Contrasting walls

Yet another warm day today! How long will it go on, I wonder? I'm not complaining, as long as we don't get months of wind and rain to make up for it! My Blip today is looking across to the new Drive Bed below our bungalow. My neighbour, he of the new house on the left, has planted his wall top with succulents.

I planted a 4ft Rhododendron hookeri on the steep slope to the right of the house today. What an effort! Had to wheel it down to the road then carry it halfway back up the slope, dig a hole with one foot resting against a fork driven into the bank so as not to slide down. Not ideal. Most of my plants are smaller than this. This beautiful red-flowered and red-trunked rhododendron species is a native of the Himalayas from Bhutan eastward. It was discovered by a Mr Booth in 1849 in an outer range just east of the Bhutan frontier, and introduced by him. 

We walked down to the town this afternoon as Mrs M was to pick up bread and eggs from the Food Hub and flour from Millstones Health Food Shop. We sat on the sea front waiting until it was time to collect from the Food Hub at Rockfield - a beautiful view on a beautiful day. Pretty hot climbing the hill to go home afterwards though!

Quote of the Day:

Jane Wilson-Howarth, 'Chasing the Tiger' - “Red-trunked rhododendron trees looked like so many writhing russet snakes. In some places the forest floor was carpeted crimson with fallen rhododendron petals.”