Knowing that the temperature would drop and the leaden canopy overhead become a leaky colander throughout the day, we held back Jackie’s sunlit images from yesterday afternoon.
She had transformed this second footpath across the Rose Garden from a few days ago
to this, having also re-fixed the windblown mirror to the back fence. The poppies in the first picture have all been relocated.
Elsewhere backlit borage;
sunlit azalea;
and shadowy lily of the valley also caught her eye.
After lunch today I took advantage of a minor lull in the precipitation from above and photographed raindrops
pendant from solanum;
pearling libertia;
pooling pelargoniums;
douching heuchera leaves;
bejewelling rosebuds;
caressing Queen of the Night;
refreshing rhododendrons;
purifying pale pink pieris;
cleansing clematis;
and slithering down Viulcan magnolia.
Some flowers, such as hellebores,
pansies,
and diurnal poppies, bowed their heads against the weight of the crown jewels.
While I was wandering around the garden Jackie, from the dry warmth of the kitchen,
photographed me in action.
She even managed “Where’s Derrick?” (1)
and (2)
This evening we dined on prawns: tempura prawns; prawns in hot, spicy batter; seeded prawn toasts; and Jackie’s savoury prawn, egg, and vegetable rice, followed by mixed fruit crumble and custard, with which she drank Heineken and I drank Piemonte Barbera 2016.
I love the pics of the raindrops!
Thank you very much, joycee
As do I!
🙂
The rain was so needed…. and those pictures of raindrops on petals so refreshing… Jackie made a wonderful job of that pathway and love the mirror idea… So much colour, your garden is so much more forward than ours up here in the East Mids.. Our Lilies of the Valley are only just poking their leaves through under our shrubs… 🙂 not a sign of bud even… But our bluebells are out.. <3
Take care Derrick… 🙂 lovely pictures
Very many thanks, Sue.
Impressive! 🙂
Thank you very much, Ann
I had to enlarge that first picture to find you, Derrick, but you couldn’t hide forever, wa-ha-ha!
Well spotted, GP. Many thanks
I had to biggify as well, but I found him.
🙂
Me too – not a clue until I biggified.
🙂 I didn’t even see it myself until I got it on the screen.
LOL – That Jackie is one to be reckoned with!
Gorgeous, sparkling raindrops.
x 😊 x
Thanks very much, Melanie.
The clemitis and Queen of the Night tulip are extraordinary. Look at all the ways one can eat prawns!
Thanks very much, Cindy.
Found you too Derrick, I just looked for a white, or should I say ‘blond’ mop of hair. I love your garden it’s large enough to lose yourself in and beautifully managed. Your pictures are beautiful.
Thank you so much, Agnes. White is fine 🙂
That’s one of those hidden in plain sight pictures – I spent ages combing through and then, just when I was about to pronounce you had fallen flat on your face into the thicket of greenery, finally – ‘Duh!’ How could I not see that was you? I’d also spent some time at the very beginning admiring the header picture …… #2 Easy 🙂
Lovely raindrops on flowers pictures <3
Thanks very much, Pauline. Yes, the header picture was a clue 🙂
I was captivated by the header as well.
🙂
Beautiful shots.
Thanks very much, Rupali
Beautiful photos–I love the raindrops on the flowers and leaved (though I thought perhaps I shouldn’t look at the douching ones) 😏.
I think Jackie had fun with the “Where’s Derrick” photos, and I guess you both like prawns (it all looks delicious).
Thank you so much, Merril. Good of you to be so discreet 🙂
😏
Glad you got your rain! Queen of the Night, the clematis–really, all of it is lush and lovely but I do love the simple lilies of the valley…they grew like mad in my childhood yard.
Thanks very much, Cynthia. I’m pleased about the lilies of the valley memories.
Lily of the valley were a big part of my childhood, too, my mother’s favorite.
🙂
Happy memories we enjoy. 🙂
Yes, they certainly are.
Gorgeous shots, Derrick! I spotted you in both one and two. Yummy…it looks like Jackie is competing with your favorite Take-away again. 🙂
Thanks very much, Jill. She is, indeed 🙂
Fantastic! Enjoying the raindrops 😀
Thanks very much, Dave
When I was a child, May Day had nothing to do with revolutions or such. It was a day to pick violets and lily-of-the-valley, and make little baskets to share. Our May baskets were tiny things, and we’d leave them on porches for neighbors and friends — with not a clue about the source. That was part of the fun — doing something nice for someone with no regard for thanks.
Jackie read these comments out before I reached them. We both loved the story. Thanks very much, Linda.
Definitely the best dressed photographer in your garden today.
Thank you very much, Gary.
Right? A suit jacket and all! While the rest of us are living in our pajamas!
🙂
As a contribution to the hair colour debate – I like the description “arctic blonde”, which I heard on TV a while ago. If you want to hide you really need a hat!
Some great flower photos and raindrop shots.
Thanks very much, Quercus. I’ve never found a hat big enough 🙂
I have a large head, but I’ve still managed to find hats. You must be built like the Mekon.
🙂
Large nuggets also run in our family; I can attest. My son was born the day after his twin sister via C section. It’s always fun to bring that up given half a chance.
Gosh, Jodie – that must have been some experience.
Okay, the photos are wonderful, but Jackie’s meal steals the show. Yummy sounding.
It was, indeed, Leslie. Thanks a lot.
Derrick, such a joy to watch your lovely photography with raindrops.
And yes, it is fun to start a new series, ‘where is Derrick ‘
Thank you very much, Dee.
I love all your pictures but these with the raindrops are simply perfection! You should have a gallery 😉🌸
Thank you very much, Ribana. I did have an exhibition some years ago.
Wonderful!
Oh and by the way, also Derrick likes to hide just like Nugget 😉
🙂
Your bejeweled flowers were a delight to behold. The mirror is a nice touch, too. And what fun to spot you hiding behind that bush.
Thank you very much, JoAnna. Well spotted.
Such beauty in one place. Thank you for sharing these gorgeous photos. And I’m very happy Jackie found you. We would be lost without you. 🙂
Very many thanks, to you, too, Dorinda. 🙂
Aw, that’s sweet.
These pictures give me so peace. Jazakallah Khair
And Jazakallah Khair from me, too, Muntazir. I looked it up.
Raindrops on flowers are Nature’s poetry. Those have been captured masterfully and lovingly. I didn’t even have to enlarge the image in the quiz to find you in the centre of the universe despite Jackie’s attempt to camouflage you well among the greenery.
Well spotted, Uma. Thanks very much.
We spotted you, Derrick! 🙂 The photos are beautiful, and I especially love the Lilies of the Valley. That was one of my mother’s favorites, along with peonies.
Thanks very much, Lavinia. We have some budding peonies, too. Well spotted 🙂
Beautiful, Beautiful, Beautiful.
I like the idea of a mirror in the garden. I have one just waiting for the just right place. For now I just keep moving it around.
We have several mirrors, Chrissy. All bought very cheaply from the local recycling centre. Thanks very much.
🙂 When travel restrictions lift I plan to check the recycling centres and local garage sales. Do you have garage sales there? (Local residents selling unused items from their storage shed or drive ways)
We have what we call car boot sales – they are in open fields usually weekly or monthly.
OH….I love car boot sales.
Garage sales are basically the same but the stuff is left at home. The lookers go to them usually on Saturdays. There are people who travel from place to place every weekend. A bit weird but each to their own.
Apparently dealers buy all the best stuff up very early.
The photographs are just gorgeous and the raindrops are stunning.
I found you on both photographs, a fun challenge!
We had a grey cloudy day but no rain until the evening, the newly manured fields were crying out for the soaking.
Thanks very much, Sue. I’m pleased you got the rain, and well spotted.
Hello Derrick
It is a good idea this mirror in the garden
Thank you for this lily of the valley and its scent which delights me by filling my nostrils
And thank you so much, Yoshimi.
I found your legs and toes…then I found your beautiful hair! 🙂
Delightful Derrick depiction* duo! 😀
* depiction as in picture, photo 🙂
Love the light and shadow photos, too…AND the raindrop-jewel photos! All lovely! 🙂
(((HUGS))) 🙂
Many thanks from us both, Carolyn
Marvellous to see how the garden changes from one day to the next during Spring.
Evening meal looks divine.
First rain here overnight for almost 4 weeks. Farmers will be celebrating!
Thanks a lot, Andrew.
Oh my, that backlit borage is magnificent! Your photography is National Geographic worthy! I had fun with the “Where’s Derrick?” theme today. Thanks, Jackie and Derrick, for starting my day with a smile. <3
Thank you very much from us both, Jan
You’re welcome! Thanks for letting me borrow.
Raindrops on flowers? What could be more exquisite? I found you both times, but I had to enlarge the first picture. I suppose that is a form of cheating. 😉
Biggification is not cheating. It is sometimes essential. Thanks very much, Laurie.
Queen of the Night is one of my favorite large tulips – especially when bejeweled! I spotted you behind the large shrub, on the path with the urn.
Well spotted, Anna. Thanks very much.
Thanks so much for sharing all this loveliness, Derrick! Such beautiful captures of the raindrops!
Thanks very much, Julie
I spotted you behind the tree before the blown up image showed you. What a lovely tour of your garden. Kudos to both of you for maintaining and sharing such beauty
Thank you so much from us both, Geetha
Most welcome Derrick.
Oh, to have poppies volunteer is my dream. I love them but can barely keep them alive for one year, let alone two. The path looks so nice and tidy after Jackle’s hard work.
And that dinner looks amazing!
Thank you very much, Jodie.
: )
Raindrops on roses, and Derrick in the garden … these are a few of Jackie’s favourite things, and mine. 🙂
Lovely comment, Widders. Thanks very much.
OK so there you were. But the real reward for me was the Lily of the Valley.
I’ll forgive you, John. Thank you very much.
I am finding the pictures from your garden so soothing, Derrick. I love all the sunny ones that Jackie took and seeing all the evidence of her hard work is very satisfying. I also really like the raindrop embellished flowers; they are extremely beautiful.
Thank you very much, Clare
WP gremlins were at it again yesterday, but I think they are gone today. I love raindrops on roses, as well as all the rest of the beautiful flora in your garden, Derrick.
Since you are somewhat bigger than Nugget, you are easy to spot, especially in the first photo where you have just stepped further into the greenery than in the previous picture. In the second one your head is clearly visible in the very center of the photo.
Well spotted, Dolly. I image the white head helped, too. Thanks very much.
That was a beacon in the dense greenery, yes.
My pleasure, Derrick.
🙂
The picture of raindrops is so beautiful.
It has been stormy weather here none stop, it’s tornado season.
Thanks very much, More. I hope your weather calms down soon.
Thanks Derrick ,
You’re welcome