Garden – Page 8 – derrickjknight

Seasonal Juxtaposition

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.

Rose Garden Entrance Arbour

Before the rain set in again later this afternoon

Martin completed his work on the Rose Garden Entrance.

Jackie and I visited Elizabeth at Pilley and made our way back through the downpour.

Ian returned home to Southbourne for work, and was therefore unable to partake of Becky’s and sous chef Flo’s authentic spaghetti Bolognese dinner sprinkled with Parmesan cheese with which I finished the Carménère.

A Tale Of Two Trees

Regular readers will know how our Weeping Birch leaves were burnt by last summer’s heat, leaving us with concerns that they may not regenerate this year. It is still looking doubtful, so we asked Jo, the owner of Arbor Ventures, for her opinion. She agree with us that it may not survive, although she did say that sometimes they can. She will therefore quote for taking the tree down, leaving the trunk to about 7′ for a clematis to climb it, but not expect to carry out the work unless necessary.

This morning I gathered some of the views we have now, hoping I will be able to repeat the exercise with full foliage later in the year.

This afternoon I watched the Six Nations Rugby matches between Italy and Scotland and between England and Ireland.

Later, we all dined on Red Chilli’s excellent Indian Takeaway meals. My main meal was Naga Chilli Chicken with which I drank more of the malbec.

Reshaping The Copper Beech

Just after dawn this morning, before Josephine Hedger and her Arbor Venture Tree Care team, began work on our beech tree,

Jackie photographed the tree as it was then.

With all the necessary safety harness and lines, crash helmets, and high-vis clothing, the surgeons worked away steadily on the tree, lowering lopped branches to crew members down below; carrying and piling them for shredding in a chipper; swept up after themselves; and left us clearer than they found us. Because much of our tree overhangs the garden of Mistletoe Cottage, this was a joint project with David and Lareine Firth next door.

We were very impressed with the promptness, courtesy, friendliness, thoroughness, and skill of the team who related well to us and among themselves.

This evening we all dined on further helpings of Jackie’s penne Bolognese with the addition of tender broccoli stems. I drank Reserva Privado Chilean Malbec 2022.

Rose Garden Entrance Arbour All But Completed

Flo produced some delightful photographs of Ellie this morning. These included reading “Big Panda and Tiny Dragon” with Dillon, and pointing out a frog on Jackie’s sock.

Martin has now almost finished building what is in reality an arbour to replace the Rose Garden Entrance arch. This has involved retraining a couple of rose plants.

Despite the sunshine the temperature was quite chilly, although not enough to deter the most intrepid bees. This one clung to a chionodoxa.

Ellie likes to stand at the window to watch the birds. As I returned to the house soon after I photographed the live bee above she called out “bee”. She was referring to the one on the wall behind me.

This evening we all dined on Jackie’s penne Bolognese sprinkled with Parmesan cheese, with which she drank Hoegaarden and I finished the shiraz.

A Tiger In The Garden

Seeing the Grandfamily enjoying the crisp-cold-sunshine in the garden this morning, I stepped out in my dressing gown and slippers, with the object of photographing

the tiger in the garden, when Flo volunteered to carry out the project, which she, of course, did admirably.

This evening we all dined on Jackie’s wholesome shepherd’s pie; carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, and meaty gravy, with which she drank more of the rosé and I drank more of the Malbec.

Not Yet March

Before the rain returned for the day, a walk round the garden this grey, finger nipping, morning revealed

a good selection of camellias in a range of pinks;

plenty of flourishing lichen;

many still flowering snowdrops;

fallen leaves supported by Angel’s Wings;

dancing daffodils;

sheltered cyclamen;

mossy logs;

some hellebore heads held high;

even a bee clinging to clematis Cirrhosa Freckles.

Soon after 2 p.m. when we drove to Walkford for niece Jane’s 40th birthday party at Shelly and Ron’s, essential headlights bejewelled golden droplets in waves thrown up by other vehicles splashing through the increasing puddles, still more swollen by the incessant deluge on our return three hours later. We enjoyed a range of sandwiches, quiches, and other plentiful snacks; and a birthday cake made by Shelly. We enjoyed catching up with the various family members. A variety of beers and wines was on offer. No further sustenance was required later.

The Bees Awake

The forecast overnight heavy rain persisted, clattering on the kitchen Velux window until shortly before dawn. Slowly, sheepishly, the sun crept into the skies, warming the garden enough for me to walk around in shirtsleeves, looking at the difference in the light from yesterday.

The gelatinous liquid aiding temporary hibernation of the bees was now running freely, for most had left their roosts.

One tottered tentatively around its berberis berth.

This evening we all dined on succulent roast breast of lamb; crisp roast potatoes and Yorkshire pudding; al dente carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli, chopped cauliflower leaves, and tasty gravy with mint and cranberry sauce. Jackie, Becky, Ian, and I drank Sacchetto rosé.

Becky’s Biology Lesson

Despite the dreary drizzle-day and thanks to Martin’s weeks of clearance work in the beds there is now no corner of the garden not

brightened by snowdrops and more.

As usual clicking on any image will access the gallery, each item of which can be enlarged and bears a title; some also bearing bumble bees which yesterday had sped freely around the garden. Today, motionless, they cling to a number of plants from which they had sought sustenance then. When I mentioned this to Becky she explained that these insects, not having skeletons, contain fluid beneath their flesh which in cold weather coagulates causing a state of somnolence until liquifying once more on warming up.

Ian returned from Southbourne last night, in time to shop with Becky today for our dinner this this evening. They returned with 6 rib eye steaks; chips, and peas, which Becky cooked to perfection, according to individual choices; with M & S rice and bread and butter puddings to follow. I drank more of the Côtes du Rhône Villages

Early February Flowers

Against the soundtrack of the nesting raucous jackdaws I took a short walk around the garden, photographing

some of the many clusters of snowdrops;

more recent hellebores, unusually holding up their heads;

a few more camellias;

trailing vinca, a survivor of last year’s primulas,

and a white cyclamen.

Jackie’s numerous pelargonium cuttings are happy in the greenhouse.

This evening we all dined on tasty pork and garlic sausages; creamy mashed potatoes; fried onions; crunchy carrots; firm cauliflower and its chopped leaves, with meaty gravy. Jackie drank Hoegaarden and I drank Mayu, gran reserva Carménère 2020.