That is to say, it being the first fine day for a while, we took ourselves off to Wisley, where we struck lucky with their display of mainly blue crocuses.
Slightly shaky start in that the car management system announced that we had a tyre pressure problem - although, at least, it did not turn the car off. We pulled into the petrol station at Malden Rushett where we had a go with their tyre pressure machine. As beginners, we found that it took one of us to watch the gauge, while the other tried to jam the air line onto a valve. All rather tiresome. We thought we had got there, putting some air into at least one tyre, and all seemed to be well. Except that after a while the warning light came on again. This time we carried on, to find that the refurbishment of the A3/M25 junction was ore or less complete, just down to a bit of tidying up around the edges.
It was about 11:30 when we got to Wisley, where we found that plenty of other people had taken advantage of the sun - and had made an earlier start than we managed. We were consigned to the outer reaches of the car park; row T of car park 4. I took the customary location shot, just in case we had trouble finding the car later. And so onto tea, coffee and rock cakes - these last not being bad at all for a cafeteria (run by Company of Cooks of reference 3, people who seem to have a number of these higher class visitor attractions on their books.
The first sit in the sun was by the long lily pond, at the back of the big house.
Then there was the striking plant snapped above, label partially obscured I did snap the label, but that did not come out very well. However, the power of Google got me there, that is to say Edgeworthia Chrysantha 'Winter Liebe' in the Thymelaeaceae family. Part of the daphne group and adjacent to the daphne genus. Mainly notable for producing attractive flowers at the end of the winter, before the leaves appear. See reference 5.
After which we came across the crocus plantings, in grass, great swathes of them in full flower.
There did not seem to be any need for the sticks and thread that they used to used in St. James' Park to keep the pigeons off.
These masses do not seem to do very well on our estate in Epsom, but the individual flowers are pretty enough in themselves, as can be seen here.
Onto the grassed area, running up the side of the hill towards the alpine houses, where there was a more informal, mixed display of spring flowers. Quite a few of these small yellow flowers and BH took some convincing that they were daffodils at all, but we got there in the end.
Some rather bigger daffodils.
Onto the cafeteria outside the big glass house, a place we have used several times in the past. I opted for one of their pizzas. Not bad, but the time I got to the end of it I was a bit too aware that it was a thin slice of cheap cheese warmed up on top of some flat bread. BH took something a little more healthy. Garlic bread left. Plus fake 194 of reference 1.
Tasteful piano music in the background. Better than your average musak.
Out for another bench, in the glass house, this time to admire the splendid plant snapped above. Unfortunately, I snapped the label for one of the plants below, so I don't know what this one is called.
Just next door we had the national plant of Tenerife, The sort of thing that the stewards on the better class of aeroplanes give you as a souvenir.
A striking iris, which Google Images tells me is an Iris japonica, to be found at reference 6. I suppose it is a clear view of a striking flower, so Google has something good to bite on.
Into the orchid annex where there was lots to see, quite apart from the fine display of orchids. Including a fascinating pitcher plant, which I did not think to snap and which led to an interesting conversation with Gemini, as explained at reference 1. Then there was fake 195 of reference 2.
We had not been inside this glass house for a while, and I had forgotten how many interesting and unusual plants they have got in there - and this without visiting the really hot parts. I continue to be fascinated by the the succulents in the dry sector, the ones with all the mathematical patterns
Out to catch a fine clump of winter aconites, flowers I am rather fond of, but which, I think, failed to thrive when I tried to grow them in our garden. Lots of them at Hampton Court.
After which we just had time to check up on the weeping Atlas cedar before heading back to the car. Via the shop, naturally. At least, BH did the shop while I dozed in the sun outside.
Atlas cedar not quite up to the standard of Hook Road, but not bad for all that.
Something of a queue to get out, then another queue to get past works - probably the services - associated with a new estate from Taylor Wimpey called 'Wisley Acres'. To be built on some or all of the site of Wisley Airfield, amid some kerfuffle.
Complete with lots of stuff, as lifted above from reference 8. I wonder what the story on affordables was. Buy the council off - a tactic which I believe is entirely legitimate?
PS: we had two foot pumps for cars hanging in roof of the garage, pretty old, one with a pressure gauge. But useless; I could not get their hoses to properly lock onto the valves of the tyres. So the following day, the day of the bifanas of reference 9, we paid an early visit to the filling station outside Sainsbury's Kiln Lane, to try our luck there. Very similar machine to that of the day before, albeit rather cheaper. Did the business and the warning lights went off. But by the time that BH had got home with the car, they had come on again. Maybe visit Halfords to see what they can sell us? Maybe visit Epsom Autos - who have been looking after us for many years - and let them worry about it?
Aside: not impressed with these air machines. I liked them much better when they had a pressure gauge in the handle which you could see when you were fiddling about getting the hose fitted onto the valve. You could also hear the air when there was some action. As I recall, they were free too. All part of the service.
References
Reference 1: https://psmv6.blogspot.com/2026/02/fake-194.html.
Reference 2: https://psmv6.blogspot.com/2026/02/fake-195.html.
Reference 3: https://www.companyofcooks.com/.
Reference 4: https://www.chandcogroup.com/. The home of 'Company of Cooks'.
Reference 5: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thymelaeaceae.
Reference 6: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iris_japonica.
Reference 7: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisley_Airfield.
Reference 8: https://www.taylorwimpey.co.uk/new-homes/ockham/wisley-acres.
Reference 9: https://psmv6.blogspot.com/2026/02/bifana-epsom-style.html.
No comments:
Post a Comment