Tag: paths

The Garden At The Start Of July

Yesterday evening Jackie finished her work on the Lawn Bed.

She also continued her general maintenance, such as the Weeping Birch Bed weeding and replanting, following Flo’s earlier work on the footpath.

Early this morning Jackie and I transported the last of the garden refuse to the Efford Recycling Centre, after which we purchased three more large bags of compost and a few vegetables from Ferndene Farm Shop.

Later, I finished reading ‘If The Old Could’ and published https://derrickjknight.com/2022/07/01/if-the-old-could/ after watching the third round Wimbledon tennis match between Heather Watson and Kaja Juvan.

Before dinner I produced

a gallery of garden views, each of which bears a title.

This evening Jackie and I dined on her spicy paprika pork while Flo preferred meat and vegetable pasty to accompany the boiled new potatoes, crunchy carrots, and firm cauliflower and broccoli, with which the Culinary Queen drank Hoegaarden; our granddaughter, Raspberry Rhubarb and Orange Blossom cordial; and I, more of the Chianti.

Posting, Reading, And Gardening

This morning I posted https://derrickjknight.com/2022/06/27/a-knights-tale-142-the-crash-and-the-flood/

Later I carried out dead heading and weeding then read more of Doris Lessing, after which, while Jackie continued her general garden maintenance I wandered around the garden (pictures of which are titled in the gallery)

before watching the highlights of the final day of the New Zealand/England cricket Test match.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s succulent beef pie, Duchesse potatoes, crunchy carrots, cauliflower and broccoli, and meaty gravy with which she finished the Entire-Deux-Mers white wine, Flo drank a mixed fruit cordial, and I drank Ponce de Leon red wine 2020.

A Sunless Sultry Day

On this sunless sultry morning Jackie watered, I dead headed, and Martin carried out the heavier garden maintenance. Before he left, I printed him an A4 portrait I had produced on his last visit.

Later, I wandered around with my camera. As usual, individual titles can be found in the images gallery.

This evening all except Ian dined on oven fish, chips and peas with which Jackie drank Entire-Deux-Mers white wine 2020, and I finished the Shiraz.

Clearing Paths

Before lunch on another very hot day I posted https://derrickjknight.com/2022/06/04/a-knights-tale-136-an-eventful-move/

Jackie and Flo had spent much of yesterday afternoon and, in, Flo’s case, evening, working on weeding and clearing paths. This afternoon I carried much of the remaining refuse to the compost bins; photographed

a few more roses whose names are given in the gallery; and the paths which have been opened up.

Jackie had cleared much of Margery’s and the Cryptomeria Bed on either side of the Phantom Path, including, this morning, trimming the variegated laurel at the corner of the Gazebo Path.

The Heligan Path

and the footpath through the Weeping Birch Bed had been quite overgrown until Flo set to work on them.

The view from the chair beside the birch had been impossible to enjoy because the seat could not be reached.

Ian joined us this afternoon. He and I watched the highlights of the third day of the first Test match between England and New Zealand, then we all enjoyed our dinner of tender roast lamb; crisp roast potatoes; crunchy carrots; firm cauliflower and broccoli and soft green beans with which Jackie and our son-in-law drank Hoegaarden; Becky finished the Sauvignon Blanc and I drank The Black Stump Durif Shiraz 2021

From One Scent To Another

The usual division of labour applied to garden maintenance this searingly hot day, although Flo had worked until it was too long after dark to see, finishing the last of the compost and plants; and filling our score of watering cans.

As soon as I had prised my nostrils from the scented rose bushes, had a long sit down and a cold drink of water, I staggered round the garden with my camera.

Then I sunk my nose into the bookishly scented ‘Woman in White’ by Wilkie Collins.

Becky joined us this evening and we all dined on pizza, prawns, and salad with which Jackie drank Hoegaarden and I finished the Barolo. The others abstained. Strawberries and cream were to follow.

Where’s Martin?

Martin and Jackie spent several hours between them this morning weeding and clearing; I chipped in with some of each and mostly dead heading, largely concentrating on

the Rose Garden, of which I wish I could convey the scents.

After lunch I recorded the general scenes, as usual titled in the galleries.

View east from Heligan Path. Where’s Martin?

This evening we dined on Jackie’s succulent beef and onion pie; boiled potatoes; crisp cauliflower and carrots; tender green beans; and meaty gravy, with which the Culinary Queen drank Hoegaarden and I drank more of the Douro.

Flo’s Take On The House In The Wood

As will be seen from yesterday’s post, Florence accompanied us on our visit to this glorious garden.

She produced her own splendid photographic record.

I am particularly grateful to her for the images created from beside the lake which I, adjudging the descent too precarious, was unable to reach. As usual each of these images are titled in the galleries.

The House In The Wood

This afternoon Jackie, Flo, Elizabeth, and I visited The House in the Wood garden outside Beaulieu, under the National Gardens Scheme. The photographs can speak for themselves, although each one is titled in the gallery.

Beside Hatchet Lane on our return home we encountered our first foals of the season:

both donkeys,

and ponies, one of whom had some difficulty when attempting to suckle.

After the visit Elizabeth dropped off at her home en route and then joined us for dinner, which consisted of Jackie’s succulent sausages in red wine; creamy mashed potatoes; crunchy carrots; and firm broccoli and cauliflower. My wife and sister drank the last of the Picpoul de Pinet; I finished the Fitou; and Flo drank water.

Becoming Tidier

Yesterday evening Flo had transferred one more wheelbarrow load of compost into the Rose Garden and another to the new raised bed at the end of the Back Drive.

This morning Jackie spread one heap on the newly planted bed,

and continued weeding the gravel path.

The borders are beginning to bloom nicely.

I began refilling the now empty compost bin.

Before lunch the Head Gardener distributed the last load of compost on the Rose Garden soil she had weeded yesterday.

The Heligan Path, weaving its way between the Cryptomeria and the Weeping Birch Beds; and the Phantom Path, separating the other side of the Cryptomeria and Margery’s Beds are looking tidier.

At the end of the morning I published https://derrickjknight.com/2022/04/18/a-knights-tale-126-a-nod-to-little-gidding/

Late this afternoon Elizabeth visited with forms from Barclays Bank re closure of Mum’s account which should have come to me. Somebody has got their wires crossed. She will need to telephone the bank’s bereavement team again to sort this out before we can close the account.

Since we don’t have enough of yesterday’s roast meal leftovers for a fourth person we were unable to ask her to join us. That is what we will be having, with the same beverages as we had then.

A Garden Walk

This warm and sunny afternoon I took a walk around the garden with my camera.

Two days ago Martin had returned to work in the garden after a three week Covid isolation period following a positive test. He began work on the west side of the Back Drive, then

cut the long overdue grass.

I also photographed the still blooming winter flowering cherry; a golden euphorbia; glowing hellebores and daffodils; an upright hyacinth and muscari; two of our many camellias; clumps of tulips and primroses, and

the Brick and Gazebo Paths.

This evening, after snacking on pasties, Becky, Ian, and I will set off to Christchurch’s Regent Theatre to watch https://www.themanfreds.com

Should anyone wish to follow this link, my old friend Tom is in the centre of the header picture.

I will report on the event tomorrow.