Today’s air was cool, dry, and largely dull.
Much of the time was spent weeding.
Jackie’s distaste for our invasive alliums is patent as she drops one into her bucket. The red railing behind her has been removed from the edge of the Pond Bed in the foreground in order to gain greater access.
My progression along the Oval Path was delayed by the number of these invaders congregating around the entrance to the Rose Garden. By lunchtime I had not achieved my target of reaching the bend at the far end.
I was, however, able to enjoy the bluebells beside me; the triumphant mating cries of wood pigeons, one of which, preening in the weeping birch, may have shed the feather photographed yesterday; the gentle trilling of the songbirds pierced by the repetitive irritating greenfinch; and the buzzing of the occasional bee.
This afternoon I dragged myself out to complete my task.
I was rewarded by the grating of my final rake attracting a visit from two robins who, nevertheless, kept their distance.
Later, I scanned six more of Charles Keeping’s illustrations to ‘Martin Chuzzlewit’ by Charles Dickens.
The tail of the horse stretching past the text in ‘Jonas fought and contended with the horses like a man possessed’ does appear in the book, but is too wide for me to scan it.
‘Mr Pecksniff interposed himself between them’ is another set of accurate portraits.
‘The good man patted Mrs Lupin’s hand between his own’. We know who he is by now.
‘Jonas set upon him like a savage’ has a great sense of movement.
‘The body of a murdered man’
This evening we dined on pork chops baked with English mustard and garnished with almonds; piquant cauliflower cheese; creamy mashed potato; crunchy carrots; and moist fried leeks, with which Jackie drank Hoegaarden and I drank Collin-Bourisset Fleurie 2019.
Looks like an eventful day. I am giving everything a good drink. Even with rain chances I am watering because knowing our luck it will miss us.
That makes sense. Thanks very much, Mrs W
Your welcome.
ah alliums; we battle hard though like the Forth Bridge we start again each year… sigh…
🙂 Thanks a lot, Geoff
Sounds like a productive day with a few rewards scattered about to make the chores more palatable. Now off to the woods and the ponies…
Thanks very much, Pat
That’s quite the mess on your pathway, Derrick! It will be even more lovely when you two have completed the work. I would love to visit your garden. Your wife’s cooking sounds so delicious! Maybe you can include food photos? ???
I do, sometimes, John. Will remember your request 🙂 Thanks very much
Hi Derrick – it’s good to know that someone else was out weeding today. I went to battle in our front yard – but it’s slow going. I did spot a snake which kept me company!
Thanks a lot, Barbara. 🙂
Bank holiday tomorrow means it’ll be wet so it was good you made progress today.
And we will hopefully get a break tomorrow 🙂 Thanks a lot, Sheree
?
Weeding is such a tedious job, you two must be very patient!!
🙂 Thanks very much, GP
I agree with GP, yet it must be done if one wants to maintain a semblance of order in the garden. We too get the same invasive allium, called an onion weed here, which are very difficult to get rid of.
Thanks very much, Anne
If only everything grew as quick and easy as weeds.
Quite so, Jill. Thanks very much
I don’t envy you the weeding, Derrick. Jackie’s distaste or annoyance is palpable in that photo! ?
The illustrations are quite dramatic/
Thanks very much Merril. This particular sequence does reveal a bit of the story.
?
I have immensely enjoyed this set of Keeping’s dynamic illustrations, Derrick.
I’m very pleased, Dolly. Still 100+ pages to go in this one. Thanks very much
You are very welcome, Derrick, and I am looking forward to those pages.
🙂
I have caught Jackie’s bug – but in my case, I’m waging war against dandelions in the grass…
They can stay in the field, but I’m being just as thorough as Jackie about rooting them out each day as new flowers appear around the house… and I’m tossing them into my bucket with equal disdain (much to the chicken’s delight!)
I’d probably be on the dandelions, but we have very few, despite their currently lining the hedgerows. Thanks very much, Emma
Wholehearted weeding work! 🙂 I’m sure the bees were working, too. And how wonderful that some birdies came to visit and supervise all of the work going on. 😉
I always enjoy perusing Mr. Keeping’s illustrations! I like looking at the expressions and the details!
(((HUGS))) 🙂
PS…”A weed is a plant that has mastered every survival skill except for learning how to grow in rows.” – Doug Larson 😀
I’ve seen a sign that says, “Free weeds! Pick your own and take them home!” 😛 😀
Thanks very much, Carolyn. I particularly like the sign. 🙂 X
Weeding is a Sisyphean task, much like painting the Forth Rail Bridge is alleged to be. I admire your pertinacity.
Thanks very much, Tootlepedal. Jackie quoted you this morning 🙂
I am honoured.
Ha ye are hard at work too Derrick! Great to see all your photos!
Many thanks, Agnes 🙂
Hardest job?
Thanks very much, Laleh 🙂
My pleasure.
Weeding a lush garden never ends. But surely the prolific alliums have a place somewhere.
In the wild, JoAnna. 🙂 Thanks very much
🙂
I just love the illustrations. They are marvellous.
Yes, Jackie does look disgusted, and I can’t blame her. How many hours a day does she spend in the garden, do you think?
4 at the moment, I’d say, Laurie. Jackie agrees and says “Come the summer, it’s usually all day innit?” Thanks very much
Derrick, look at those wonderfully-groomed gravel paths. Nicely done. I see Jackie working hard as well. So it goes in the garden. I’ve just come in from a weeding session myself. I hope you have a good week ahead.
You, too, Alys. Thank you very much from both of us
The image of Jackie has captured her absolute disgust with those weeds that dared to trespass in your your garden paradise. Good riddance and well played, both of you!
Thank you very much, Maj 🙂
My sister who is a gardener has just helped me greatly with weed problems. She calls it “Companion Planting.”
Nice. Thanks a lot, John
Don’t underestimate your “repetitive irritating greenfinch”. A disease has recently killed off up to 90% of all greenfinches between here and as far away as Siberia. So he’s a survivor at least !
We have a few, John. That is amazing. We’ll treasure them now. Thanks very much
I particularly like the wood pigeon in the weeping willow. Upon biggification, he looks very contented.
🙂 Thanks very much, Liz
You’re welcome, Derrick.
The illustration of the man raising that chair over his head somewhat aggressively suggests your approach to the alliums! Carry on!
Thanks very much, Linda 🙂
Weeds continue. There’s the rub.
🙂 Thanks very much dunelight
I feel your weed pain. My Aunt who raised me always intoned ‘a weed is just a misplaced flower’. She is right. It looks like you have rambunctious allium. I had some pink spiderwort that in 3 seasons took over 1/3 of my gardens. Their roots were a rock like mat.
🙂 Thanks again
the garden is always a work in process, truly a labor of love. but the rewards are heavenly glorious! 🙂
Thank you very much, Lola
I enjoyed your garden photos as well as Charles Keeping’s illustrations, Derrick!
Are those invasive alliums edible?
They are, but Jackie doesn’t like the taste and I’ve never tried it. Thanks very much, Lavinia
Thankfully, I leave most of the wedding to the younger members of my family. Though ?I’m very happy to apply friendly weed killer ?
Thanks very much, Sue 🙂
It must be a joy to work in such a wonderful garden ?
It is. Thanks very much, Ribana