Nonsuch

A relaxed outing to Nonsuch Park yesterday, with the primary objective being to catch the daffodils. Part of being relaxed was parking in the car park near Cheam Village and nearest the park action, rather than the car park down by the exit from Stoneleigh, which involves rather more of a walk.

Strolled down to the house and round into the gardens, where the daffodils were all present and correct. There were also a row of south facing benches, just catching the morning sun which was coming around from the left, so we sat there for a bit. With BH taking much pleasure in all the passing infants, mostly cute.

Then down to the grove of substantial pine trees, including a previously scored Wellingtonia, that is to say rather more than a year ago, as noticed at reference 1. The base of this tree is visible left in the snap above. A modest number of daffodils, lots of purple dead nettles and some cyclamen. No doubt other stuff to come. Some strange flower heads which appeared to be dropping off some of the pine trees, giving off lots of pollen when tapped.

Bing turns up the snap above, from reference 2, which fits the bill. The paradox of pine trees not being flowering trees having been solved.

Then there was the matter of another large redwood, not quite the right shape for a Wellingtonia and I suspected its relative, the coastal redwood.

Which on closer inspection was indeed the case. Flat needles in opposing pairs, not like scales of a Wellingtonia at all. More like a large version of the yew.

Back around the edge of the pines, where there were lots of grey squirrels, some being fed and quite tame. Harmless enough here, but I would not want them to be fed in our garden where they count as a pest on account of their taking all our hazel nuts.

And so to the café where we bought tea and cake. One a tray bake version of an almond and marzipan tart, one a tray bake version of an apple crumble. Neither looked all that much, but both tasted OK. No sign of currant buns or anything of that sort, toasted or otherwise. Although the café does have a proper kitchen out back. Quite possibly not presently used.

We actually took the tea and cake around the other side, sat on the east facing steps of the big house, where we were able to catch the sun again. From where, it was clear that the Wellingtonia was a good bit taller than the coastal redwood: the former stood out above the crowd, the latter was one of the crowd.

Home to lunch, after which I took my first back patio siesta of the season. Quite warm enough to nod off nicely for an hour or so. There was a bit of cloud about, but it did not seem to be troubling the sun. Mainly blue sky.

Followed by a double ration of bricks, some compensation for an otherwise rather lazy day.

PS 1: the following day, I discovered that someone has been planting daffodils in Court Recreation Ground. At least, I don't remember this bank of them. But it does come to mind that there are Friends of the recreation ground who do such things.

PS 2: I was having trouble computing what it was below and to the left of the green litter bin, just beyond the daffodils. Perhaps part of one of the felled trees? Then zoom suggested that the seemingly unbroken slab of grey was actually in two parts. On the right, one had a large bough sticking up from the body of the trunk, partially occluding the litter bin. On the left, one had the path swinging around to the right, before swinging left again through the far trees. The combination of eye and telephone conflated the two into one slab of indecipherable gray. One slab which is now breaking down into three, now that I know the answer: the brain has pushed some instructions down to the vision centre. A trick of the point of view. Had I bothered to change my position a bit more between snaps, all might have been clearer sooner.

References

Reference 1: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2022/01/wellingtonia-62.html.

Reference 2: https://joshfecteau.com/meet-the-pines-scotch-pine/scotchpinemale/.

Reference 3: https://joshfecteau.com/. Clearly into birds as well as bees, that is to say trees.