Jackie and her sisters enjoyed a coven meeting at The Bat & Ball on Salisbury Road, Braemore. As an unfortunate update to this history that still adorns the pub wall Jackie tells me that new owners have replaced the historic sign mentioned in this text with simply the title in a fairly plain font. I transported some of the Head Gardener’s clippings to the compost bin, cut back a bramble on the back drive, and pruned a poplar that had suffered severe wind damage.
I chopped up the tree branches with which I filled two more bags and added them to the pile.
Mum in a Million and other roses continue to bloom in the Rose Garden.
Various paths are looking a little tidier.
The Patio Bed remains cheerful;
fuchsia Delta’s Sarah in the Pond Bed, having spent the heatwave shrivelling, has revived well from the following rains;
kniphofias in the Cryptomeria Bed continue to multiply;
and potted plants line up outside the Head Gardener’s shed.
In honour of Sir Alastair Cook, former England captain and one of our greatest batsmen, Jackie photographed this cartoon displayed in the sisters’ lunch venue.
Across the road a house, featured in https://derrickjknight.com/2018/12/12/thats-what-i-call-home-delivery/ had been severely damaged by a lorry that had wound up in its walls. Jackie was able to photograph the
very sensitive repair. The green tarpaulin covers the site of a bus shelter that has not yet been replaced.
A next door neighbour has also benefited from a beautiful crown.
This evening we dined on a second sitting of Hordle Chinese Take Away’s fine fare, with which Jackie drank Hoegaarden and I drank more of the Malbec.
The repair is a splendid job.
Thanks very much, Susan
Your photographs are always just lovely, but today the views of the pathways really are stunning. ?
Thank you so much, Sue.
Garden looking wonderful after both of your recent hard works.
Thanks very much, Sheree
The garden is looking good! The repair on the pub is very good — I assume the rick will eventually match in color — and the thatch looks as if nothing had happened to it!
The new colour goes very quickly. Thanks very much, Janet
Derrick, are you okay? After I stopped laughing about Jackie and her sisters having a “coven” meeting, I thought you might have been killed by one of them after they read it!! ?
Wow, I completely forgot about that lorry hitting the house. It sure seemed stuck in there.
Thanks a lot, GP 🙂 Not even a spell on me.
Quite a repair job, and well-done.
Your garden looks splendid, and I also like the paths.
Thanks very much, Merril.
Heaving read about a “coven,” I expected the bat in the pub’s name to refer to a witch’s familiar and was wondering about the ball. Alas, I am so unfamiliar with all team sports, except real football (called soccer here), that cricket has not entered my mind. The history of the place is fascinating, though.
Your fabulous roses, as well as the rest of the garden, have benefitted from your hard work.
Thanks very much, Dolly. Three sisters, you see. 🙂
I got that, of course, but expected more witchy attributes., You are very welcome, Derrick.
Of course.:)
Jackie’s shed is quaint! Your garden still looks lush and happy. Extraordinary repair job… the roof looks oh, so velvety! Enjoyable stories as always.
Thanks very much, Rose.
love he sculpted thatch crown.
It is rather good, Sherry. Thanks very much.
That’s quite a repair job! And the kniphofias in the Cryptomeria Bed is beautiful. That one really caught my eye today! <3
Thanks very much, Jan X
Nicely done on the repair. Beautiful photos today, Derrick. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks very much to you too, Jill
What is the golden material at the peak of the roof in the nice pattern? It looks very thick.
It is a special reed and will very soon weather in to match the rest in colour. Thanks a lot, Maj.
I’m one of three sisters. On the rare occasions that we three are together I shall in future think ‘coven’. In the meantime, the garden is looking as lovely as ever Derrick ?
🙂 Thanks very much, Sandra.
The crown atop that roof is wonderful. It reminds me of shortbread cookies made with a press.
It is such a marvellous craft. Thanks very much, Linda
I’ve never seen a roof crown like that before. My gosh, it must cost a small fortune to hire a craftsman with that unique skill! I know Jackie is a wizard in the garden and the kitchen, yes, but a witch?
A white witch, of course. Thanks very much, Sue.
Lovely work on that house.
Thanks a lot, Tootlepedal.
Your garden still looks lovely. It has gone quite cold here and rainy (5 degrees Celsius yesterday night!) but the growing season continues for a bit longer.
Thanks very much, Jean
Those thatched roofs are amazing. If not for your blog, I would not know that people are making them still and with such artistry. I enjoyed the garden pathways, too!
Thank you very much, JoAnna. It is quite an industry around here.
I would have been mightily upset if a truck had crashed into my house like that!
Indeed. The driver had a heart attack and the repair has taken so long because the house and vehicle insurers were arguing about liability. I ask you! Thanks very much, Liz
That’s typical of insurance companies. I hope the driver is all right now.
We don’t know either outcome.
your garden is always beautiful and continuously blooming, more so now after all those hard work! the thatched roofs and the crown! they’re very charming! 🙂
Thank you very much, Lola
Looks like you have had an interesting few days. I hope they can make repairs. Your flowers are beautiful as always. Our frost is coming about two weeks early (tomorrow night). It is supposed to set records. I decide to comment on only one post.
Good luck
Thank you.
That is a beautiful crown on the roof. Hope Jackie had a great time with her sisters.
She did – they always enjoy themselves. Thanks very much, Laurie.
Replacing that priceless sign with a monotonous script has to be an incredibly insensitive thing to do but it’s not uncommon to run into monstrosities in life. That is great coverage of the thatches under repair and embellishment.
Thanks very much, Uma. Also rather careless to display a history referring to it.
a very interesting topping on that neighbour’s house.. interesting indeed!
Thanks very much, Dymoon.
Apart from your other photographs, I have particularly enjoyed the cartoon. Thank you for including that.
🙂 And thank you, Anne.
Your fuchsia’s always fascinate me Derrick… I must go to nursery and purchase on soon…
Thanks a lot, Ivor.
Interesting post. I do love those cricket cartoons.
Thanks very much, Roland
Love the beautiful crown!
Enjoyed spotting some owls in the garden!
The cricket cartoon made me snort-laugh! 😀
So glad Jackie and her sisters had a fun day out and about! 🙂
“Coven”…oh, my…you are lucky they have good senses of humor…or you might be turned into a toad for a tasty toad pie! 😉 😛 HA! 😀 😉
HUGS!!! 🙂
I am lucky – they have begun calling it a coven meeting themselves 🙂 Thanks very much, Carolyn X
You must have a very big compost heap!
It is growing fast. Thanks a lot, Andrew
Never saw this kind of roof. It looks interesting and some kind of unique. Do you have many houses with this kind of roof in Britain?
We have many in the countryside, especially where we live in Hampshire’s New Forest. Any replacement must also be thatched. Thanks very much Alexander.
There is something special about putting in hard work and then being able to enjoy not just the effort and the work you have done, but also to see the beauty that comes from it. Great photos of the garden ~ a little oasis, which is so valuable in times like now. Cheers and good health to you, Derrick.
Thank you very much, Dalo.
I love a good thatched roof! That crown is beautiful.
We lost power last night due to high winds. A lot of smoke, low visibility. This morning there are Level 3 evacuations north of us, and our county is on alert.
How frightening, Lavinia. I wish you and Rick well. Thanks very much.
Fire from the south now is moving this way, and the county below us is at Level 2. My county is now at Level 1 evacuation order. Oregon uses a three level evacuation sequence. Level 1: “Be ready”, Level 2 : “Be set, Level 3: “Leave now”. Our town and county is at Level 1 at this time, but the fire from the south looks like it is creeping up faster.
I hope you don’t get beyond 1. XX
This is the interactive fire map the Sheriff’s office posted.
https://gis.co.linn.or.us/portal/apps/View/index.html?appid=46e1d572cc414cdfaa002f4af75ba614
I’m not getting the map, Lavinia, but I’m hoping for you both.
That crown is a work of art.
It is. Thanks a lot, Lindsey.
Oh my…what a home delivery ??
Great work Derrick! That garden looks so pretty and all tidy up ??
Thank you very much, Ribana.
I feel privileged to have these glimpses into your life, thank you. The photos leave me open-mouthed, as a Kiwi. So exotic!
Thank you so much, Rachel