Garden – Page 3 – derrickjknight

Humming Bees

We were very fortunate to escape one of today’s heavy showers when we transported another car load of garden refuse to the Efford Recycling Centre. Rain hammered on the car as we drove home’

I use the cut glass pattern on a small wine container to measure my intake at each evening meal in order not to overdo the consumption and regret it. If she can help it the next morning, Jackie never leaves the renamed local council dump without making a purchase from the Reuse Shop. Today she bought a larger glass

which she placed on the kitchen table between yesterday’s bottle of Malbec and the measuring glass so that I could use the smaller glass as such to gauge a point on the larger for a change. I sampled it while drafting this post. Definitely more pleasing.

Although the sun produced warmth between fierce showers, Martin had to move on from weeding paths which became too wet, and carry

out more general tidying.

I took advantage of the sunny periods to photograph

bees entering a white foxglove, alighting on a geranium palmatum,

and those whose massed hum emanated from the Chilean Lantern tree to which they are inevitably drawn. Accessing the gallery should help spot one in each of these pictures.

This pink budding rose in the Patio Bed will be the colour of Peach Abundance in the Oval Bed when it fills out.

Other roses include the white rambler Félicité Perpétue; pale pink New Dawn; white climbing The Generous Gardener; pink Festive Jewel; white Winchester Cathedral: and a red climber.

The first of these clematises is on the front garden trellis; the next two pictures on the patio fence include Doctor Ruppel, another example of which decorates the Brick Path.

Fuchsia Delta’s Sarah, of which we have a number, is hardy enough to survive our winters; this allium is now in full bloom, as are the heucheras.

Here are two more shots of the Rose Garden.

and one from alongside the Cryptomeria Bed.

This evening we dined on spicy marinaded chicken; boiled baby new potatoes; and al dente carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli stems, with which I drank more of the Malbec.

Blooming Wonderful Grandparents

Just before lunch on this blustery-rain-day doing its best to refill to invisibility the pothole booby traps on the pock-marked tarmac, wary of oncoming traffic doing the same thing, we slalomed around them to Milford on Sea GP surgery for the changing of my hand dressing now looking much better.

Afterwards I photographed the display of our “Wonderful Grandparents” present from Flo and Dillon now in full bloom, then settled into an afternoon with Huckleberry Finn.

This evening we dined on spicy marinaded chicken and Jackie’s colourful vegetable rice, with which I finished the Alentejano.

Doctor Ruppel’s Cricket

This morning I continued my dead heading race with the plants and some gentle weeding, while Jackie concentrated on clearing out spent compost from hanging baskets, planting up more, and redistributing the compost.

These baskets are some of last year’s which will receive her attention.

Here are two of the clematises that border on the patio, the second of which is a Doctor Ruppel;

ascending the Gothic arch is another one such, today providing a resting place for a minuscule cricket.

The climber, Paul’s Scarlet occupies the Wisteria arbour from where similar coloured poppies can now be seen half way along the Gazebo Path.

We have lost the label for this white rose in the Dragon Bed, but

I remember this one is Winchester Cathedral, situated in

The Rose Garden, where we will also find

Rhapsody in Blue and this pale pink climber.

The rhododendron in the Cryptomeria Bed is now in full bloom,

as are a number of aquilegias and a few day lilies.

Finally, Erigeron festoons corners of the patio.

This afternoon we shopped at Tesco and I read more of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain begun yesterday evening.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s wholesome chicken and vegetable stewp with fresh crusty bread; I drank Almocreve vinho regional Alentejano tinto reserva 2020.

Brick Path Weeding

Early this morning GP Practice Nurse Jill Jefferies changed the dressing on my injured hand. This involved cleaning the wound, cutting away another flap of dead skin, padding and bandaging the affected limb.

This means that any pressure applied by the palm or the fingers hurts a bit. Today I decided to rest the hand, meaning little use of computer keyboard, or the camera shutter; much more of Jane Eyre was therefore read.

Martin, meanwhile was active as ever in the garden, among other things weeding a good stretch of the Brick Path.

Here is the finished section followed by the rest demanding his attention.

This evening we enjoyed our second helpings of last night’s curry with which I drank more of the Sangiovese.

Garden Views From The Ground

First thing on this surprisingly cool morning, I took advantage of the diffused light to

walk round the garden with my camera. All these pictures are titled in the gallery.

Later, we visited Boots Opticians for my post-operative test for new glasses for which I was measured and consequently ordered for delivery in a couple of weeks.

We then picnicked in the shade at Mill Lane. Because, although I will have 20/20 vision with the new specs, my eyes had not readjusted after the drops making me light sensitive and seeing everything in a blur, Jackie took these

photographs of the scene (entitled in the gallery),

and ponies and foals on the way home (also entitled in the gallery).

Having recently posted about the demise of Red Chilli Indian takeaway we have received a flurry of leaflets advertising others. This evening we opted to try Royal Spice in Old Milton, which turned out to be a fortunate choice. A long established outlet we visited to check it out and brought home tandoori king prawn naga for me; ponir makhani for Jackie; and garlic rice, plain paratha, and onion bahji to share. We were given free popadoms with certainly passed our test. The food was plentiful, very well cooked, and quickly produced by friendly staff. There will be enough for second helpings tomorrow. Next time we will have it delivered. I drank Sangiovese & Syrah Toscana 2021.

Views From Upstairs Windows

On this largely overcast drizzle-drip-day succumbing to one brief heavy downpour after lunch, my only outing was for a successful chiropractic session with Eloise, before which I photographed a series of images of the garden

from similar vantage points through upstairs windows, focussing on the golden blooms of Arthur Bell; the red climber near the eastern fence; the red lanterns pendent from the Chilean tree; the spiky-leaved cordyline Australis, whose buds show its heady scent will soon pervade our flourishing plot; and a more distant red rhododendron.

Thereafter I lost myself in Jane Eyre.

This evening we dined on tender roast lamb, gravy and mint sauce; a cheese scone; boiled new potatoes; carrots, cauliflower, broccoli stems; and green beans, all perfectly cooked by the Culinary Queen.

A Few Roses

While she was tidying up the compost bins this morning Jackie remembered the name of

the rambler draping the dead tree trunks – Emily Gray.

Meanwhile I carried out a little weeding and dead-heading, becoming increasingly overwhelming each day. While the light was still diffused I photographed a few more roses,

namely Roseraie de l’Hay, For Your Eyes Only, Rhapsody in Blue, Crown Princess Margareta of Sweden, Mum in a Million (with Gladioli Byzantinus, and Peach Abundance.

Our later flowering rhododendron is now budding nicely

This is one of our three Doctor Ruppel clematises.

Tonight’s dinner consisted of baked gammon, piquant cheese and mustard sauce, moist ratatouille, boiled new potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli.

Mediterranean Volunteers

Sweltering in the warm morning sunshine while listening to the trilling of small songbirds and the repetitive cries of a successfully mated wood pigeon I pulled up swathes of Sticky Willy or Ladies’ Bedstraw in an attempt to halt their upward progress to flower beyond my reach.

Two other climbers, Paul’s Scarlet and Altissimo, each embellish one end of the garden;

a yellow one now clambers over the parade of dead stumps lining the Back Drive.

Foxgloves, as in this image of clematises against the patio fence, are photobombing everywhere, so I gave them two pictures of their own.

Other volunteers include these gladioli Byzantinus which, possibly seeking cooler climes, have escaped from the Mediterranean.

The Rose Garden is filling up with flowers.

A may tree stands at the back garden gate; although the eponymous Weeping Birch on its demise has been severely truncated and will be draped in a clematis in due course its Bed will forever bear its name.

The Chilean Lantern tree is lighting up the corner of the Gazebo Path, while the Wedding Day rose will soon provide a bouquet spanning the Brick Path.

This budding allium and Doctor Ruppel each promise more blooms.

A clump of irises and clusters of blue solanum compliment each other.

Erigeron and ferns sprout from the stumpery.

Later, I published

Kristin Lavransdatter

This evening we dined on Jackie’s tasty savoury rice with spicy, salt and pepper and tempura prawn preparations.

Settling The Gingko

Our gingko tree, left by our predecessors, has occupied a large terracotta pot which it has been gradually splitting asunder ever since we bought the house ten years ago. Having had to cut down the weeping birch tree we decided to move the gingko to a permanent home and settled on Elizabeth’s Bed at the south end of the garden.

It was Martin’s major task this morning to clear a space by

moving several plants to be transplanted elsewhere;

digging a hole into the hard clay soil;

lifting and positioning the tree;

then composting the area for the finished work.

When not photographing this graft, I carried out a dead-heading and weeding operation then

turned my camera onto other plants, all of which bear titles in the gallery.

Busy bumble bees, like this one investigating a campanula clump, kept me company.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s meaty mince cottage pie; tender cabbage, and firm Brussels sprouts.

The Light Of Day

This morning I handed in my sample for sending to the lab and enjoyed a telephone conversation with Doctor Moody-Jones who gave me an appointment for a week’s time after which the test results would be in and I would have completed the course of antibiotics.

One of the advantages of ignoring the steady drizzle and drop in temperature of an overcast day is that the diffused light is helpful for

photographing flowers, which I did this afternoon. These examples all bear titles in the gallery.

Bearing witness to Martin’s opening up of the beds is this

rhododendron which has never flowered since we came here a decade ago. Having experienced too much shade it now sees the light of day.

This evening Jackie visited Red Chilli for one of their excellent takeaway meals. The establishment was in darkness; closure notices and bailiff’s warning on the windows.

So she came home and we fed on pizzas and salad.