Today Jackie was mostly refurbishing and tidying pots and hanging basket plantings.
She has completed the Shady Path where all is now well, except for
windburn on this white lobelia;
and on this yellow tree peony whose healthy seed pods offer optimism for next year.
Beyond this small triangular bed before the wisteria arbour
Mrs Knight continued her work on the greenhouse area.
The life of the sweet peas on the kitchen corner could not be extended, but the tomato plant over which the force of the winds had flung them, has survived.
It remains be seen whether this hydrangea in the patio will recover from its blisters.
After lunch the Head Gardener applied herself to stripping out dead parts of the patio’s potted plants and tidying the rest.
Nugget assisted her in sweeping up – the disturbed insects, that is. For those readers new to the “Where’s Nugget?” feature or whose robins are different from ours, notably lacking the distinguishing red breast, there follows
a selection of portraits of our little gardener’s friend.
Now, can you see “Where’s Nugget?” (5), from when he joined us later on the patio for drinks.
Soon after I had begun to draft this post, Jackie came inside complaining that her little companion was not letting her get anything done.
This evening we dined on coriander and garlic coated chicken kebabs; Jackie’s spicy omelette-topped savoury rice; and moist ratatouille with our own runner beans. The Culinary Queen drank Blue Moon and I drank more of the Garnacha Syrah.
I will now wait half an hour for the TV Channel 5 broadcast of the cricket highlights to finish so that I can watch my own recording advertisement-free.