An early bird atop the oak across Christchurch Road admired this morning’s dawn sky which presaged a fine day.
And so it was. Warm enough to put the washing out.
My meagre task of the day was to begin the ongoing battle with the triffid invasion from our neighbour, North Breeze.
It is important to tackle the aliens early enough to prevent them from rooting on our side of the ramshackle border, as had this bramble.
When they burst through the greenhouse glass, as they did in the film (see the above link), then we will surely need to watch out.
It is a sad aspect of this jungle that it was once a wonderful garden, where the ghosts of such as
this rose,
this fruit tree,
this camellia,
and this magnolia, battle through to the light.
North Breeze neighbours the whole of the West side of our property, and turns the corner along the North side of the Back Drive,
where, watched by a sparrow,
Jackie was putting the finishing touches (just for the moment) to her creative planting.
Another regular operation she performs, on which she was engaged later, is soil transfusion. Much of the soil in the garden is rather anaemic and needs replenishing. Here, the surgeon has cut out a poorly section, removed the spent matter, and inserted a healthy supply.
She will then sift through the choked plants she has carefully preserved, extracting the smelly allium bulbs, and replant what she wishes to keep.
This evening we dined on Jackie’s luscious lamb jalrezi with savoury rice and parathas. She drank Hoegaarden whilst I drank Kingfisher.
You’re making great progress, although it’s a pity that your neighbour can’t do a little better.
Thanks, John. See my response to GP
Your neighbor, I should think, would at least help you get that alien out of YOUR yard, even if he won’t get rid of it all together.
Thanks GP. The house next door was abandoned after the owners’ deaths in rapid succession. It is a sad story
It appears so. I apologize for thinking it was simply neglected. Did a relative inherit the property?
Yes. How would you have known? No problem
I believe that is the very property that Lisa suggested she and I purchase and clean up with invaluable mentoring from your Head Gardener of course. Sadly, I also believe that proposal may have foundered for fairly obvious reasons. 🙂
Thanks, Pauline
I remember suggesting that. I was imagining clearing it out and freeing those poor plants with every photo! I wonder what the house looks like. Probably less habitable than the garden, alas.
The postman still delivers. Sometimes he has to fight his way to the door.
But imagine the fun doing it up!
Yup! And a glass of wine at the end of the day!
Definitely – even cauliflower cheese, perhaps
Oh, yum! yes.
I love the way that you and Pauline are feeding this fantasy
😉
It’s looking really nice, Derrick. I’m sorry to hear the abandoned home is causing such problems.
Thanks, Jill. We just have to keep on top of it, so it’s not too bad now. The first year was the worst.
Sad about your neighbors. The aliens and soil transfusion sounds like a sci-fi plot. 🙂
I like the photo at the top with the early bird.
Thanks, Merril
My hands itch to free those poor plants, Derrick. Your garden, as ever, looks lovely.
Thanks, Lisa
Derrick I don’t know how you feel about photo challenges but I’m inviting you to join the Seven Day Nature Challenge. I’ve enjoyed your garden shots. Just choose one of your favourite shots every day for seven days and invite one person each day. If it’s too much I’ll understand. 🙂
https://mamacormier.wordpress.com/2016/04/14/seven-day-nature-challenge-day-3/
Many thanks, Mama. I don’t feel I can honour such challenges, because of the work that goes into my daily diary post, and the reading of followers and responding to comments. I am flattered though, and will continue reading your excellent posts
Is the abandoned house up for sale? Hard to imagine it just languishing there for the last two years or more. What a pity. I remember reading Day of the Triffids as a child, but never saw the movie. I think in my head, they looked like huge fennel plants, able to walk about on their bulbous bottoms.
The house has been empty for about 7 years, following deaths. A sad story. A touch of the Miss Havershams. The postman still delivers
Oh my goodness. I’ve never come across such a situation. Sounds as if there are no living heirs to make a decision about the disposal of the home. How sad. I suppose they died intestate. Assuming they died of natural causes. But who would be writing to them? Gosh . . . I feel a mystery plot coming over me. At some point though, wouldn’t the council step in for unpaid rates? Or are you within rights to request they do a yard clean up? Vermin, etc, etc.
There is an owner and a sad story, Gwen, but I don’t feel it’s mine to tell. If rats do proliferate, we could get an order
well understood Derrick 🙂
If I recall right, the original book had some illustrations, including on the cover, of plants interpreted just like you describe. At the time, I’d never seen or heard of fennel, but I’ve found out what it looks like, since.
That jogged me to look up some old covers, and you are right, that is where I would have drawn the memory. Me too, did not know fennel as a child, but have since reconnected with Italian family, and “finocchio” is a staple food for them. Particularly refreshing eaten raw after a big meal. And another piece of trivia – in Italian – “finocchio” is also slang for homosexual. 🙂
The picture you have started the post is unbelievably beautiful, Derrick 🙂
I think that Aliens would love to conquer your beautiful garden. It’s good that you localized them and tackled them.
Many thanks, Monica
An abandoned garden is so much worse than a vacant lot. One has an amount of potential but the other is the death of the wonder that was.
That’s right, John. Very sad
A sad story! But laundry on the line and a beautiful sunny day are always good things.
Yes, thanks, Laurie. All the hard work at keeping back the invasion was done in the first year.
Phew! The head gardener is a wonder, she is. And her assistant isn’t too bad, either.
🙂
Sorry to read about your neighbor Derrick. Love seeing the progress and special care that Jackie takes – don’t you guys love it when the buds open and spread color and sun-filled cheery atmosphere?
Absolutely, Mary. Thank you
Glad to see the ornithology has moved up a gear (you’d be testing me to remember what date I had cause to be surprised at your not recognizing a sparrow).
I took the picture for you, Paul. Thanks
Ooh, I love lamb and tell Jackie I admire her variety in menus.
That insurgent, insidious and odious “alien” triffids! How horrible and invasive, Derrick!
Thanks, Robin. Jackie has also applied a herbicide which seems to have helped
Our weather is so warm right now that the washing dries in two minutes! The sparrow looks quite lonely.
Thanks, Mostly