“Quick, quick, come and see this!” Lady Mantle called out frantically. His Lordship and myself dropped our croquet mallets and ran at full pelt towards her plaintive calls. “Is it a newt?” I asked “No” “A toad?” “No” What other exotic creature could be lurking in the flower bed? A boomslang, an axolotl, a NewContinue reading “Attention”
Category Archives: The Mantles
Dippy
I’ve been a bit dippy lately. Dippier than normal. Last Saturday I mislaid my house keys. I had been embarrassingly (to OH anyway) counting out a tonne of small change in a local cafe and forgot put them back in my purse. Luckily we were reunited without too much stress. In the week I forgotContinue reading “Dippy”
Lucky, Lucky, Lucky
Any day that starts with a rainbow has got to be considered lucky. And that wasn’t the last of the omens of good fortune. Next we found a lucky newt, especially lucky for him as he managed to avoid the tines of my fork. Then a mushroom portent, along with a lawn full of puffContinue reading “Lucky, Lucky, Lucky”
Swampland
Due to a surfeit of workman and their corresponding transport, His Lordship picked me up today from the National Trust car park a mile or so from the Mantle’s Mansion This rough old patch has breath-taking views along the rugged Exmoor coast and across to Wales. A camper van was the only otherContinue reading “Swampland”
Digitalis lutea – Small Yellow Foxglove
A warm but dreary start to the day and working in the resultant fug was like swimming through treacle. Later it brightened up, blue wisp free skies, but by that point any excess energy had already been sapped. This photo of the fabulous small yellow foxglove, Digitalis lutea, is also rather dark and definitely outContinue reading “Digitalis lutea – Small Yellow Foxglove”
Poetry
Whether you are calling it Stipa tenuissima or Nassella tenuissima, the combined effect of sun and wind on the Mexican feather grass is just the same. Poetry in motion.
Natty
This morning Lord and Lady Mantle introduced me to three giant cacti, wondering where we could fit them into their planting scheme. Not quite sure where they will best slot into the general “Game of Thrones meets The Only Way is Essex” ambience. Lord Mantle was looking fine in his natty hat though.
Fair Weather
Just to put you at your ease Lady Mantle, I will not be naming names. All I am going to say is that after tea break only one person returned with me out into the garden, into the deluge and the storm and battled the ferocious monsters that had been summoned up by the weatherContinue reading “Fair Weather”
A Right Pear
You know that you have selected your clients well when, as you are poised to scatter some wildflower seed in their garden, you say “I think to mark this occasion you should perform a interpretative dance”. And they do. Lord and Lady M, you are brill. Here is some pear blossom. Also brill.
Tail End
It started well. A drive in the early morning sun as Exmoor looms large in the distance is rarely a chore. Arriving at The Mantles Estate my civet poo coffee was freshly brewed and only slightly less warm than my welcome. The twin magnolias battled to outdo each other’s beauty. Sparrows squabbled over prime realContinue reading “Tail End”
Off The Edge Gardening 