The narrow brick paths between the beds in the Rose Garden had become so covered in weeds as to be dangerous for me to dead head many of the roses further in when I couldn’t see where I was putting my feet; Martin’s clearance of these a couple of days ago made this much easier for me – a mixed blessing because I have no excuse for leaving them. Today’s session was therefore longer than of late, and I am still behind.
Roses pictured today include pink Compassion; an unnamed white; pale pink New Dawn, singly and along the Rose Garden south fence; pink and white striped Rosa Gallica; an unnamed peach; red Aloha, bought as unnamed for £1; yellow Absolutely Fabulous; crisp Lady Emma Hamilton in a group and individually; red Gloriana, alone and in the company of foxgloves; elegant little Ballerina; and Gloriana, clematis, and foxgloves.
I also photographed a hebe, without having noticed the insect settled on it; another clematis in company with another New Dawn, and a deep red hemerocallis, or day lily.
Finally, and clearly another tribute to Martin’s painstaking clearance work, we have an inherited philadelphus inodorus, which has never flowered before.
This evening we enjoyed second helpings of last night’s wholesome casserole meal and the same beverage.
While Jackie continued working in the Rose Garden, I trimmed half of Karen and Barry’s wedding photographs and laid them loosely in the first of the albums.
I keep imagining that the Head Gardener will have completed the clearing and tidying of the Rose Garden, but there is always something more to admire.
Today she unclogged the water fountain and set it going again, and refreshed and planted up one of the stone urns;
cleaned Scooby’s stone and refreshed the lettering;
and cut back the roses in the bed beside the orange shed, leaving sweet pea bunting in place.
Dillon has now joined Flo in watering containers like the hanging basket above – a task of life-giving irrigation. What is very surprising is that this lace-cap hydrangea has survived on no water for a month.
We have numerous varieties of lily, still including hemerocallis.
Blue agapanthus blooms in the Pond Bed, have popped out of their casings, while others in the Palm Bed are still to emerge.
The Puerto Rico Dahlias share a bed with clematis and phlox; the deep red ones are in the West Bed.
Jackie has successfully grown a number of zinnias from seed.
This the most plentiful hibiscus.
This peach climber is producing its third flush of the year.
There are more benefits of watering seen in these views looking west.
This evening we dined on Mr Pink’s fish, chips, and mushy peas, with Garner’s pickled onions, with which Jackie drank Trentin Pino Grigio 2021, Dillon drank Hoegaarden, Flo drank elderflower cordial, and I finished the Rasteau.
This morning my gardening occupations combined dead heading and making photographs.
These roses Summer Wine and Altissimo, both coming again, were too high for me to reach with hand secateurs, and I couldn’t be bothered to fetch the steps.
Bigifying will probably be necessary to appreciate these bees on bidens, on Japanese anemones, and coming to land on crocosmia. Just click on any image to access the gallery and enlarge further with clicks on the ‘view full size’ box underneath and again if required. The bees swarming the Japanese anemones must be welcoming the plants’ early blooming.
Crocosmia blend well with other plants such as these bell-like alliums and the Japanese maple with its fingers singed by recent violent winds.
From beside this latter crocosmia I was able, through the maple, to view the petunias and pelargoniums featured alongside the kitchen wall.
We haven’t identified all the clematises in the garden. The first of this triptych above, for example, is a Lidl unnamed purchase; we do know that it is Niobe who shares the arch with the fuchsia, Chequerboard; the Head Gardener was determined to track down ‘clematis viticella purpurea plena elegans’, which took her some time, because when we arrived seven years ago this then weakly specimen was ailing in the rubble jungle that we eventually turned into the Rose Garden – it was fostered out in another bed until we returned it to its native soil, and has taken three years to reach the top of its supporting beam.
One of these yellow evening primrose blooms has survived the night well; this phantom hydrangea is also a survivor – it is the plant after which the eponymous path is named – first planted on one side of the Phantom Path it was really rather poorly for its first two years, until Aaron moved it into Margery’s Bed where it has enjoyed more light. We hope it will soon be in the shape in which we bought it.
Hemerocallis still thrive and we also have stargazer lilies in the main garden.
Four hours later, in mid afternoon I set out once more with my camera, giving me shifted lighting conditions.
A bee did its best to weigh down a verbena bonariensis.
Niobe could now sunbathe, and the clematis at the barrier between the garden and the back drive enjoyed light and shade;
the freckled lilies kept out of the direct sunlight;
sweet peas and hollyhocks could take it stronger.
My lens found the white flowers the best beneficiaries: sweet scented petunias, powerfully aromatic phlox, a clutch of dahlias, different Japanese anemones and the phantom hydrangea sheltered in shade this morning.
This evening we dined on prawn fish cakes, peas, and fresh crispy bread and butter with which Jackie drank Hoegaarden and I drank more of the Carles from a second bottle.
At midday I accompanied Jackie on the big Tesco fortnightly shop; sat reading in the car while she did the business; unloaded the trolley into the car; emptied the purchases into the kitchen, then washed my hands.
This afternoon Jackie took the sprinkler on a whistle-stop tour of the garden, while I took my camera on another.
I pictured begonias, petunias, allium, hemerocallis, phantom hydrangea and phlox, all images of which are named in the galleries that can by accessed by clicking on any one. Each photograph can be viewed full size by clicking on the box beneath it, then further enlarged if necessary by repeated clicks.
Bees have shown themselves to be partial to these alliums.
Outside Bramshaw, on a drive to the north of the forest, we encountered ponies ignoring flies; sheep steering clear of the equine droppings; and donkeys keen to approach us in the hope of treats.
It was the Lamb Inn at Nomansland that had the honour of providing us with our first meal out since the recently partially relaxed coronavirus lockdown began.
My main meal was a tender rib eye steak with a bucket of chips and French fried onions; Jackie’s chips in a bucket were of sweet potatoes served with her haloumi burger. Mrs Knight drank Diet Coke and Carlsberg while I drank Timothy Taylor’s Landlord beer.
Naturally Jackie photographed the hanging baskets and
the sign in the outside dining area which had me wondering whether I was meant to use the letter box.
We spent the hot summer’s cloudless day gardening; well, Jackie spent the day at it while I chipped in intermittently.
Jackie took advantage of what shade she could.
In addition to dead bloom decapitation and carting clippings to compost bins I produced some photographs.
The blooms and garden views in this gallery can be identified and enlarged in the usual manner.
The same applies to these images of bees clambering on verbena bonariensis and delving into a hosta; and to the comma butterfly.
In the first picture above Jackie is conversing with the moulting Nugget, looking every inch the butterball that Jill Weatherholt dubbed him on his last appearance. Our concern at the scraggy condition of our little avian familiar has diminished now the we have learned he is undergoing a normal summer process. The last, smallest, of these images is “Where’s Nugget?” (92). Bigification may be required.
This evening we dined on the Culinary Queen’s wholesome watercress soup with bread and butter, followed by tempura prawns and fresh salad, with which she drank Hoegaarden and I opened another bottle of the Rioja and consumed some of it.
Today, still cool, featured intermittent sunshine while cotton clouds pierced by cerulean patches sailed sedately overhead.
We carried out the usual garden maintenance including watering, planting, pruning, and dead-heading.
Jackie smiled when she first spied that I had come out to join her, but she didn’t see the camera hanging round my neck. I have taken to wearing it in order not to miss such photographic opportunities.
Here we have the peach rose, a couple of hemerocallis, sweet peas, white dahlias, sidalcea, yucca, and fuchsia Shrimp Cocktail. As usual each individual image is labelled in the gallery which can be viewed full size by clicking the box underneath it. Further enlargement is possible by additional clicks.
Mauve gladioli stand beneath the clematis covering the Agriframes Arch.
Shropshire Lad and linaria purpurea checked themselves out in the mirror placed to extend the Rose Garden views.
Here Jackie carried out pruning, the results of which I would clear up later.
The marguerites alongside the hydrangea in the corner of the front garden will unfortunately need to be cut down soon because they obscure the view of the Chauffeuse when driving out.
Bees enjoyed flitting from one verbena bonariensis to another.
We now have more robins than we can identify. This is not Nugget.
It was a good gardening day.
For a while now, it has not been pleasant enough for us to enjoy our evening drinks in the Rose Garden. This changed today.
From my seat in the north east corner I could see the hemerocallis in the Cryptomeria Bed and the lilies above Mamma Mia catching the evening sun.
This evening we dined on Jackie’s tasty lamb curry; savoury rice; salt and pepper prawns; and vegetable samosas. I also enjoyed the chilli bhaji. The Culinary Queen drank Hoegaarden and I drank Corte Aurelia Squinzano Riserva 2015.
Strong winds howled throughout the night, and did not abate until midday – then only temporarily. A warm sun put in intermittent appearances.
Among Aaron’s tasks was weeding the Back Drive.
“Where’s Aaron?” (10). Bigification might help with this one.
Here are the results of my garden photoshoot. “Where’s Jackie?” (4) is the picture containing the greenhouse. As usual individual photographs are titled in the galleries. Each image may be viewed full size by clicking the box beneath it, after which further enlargement is possible.
During a break I joined the real gardeners who were discussing developments.
Danni, Andy, and Ella paid us a welcome visit this afternoon.
Our great-niece, when noticing that she was being photographed in the act of demonstrating her prowess with a knife and fork, swiftly adopted her scrunched up poser’s smile. Soon afterwards, well nappy-bolstered, she sat comfortably on a bed of gravel and played passing the ornamental crystal with her Dad. When she decided it was time to step down she clung to Andy for balance. Having sought out the ladybird she had discovered on her last visit, she retrieved both it and its companion and, one in each hand, carried them around. She is seen here kissing one before climbing onto a bench, without releasing either, and conversing with them – possibly inviting them for a ride on the buggy improvised from a garden hose.
This evening we dined on oven fish and chips, purchased before we knew Mrs Pink’s was open again, spicy prawns, pickled onions and gherkins, with which Jackie drank Hoegaarden and I drank more of the Colle Marrone.
Today dawned dull and drizzle-wet. We ventured into the garden early – Jackie to inspect and, where possible, nullify the storm damage and I to empty refuse trugs then carry out some dead heading.
Jackie had a chat with Nugget when he came to sample what she had dug up for him. He is able to eat himself now, rather than fly off to the nest with the goodies. The last of these four pictures is “Where’s Nugget?” (90)
The only real damage was windburn such as browning and curling of these Japanese maple leaves.
As will be seen by this rain-bejewelled Rhapsody in Blue, I didn’t get very far with dead-heading before returning to the house.
I paused to photograph this inherited clematis which has taken advantage of the light made available by the lopping of the cypress, not yet draped by the climbing plants set to cover it.
Even such a day could not dull the charms of this kniphofia and pelargonium blend.
Rain eased up for half an hour before lunch, enabling is to carry out a little more work.
Here are raindrops on sweet peas, lilies, hemerocallis, and petunias. Galleries can be accessed by clicking on any image; each one can be viewed full size by clicking on the box beneath it. Further enlargement is then possible.
Later in the afternoon we continued a bit more. Nugget is now training another junior, perhaps from his latest brood.
This evening we dined on Mr Pink’s crisp fish and chips and our own jars of somewhat soggy and sharpish gherkins and pickled onions having been first opened before the lockdown. Jackie drank Hoegaarden and I finished the Malbec.
‘A Short Walk from Harrods’ is the fifth volume of Dirk Bogarde’s autobiography, and, to my mind, the best. I finished reading it last night, and would have been saddened had I not had one more to come.
This work deals in more depth and detail with material that has been featured in earlier books, notably the years in France. Without giving too much away I would say that this is the mature writer honestly facing endings and renewal with his gifted descriptive writing. Pondering on the flowing language it occurred to me for the first time that Bogarde brings his actor’s ear to his prose. He knows how the words and their placement would sound when spoken, and he works on adapting his undoubted skill. I have not read any of his novels but this book could well read like one.
Today was free from rain, but winds gusted at more than 40 m.p.h.
Aaron of A.P. Maintenance is an ace and generous recycler. He takes our logs to another client whose heating comes solely from an open fire. To us he brings paving and other materials without charging for them.
He really enjoys what he says is “making something from nothing”. Here he stands beside an extra compost bin he is building. The burnt plywood sheet came from his friend’s garage; the pallet from another; the perspex sheeting from our garden; the boards from his own supply. The bricks along the front is a typical finishing touch.
So far the winds have not created too much damage. The galleries in this post can be accessed by clicking on any image in each one. These may be viewed full size by clicking on the boxes beneath them. Further enlargement is also possible with a click. The pictures are labelled individually.
Jackie did her best to repair some of the windburn and other damage to plants, and later we drove to the north of the forest.
There was much waving of manes and twitching of tails from the ponies on the green outside the converted school in South Gorley. One creature, keen to make my acquaintance, met me nose to muzzle as I stepped out of the car, shook her head about a bit, and repeatedly presented a fine set of choppers for inspection.
The stream at Ogdens North was now very shallow, so that pebbles on the bed could be seen beneath the reflections from above.
This evening we dined on Jackie’s spicy piri-piri chicken, marinaded throughout the day in a tangy sauce; her most colourful ratatouille; boiled baby Jersey Royal potatoes; and mature, yet tender, cauliflower and broccoli, with which she drank Hoegaarden and I drank Western Cape Malbec 2019.
This morning the temperature plummeted, as did rain until after lunch, when the overcast skies brightened and the wind speed escalated, for the rest of the day, to 40+ m.p.h.
We drove early to Ferndene Farm Shop to buy three bags of compost, a splendid, tall, lingularia; lettuce and other salad ingredients, before a short trip into the forest.
Beside Church Lane a pair of field horses sheltered under a tree.
The lane, like many others, had recently been resurfaced; hence the skid warning and speed limit. Often such signs stay in situ for months. Jackie had found a section of verge on which to park, otherwise no-one would have been able to pass while I photographed.
Further along the road we spotted a herd of deer which, as soon as they got wind of us, turned tail and huddled together further away. This did not put some of the young stags off their stroke.
As usual, galleries can be accessed by clicking on any image each of which can be viewed full size by clicking the boxes beneath them, and further enlarged if required.
Church Lane is steeply undulating. As this equestrienne reached the top of one slope and emerged from the gloom, even though Jackie was driving very slowly, her horse fell into a panic. My chauffeuse stopped the car and turned the engine off, thus enabling the young woman to settle her steed and sidle past the Modus while preventing the driver’s side from being kicked in.
The far end of the lane emerges in Pilley where further coronavirus messages include the bus shelter with its Union flag and Stay Home messages; and the HOPE bench.
Back at home raindrops glistened on hemerocallis, nasturtium, honeysuckle, fuchsia Delta’s Sarah, and rose Hot Chocolate, to name a few.
I spent the rest of the day reading a book I will feature tomorrow.
This evening we dined on Jackie’s spicy lamb jalfrezi, flavoursome mushroom rice, and plain parathas, with which she drank Hoegaarden and I drank more of the delicious Douro
