Working From Home

On an even hotter day we began gardening very early, partly because our septic tank was emptied soon after 7.00 a.m.

Our shared task was dead-heading. I carried a camera with me.

I have noticed that butterflies like to bask on paving or gravel. Can you spot this Red Admiral?

We now have quite a variety of Hemerocallis. Here are a few.

The creamy Shropshire Lad, and the pink carpet rose hosting a pair of what I think are hoverflies, represent the roses in the Rose Garden which also harbours the deep magenta petunias and sweet peas. As usual, the galleries can be accessed by clicking on any of the images in each one; view these full size by clicking on the boxes beneath them. Further enlargement is then possible.

Red rose Super Elfin rambles along the Back Drive border where red and white hot lips welcome honeysuckle that has crept in from next door.

A sunlit heuchera leaf cast its shadow across the brick path.

I spent the whole afternoon wrestling further with my banking problem. Fundamentally I cannot now create a new on line account. Once again I was on the end of a bad line from Scotland. This, it transpired was because the agents were working from home. Eventually I was advised to start again in the hope that I would reach a different call centre. I did. It worked. This time I was told that my Mac had blocked the account. I will have a session with Peacock Computers tomorrow.

Early this evening we took a drive to Mudeford which was awash with people still flooding in with little semblance of social distancing. We turned around and enjoyed a drink on the patio before a second sitting of Hordle Chinese Take Away delights with which Jackie drank Hoegaarden and I drank more of the Carenina.

79 comments

  1. Lovely photos as always, Derrick! People should be more responsible when in public right now. The Red Admiral was difficult to see.

  2. My goodness, there IS a butterfly among the rocks and dead heads! I’m impressed, as always, with the flowers in your garden — the Head Gardener does a beautiful job!

  3. Sceptic tanks and computer problems … it is pleasing to know that you have such an abundance of flowers – along with butterfly visitors – to take your mind off such unpleasant matters. Drinks on the patio … I can imagine this must have been pleasing in such a pretty environment.

  4. Your header photo is lovely, and I like the leaf and shadow. I expected you to say something more about “the creamy Shropshire Lad.” ?

    I hope you’re able to get your banking account problems all sorted out soon. What a pain!

  5. All those photos are fantastic!!! They’re so relaxing to look at. I bet it’s wonferful to sit in your garden and have some coffee ? don’t have a green thumb (my mom has though) so I haven’t really grown some flowers yet. We’re starting with some vegetables in the backyard though. I hope we could grow some flowers soon. Especially as lovely as those. ???

  6. Love seeing the butterfly, and with a background in geology I enjoyed the various types of rocks represented in the stones. The Shropshire Lad is stunning, and it is fun to see the two buds lurking behind the rose waiting their turn to share their glory in your garden.

  7. It most certainly has been HOT today Derrick… I am afraid I wilted this afternoon… Those Day Lilies are lovely and so are those everlasting sweetpeas.. I took a picture of ours today too 🙂
    All looking really lovely Derrick.. Your garden is a credit to you both..
    Have a lovely rest of the week my friend 🙂

  8. I’m so sorry about your banking problems Derrick. There’s nothing more frustrating. I hope you get it worked out. Hopefully your beautiful flowers and the leftover Chinese cheered you up a bit.

  9. UGHS on the banking problems. 🙁 That is so weary-ing. 🙁 I hope it gets fixed very soon.

    I love seeing the smiling flowers and the happy butterfly! 🙂

    The leaf-shadow photo is beautiful! And I adore the climbing plants/flowers!

    Gardening work seems like it never ends…but the joy is definitely never ending! Thank you for the always-joy! 🙂
    Cool-HUGS!!! 🙂
    PS…Derrick and Jackie: Don’t stay out in the sun so long that you get hot lips! 😮 ? 😛 😉

  10. I just had to go research The Shropshire Lad…
    I found this…
    The name was given by David Austin. It is taken from A. E. Housman’s cycle of poems about Shropshire, published in 1896, where our rose gardens and nursery are situated.
    A. E. Housman’s ashes are buried near St. Laurence’s Church in Ludlow, Shropshire. David C. H. Austin, born in Shropshire, is himself a Shropshire lad. He has named many roses to honor local people and places.

    🙂 🙂 🙂

  11. Computers can be so frustrating! Good thing we have these beautiful flowers. 🙂 Honeysuckle is always welcome in my yard.

  12. Nature exudes its simplicity through its bewildering complexity, and presents a contrast to how humans confound the simplicity of commonplace occurrences through call centres and IVRs.

  13. A beautiful kaleidoscope of colorful flowers in teh sun, Derrick and Jackie! And I did spot the red admiral on the gravel.

    I am sorry the banking problems continue, Derrick. Yes, agents working from home are having difficulties here, too. The virus has wreaked havoc on many levels.

  14. Gorgeous flowers. We always had day lilies on the road leading to the house I grew up in. Those are what we called the orange ones. I haven’t actually seen them bloom locally in a long time — or maybe I haven’t been looking for him. Social distancing is being somewhat practiced where I live but not many are wearing masks. My family are caught in the middle and just try to avoid going to restaurants for now.

  15. Maybe the gravel or the paving is reflective enough to provide the butterfly with extra heat from below. If it perched on a pullover, or a lawn, for example, I could imagine that the heat would be less than concrete or stone.

  16. Beautiful blooms. I keep waiting for my sweet peas to bloom; not sure if they have enough sun where they’re planted. The banking problem sounds frustrating. It seems that the pandemic makes everything that’s already difficult, a thousandfold more difficult. Hope it’s resolved soon.

  17. It was almost too hot to venture outside. I don’t blame you for getting those outdoor tasks early.

    I mentioned that I might like to take a walk around a nearby lake, the response from family was ‘Don’t even attempt it’. Apparently all the local beauty spots are heaving with visitors.

    Hope the banking is solved today.

  18. I suspect your butterfly’s doing what’s called ‘mud-puddling,’ although mud isn’t necessarily involved. They like to gather around moisture that’s collected around dirt or rocks, because they get necessary minerals there that aren’t available in the nectar they sip.

  19. I found the Red Admiral but wouldn’t have noticed it if you hadn’t said!

    Shame when you can’t do what you planned because of lack of social distancing.

  20. I feel for you, Derrick. No fun to deal with internet and computer issues! Let’s hope Peacock can resolve all your problems !

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