diascia – derrickjknight

Dropping In

In yesterday evening’s fading light Jackie wandered around the garden with her camera, and produced

this gallery of garden blooms, individual titles of which are available by clicking on any image to access them.

I have mentioned before my regret that modern life with its heavy schedules and geographical distance between friends and family has largely put paid to dropping in for visits.

Coming downstairs from a late shower this morning I was aware of delighted voices in the sitting room. Opening the door I was greeted by Danni and Ella who are the exception to the rule. We are always pleased to see them.

Ella knows pretty much where everything is, so immediately led Jackie to the library where

the toy hamper, formerly a filled Fortnum and Mason Christmas present from Wolf and Luci, is kept. Before diving in,

assisted by her mother, she had to make a lidded home for bear.

An important work phone call was taken before completing a variety of puzzles.

Quiet times were also enjoyed. Here Danni drinks coke while her daughter ransacks her purse.

In the form of the reflected rainbow prism cast by her treasured lightcatcher, the spirit of our late friend, Pauline appeared present for a while.

Mother and daughter stayed for lunch, cleared up thoroughly, and set off home hoping that our great-niece would sleep in the car on the way.

Early this evening, Carole and Brian didn’t exactly drop in because they had sent me a message first, but they came to see us while staying at Brockenhurst. They are a couple we hadn’t seen for some years, and one of those friendships with whom the years disappear when meeting again after such a gap. We enjoyed a splendid, albeit short, conversation.

When they returned to their hotel for their booked evening meal, Jackie and I dined on oven fish, chips, and peas, with which she drank Hoegaarden and I drank Patrick Chodot Fleurie 2019.

Portrait Of Nugget

It is almost ten years since I made any drawings. Whilst listening to the third day’s play of the first 2019 Ashes Test between England and Australia I produced

this portrait of Nugget to send to my granddaughter Imogen.

While we enjoyed our drinks on the patio

a bee molested a marigold

and Nugget crowed over a cockerel.

This evening we dined on minty lamb burgers; roast parsnips and potatoes including sweet ones; crunchy carrots, and tender green beans, with which Jackie drank Blue Moon and I drank Tesco’s finest Saint-Chinian Languedoc-Roussilon 2016.

“Welcome To The World Of Flies”

Now I am going to throw a spanner in the works of selection. I have just remembered ‘The Drift’, the second half of which post contains a number of pictures which must be included. It is such a unique New Forest event. I don’t wish to impose more work on my readers, but any comments would be welcome.

I have culled the 5 least popular of my 19 and added the four above from The Drift. At least the shortlist is reduced by one.

When we visited Wessex Photo yesterday I was encouraged to enter that company’s own competition on the subject of Spring. This gave me the opportunity to submit

this jackdaw gathering nesting material from a cow’s hide, taken from my post of 3rd May. I had rejected it from my first selection for the Everton competition because it could have been taken anywhere.

A brief walk around the garden this afternoon gleaned

these diascia which have survived two winters outside in their pot;

these marvellously scented sweet peas having forced their way through paving beside the kitchen wall;

above the campanula and geraniums the red peonies first photographed in bud;

this velvety climbing rose now springing from the arch Aaron erected over the Shady Path;

and, in the Rose Garden Gloriana, For Your Eyes Only; Summer Wine and Madame Alfred Carriere above the entrance arch beside

Festive Jewel nudging me for a dead heading session.

Later we took a short drive into the forest. Warborne Lane, outside Lymington, is so narrow that we just coasted along in the wake of these two horse riders. The two cyclists lurking behind the hedge had no choice but to wait their turn for a place on the road. We waited for them, too.

On the moorland beside St Leonards Road cattle and ponies lazed or grazed.

So bright was the head of this wagtail darting about that it seemed to be wearing a daisy hat.

The twitching of his mother’s tail as she reacted to the troublesome flies made it difficult for her offspring to latch onto his milk supplier.

Eventually he set off on a frisky trot

soon returning to shelter behind his Mum.

The flies were getting to him too. Dropping to the ground he rolled and kicked around for a while,

then tried to nudge them away.

“Welcome to the world of flies” exclaimed Jackie as he gave up and rose to his feet again.

On our way home we stopped at Hordle Chinese Take Away for this evening’s dinner with which Jackie drank Hoegaarden and I drank Carinena El Zumbido Garnacha Syrah 2017.

I Must Not Assume There Will Be No More Surprises

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE. REPEAT IF REQUIRED.

It was very rash of me to assume that I would know the entirety of the group at our meal at Lal Quilla last night, and to predict what I would eat and drink.

On our entrance the staff, with their usual warm and friendly greeting, said that someone had telephoned the night before to add two people. We didn’t know anything about that, and in any case, Ian had made the booking. He had a quiet word with Raj and we were whisked to a larger pair of tables, according to the manager so we could spread ourselves out a bit. He presented us with a bottle of Beaujolais, so I did not drink Kingfisher. After a while I received a kiss on the cheek. Elizabeth had joined us. Soon afterwards, Danni and Andy came through the door. We were nine plus Poppy after all.

Finally, as we gathered ourselves to depart, a small cake with two lighted candles advanced towards our table followed by the entire staff group who led the family in singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to me.

I’ve no idea why I felt rather muzzy all day. I dozed through a bit of Wimbledon tennis on TV, and managed a little weeding, watering, eradicating a few brambles, and tidying up after Jackie’s work on the rose garden. We took a rest with water on the patio from which I enjoyed

This view across the Kitchen Bed with its day lilies in the foreground and verbenas in a hanging basket beyond;

pot planted petunias and geraniums over an erigeron carpet;

and self seeded mimuluses and feverfew.

A dahlia nods to the clematis on the wisteria arbour;

pink discias, red geraniums, and yellow bidens flow over the iron urn at the entrance to the Gazebo Path;

while blazing crocosmia Lucifer leads us into the Palm Bed.

As can be seen from this Special Anniversary rose, I haven’t dead-headed the Rose Garden today.

White solanum and a bright blue clematis stream down from the dead tree at the end of the Brick Path.

This evening we dined on Mr Chan’s Hordle Chinese Take Away with which Jackie drank Hoegaarden and I drank tap water.

The moral of this post is that when I say I will report on an outing the next day, I must not assume there will be no more surprises.

Baskets And Pots

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On an overcast day I alternated between watering hanging baskets and pots, dead heading, and watching the television coverage of the men’s semi-finals at Wimbledon. I would pop outside at what seemed reasonable intervals in the matches, fill a few cans, water a few containers, and return to the TV hoping I hadn’t missed anything too crucial. This proved rather more risky in the first event.

Here I present a small token selection of the recipients of the water:

Readers will find examples of petunia, lobelia, pansy, bidens, clematis, sweet pea, geranium, mimulus, diascia, and no doubt many more.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s delicious chicken jalfrezi and boiled rice, followed by Helen’ rich chocolate roulade. The Culinary Queen drank diet Pepsi and I began an intriguing wine curiosity. This was present from Helen and Bill; a label called Rare Vineyards; a red wine, Carignan vieilles vignes (old vines), 2015. It is enjoyable.