We enjoyed another day of pleasantly temperate weather.
Antirrhinums are blooming throughout the garden.
Clematis Marie Boisselot, now entering the third age has applied a blue rinse to her naturally white locks;
the stalwart Star of India shines less bright, yet it still graces the Gothic Arch opposite
the red and white of Super Elfin and Penny Lane living in harmony.
A white gladiolus and a red dahlia each radiate charm.
Fuchsia Night Nurse continues to soothe,
and sweet peas produce plentiful seed pods.
Bees home in on For Your Eyes Only,
and enjoy the sedum’s soft pile;
a ladybird scales the Westbrook Arbour;
Small White butterflies cling to verbena bonarensis;
and this solitary flier, tattered beyond recognition, flitted from bidens bloom to bloom
until seeking suitable camouflage, sinking onto stone below. Can anyone identify it?
While he was keeping an eye on the Head Gardener I asked Nugget if he was ready for his close up, and he cheerfully obliged.
I hope this “Where’s Nugget?” (12) will compensate for yesterday’s nigh impossible challenge.
A drowsy wood pigeon in the cypress tree,
attempting to keep an eye on us while we were enjoying our pre-dinner drinks on the patio, could barely keep it open.
We left him to it and partook of Jackie’s wholesome beef in red wine, creamy mashed potatoes, cauliflower and carrots al dente, and tender runner beans grown by the Head Gardener who had drunk her Hoegaarden outside. I drank more of the Malbec.