The big tomb

Last week to Polesden Lacey to inspect the very grand tomb of Mrs. Greville, plus the numerous but rather less grand tombs of her various dogs. Getting on for a couple of months since our last visit, noticed at reference 1. An overcast day, with the possibility of rain, which might have kept the crowds down a bit, but the car park was full enough when we arrived (this Tuesday morning) at around 1100.

Tomb all present and correct in its square of enclosed lawn, reflecting Mrs. Greville's successful climbing of the social heights. The only other tomb of the sort that I know in Surrey is that of Lieutenant General Bernard Cyril Freyberg, 1st Baron Freyberg, VC, GCMG, KCB, KBE, DSO (with bars), which we once came across by accident. Reared in New Zealand and trained as a dentist there, before joining the army in 1914, where he successfully climbed the military heights. One imagines that generals with Victoria Crosses are not that thick on the ground.

Peonies

The rose beds and the delphiniums were in good form. The onions in the peony beds were a little ripe, but the peonies were still fine and we took some time out on the bench at the end of the row, behind the camera. Not too much time, as most other people found having us there a bit off-putting and tended to walk on, rather than down the row.

Thyme

The thyme beds were doing well and various bees and such like were doing well out of it, visible on the laptop on which I am typing, possibly not by the time they get out into the blog, even when enlarged. With the lavender on its way. Irises in the next compartment a little past their best.

Poncirus trifoliata

At which point, prompted by the shrub snapped above, I started to notice the arrangements of leaves and petals that were on show. Most leaves did not form rosettes, and those that did were not particularly into fives. And while lots of flowers did indeed have five petals, there were plenty of petalled flowers - as opposed to things like daisies, irises and roses - which did not have five petals. Or any multiple thereof. For a previous effort see, for example, reference 1.

To the cafeteria for lunch. Sweet scone quite acceptable, much better than average. Gravy not too strong. Vegetables, mainly cabbage and red pepper, not too cooked. Sausages not too spiced. Not bad at all for a cafeteria. Got into conversation with the ladies on the next table about the gadget which enabled the people bringing your meal to find you (see references 3 and 4), with my commenting that one might have thought one would see more of them about. On which, one of the ladies explained that the nearest she had come to it was a gadget in Australia which told you when your lunch was ready to be collected from the hatch. Given that the function is not that different, perhaps the people at reference 4 do these gadgets as well?

Out to try a woodland walk, cut into the rampant rhododendrons, probably intended for children, but with plenty of substantial trees. All very pleasant.

Echium pininana

Echiums not yet in the same league as those at Ventnor's Botanic Garden on the Isle of Wight, but trying.

Double flowers

I had not noticed the double flowers of the delphinium before. Perhaps a fancy rather than common-or-garden variety.

Giant onions?

Climbing hydrangea?

Not completely convinced, but we certainly have seen climbing hydrangea on Battleston Hill at Wisley, climbing up a tree, in what must have been a rather shady position for a flower which I associate with the bright sunlight of the seaside.

A grafted tomato

Presumably a good fruiting bud grafted onto a strong root. But not something I have ever seen before: fruit trees yes, vegetables no.

A butcher's block

An interesting assortment of things used to display the merchandise in the shop, including this used butcher's block. I almost scored it as a fake but desisted; include the block and all sorts of nearby stuff would get in.

A small orchard planted near the car park not looking very healthy, with some trees dead and some not very well. Quite a lot with some sort of moss or perhaps algae growing in them, the sort of thing you see in damp valleys in Devon. Perhaps, as it has turned out, it was a poor choice of tree for the location. Not that I can even remember what sort of tree they were.

Nearest thing to a tweet being a possible grey wagtail, probably young.

Reference 1: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2019/04/second-class-cafe.html.

Reference 2: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2019/05/fives.html.

Reference 3: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2018/12/osberts-day.html.

Reference 4: https://tabletracker.co.uk/.