This morning we continued planting up the Cryptomeria Bed. Once again, this proved more difficult than anticipated. Jackie came across more vinca roots growing between the border rocks, and had to get down on her kneeler to dig them out. My task was to bore holes for the shrubs that needed deeper soil. I invariably came across more slabs of constituted rock. With a view to her stepping stones, The Head Gardener’s eyes glinted when she spotted ‘a good one’.
This one had to be prised from under a tree root.
Jackie completed the job this afternoon while I watched the Rugby World Cup on TV.
I also spent quite a time researching earlier photographs for the before and after collection.
This view from Fiveways shows the full bed on 23rd July 2014. It equates roughly to the first bed image above, featuring Jackie and a watering can.
That of the house, from a similar point to the fourth, demonstrates the overgrown nature of the area on 14th August the same year. We do trust, however, that, next spring, there will be more to peer through.
The afternoon matches I watched were between Scotland and Samoa, and between Wales and Australia. Both were superb; the first the more entertaining, the second admirably fought out.
We then dined on Jackie’s superb chicken in black bean sauce; sweet and sour chicken; and special rice with chopped pork. She drank Hoegaarden and I finished the pinotage.
I then watched England’s rugby match against Uruguay, which was somewhat painful to witness.