Ramblings
This morning I published
for Denzil’s Nature challenge.
Jackie took advantage of the bountiful shade on this beautifully balmy day to plant up her salvia Hot Lips cuttings, while I
wandered around with my camera producing a random range of pictures, each of which bears a title in the gallery.
This evening we all dined on Jackie’s chicken jalfrezi, boiled rice, parathas, and vegetable samosas, with which she and I each drank more of yesterday’s beverages.
Much more rain, with the occasional spell of sunshine, fell today.
We spent the morning talking with Flo and Dillon about their trip to Scotland and their hopes of buying a wonderful chunk of the Highlands.
In the afternoon en route to Shelly’s birthday party at Walkford we added our own spray showers to the verges, their drains regurgitating the water which was beyond their capacity to absorb, distributed by vehicles we were following.
There was a good family gathering at Jackie’s sister’s celebration at which a bunch of us watched the Rugby World Cup warm up match between Fiji and England.
On our return home I photographed a couple of views from my sitting room window then, before dinner
wandered around a damp garden with my camera. Each image bears a title in the gallery
We dined on racks of pork spare ribs and Jackie’s special fried rice, with which she drank McGuigan’s Black Label Chardonnay 2022, and I drank François Dubessy GSM 2021.
The temperature today was cooler, the wind easier, and the sun an intermittent visitor edging out the rain.
Jackie continued weeding and clipping. I helped with some bagging up and photographed
a few garden views and a couple of roses.
I have been persuaded by some of my blogging friends to break my “acquire no more books” rule and complete the Avignon series of Lawrence Durrell with a purchase of Quinx which I began reading today.
This evening we all dined on Jackie’s wholesome Monday pie, tender Sweetheart cabbage mixed with leaves of cauliflower the firm florets of which were accompanied with crunchy carrots. The Culinary Queen drank Hoegaarden and I drank Peter Lehmann Barossa Valley Shiraz 2018 – a splendid wine given to me by Tess and Matt a couple of Christmases ago.
This morning I updated the following post from Classic to Block edit:
Jackie drove us all to Lavender Farm Gardens at Plaitford, near Salisbury, for lunch. What looked like a limited choice of menus turned out to be very good. Jackie enjoyed her paté and salad; my smoked mackerel and beetroot salad was excellent; as was Flo’s roast beef bagel; Dillon was pleased with his cheese pastry; Ellie helped herself to crisps off her mother’s plate, and was fed other suitable items, like some of her great grandmother’s paté.
Afterwards we each wandered around the gardens at our own pace.
This evening we all dined on tender roast chicken; sage and onion stuffing; crisp fried potatoes; crunchy carrots; and firm broccoli with which Jackie finished the Asahi and I finished the Malbec.
Jackie and I took an early forest drive this morning on which
may blossom, like this on Beaulieu Hill, has now followed blackthorn onto the hedgerows.
Opposite this sample we spotted a foal on the verge with a group of ponies.
Ruefully comparing her stubby little tail with her mother’s extensive fly-whisk she clung to the Dam’s flanks, frequently attempted to suckle, scratched with her hoof, and eventually settled seated on the daisy sprinkled sward,
which they kept at manageable length.
A young robin made use of the shadows for camouflage until taking to flight when I approached too near.
Yesterday I had not placed titles correctly on the flower gallery, but did so this afternoon when I also posted
these photographs of sections of the garden, photographed from upstairs windows, at the request of prolific blogger friend Judy Dykstra-Brown.
This evening we all dined on oven cod, chips, and onion rings; fried red tomatoes; green garden peas; pickled onions and gherkins, with which Jackie drank more of the Pinot Grigio and I drank Vineyards Zesty white wine.
Jackie and I spent most of the morning in Boots Opticians in New Milton where we bought new specs for her and I was advised that a cataract operation would be in order.
Martin, in the meantime, battled the gales to make far more progress on tidying the garden, and in particular
weeding the Gazebo Path.
Where’s Martin? (3).
Wind swept
the Cordyline Australis
and the Weeping Birch, stripping the latter of the last of its leaves.
In the afternoon the washing machine we bought last week was swiftly and efficiently fitted and the old one taken away.
Later Elizabeth and Jacqueline dropped in for a chat in which we sorted out international and national politics. They didn’t stay for dinner because they had enjoyed a substantial late lunch at Rosie Lea Tea Rooms.
Jackie and I dined on Chicken Kiev, chips, peas, and sweetcorn with which she drank Hoegaarden and I finished the Bordeaux.
This morning I trained my camera on the garden from various vantage points
beginning with our en suite bathroom window.
From the patio can be seen, against the kitchen wall, some of the glorious zinnias that Jackie grew from seed and spread abundantly around the beds;
and this corner of the Pond Bed sporting Delta’s Sarah fuchsia, geraniums, petunias, and the ubiquitous erigeron;
this side of the Chilean lantern Bed, with its begonias, Japanese anemones, and dahlias lies alongside
the Gazebo Path, dappled by a sunny interval, as was
the owl and Mrs Popple fuchsia in the Cryptomeria Bed,
and the Weeping Birch bed with its well out of season kniphofias, and further fuchsias.
Shadows were cast across the Brick Path and its flanking flowers.
Finally I focussed on the prolific varieties of bloom around the Wisteria Arbour. These are our colours on the brink of October.
This evening we dined on Jackie’s wholesome cottage pie, firm broccoli and cauliflower, crunchy carrots, tender cabbage, and meaty gravy with which the Culinary Queen drank Hogaarden, I drank Comté Tolosan Rouge, and Flo and Dillon abstained.
Our Head Gardener this morning toured the garden making
a pictorial record of its current condition now the full force of the heatwave seems to have subsided somewhat. Some may consider that the task which fell to me – loading the pictures into the computer, making the tiled gallery and titling the individual images with some additional information – was rather easier.
This evening we dined on succulent roast chicken; crisp Yorkshire pudding and roast potatoes; crunchy carrots; firm cauliflower and broccoli; tender runner beans, and flavoursome gravy, with which Jackie drank Hoegaarden, I drank more of the Bordeaux, and Flo and Dillon drank Ribena.
Knowing that hosepipe bans were to be imposed on Hampshire and the Isle of White today, we were relieved to learn that bans were determined by the water companies. Our supplier is Bournemouth Water, which has not yet ordered a ban. I celebrated with
a gallery of garden views.
Flo and Dillon continued clearing, planting, and watering this afternoon.
Jackie drove me to Lymington to buy more photographic printing paper, then to take a short forest drive.
The anonymous craftswoman who decorates the postbox on Pilley Hill has
produced a theme for our friend, Jessie.
Everywhere bracken is browning; heather is purpling; blackberries are ripening early, like these along Norley Wood Road.
Cattle were in no hurry as they ambled nonchalantly along Sowley Lane. Drivers had the choice of moseying in their wake, passing along the parched rock-hard verge, or simply waiting patiently. These were very big, thudding animals. I rather hoped they wouldn’t tread on my sandalled feet.
This evening we dined on Jackie’s succulent cottage pie topped with fried potatoes; tender spring greens and green beans, and crunchy carrots, with which the Culinary Queen drank Hoegaarden, Dillon drank water, and I drank more of the Syrah.
Flo, yesterday evening, and Jackie this morning spent a good deal of time continuing the tidying of the Rose Garden.
This morning I posted https://derrickjknight.com/2022/07/24/a-knights-tale-146-big-clean-days/
After lunch I bagged up the last of the debris from the Rose Garden and watered the raised bed at at the end of the Back Drive. Flo had watered the containers last night.
As can be seen from these photographs I produced later this afternoon the container watering has kept the garden glowing.
Super Elfin rose stretches from the Gothic arch which spans the Brick Path.
The Rose Garden had been opened up again.
Jackie was working in there for a while longer.
The lilies to the top left of this garden view reach above the potting shed.
This evening we dined on more of the Papa John’s pizzas with which Jackie and I repeated our beverages while Flo drank Mango J20