Sunday, April 05, 2009
Pond life
On receipt of intelligence that the interesting archipelago of green bubbles in the deep tub might be something to do with silk weed, decided to remove the stuff with a kitchen seive. On closer inspection, the bubbles did indeed appear to contain something very like silk weed, small size. I thought that removal would let some light onto the lilly, which might then start to show signs of life. However, after a couple of days, the green bubbles are about back to where they were, at least to all appearances. Must be made of much more vigorous stuff than the lilly, of which there remains no sign. Oddly reluctant to hoik the thing out of the tub for inspection. On the other hand, the newts in this tub remain lively. Quite a lot of plopping noises, which at first one thinks is the result of returning frogs (the old pond usually had frogs, but nothing so far this year. And now past the time for frog spawn), but which seem to be result of newts leaping out of the water. Perhaps in the course of a nuptial dance.
Further down the garden, in addition to the celandine display, the violets have done very well this year. Lords and ladies not bad either (see Mr G. for the large number of alternative names. It also seems you can eat the roots of the stuff. Or failing that, starch your shirt collars with them) although there is a bit of a puzzle on that front. The things come up well enough at this time of year, down in the wild bit of the garden. And the patches seem to be expanding. But they seem to die down again quite quickly. Not generating any of the red berries in the autumn, as described by Mr G (http://www.plantpress.com/wildlife/o662-lordsandladies.php). But they can't be that unhealthy or they would not keeping coming up. Maybe they are a sterile mutant, the result of too much compost made with meat (shock horror. All the compost web sites are very hot about not using meat waste. But that always seems to me to be very wasteful. And the rodents are not usually a problem).
Yesterday, bright fine spring afternoon so off to Hampton Court to see the tail end of the daffodill display. Started off with a long senior moment with the pay and display machine at Hampton Court Station (to which we had been diverted by a wedding). Took me ages to work out how much I was supposed to pay. Kept offering the machine £2, and it kept spitting it out, until finally I managed to work out that actually it wanted £4. Gave it £4.10 - the best I could do with the change available - and it printed out a ticket without a murmer. The instructions were clear enough once I had arrived at the right answer but it took a long time to get there.
Spectacular magnolia on the way in. Odd sort of tree with five or six small trunks, fanning out in a sort of circle. Not huge but huge display of flowers, only a few days past their best. Very impressive against the clear, light blue sky. Lie on the grass, look up and think bubbles. My woodcut of magnolias, in black and white, is from a differant planet.
First wave of daffodills more or less over, but second wave doing well and a smaller third wave in bud. Lots of differant varieties; lots of shapes, sizes and colours, with some of the flower heads being too heavy for their stems. Presumably bred past the point of natural selection. Light just right and the overall effect spiffing. Plus crown imperials, hyacinths and lots of other spring flowers in the beds and the herbaceous borders were on the move. Had to pay £4.50 a pop (£4 for concessions) to get beyond the daffodills, it being beyond the 1st April or something, but it was well worth it, not least because lots of people did not want to pay so it was a bit more select for those who did.
Went around the 20 century garden, formerly the apprentices' garden (maybe they don't do apprentice gardeners any more) where there is a good collection of unusual trees, including a good variety of camelias, in fine form just presently. All kinds of differant colours.
Shortly after that, while dozing under the new avenue, attacked by a swan. Maybe he thought I had taken his spot. I had been admiring the shimmering green of the about to burst buds, a fine sight from ground level. Won't be long before all the arboreal heffalump nests for which the garden is so famous will, once again, be hidden by leaves for the summer.
Further down the garden, in addition to the celandine display, the violets have done very well this year. Lords and ladies not bad either (see Mr G. for the large number of alternative names. It also seems you can eat the roots of the stuff. Or failing that, starch your shirt collars with them) although there is a bit of a puzzle on that front. The things come up well enough at this time of year, down in the wild bit of the garden. And the patches seem to be expanding. But they seem to die down again quite quickly. Not generating any of the red berries in the autumn, as described by Mr G (http://www.plantpress.com/wildlife/o662-lordsandladies.php). But they can't be that unhealthy or they would not keeping coming up. Maybe they are a sterile mutant, the result of too much compost made with meat (shock horror. All the compost web sites are very hot about not using meat waste. But that always seems to me to be very wasteful. And the rodents are not usually a problem).
Yesterday, bright fine spring afternoon so off to Hampton Court to see the tail end of the daffodill display. Started off with a long senior moment with the pay and display machine at Hampton Court Station (to which we had been diverted by a wedding). Took me ages to work out how much I was supposed to pay. Kept offering the machine £2, and it kept spitting it out, until finally I managed to work out that actually it wanted £4. Gave it £4.10 - the best I could do with the change available - and it printed out a ticket without a murmer. The instructions were clear enough once I had arrived at the right answer but it took a long time to get there.
Spectacular magnolia on the way in. Odd sort of tree with five or six small trunks, fanning out in a sort of circle. Not huge but huge display of flowers, only a few days past their best. Very impressive against the clear, light blue sky. Lie on the grass, look up and think bubbles. My woodcut of magnolias, in black and white, is from a differant planet.
First wave of daffodills more or less over, but second wave doing well and a smaller third wave in bud. Lots of differant varieties; lots of shapes, sizes and colours, with some of the flower heads being too heavy for their stems. Presumably bred past the point of natural selection. Light just right and the overall effect spiffing. Plus crown imperials, hyacinths and lots of other spring flowers in the beds and the herbaceous borders were on the move. Had to pay £4.50 a pop (£4 for concessions) to get beyond the daffodills, it being beyond the 1st April or something, but it was well worth it, not least because lots of people did not want to pay so it was a bit more select for those who did.
Went around the 20 century garden, formerly the apprentices' garden (maybe they don't do apprentice gardeners any more) where there is a good collection of unusual trees, including a good variety of camelias, in fine form just presently. All kinds of differant colours.
Shortly after that, while dozing under the new avenue, attacked by a swan. Maybe he thought I had taken his spot. I had been admiring the shimmering green of the about to burst buds, a fine sight from ground level. Won't be long before all the arboreal heffalump nests for which the garden is so famous will, once again, be hidden by leaves for the summer.
# posted by Jim @ 2:14 AM 
