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I can spot a dandelion or a bramble when it grows big enough to be difficult to eradicate. The Head Gardener can spot any sort of weed as soon as it pokes through soil. She can distinguish that soon between a plant she will welcome and allow to live and another that must die. I am not safe in that department, so I don’t weed. Except for the few paltry dandelions and small cluster of brambles from one parent root that I removed today.
Jackie continued her phenomenal soil replenishment programme, sensibly choosing the Shady Bed for her main focus because it was pretty warm. It is worth repeating that this involves digging out poor soil, finger fishing thousands of tiny superfluous allium bulbs, adding spent potting compost, then
planting, in this case begonias, mimuluses, and geraniums.
Aaron and Robin spent the morning working on the fence.
In the Rose Garden the forget-me-nots in each picture have self-seeded around the base of Mum in a Million, planted in honour of my late mother-in-law, and just coming into bud. This seems rather thoughtful.
These self-seeded orange poppies pop up all over the garden, only last a day, and are rapidly replaced.
The same applies to the similarly hued day lilies, so called for obvious reasons.
Fortunately these orange irises, along the Back Drive, having a delightful scent, bloom a little longer.
The clematis Niobe enhancing the kitchen wall is now very vigorous;
the Chilean Lantern tree is coming into flower;
and different alliums emerge daily.
On the right of this view from the Decking the Cordyline Australis, otherwise known as Cabbage Plant, is coming into bud. It will soon bear sweet-smelling cascading floral filigrees.
Beneath this palm Jackie found another bird’s nest that has served its purpose.
Sadly, this evening, we came to the end of the last batch of Jackie’s chicken jalfrezi, served with egg fried rice, parathas, and onion bhajis. I look forward to the next one. Jackie drank Hoegaarden, and I drank Mendoza Parra Alta malbec 2014.