Come for a further wander down the garden paths.
Stepping out of the utility room stable doorway, we meet this little rose that was bramble-bound last year.
This frilly new pink poppy sits quite well against the red Japanese maple, visible from the kitchen window.
Opposite our small patch of grass, we think designed for a dog loo,
against the backdrop of a yellow Japanese maple, speckled New Zealand flax arches over red penstemon and budding thalictrum.
Passing the other end of the Phantom Path, at the far end we see a yellow-green-leaved tree, only one branch of which seemed alive last year, before we lopped out all the dead wood.
Jackie transplanted the outspoken orange hawkweed, regarded in other parts of the world as an infestation, from the former kitchen garden. It now enlivens the Oval Bed.
This Sambucus, planted not so long ago, now blooms behind the potting shed.
The back drive is now framed by new planted troughs. In the top right hand corner of the picture can be glimpsed a basket suspended from the slender arch through which we now walk into the garden. Please don’t tell the head gardener that I keep banging my head on it.
From the end of the drive we turn left to see how Hallmark Builders are getting on with their ‘massive’ project on the recently sold The Spinney at number 11.
Two men are building a beautifully curved wall.
Back down our own brick path we see the delicate pink rodgersia, yet another member of the saxifrage family.
Just past this plant lies the Dead End Path.
Back at the house, the pink striped Rosa Gallica is now blooming against the kitchen wall,
and the Rosa Glauca soars above the patio.
Taking visitors on a meandering trip is rather easier than the task on which the head gardener has been engaged during much of the last two or three days. 
John Whitworth recently expressed his need of a garden map. We are not lovers of straight lines, but, had we had a few more, Jackie’s task would have been so much easier. When she proudly presented the finished chart, I then had the task of reproducing it. Since it had been drawn on A3 paper, which is too large for my scanner, I had to photograph it with my little SX700 HS Canon. Having the benefit of neither Ken Morse’s equipment nor his expertise, it was difficult to achieve an unwarped rectangle from above. Here is the finished masterpiece:
Later this afternoon I had transferred the bonfire ashes to the compost heaps, and raked back the shingle that I’d scraped out for a makeshift hearth.
It is hardly surprising that there had been no time for cooking. There was nothing for it but to go out for dinner. It was Spice of India that was graced with our presence, for which we were rewarded with an excellent meal. My main course was naga chicken with special fried rice; Jackie’s was chicken shaslik and salad. We shared a paratha, and both drank cobra.
Beautiful pics Derrick! The first one my favorite – but, then again, I am forever biased to roses! And a map! Yes! Great!
Unfortunately, it refuses to enlarge on my small tablet, so will have to wait until tomorrow when I put my laptop back on. All shut down for the night, rather early for me I must say, but there we are! A pleasant Sunday morning now awaits tomorrow (23h20 here now!). Thanks for sharing – please pass on to the head gardener! 🙂
Thank you Rob. Done and appreciated by us both
Impressive garden and map (of happiness it seems) 🙂
Thank you Sylvie. It is
Your Head Gardener needs a promotion to ‘Garden Curator’ I think! It is such a great map, now I can amble about without getting completely lost. The garden is much bigger than I originally – thought, is it a half acre? That just the two of you develop and maintain this beautiful spot is quite mind boggling to me – and still there is [usually] time for a wonderful meal to be prepared, cooked and served as well!
Many thanks Pauline, from us both. We think it is one third of an acre
Great scot! The size of it! The photos are stunning. No wonder the head gardener had little time for cooking. And I do hope the New Zealand flax is not speckled because it’s near the once doggie-do lawn!
Thanks Bruce 🙂
What can I say – wow – that’s just for the map. One note – the NZ flex is good for basket weaving. I used to have them and made baskets to give away (as containers for fruit etc.)
Thank you Mary – from us both
Immpresive garden… lovely pics…
Thank you Chitra
Another lovely tour and a wonderful garden map! They are a great asset to have
Thank you Matt
All of that hard work is certainly rewarded. You have the most prolific garden. Beautiful!
Thank you Joanne
Morning! 🙂 – so impressed with your garden (or should I say ‘park’?) – a haven of peace, tranquility…..and loads of work!! You have done a marvellous job here and it’s so nice to have the map to trace your wanderings and place your photos – thanks!
One question if I may – many Dragons in your part of the world?!! 🙂
Can’t wait to see the Rose Garden…
Again, many thanks for sharing – and best wishes for a magical Sunday – dragons and all!! 🙂
Thank you Rob. There is just the one dragon in the garden, bought to please granddaughter Flo who is a great fan of them. When she was only just into her teens she created a dragonology website.
Excellent! Do you have the website address?
Flo is in America until 1st July. This is not a site she continues with. However, messages are being exchanged across the Atlantic to see what it was. Presumably its still out there somewhere.
Wow! Thanks Derrick! No rush please – as you say, presumably it’s still around – unless the host server is no more – will be interesting but please don’t go to too much trouble! 🙂
My pleasure Rob
Thanks Derrick
Look what I found in my wallet, Rob/Users/derrickjohnknight/Desktop/S.A.D..jpg unfortunately the site comes up as no longer available
Amazing what we keep in our wallets! 🙂
Appreciate the effort Derrick.
Dammit. I have totally failed to send a pic with my comment. It was a visiting card with the website on it: http://www.dragonologyinfo.webs.com – she’s drawn a nice little dragon on it.
Yep – as you say, the site comes back as no longer available. Such is life in cyberspace! I find dragons, in all their lives, guises, symbology and connotations, quite interesting! Nice that your granddaughter was able to draw one.
Thanks Rob
That was a wonderful wander around your garden in words and pictures. Jackie’s garden map is a work of art in itself – “Grassed area, not to be confused with a ‘lawn'” did make me laugh! It’s a fabulous garden – I can imagine the work you have both put into restoring it.
Many thanks Peggy. Will pass it on
I, too, laughed out loud at that comment. Wonderful sense of humor, Jackie.
Thanks Crystal, maybe one day we can call it a lawn, I am busy digging out the weeds and aerating it as well as re-seeding it bit by bit, with all the old tree and shrub stumps removed, maybe one day….
The Master Gardener had a great plan and you supplied a wonderful tour of the hard work’s rewards!
Thanks gp. Will pass it on
Seems that I was not the only one appreciating a map. Thank you, Jackie, for putting in the hours for us all to enjoy (and not just the map). Sorry to have burdened you with the extra work; my original thought was that this was a suitable task for the “assistant gardener”. Perhaps, instead, Derrick, you might plot all the plants on the map, cross-referenced to your photographs, as a record and aide-memoire? Such a pity to leave you out of the project:-)
Shrieking with laughter here, John
Oh, my, I didn’t know I wanted a map, but it’s so wonderful and now I have an idea of the space you’re working with. What pleasure just looking at the map provides! Now I can put all the beautiful flowers into place…
Thank you Lisa
The map is a work of art! Oh, thank you thank you Jackie for going to all the effort of making this beautiful map. Like Lisa said above, “I didn’t know I wanted a map.” But now that it’s here, I realize I’ve been wanting it all along.
I so wish I could hire the two of you to live at my place and work your magic for a year. Got any bored relatives with similar skills? But seriously, one day I want to transform my own land, and I will certainly use your garden and your ingenuity as inspiration.
Thank you, Crystal. Praise indeed. I wish you well with your own project.
Jackie says ‘how lovely’. Unfortunately she is unable to access older posts on her laptop, otherwise she’d have responded herself
Just found a way to get to the older posts!
Just found a way to access the older posts. I like the idea of spending a year in your garden working with you to create paradise! I have looked at my map and already it needs updating! the ‘proposed Rose Garden is now well and truly up and running. H.G.s shed is in place and no longer pristine, (well muddied up!) I am so glad our map helps you, I know I would want one.
Well of course you knew it would be outdated soon, because you work so hard out there, but the basics layout is still reliable. Glad to hear the shed is properly muddied up now. 🙂
Crikey! I found a way to get to this post. Is there anything Jackie can’t do!?
It’s good to get some idea of the scale of the paradise that keeps you folks occupied every day. But I still think you deserve a drone.
Thank you so much, Yvonne. She certainly is multi-talented