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The weather this morning was splendid. The morning was to become more so, with a visit from good friends.
In eager anticipation of the arrival Jackie was out early sweeping the corridors, manicuring the green carpet, refreshing the flowers, and generally tidying up the reception room that is the garden. It seemed only right that I should get out there and help.
Right on time at 11 a.m. Geoff Le Pard arrived with the Textiliste, the Vet, and Dog.
We all sat on the patio with coffee and sparkling water. This is one view across the Kitchen bed.
Everyone then wandered around the garden. Here are a couple of views featuring the Textiliste, a skilled gardener herself.
This was the first bench tried out by Geoff.
Partly for the benefit of our mutual friend, Pauline, the Vet reprised a photo of Geoff and me taken a year ago. Dog wasn’t in the last one. He didn’t get the joke his master and I shared.
The Vet, of course, was, herself, far more worthy of the camera’s attention. Was Dog feigning an ailment in order to obtain a scratch?
The large chimney pots, one of which holds this bidens, were much admired.
Jackie, amused by the photo session,
was soon to be joined by Geoff and Dog on the Nottingham Castle Bench. In the right foreground of this shot is another of the chimney pots.
The opposite corner of the Dead End Path contains this heuchera and these day lilies.
On a final visit to the Rose Garden before we set off for lunch, I spotted a bee slaking its thirst on Summer Wine.
Watched over by an Ogre we all lunched at The Beachcomber Café at Barton on Sea. He seemed to be having as much fun as we were.
Afterwards, Jackie drove me to the Birchfield Dental Practice in New Milton for a clean and check up. All was well.
We arrived back home in time for the televised Wimbledon tennis semi-final between Johanna Konta and Venus Williams.
I then wandered around the garden again, along the Head Gardener’s Walk to the Shady Path
beside the Dragon Bed,
where a glowing begonia shines like a beacon.
A rather tatty Comma butterfly took a rest,
then flitted across to join a Red Admiral in the sunshine.
To the left along the Gazebo Path,
a large cluster of agapanthuses, in different stages of emergence, are bursting from their cases.
This is the trunk of the dead tree that supports solanums and clematises.
In the corner of the Rose Garden beside the orange shed, fuchsia Mrs Popple provides a strong contrast to Lanarth White hydrangea.
Finally, I thought Bruce would like to see how the sweet peas are coming along.
This evening Jackie and I dined on Mr Pink’s fish and chips, pickled gherkins and onions. I drank Arborescence Fronton 2016.