November 2013 Working Bee

We had a great afternoon tea at the working bee today. Some of the great food included pikelets and NCG tree-ripened mulberry jam made by Dianne, cous cous by Christine, a broad bean salad by Heather, a broad bean salad by Elizabeth, (Tanya's) olives by Heather and olives by Rebecca.

Lots of much-needed mulching and weeding was accomplished around the perimeter of the gardens. We managed to neatly put back to the outside of the fence all the logs and wood that were carelessly thrown into the gardens by the mysterious mowing monsters.

We also discussed and walked around the proposed area for an extension of the gardens to the south. And we discussed the mowing along the outside of the gardens (along the east side next to railway lines).

Here are some photos taken today:

 

                                                                      afternoon tea

                                                                     

                                                                       

                                                                    

 Pierre de Ronsard rose (named in reference to Ronsard's (1524 -1585) poem "Ode to Cassandra")

Here's the poem:

À CASSANDRE

Mignonne, allons voir si la rose

Qui ce matin avoit desclose

Sa robe de pourpre au Soleil,

A point perdu, ceste vesprée,

Les plis de sa robe pourprée,

Et son teint au votre pareil.

Las ! voyez comme en peu d’espace,

Mignonne, elle a dessus la place

Las, las, ses beautés laissé choir !

O vraiment marâtre Nature,

Puis qu’une telle fleur ne dure

Que du matin jusques au soir !

Donc, si vous me croyez, mignonne,

Tandis que votre âge fleuronne

En sa plus verte nouveauté,

Cueillez, cueillez votre jeunesse :

Comme à cette fleur la vieillesse

Fera ternir votre beauté.

and in English:

TO CASSANDRE

Darling, let's see if the rose

Who this morning had desclose

His purple robe Sun,

A lost point, cestus vespers,

The folds of her purple dress,

And your complexion like.

Alas! see as little space

Cute, she has over the place

Weary, weary, let fall its beauties!

O really stepmother Nature

Can such a flower lasts

That the morning even to the evening!

So if you believe me, cute,

While your age blossomed

As greener novelty,

Pick, pick your youth:

As this flower old age

Will tarnish your beauty.

Alistair