One For Jessie

Knowing that hosepipe bans were to be imposed on Hampshire and the Isle of White today, we were relieved to learn that bans were determined by the water companies. Our supplier is Bournemouth Water, which has not yet ordered a ban. I celebrated with

a gallery of garden views.

Flo and Dillon continued clearing, planting, and watering this afternoon.

Jackie drove me to Lymington to buy more photographic printing paper, then to take a short forest drive.

The anonymous craftswoman who decorates the postbox on Pilley Hill has

produced a theme for our friend, Jessie.

Everywhere bracken is browning; heather is purpling; blackberries are ripening early, like these along Norley Wood Road.

Cattle were in no hurry as they ambled nonchalantly along Sowley Lane. Drivers had the choice of moseying in their wake, passing along the parched rock-hard verge, or simply waiting patiently. These were very big, thudding animals. I rather hoped they wouldn’t tread on my sandalled feet.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s succulent cottage pie topped with fried potatoes; tender spring greens and green beans, and crunchy carrots, with which the Culinary Queen drank Hoegaarden, Dillon drank water, and I drank more of the Syrah.

66 comments

    1. Yes – rationing of sorts, John. We can still use cans, but the idea is not to leave sprinklers on all day, fill up pools, wash cars, etc. Thanks very much

  1. A drought here, too. We have a well, so we impose our own restrictions. I am only watering pots and annuals. The perennials are on their own. Hoping, hoping, hoping for a day of a soaking rain.

  2. Love the picture of Jackie and that amazing crocheted item. This woman is a master crafter. I also loved your line–These were very big, thudding animals. I rather hoped they wouldn’t tread on my sandalled feet. Hope you get some rain soon, before you have to deal with water mandates or water hours.

  3. You and your camera celebrated the availability of water very beautifully! I ope your ban doesn’t last long — in So Cal, our green lawns are turning to California golden right now for heat and lack of water! We have had ‘monsoon weather’ without the rain for the last week or so — humid, cloudy, hot, but rain only in the mountains in small cells! It’s too early for fires, but we have had a couple of nasty ones burning for the last week in Northern California. I hope that doesn’t translate to fires in the South of England!

    1. Someone I met through work in 1985. She sent Jackie something she got on Facebook on the lines of: Men: “it’s coming home” after 1966. Women: 2022 “Never mind, we’ll get it ourselves”. 🙂 Thanks for asking, Dolly

  4. Yes, watch your toes around cattle! 🙂 I love that you said they ambled nonchalantly. 🙂 Better than a stampede! 😀
    We lived through a 7 + year drought years ago…many restrictions, like water rationing for people, we were not allowed to water outdoor plants or grass or flowers, etc. 🙁 Hefty $$ fines for doing so. 🙁 We came up with many ways to save on water. Just one example: I kept buckets in the shower so we could catch excess water to reuse, etc. I don’t ever want to have to live that way again.
    Hope you all get some rains soon!
    YAY for the Lionesses!!! 🙂 The crocheted trophy, etc., is beautiful! How exciting!
    Jackie’s smile always makes me smile! Thank you, Jackie! 🙂
    (((HUGS))) 🙂 ❤️

    1. Thanks very much from us both, Carolyn. Our fines will be up to £1,000 if we get a ban. Jackie says it would cost more than that to replace all our plants. X

      1. Yes, I’m sure it would!
        The only plants they let us water was the ground covers…like our ice plant that grew on the hills to prevent flooding and ground erosion, etc. Other than that most people had to let every thing die. It was so sad. 🙁 Like I said, I don’t ever want to live through that again. 🙁
        Bestest wishes to you all! I hope you don’t have any bans.

  5. I don’t always look at your garden photos individually, but I thought I spotted wisteria in one, so I went a-looking. Sure enough: it was there. I hardly can believe it. Our wisteria finishes blooming about the end of March or the beginning of April: at least, that’s what my photos have shown the past couple of years. Amazing.

  6. Being trodden on by a large cow is always a painful experience even with stout shoes on. Your garden looks amazingly green. A tribute to the waterers

  7. I’m sure you’ll get some rain, sooner or later, Derrick … In Australia we have “10” year droughts, you’re just going through a little dry spell …

  8. Your garden photos are beautiful. The scenes with the cattle and roadsides show how dry it is. It looks strangely like here in summer, which s not normal for your area at all.

    Someday the mysterious mailbox decorator may show themselves. I admire their work! 🙂

  9. The garden is looking so full and beautiful. The watering involved in keeping it so fresh and alive must be very time consuming.
    With Victoria away, I’m having two lots to do and we have nothing like the amount of plants and flowers that adorn your garden.

    I remember the drought up here around twenty five years ago. We had to have water brought up from the south in massive tankers. We were told to save washing up water and bath water for the gardens, and families were advised to share the bath water. I hope it doesn’t come to that again.

  10. Your garden is so beautiful. I particularly like the garden view from above and the wisteria grove with the shadow on the wall. I hope you get rain soon.
    I wouldn’t want the cattle to step on me, sandal-clad or not.

  11. Beautiful, lyrical and photographic post brightened up my morning. I liked the parade of cows along the road. The decorator of the post box is a legend already, what with Jackie posing next to the object of veneration.

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