gravel drive – derrickjknight

Container Delivery

Today we transported four more bags of cuttings to Efford Recycling Centre.

The first two,

giving us the sense of a light at the end of the tunnel,

we disposed of before lunch. For most of the winter the heaps have lain the length of the left hand side of the drive. Most are from the griselinia hedge that Aaron trimmed in the autumn.

The left hand corner of the entrance, beyond our five-barred gate, was continually being driven over by vehicles entering and leaving the care home alongside. We have finally constructed a suitable deterrent. The chain is actually plastic, but it works, and these daffodils, pansies, and primroses remain unscathed.

Here is a current view centred on The Shady Path,

and another on the Gazebo Path.

Birds, like these crows, often stand sentinel on the scrawny oak across Christchurch Road.

My replacement inks were delivered this afternoon, so I was able to complete the best part of my allocation of the flyer printing after we drove the last two bags of cuttings to the dump.

At the moment the two huge containers dedicated to garden greenery are constantly being filled and emptied again. When we arrived for our third trip, the huge structure to the filling of which we had contributed this morning was being replaced by another. Watching the driver reversing his lorry into the very narrow space available, I was full of admiration for his skill.

This morning’s recycling haul was six terra cotta pipes which we bagged in order to test The Head Gardener’s ingenuity. She’s bound to find some use for them.

This afternoon we returned with pair of aluminium garden chairs in need of a nattier coat of blue. They went straight into the front gardener’s rest.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s super sausage casserole; mashed potato; and crisp cauliflower and broccoli. I finished the El Sotillo. Jackie abstained.

‘I’ll Have To Find That Aaron’

Jackie spent another remarkably warm day working on the front garden. I provided sporadic Under Gardener assistance.

First was the final installation of a Gardman Gothic arch she had bought a couple of days ago. The purpose of this is to offer somewhere for the clematis Campaniflora to roam. I had unsuccessfully attempted to drive in a wooden post. My way was impeded by a glint of stoneware. Fortunately investigating before I took an axe to it, I discovered it was a waste pipe leading to the septic tank. I think you’d call that a near miss. Jackie then trained what she had reprieved of the heavily pruned plant to the arch. I know I said, after the last Agriframes effort, that I would only buy ready assembled arches from now on, but Gardman, although less robust, are quite gentle on the nerves.

We then replenished the gravelly soil with the addition of earth from the narrowed bed round the side, topped off with the Humix manure mixture. Two blue planters atop brick pillars have been filled with pansies.

Aaron, meanwhile, continued his work on the griselinia hedge along the back drive. I was delighted to learn that my blog posts have served the hoped for purpose of advertising this young man’s excellent work. He told me that the new customer he was to visit this afternoon had discovered my blog and seen in particular his relaying of the old brick path. She had mentioned this to a friend of hers, saying that she just had to find him. ‘Oh, I know Aaron. He has worked for me for eight years’, was the reply.

We have certainly not seen the last of the Summer Wine roses.

These, at first glance, are very similar to For Your Eyes Only, which is sending shoots loaded with buds in all directions.

Jackie fed us this evening on her delicious sausage casserole, crisp carrots and Brussels sprouts, and mashed potato and swede. She drank Hoegaarden and I drank sparkling water.