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Today’s most recently bloomed clematis climbs over the arch spanning the Shady Path.
This afternoon Jackie drove me out to the forest.
Strong sunlight cast long or dappled shadows across the freshly resurfaced Holmsley Passage,
and warmed the wayside woodland.
A disabled dog eagerly propelled its tailored cart, clearly training for the canine Paralympics.
Bees had taken up residence in the modern house, alongside its dead wisteria, beside the
footpath that was once a railway line, now a route for walkers and cyclists.
It being the start of the grockle season, many others kept to the roads.
On Charles Lane outside Burley, Jackie needed to stop the car beside a passing area, so three riders could squeeze their horses past us. The last one waved their thanks and they cantered on their way.
This house, in an imposing position on a bend, looked pretty in pink.
The story of MacPenny’s garden nursery is told in my post ‘Cock Of The Walk’, of 3rd June 2013. This was our next destination.
Masses of rows of flowers, shrubs, and trees are for sale in the huge nursery area,
where pots, compost, and other materials are also available in profusion.
But it was the mature, stunning, NGS Garden, with its wonderful display of rhododendrons and azaleas that we came for today.
We also liked the candelabra primulas.
This evening the four of us dined on Jackie’s sublime sausage casserole, caramelised sweet potato, creamy mashed potato, crunchy carrots, and spring greens. Ian drank Hoegaarden and I finished the Bordeaux.