Ramblings
Fundamentally following the development of the Old Post House garden in our time
23rd to 30th April 2024.
After cataract eye surgery and with a lingering cold I have been able neither to photograph nor to look at a screen for this period. How we have managed a way round it will be explained in Part 2.
The pivotal day was Thursday 25th, when, as we watched Flo, Dillon, and Ellie drive off to their new home,
Arbor Venture, symbolically, began to bring down the dead Weeping Birch tree. That process, Jackie was able to photograph.
Today, I produced these two pictures.
On a chilly, largely overcast morning, occasionally lifted by sunlight peeking over the sometimes fluffy cotton clouds, I wandered around with my camera enjoying the general views opened up by Martin’s dedicated winter’s work.
It was difficult to ignore the red Japanese maple,
even when the collection of trees featured both the doomed Weeping birch tree and its foreground gingko waiting in the wings.
The second image in the first gallery features the Brick Path.
Here is another, followed by
one of the Gazebo Path, from the far end of which
can be seen this view west.
Whichever way we look we benefit from Martin’s work.
These are from the Rose Garden.
This morning Jackie shopped at Ferndene Farm Shop where she enjoyed the Gloucester Old Spot piglets at their trough.
This evening we all dined on Jackie’s spicy penne Bolognese with Parmesan cheese with which she and I drank more of the Tempranillo Rosado.
For the first time since I picked up a heavy cold, accompanied by a number of flying insects I took a walk round our garden with my camera.
A wasp basked on the leaf of a budding rhododendron; a bee climbed into yellow wallflowers; a fly took a rest on a golden euphorbia.
Other budding rhododendrons were closer to blooming,
which camellias have been doing for months, and still carpet paths.
A number of Japanese maples are in full leaf.
Honesty photobombs many pictures,
but cannot upstage these sunlit hydrangea leaves.
These cowslips share a bed with forget-me-nots and ajugas.
Libertia is spreading across the weeping birch bed which is due to come down on 25th, when
it will be replaced by this gingko, which filled a pot we inherited from our predecessors. It has split the pot and we have wondered what to do with it for the last ten years.
Finally I pictured this pieris, an antirrhinum and cinerarias, and some frilly tulips.
This evening I joined the others at the kitchen table for fish pie, ratatouille, carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli with which I drank Caliza Tempranillo Rosado La Mancha 2022.
This was a cool day of intermittent bright sunshine and showers on which there must have been a rainbow somewhere.
I didn’t go out to investigate, but Jackie took all except the first of her
blossom pictures from the bedroom window, including one from the front garden featuring the tall Amanogawa cherry.
Obviously my aim at an average of 50 pages of “Kristin Lavransdatter” has gone out of the window lately, however I did manage 59 today.
This evening we all dined on another of Jackie’s wholesome cottage pie meals. My slightly larger portion was taken in the same manner as yesterday.
While we still have our dying Weeping Birch and because of my cold I am not going out I photographed a few
garden views from above this morning, and dozed much of the afternoon occasionally woken by Ellie talking to me and offering me such as pictures of the moon, or the TV controls.
Dinner this evening consisted of Jackie’s wholesome cottage pie, crunchy carrots, and tender runner beans. I ate my very small portion from a tray in the sitting room because I am at a very sneezy stage.
I enjoyed a pleasant conversation with David of Mistletoe Cottage in the garden this morning where we discussed his plans for Aaron to replace our shared fence. It was good to extend our talk as we remained among our plants for a while.
Crab apple and Amanogawa cherry blossoms have survived the recent gales.
David will continue to enjoy these camellias and the Vulcan magnolia from his side of the fence.
Yellow-flowered euphorbia and more delicate comfrey are now prolific.
Ferget-me-nots and bluebells are now casting carpets and
attracting bees,
as are the lamiums.
Ferns unfold fiddles.
Honesty
also attracts flying insects such as the constantly flittering yellow brimstone butterflies.
Muscari and pieris are blooming well.
Is the autumn sculpture’s heart bleeding for the dicentra?
The orange marigolds in a hanging basket can be seen from the Gazebo Path.
Later I received a telephone call from SpaMedica contracted to NHS offering me an assessment interview for an anticipated cataract operation. This is at Poole tomorrow morning. I received a 12 page e-mail I was required to print out, complete various forms, and take with me tomorrow.
I then read more of Kristin Lavransdatter.
This appears to have been published prematurely. I have updated it and now add that this evening we will dine on second helpings of yesterday’s Chinese meal.
A highlight of this Easter Sunday was Ellie’s Easter egg Hunt, the photographic recording of which I shared with Dillon, who, in this first
set made the pictures of the scene on the paving stones, while I produced the closer views.
Her Dada photographed Ellie finding the egg balanced on top of the wooden toadstools; I pictured her searching in the grass for the treat she knocked off, Dillon’s replacement, and our great granddaughter holding her trophy.
Here is another find being placed in Becky’s bag;
and Ellie’s excitement at another find;
the first of these investigating her bag with Jackie is mine, the second, Dillon’s.
I had to hide one, in plain sight as with all the others, among her favourite feathered friends.
Dillon pictured Granny, GramGram, and Ellie; I made the final image.
This afternoon I watched the Women’s Six Nations rugby match between Ireland and Italy.
Ian having joined us last night, this evening we all dined at Lal Quilla, where we enjoyed the usual splendid food with friendly, efficient service, and drank Kingfisher, Diet Coke, J20, and water. Where else would you expect a manager to greet Ellie with “Popadoms and mango chutney?”.
This morning, accompanied by returning birdsong, I took a trip round the garden, occupied by numerous flying insects like these
bees drawn to euphorbia.
Martin’s tireless efforts of cutting back shrubbery, trimming and training roses throughout the winter have opened up
views throughout the garden.
Quite apart from their having no right to be in bloom this early these on the patio have survived all that the elements have thrown at them during the last few days;
these Lilac Wonders in the Palm Bed are better protected.
Numerous daffodils flourish,
as do forget-me-nots, wallflowers, and our first bluebells.
A range of camellias continue to carpet the ground beneath them.
It was definitely warm enough for shirt sleeves – and for me.
This afternoon, while Dillon was passing his driving test, I watched the Women’s Six Nations rugby matches between Scotland and France and between England and Wales.
Becky came home with Dillon and we all dined on another of Jackie’s cottage pies, carrots, runner beans, and broccoli stems, with which she drank Hoegaarden and I finished the Sangiovese & Syrah Toscana.
This evening we all dined on (another of Jackie’s cottage pies, carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli stems, with which she drank Hoegaarden and I finished the Sangovese/Syrah red wine) Merril’s comment exposes why the section in brackets was added.
Once again I stayed inside with Vanity Fair, until a lull in the drizzle outside led me to photograph the signs of life.
Many of the new shoots, moss, blooms, in or out of season, and even a fresh white feather, bore jewels of nurturing precipitation. Clicking on any image will access the gallery in which each photo bears a title.
This evening Jackie and I dined on chicken Kiev, chips, and peas, with which she drank more of the Sauvignon Blanc and I drank La Petite Pierre vin rouge 2022.
Ellie loves pens, pencils, and drawing. She also has her favourite pictures and likes to combine the two.
She crams as many as she can into each hand and wanders around with them, occasionally sitting with them into her “hidey” place behind the velvet sitting room curtains, where she enjoys adding her own embellishments to adults’ drawings and photographs.
Close scrutiny of her copy of her favourite photograph will reveal Ellie’s fine lines on “Granny”Jackie’s knitted jerkin and on “GramGram” Becky’s neck.
Our front garden currently accommodates both the early blooms of Amanogawa cherry and the lingering prunus Subhirtella “Autumnalis”;
the continuing prolific camellias are seen alongside the magnolia “Vulcan” and the white viburnum, one of several in flower since Christmas;
Pale pink tulips, a bright pink hyacinth, and “Jetfire” daffodils jointly brighten the beds. Such are some of our unusual seasonal floral juxtapositions.
This afternoon I watched the Six Nations rugby matches between Ireland and Scotland and between Wales and Italy.
Becky is visiting Scotland with the Grandfamily for the weekend, but had left good portions of her tasty spaghetti Bolognese meal for Jackie and me to finish for tonight’s dinner with which I drank more of the Shiraz.