One of the beauties of the vast array of daffodils we have in our garden, is that they come up at different times. As the early arrivals die back, their places are taken by later varieties.
Some of these bulbs were left in window boxes by our previous owners, some given to us by a couple to whom we gave a bath, and others Jackie has bought in various garden centres.
These spring plants light up the garden in bright sunshine. Jackie, however, is not satisfied with this. She needs the garden to glow in the dark. She has therefore cleaned up and added to last year’s garden lights in her efforts to, all summer long, rival Bartley’s Christmas illuminations. She has marked out all the paths with lanterns on hooks, and hung strings of fairy lights on the arches and shrubs.
We should now, even though our neighbours may boggle at the sight, be able to make our way around in the dark.
This lunchtime, we received a very welcome surprise visit from Barbara, an on-line Scrabble friend, and her granddaughter Alanta, and arranged to dine with them at Lal Quilla. We did so. Barbara collected us from and returned us to our home. We all enjoyed our meals, and Kingfisher and lemonade was imbibed.
Being a little concerned about what the trampling of Eric the pheasant was doing to the plants under the bird feeders in the back garden, Jackie has transferred two of them to the front. Eric has not yet discovered them, and consequently appears to have terminated his visits. This afternoon she must have relented somewhat because she bought him a potential mate which she placed where he normally walks.
On our return home this evening, as night had fallen, I realised that Eric’s potential companion is in fact another garden illumination.