Jackie continued with general garden maintenance today.
Here she applies anti-vine weevil solution to all her many heucheras.
As became clear last year, there is no defined boundary between us and the empty North Breeze next door. In particular, that at the front is concocted from self seeded trees, rotting planks of wood, and what I take to be one of the pre-Everest window frames from our house. The glass panes have long since become estranged from their lead. Some have remained intact, but others have broken and found their way into the thin layer of soil in which a few weeds have managed to survive. This earth has been laid on top of gravel, thus narrowing the path that led round the house.
My task was to remove this soil in order to expose the shingle, thus widening the path. This was easier said than done. That is because the strip was full of tree roots, rubble, concrete, bramble, and ivy. I just dug it over. Moving it can wait.
A view from the south west corner of the patio shows the condition of our neighbour’s back garden, and some of the panels we have set in place to keep the triffids at bay.
We continue to enjoy such warm, sunny, weather as to become somewhat confusing to flora and fauna alike.
The clematis Montana clothing the large dead tree alongside the new bed is blooming again.
The owl in the dead snake bark maple, especially having experienced the bright super moon throughout the night, just cannot get to sleep.
Antirrhinums are growing alongside sedums.
Butterflies and bees like these in
cosmos and
kniphofia must be convinced we are still enjoying summer.
The asters, however, know what the season is.
This evening we dined on fillet steak; a moist melange of mushrooms, leaks, onions, and peppers; and crisp carrots, green beans, and new potatoes. I drank Via di Cavallo Chianti 2014. Jackie had already enjoyed her Hoegaarden in the rose garden.
You’ve certainly had good weather for the garden this week. Take time to sit back and enjoy the roses as they say.
Thank you, Old Lady (have you got another name?)
Some people call me SOL or Sol – like the sun so sounds a bit like me
That’ll do nicely, Sol
Beautiful asters and bees 🙂
Thank you, Sylvie
Looks like you put in a good days work. I’m tired just thinking about it lol. Again beautiful photos.
Thanks, Michael
This is all getting vey poetical, with
mushrooms in a moist mélange….
and Hoegaarden in the rose garden….
Thank you for noticing, Cynthia
A lovely show indeed Derrick! A living tribute to both head and under gardener methinks! Congrats! As always, supper adds the extra enticing sound/vision! 🙂
Thank you, Rob
I chuckled at your attitude to your path widening task …… and then I wondered if Jackie did too 🙂 Love seeing the owl again!
Thank you, Pauline. Yes, indeed
Derrick, the owl should have got some sleep that night: between about 2:30 and 5:30 there was a total lunar eclipse, where the moon looks rust red, a relatively common astronomical event compared with total solar eclipses, but rare to be combined with a supermoon. Despite two previous days of going to bed at about 4:30 (preparing for our party which you described the day before), once I heard about this on the World Service news, on while I was washing up, I stayed up to see it, not quite at its fullest point, but completely red, none the less. Truly superb viewing conditions, clear and cold from this little snatch of summer we’re getting (the previous eclipse I was aware of happened on a cloud-covered night), so I thought I’d grab the chance, watching for about 20 mins. I finally decided I couldn’t wait up for the full event. (Nearly 36 hours later, the washing up is till not finished!!)
Thanks, Paul. I clearly missed a photo opportunity
Such lovely scenes in the garden – you deserved that drink after all of the hard work 🙂
Thank you, Matt
And I was sure there’d be a photo of the moon lit garden… off you go! 🙂
I think I’ll eat a steak today; must be the full moon.
Love the chubby bee.
Thank you, Mary
I do hope the Head Gardener was not enjoying her Hoegaarden in the Rose Garden while the poor male serf had to hack away mercilessly on the unbridled path.
A most unlikely scenario. I had finished long before. I was drafting this post 🙂
Oh the relief!
“\finished” the wine or the work??
🙂
Behave yourself Mr Bruce! I’ll have you know that I cleared and dug over almost the entire ‘Birch tree bed’ whilst the enthusiastic Mr K toiled on the side bed, mind you I think Mr K pulled the short straw.
What a privilege to be personally scolded by the head gardener! I would gladly aid Mr K in his toil so we all might sit in the wondrous Rose Garden and down Hoegaarden.
What a lovely day you had for your labors. Your bees are always endearing; they look as though they could be petted. I went to the triffids link and was seriously impressed at the work you’ve done in the garden since whenever that was.
Thank you, Lisa. We were rather amazed ourselves. It’s funny how you forget. That was last year.
Your photos are so relaxing to view, Derrick. So beautiful.
Thank you, Jill
There’s, umm, a little bit of contrast between your garden and the one next door!
Thanks, Yvonne. Ours was not dissimilar a year ago. There was once a very beautiful garden under that jungle
It seems the world’s ever changing weather patterns are working to your benefit – and that of your splendid garden!!
Thank you, GP. We are being very fortunate
The photos along with the beauty of the garden are both soothing. Work pays and more work pays more. :))
Many thanks, Harbans
My gratitude sir. :))
You have a lovely garden. I live in an apartment building in the city, so I’m afraid flowers are something I don’t see so often. (Don’t turn your back on those triffids, though.)
Thank you, BunKaryudo
You’re very welcome. 😀
Oh wow beautiful Derrick….
Thank you, Chitra
Sorry about your snake bark maple, Derrick! But I LOVE the owl…! 🙂