One of our new acquisitions, Salvia Salgoon Lake George, looking gorgeous in the sunshine [click to embiggen]
It has been another beautiful Spring day and, needless to say, I spent most of it in the extensive gardens here at Dolores Delargo Towers: I built another set of display shelves [as you can see in the background of the photo above], potted-on another load of small plants into bigger pots, created the first of what will be a number of window box/wall-pot displays, and did load of general pottering besides. Very satisfying.
Meanwhile, I have just been reminded by Sean Keaveney on Radio 2 that it will be ten years next week since the force of nature that was Prince ascended the glittering (purple, of course) stairway to Fabulon. I think a little tribute is in order...
The archetypal flamboyant icon of mid-80s to mid-90s pop [alongside Queen Madge, of course], he evolved from the shadow of his idol Rick James into the mega-successful, adored superstar whose death was so widely mourned across the globe. He was not merely a performer, singer and musician, however; he was a brilliant songwriter, too.
And, by way of a tribute to his genius, here are several examples of how his compositions became massive hits for other people:
First up, the one that always makes me cry...
...lightening the mood somewhat, a clutch of much more uplifting choons...
...the classic - here featuring an artist who shares a birthday with The Purple One, Sir Tom Jones (Tom Jones)...
...and finally, the man himself:
Prince Rogers Nelson (7th June 1958 – 21st April 2016)
Talent in the garden and talent on the screen. Prince was so gifted.
ReplyDeleteHe was one in a million! Jx
DeleteOoh, your new salvia does look gorgeous in the sunshine!
ReplyDeleteThe weather has been amazing recently - so many days spent in the garden. Why can't weekends like this last forever?
P.S. I love all the tribute choons but I never knew Prince wrote "Manic Monday".
The salvia was a chance purchase at The Gardening Club, and the label didn't even have the variety name on it, just the trademark "Salgoon", so I looked it up on their website. It's a lovely colour and, for a change, not one that's similar to any other salvia in our collection.
DeleteI wish I could afford the life of leisure and permanent sunny weekends! Maybe the lottery numbers will come up this week... Jx
PS He wrote Manic Monday under the nom-de-plume "Christopher" and apparently offered it to Suzanna Hoffs in the hope she would have sex with him, which she found mortifying. I am surprised the band agreed to record it after that kind of behaviour!
Oh, I didn't know he wrote Manic Monday either! Nothing Compares often makes me cry as well.
ReplyDeleteI'm pleased that you've been enjoying a tinkering up your back passage - outside is warmer than inside especially when you've run out of heating oil and can't afford to buy anymore thanks to the Tangerine Twat in the US, grrr.
Sx
My back passage hasn't seen so much activity in ages!
DeleteHeating oil? How very rural. [He says, in his best Margo Leadbetter voice] Jx
What a perfect tribute to Prince, sweetpea! All of those songs were, and still are, among my favorites.I've realized after looking at all your gardening photos that I LIKE the idea of a gorgeous garden, I lack the talent and desire to produce one! *sigh* xoxo
ReplyDeleteWe all have the "talent" to produce a garden that makes us happy, but you have to want it enough, in order to get there. It's been a bit of a slog this week, but it's so rewarding at this time of year to sort everything out - so that come summer, we can sit back and simply enjoy it... [And still be turning our music up to eleven in order to drown out those noisy sods next door, no doubt. They certainly don't like classical music! {{{Twirls moustache in a Dick Dastardly fashion}}}]
DeleteJx
Music wars!
DeleteI get what you’re saying about wanting something badly enough to do the work. I need to plant something amongst my shrubs to see off the weeds. I read that Phlox might do the trick - but I’m going to have to weed it all first, aren’t I?!!
Sx
A lot depends on what the weed is, to be honest. If it's just annual weeds like Herb Robert or chickweed and their ilk, then something like a creeping phlox, campanula or hardy geranium might sort that out. If it's something like ivy, ground elder, bindweed or blue alkanet, you need to do a bit more work... Jx
DeleteGround Elder, and bramble! Most of the bramble is now in a state of control, for the time being - it comes from the field beyond and is a nightmare.
DeleteHave you heard of no dig gardening? Whereby sheets of cardboard, and then top soil is placed on top of anywhere you want to grow something new - I might have a go at that, and then if that doesn't work I might invest in some paving slabs and concrete!!!
Sx
Ground elder is notoriously difficult to control. I have heard of "no dig" gardening - but if the weed has spread between, and into, the roots of existing plants than you have to remove all those first. the "no dig " method is basically a fabulous idea for new, cleared plots. Jx
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