Garden – derrickjknight

For The Bees

Today I finished reading ‘Quest for Justice’, and hope to review it tomorrow.

This afternoon it was only the Welsh poppies prepared for decapitation when I wandered the garden with my secateurs – although there were more of them.

A couple of days ago I posted a picture of Jackie banging in a pole to help me keep my balance at the top of the patio steps. To our left of this picture stand a blue post she put in last year to help me step up

to the decking. Now I can’t quite stretch to it so she has placed the metal pipe to help me on my way.

This has been part of a thorough tidy and clean of the decking after

which she took a rest before we enjoyed our pre-dinner drinks up there. The potted geranium is just one of the plantings which are part of the project.

More peonies are in full bloom; many attract the bees.

The deep red azalea and white spiraea flourish beside the greenhouse.

An owl enjoys the shade of the yellow maple.

Honesty seed pods are further developing.

Aquilegias grace the Rose Garden where Gloriana gambols over Summer sculpture.

Clematis Doctor Ruppel has come into bloom.

This evening I dined on another helping of yesterday’s piri-piri meal while Jackie chose cauliflower cheese, oven chips, and onion rings, with which she drank Juicy rosé and I drank Séguret Les Aumôniers Côtes du Rhône Villages 2024.

Mostly Garden

This afternoon I carried out the minimal dead heading required by Welsh poppies, then wandered around the garden for a while before reading more of ‘Quest for Justice’.

Jackie was banging in one of a number of poles on top of the patio steps she has placed at helpful balancing points for me.

Heucheras are now coming into flower.

This rhododendron along the Head Gardener’s Walk is coming to its end.

The sweet scented pink variety of clematis Montana planted last year is scaling its arch.

White Wonderful Grandparents and red Gloriana are in fuller flower than they were yesterday.

Lots of colourful alliums and

clusters of geraniums planted last year are coming into bloom in many of the beds.

This curling leaf is from spent crinum lilies.

A male Orange Tip butterfly fitted past too fast for me to photograph him but slow enough for Tootlepedal’s and Quercus’s diagnosis of the female yesterday to be confirmed. She again homed in on honesty, this one already developing the transparent seed pods for which the plant is normally known.

A hummingbird moth leaving another similar flower seems very early, perhaps responding to the 20 F degrees that is most unseasonal.

The Copper beech is almost in full leaf now.

By the time we enjoyed our pre-dinner drinks on the patio the temperature had dropped a good 10F degrees. The songbirds are much more prolific and louder in the evening. We can no longer see the chaffinch hidden behind the beech foliage, but we can certainly hear him. Such a full-throated sound from such a small creature.

This evening we dined on well cooked roast pork, crisp Yorkshire pudding, boiled new potatoes, firm cauliflower and carrots, and meaty gravy with which Jackie drank Vineyards Zesty white wine and I drank Cimarosa Cabernet Sauvignon 2023.

Blooms And A Butterfly

A number of examinations of the garden today revealed

views from overhead – can you spot Jackie in one ? -;

the Amanogawa cherry still blooming; numerous clumps of libertia –

one of which is under the cherry – several examples of clematis

Montana;

early roses;

lingering camellias;

a range of rhododendrons;

peonies, pieris, apple blossom,

clusters of Erigeron, now cropping up everywhere;

hanging baskets and solar lanterns suspended throughout;

purple lilac;

violas, or are they pansies? ;

and numerous Welsh poppies reminding me of dead heading duties.

Now, a plea for help from any entomologists out there. I have never before seen such a butterfly as this one perched on honesty flowers. The nearest identification I have found is Bath White of which sitings are very rare yet have been located on a strip of southern England near to the coast. Jeremy Thomas and Richard Lewington in The Butterflies of Britain & Ireland write that this creature lays its eggs on crucifers of which I believe honesty is one. We have honesty blooms all over the garden.

This evening we dined on meaty pork spare ribs, Jackie’s colourful savoury rice, and green beans, with which she drank more of the rosé and I finished the Laus.

P.S. See comments of Tootlepedal and Quercus. It is indeed a female Orange Tip which I didn’t look up properly because the tips are black.

Plinth And Chairs

This morning we transported another car load to Efford Recycling Centre. There were only four bags of tree clippings and weeds we don’t want on our compost. Otherwise wood and metal items that have done all the recycling that has been possible.

We came back with a concrete plinth. It wasn’t too difficult to find an owl in the garden willing to perch on it.

After lunch we bought four chairs from Otter Nurseries which will be delivered on Friday. They are to replace four less sturdy ones which would not see out the year. The new ones will match the patio table.

Later, Colin from Capital Windows and Conservatories visited to measure for our further works.

I then finished reading ‘Louisa’ which I hope to review tomorrow.

This evening we dined on roast lamb, mint sauce, cabbage, carrots, and boiled new potatoes, with which Jackie drank Cambalala alcohol free Pinot Grigio Blush and I finished the Zinfandel.

Late Spring Or Early Summer?

This morning Martin completed the lining of the third compost bin. We

now have a fully secure set of three.

Jackie spent the day on general garden maintenance, such as planting and tending hanging baskets including this one beside the Pond Bed.

While we still have a third of the month of April to go, and wandered,

serenaded by unceasing birdsong, around the garden wondering which season we are experiencing. Each of these images bears its title in the gallery.

This evening we dined once more on Jackie’s chicken jalfrezi meal with which she drank Baron Saint Jean Crisp White wine and I drank more of the zinfandel.

Weeding And Replanting

This morning, serenaded by sweetly trilling birdsong I wandered around the garden, intermittently bathed in sunshine.

Each of these images, including standard and climbing wisteria; different hued maples and camellias; a red rhododendron; a bee alighting on purple honesty; white viburnum plicata; and a yellow poppy, bears its title in the gallery.

The bluebells in the rose garden are the Spanish variety.

A green shield bug can be seen in the centre of these hellebores.

This small pieris has survived every change of residence I have experienced since it was given to me 20 years ago in a potted arrangement of plants given to me by the foster carers at Parents for Children to whom I was a consultant.

For the best part of a week Jackie has been digging out deep rooted docks and other unwanted plants from a patch in the Cryptomeria

Bed. She has filled the spaces with spent potted daffodils given by both Elizabeth and Danni; with seedling volunteer poppies; and with Erigeron removed from other pots.

This afternoon I watched the Women’s Six Nations rugby matches between Scotland and England; Wales and France; and Ireland and Italy. During the second half of the third game we dined off trays bearing Jackie’s chicken jalfrezi, savoury rice, and parathas, on our knees in front of the television. We both drank more of Yesterday’s wines.

Night Lights

Before bed last night Jackie slipped out to enjoy the outside lights.

Here is a general scene.

Here the set of seasonal sculptures, each of which bears its title in the gallery, from which it may be enlarged.

Finally there is the Waterboy.

I made enjoyably good progress on reading ‘Louisa’.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s wholesome chicken and vegetable stewp and fresh crusty Tiger rolls with which she drank Lambrini slightly sparkling strawberry fruit wine and I drank Calvet Prestige Côtes du Rhône Villages vin rouge 2024.

Garden Changes

Martin was as busy as ever in the garden this morning, largely attending to changes, both chosen and enforced.

He spent some time collecting up loose bricks with which to build a

brick plinth for the newly acquired Winter sculpture, and to place it on his flat base. The light at bottom left of the pictures was placed by

Jackie, having rescued it from the fallen eucalyptus that had previously received its beam.

Winter stands in the Rose Garden which has lost a few plants over the years. One of these has died since last summer. This was

Festive Jewel. Martin has removed it and prepared the ground

beneath its obelisk for a suitable replacement.

He also weeded the bed beneath the yellow maple in the Palm Bed.

This rhododendron was my favourite of all those we bought with the house. Lying in a direct diagonal between two trees that have succumbed to Honey Fungus we can only assume that it has been

contaminated accordingly. Apparently rhododendrons are most susceptible to this pest. Our friend at MDB Gardening has begun the process of removing the skeleton.

Later, I read more of ‘Louisa’, and, having forced myself to put it down,

joined Jackie in dining on dining on Fusilli Pugliesi Tris Bolognese with which we each drank more of yesterday’s wines.

Paths and Blooms

Yesterday evening Jackie had reached halfway along the Phantom Path in her weeding task.

In addition to the pictures above she photographed a poppy head and a cluster of fritillaries.

Tomorrow Capital Windows and Conservatories will begin to replace our old, leaky, double glazing ground floor installation with modern, more effective products.

In preparation for this I cleared various items from the sills in order to facilitate their work.

Jackie and Martin had spent much of the day in the garden. Among other tasks our friend from MDB Gardening did much bed weeding

freeing such as these unfurling ferns, and many plants along the Back

Drive while tidying the superfluous wood ready to take it away for

burning. The Head Gardener, meanwhile, almost finished work on the Phantom Path.

Further burgeoning blooms include tulips in urns, yellow cowslips and orange heucheras, bluebells and similarly hued honesty.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s chicken and vegetable stewp and crusty Tiger bread rolls with which she drank more of the nonalcoholic rosé and I drank Finca Cañadelas 718 Merlot 2023.

Reading And Weeding

Today I finished reading ‘England in the Age of Improvement’ and scanned the pictures in the book ready for my review.

Jackie meanwhile completed her weeding of the Gazebo Path.

We enjoyed our pre-dinner drinks on the patio; from beside the table

the view of camellias and Magnolia Vulcan against the eastern fence bore the late sun.

We then dined on roast lamb; cottage pie; carrots, cauliflower, and cauliflower cheese; Brussels sprouts, peas, and runner beans, with tasty gravy. Jackie drank the same wine as yesterday while I drank La Vieille Ferme, an excellent vin rouge brought by Elizabeth yesterday.