bed once accommodated splendid gladioli and dahlias decimated by voles. We have yet to see whether the replacements Jackie planted in the autumn will fare any better.

The Weeping Birch Bed on other side of the brick path seems unscathed.

Clumps of fritillaries are in several locations.

Shadows are cast across the lawn.

The sculpture Florence stands on Fiveways at the junction between five paths. She enjoys views such as those shown in the first two photographs above.

Through the greenhouse windows Jackie photographed the Head Gardener’s Walk and

pink and blue primulas;

inside she produced an image of Ammi Majus seedlings.

This evening we dined on pepperoni pizza; plentiful fresh salad; and garlic bread, with which I finished the El Zumbido Garnacha, Syrah.

 

 

110 comments

  1. I’m sitting in my little courtyard wondering Derrick…. thank you for the for wondrous photos of your wander around your wonderful garden…(“The Universe and My Backyard”)

  2. Spring has sprung at your house! Only difference here seem to be that my plumeria is leafing out. Can blooms be far behind? Does Nugget still have a Mrs. Nugget? Might there be Nugget progeny in the offing?

  3. I’m now wondering – hoping – little Sir Nugget is preparing for fatherhood. Wouldn’t that be something in this time of such great change! The garden is looking bountiful already, full of promise! I am so going to enjoy seeing it over the coming months.
    Winter has arrived here today, it seems not so long since he was last here. Still, if you can’t go out and weather says don’t go out it makes life easier huh!

    1. Sir Nugget must be very busy, I sat in the garden weeding for an hour yesterday and no sign of him!! almost miss his hindrance. So sorry that your Winter is approaching at this rotten time, I think we are lucky. Wish it was warmer here, still risk of frosts.

      1. Fickle fellow, now he has another love! We didn’t really get too much summer this year (second in a row) Other than that I think it being winter helps with the isolation thing, I tend to hermit away at this time of the year anyway……. It’s the loss of freedom isn’t it – we have been so spoilt with our westernised lifestyles and free political systems! Your garden just gets better and better every year, you are THE magic garden fairy!! <3

  4. So, the voles also appreciate your garden; it’s nice of Jackie to think of the wee beasties.

    How is solitary confinement going?

    1. Wretched voles, but I think I can probably still manage a colourful garden despite their efforts!

      1. The little critters chewed through the stems at or close to ground level and the whole plant naturally died. A successful solution was to put about 3 inches of polystyrene pipe insulation around the bottom of the stem. This year I am going to grow the plants through the pipe insulation as soon as they germinate.

    1. Thanks very much, Cynthia. Several dragons have been there for a while – they are in honour of our granddaughter, Flo, now in North Carolina, who loves them.

  5. The garden views are beautiful, Derrick and Jackie, and good to hear a Tweet from Nugget!

    Gophers and voles are a problem with some types of bulbs here, too. The tulips fare poorly unless they are in containers, and even then, the little rascals have climbed up and done their dirty work. πŸ™‚

    It is definitely colder here today. We had rain this morning, but are having some sun shining amid the dark canyons of clouds.

  6. The garden is more than usually gorgeous (that pot of tulips!!!) and it’s good to hear from Nugget, if only briefly. Sounds like a good day with a nice supper at the end.

  7. So many delightful spots to wander, linger, tiptoe and dance in your garden. It was a special treat to see the little dragon among the primulas. πŸ™‚

  8. Tulips never fail to warm my heart. Fritillaries are es exotic as it can get. Glad to know Nugget has taken to Twitter, which is a reminder that Twitter as we know it today is merely a reflection of the unbridled communication medium used by our winged companions of the planet.

    Jackie should be pleased.

    1. I had really forgotten how many bulbs and plants I had put in during the Autumn months. I switch off my gardeners head in winter and concentrate on Christmas, a rather big event in our household! Every Spring I am so pleased that I took the trouble in Autumn!

  9. Well now I’m quite envious after that little tour through your magnificent garden. The moss on the stone walls is such a pretty, fresh green. What kind of moss is that Derrick? I have trained moss between our bricks in the garden too. Several types co-mingle in a quilt of sorts. Problem with the Magpies though, they pull out chunks of it and I come out to find stubs of moss drying on the brick. So I put it all back together like a giant puzzle and soak it in. Do you get magpies there? Do you have a way to ward them off? Cheers

    1. Thanks very much, Kelly. I don’t know anything about moss. It just comes. We do have magpies. Last year two of them went through a cypress where goldfinches were nesting and cleared them out. Mostly, though they steer clear of our garden. I don’t know what to do about warding them off, although they always scarper when we are around.

      1. Maybe I need a scare-a-crow out there so the magpies think someone’s in the garden, ha! How rotten to mess up nesting goldfinches! They seem to be real brats and noisey bullies. But they’ve annoyed da Boomdee, look out ! LOL πŸ˜€

  10. So many fun things here!
    The tulips are so regal and beautiful!
    I love hearing about Mr. Nugget…I was gonna’ ask how he is doing. And I wonder about Mrs. Nugget and if she is in “the family way” or busy with little mouths to feed! ???
    I smile when I spot the owls!
    I laughed at cute dragon!
    The seedlings say “Have hope! Life goes on!”
    (((HUGS))) and the best of the best to you all! πŸ™‚

  11. You and Jackie have a beautiful setting to be secluded in. You make a great gardening/photography team! I’m glad Jackie assured us all that Nugget is well, but busy. I wonder if we will see baby Nuggets?

  12. The garden is looking very ready for spring. I loved the Japanese maple tree and the tulips in particular as well as the nicely trimmed paths. Kudos to Mrs Knight.for the work on the garden and to the photographer who allows us to enjoy all of this “par procuration” as they say in french.

  13. Beautiful Derrick, thank you once again for sharing your and Jackie’s lovely garden. Now I’m hungry for pepperoni pizza… and it’s still morning here πŸ˜‰

  14. The garden looks better every year, and it is a particular pleasure to see this year.

    We should put the world in the hands of gardeners as they are eternal optimists, work with nature and know the value of planning ahead. And we could compost the politicians.

  15. Beautiful photographs of a beautiful garden. I especially love the fritillaries. Stay safe x

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