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Success at last!

I’ve been trying to grow some form of pretty white umbellifers, in the cow-parsley vein, for aeons. Literally years.

And this year those efforts have finally come good. Ironically, I made practically no effort on this particular pet project this year. This sudden efflorescence is a result of previous years’ sowings.

Another noteworthy success are our poppies, which are slowly becoming more established and abundant. I actually bought both poppy and bishop’s weed seeds via Amazon.

Other stuff that I want to increase quantities of include: forget-me-nots, hosta, hollyhocks, ferns, and foxgloves. I, or rather we, would also like to get better at keeping indoor plants alive!

Both indoors and outside, some plants with big glossy green leaves would be nice, on the banana family style. Still, little by little the garden develops.

There’s still a long way to go, so much to do. But we’re making slow and steady(-ish!?) progress. And when you see the results, esp’ on a beautiful sunny day, it’s rather heartwarming.

Out delivering around the villages north of Peterborough today. Spotted this rather lovely coloured field of, er… what!?

I’d cooked dad and I lunch earlier in the day. Used up some chicken, with garlic, tomatoes, spinach and cream. Yummy, tho’ I say it myself.

Even earlier in the day:

And before that? I drove Teresa to work, and did a wee Sainsburys shop. it’s equator past ten now, and we’re a-bed again. Time to sleep, perchance to dream?

Can you spot the difference between the images above and below?

That’s all the gravel used up, now. And I don’t think I need go back for any more. The whole rectangular area between the sentry box shed and green room is now ‘pebbled’.

The garden as a whole is looking fab at present. Look at these gorgeous roses:

So that’s the pond created, really. Weed suppressant mat down. Two layers of waterproof lining. The bottom one really just there to add protection (it’s not one contiguous/watertight piece), the top one to hold the water.

Gravel lining to surround and hold the lining etc in place. And even a few plants in place. This project has given me a great deal of work to do. But also a great deal of pleasure. And I’m sure as it matures it’ll only get better.

A special edition of Mojo, dedicated to the genius of Joni.

£10.99! Overpriced? Yes. But I had to have it. Thumbed through it today, and it looks interesting. Covering all her albums, song by song, and with additional special features. Also looking at live albums, books, etc.

Plenty of great photos of Joni, across her illustrious career, and all the famous (and sometimes less well known) faces and places she’s been.

I’ll prob post a review of this, once I’ve had a chance to read it in more detail. Being a Joni Junkie, I couldn’t pass on it. And I learn that she’s due to perform live later this year, at the ripe old age of 80!

England vs Slovakia

I’ve been watching a lot of football this Euros. More than ever before. Partly, well… no, completely, for therapeutic reasons, if I’m honest.

But putting aside my own baggage, and getting back to sports…

I’ve watched every single match, thus far. And I’ve generally enjoyed doing so. There is one consistent exception to this. Watching England play. It’s excruciating!

As I type this we are 0-1 down to Slovakia. And it’s the second half already. Southgate has made no changes, and it’s still the samo’ samo’. Are we going out with a whimper?

Even at this very instant, we’re extremely lucky not to go 0-2 down, with unbelievable sloppiness in defense.

All the pundits and commentators are stressing that changes must be made. And yet none were. That’s just plain bone-headed-ness, on Gareth’s part.

Everyone wants to believe in Southgate and his team, but he’s simply not delivering. We’re nearing 15 minutes to go. And, frankly, it’s f*cking abysmal!

Gareth’s gamble with a young team isn’t working. But he’s not willing to face that fact, and make the necessary changes. The clock is running down…

* Is she the reason Slovakia are currently beating us!? A former Miss Slovakia contender, turned sports commentator, she’s referred to online as ‘working with the national team’.

It’s so painful to watch I may not be able to bear it. Will I be glad when we’re out, so that I no longer have to endure such depressing football? Hard to say.

Holy heart-attacks, Batman… Jude Bellingham just scored a real peach of a goal, to keep us in the tournament. The match now goes to extra time. More torment? Penalties?

…

Say wha’!? Kane scores a header, just one minute into extra time. And the game is transformed. Will we sit back, like we usually do? I hope not. Maybe a couple more subs, and another goal or two (for us!)?

Jeez… being an England supporter – and I guess I kind of must be? – is a roller-coaster ride. I wish we could be a lot better. And consistently so.

Spain vs Georgia

Later on the same day, and Spain vs Georgia has more quality football and excitement in the first 20 minutes than there was in the entire England vs Slovakia match, even with the added time.

I’m glad we won. But Spain, and even Georgia, make us look very lucky/boring. Spain’s team play – esp the lightning fast one-touch passing – is sublime.

Spain totally dominated the game, with far more time on the ball than Georgia. But the plucky underdogs showed, on the counter, that when they had the ball, they had plenty of balls.

What a hi-octane game. Whereas the England game was sluggish, and excruciatingly painful to watch, this was sooo exciting, and such great fun to see.

Pictured above, Olmo celebrates the fourth and final Spanish goal (well, fifth, if you are include Le Normand’s own goal!). As the commentators said, Georgia in defeat were still brilliant. What a match.

I finally broke up the pond-plant I got off Patricia, via nextdoor.com. I’m not sure if they’ll survive, in a tap-water pond? I

’ve potted them up in ordinary, but quite deep, plant pots, weighed down with gravel. They’re not sitting in the pond as desired, however.

So I might have to somehow tweak their positioning. I’m thinking nylon cord, pulling them more to the edges, anchored somehow, to the banks.

We also need to find ‘shallow ledge’ plants for the two stepped areas. And I’d love a little lily pad or two. So much remains to be done.

* I’ll have to take another better shot, when I next get out there.

My delivery shift today finished in Stamford. We stayed on, and had a very enjoyable picnic. in the park that sits between two water courses.

Finding a place to park was a challenge. Stamford was very congested. And tempers were running into the red, high and hot, like the temperature. But we got a spot in the free car park, right next to the municipal park.

Teresa had prepared a lovely lunch. A fresh and delicious salad. Cheese and crackers. Hot and cold drinks. Lovely!

After lunch and a few games of cards, I had a stroll around the river banks. Snapping away. What a lovely place Stamford is.

A bit later on I had another wander round the park.

What a lovely day out!

The first two pics in this post were amongst the last I took, as I walked ‘round the church, looking to find a full and unobstructed view of the whole building.

That wasn’t possible, as Holy Trinity is surrounded by mature trees. They give the whole setting a very bucolic charm. But prevent one from seeing the church structure in its entirety.

Entrance was gained via the northern porch. And to my surprise Holy Trinity was open. Not exactly sure why? But I expected it to be shut!

We were in Haddenham to pick up a cheap (£10!) parasol, for our garden. It was a bit broken. But fixable. So we bought it. I now need to repair it, so it doesn’t break the first time we put it up (as happened with the last cheap parasol!).

Here are some pics from Holy Trinity:

The font is very interesting. I love the four animals/mythical beasts, around the base. And throughout the church there are some nice bits of stone carving.

There are some nice windows. Even the plain glass o Ed are nice enough. The stained glass isn’t mind blowing, but it’s pretty decent.

The roof is impressively beefy in construction. The organ pipes are very nicely decorated. All in all a very pleasant place to stop and have a quiet moment.

Tim and Hannah’s old home, Merrick House. Lots of memories! All good. And now they’re back together again. Ain’t it a strange ol’ world!?

Teresa watches a lot of Rickolas Stein. She put on his Far Eastern Odyssey, this morning.

I love how Rick always mentions history and culture. So he alludes to the Viet Nam War, and quotes some Grahame Greene.

He makes a few remarks, almost as asides, that I think need a bit more unpacking. One is about the deforestation caused by Agent Orange, and another is how, although the Communist side won, capitalism ‘moved in’ anyway.

The war America waged was one that aimed to destroy the rural basis of Communism, eventually (via stuff like Napalm and Agent Orange) by destroying nature itself, and urbanising – and therefore making dependent – the people.

Capitalism (and maybe even modern Communism?) requires that the bulk of the populace are docile, pliable consumers, totally plugged in to and addicted to ‘the grid’.

And, whilst the popular history is that America lost in Viet Nam, the truth is, in practical terms, of what has happened to Viet Nam politically and economically, is that they’ve ultimately won.

Today we went to a place on the other side of town, where some local folk were giving away gravel. I thought it’d be good for the pond. So I went a got a load (four gardening tubs full).

I reckon it looks the part. And I’m pretty pleased with it. Maybe a couple more tubs worth? and it’ll be done.

A little gallery of garden stuff, looking pretty. The roses are bloomin’ borgeous! Then we have poppies. I’ll be sewing a ton more poppy seeds in due course.

All of these are a source of much needed solace and even, dare I say it? joy. One of the things that makes me happiest is the final efflorescence of white umbellifers.

Are they native cow-parsley? Or are they the stuff I bought and sowed seeds with? I guess I can try ‘google lens’, and see what it makes of them.