Tag: camellias

Blending In

In the interests of culling pictures from iPhoto I reinstated two from

and deleted all those appearing in

and in

This could be counted as partial success.

Then I ruined it by photographing the recently acquired terra cotta

chimney pot Jackie has positioned to blend into an appropriately coloured section of the Pond Bed. As with all chimney pots the Head Gardener has selected a smaller container of soil to stand in the rim of what was a stack on someone’s roof for carrying smoke into the atmosphere. When the current contents are in full bloom red geraniums, some trailing, and a towering verbena bonariensis will blend with surrounding Japanese maple, miniature pieris, and camellias.

We inherited the Japanese maple when we bought the house. A few years ago it attempted to die until resuscitated by Aaron and me.

The pieris was part of the contents of a planted display of flowers given to me by the foster parents group when I ceased consultation with the adoption and fostering agency Parents for Children in 2008. Five years earlier, when I had completed my stint as Chair of the Adoption Panel, I was given

this silver mounted paper weight.

Later, I read more of ‘Britannia’.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s flavoursome liver casserole; creamy mashed potatoes; crunchy carrots; firm Brussels sprouts and cauliflower with which she drank more of the chardonnay and I drank more of the zinfandel.

The Greenhouse Path

Every year we are invaded by small white onion flowers which bear clusters of up to 24 tiny bulbs which are very difficult to eradicate.

Jackie has set about these menaces with a vengeance.

Every brick or slab beneath which they have hidden themselves she has lifted in order to remove each tiny offspring.

Having completed the work on the brick circle around the urn on the site of the old well, she turned her attention to the Greenhouse Path which she finished today.

In addition to photographing her work in progress she also focussed on a few flowers.

Our various camellias are still going strong;

She has dead-headed the daffodils that are past their best, but there are many varieties with different time-scales.

Some violas have been included in pots with other planting; a few stand alone.

Blue wood anemones; a white Leucojum ‘Spring Snowflakes’ with green tips; mauve hellebores; and an ornamental owl surrounded by new clematis shoots, complete her gallery.

Elizabeth dropped in this afternoon for a cup of tea and convivial chat.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s classic cottage pie; carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, runner beans, and gravy, with which I drank more of the Rioja.

Cold-Cloud- Bright

Early on an extremities tingling morning of this cold-cloud-bright day, we bought 3 bags of compost and a few comestibles from Ferndene Farm Shop, and continued for a forest drive.

Visitors made use of Holmsley Passage crossing the path created from the disused railway track outside the modern house built on the footprint of the keeper’s cottage permitted before the forest became a national park.

This has been an exceptional year for camellias, with many bushes flowering profusely, like this one between two oaks along Bennett’s Lane.

Mud, pools, and moss remained on the terrain along Mill Lane despite our recently drier spell, while a cat keeps watch on this weather vane.

It was not until we returned home along Holmsley Passage

flanked by golden gorse to our left and charcoal stems to our right, that

ponies began to leave the comparatively warm shelter of the woods.

After lunch I settled down for a rugbyfest which was the final day of the Men’s Six Nations Championship including Italy v. Ireland; Wales v. England; and France v. Scotland, giving us the opportunity before the last, evening, game to enjoy Jackie’s chicken Jalfrezi, savoury rice, sprinkled with fresh coriander; onion bhajis and vegetable samosas.

Late February Flowers

Late this morning a took a walk around the garden with my camera.

We have a number of daffodils and primulas that have survived the ravages of the squirrel in search of tulip bulbs, because Jackie has continually kept putting back disturbed soil.

There is hardly a bed without a cluster of our peripatetic spreading snowdrops sometimes sharing space with

prolific self seeding hellebores,

or a planted pot containing neither violas nor pansies.

Camellias are not the only currently flowering shrubs; we also have a

couple of Daphne Odora Aureomarginata aptly named for their very sweet fragrance.

Bergenias have bloomed throughout the winter.

This afternoon I watched the rugby Six Nations championship match between Italy and France.

Our dinner this evening consisted of baked gammon; boiled new potatoes; crunchy carrots; tender runner beans; moist ratatouille; and piquant cauliflower cheese topped with sliced tomato, with which Jackie drank Diet Coke and I drank more of the Côtes du Rhône Villages.

Shirt Sleeves Sunshine

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.

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.

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.

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

January Blooms

A brief walk around the garden today featured

a variety of pink and red camellias, a daffodil, several hellebores and Daphne Odoratas.

This evening we all dined on KFC bargain buckets, sides, and fries, with which I drank Héritages Châteauneuf-du- Pape 2021.

Investigation By Spiders

After lunch, tempted into the garden by the sunshine, still keeping ice

in containers like this pot saucer, fingers tingling, I took a brief walk around with my camera.

Many of the camellias were either in bloom or bud,

while the Japanese anemones bore seed pods apparently investigated by spiders.

Backlit cordyline Australis bore drips of precipitation.

The Gazebo bore the clematis Cirrhosa “Freckles”.

The dead stumps along the Back Drive and sculpture Florence were picked up in sidelight.

Later, I dozed through the first two episodes of Lucy Worsley’s Russian Romanovs.

This evening we all dined on tempura, and hot and spicy, prawns; tempura vegetables and spring rolls on Jackie’s colourful vegetable rice, with which I drank more of the shiraz and the Culinary Queen drank Mezquiriz Rosado 2023