Hi all. We all would agree that we all have our own ideas about the plants we like to grow and also design etc etc. I am only saying this due to a thought that occured about me talking of all these plants with ( to many) "fancy names" - we do all know though that it is the only way to positively identify a plant everywhere - popular names vary up and down Country. Heres the story - I had a great pal who was also very keen on he's garden but loved annuals in very straight lines and patterns and also grew some really good ( but really blowsy) Chrysanths. He could never understand my garden full of ( to him) dull plants and no splashes of bright colour everywhere - used to call me ( forgive this word please) a "snotty" gardener, all these plants with the "high fallutin" names. I suppose it could appear (other than to all who grow the same as myself) that way to many . May I say please that I have about the same number of "everyday" plants as the "snotty" ones and love them dearly - Phloxes, Iris, Daylilies, Sedums, Helianthemums, Heleniums, Campanulas, Geraniums, Liatris and so on and so on - you know the ones. Just wondered what others thought though not meant in any way to be controversial - just for conversation.
Hi all. Better soon "get my coat" ( another Fast Show fan me). May I mention birds in the garden. We all love them ( except perhaps Woodie on occasions when he has "pecked your Peas" ( if you have ever had your "peas pecked" by him you will know what I mean). Seriously they are part of the garden scene and it would not be the same without seeing them about. I am a great bird lover and like most of us encourage them into the garden as much as poss. Delighted to say that we have Wrens nesting in the garden and very close to the bungalow. Theres just the bog standard conservatory on the side here and next to i tis a narrow path with the garage right next to it - about a 3 feet space and that far away from indoors. Its on that garage wall that the Roses and Clematis grow on trellis. and in the middle of one of these "clumps" they have their nest. They started building it some weeks ago - lefi it for while and then joy of joys they came back and looks like they mean business this time. All sorts of comings and goings now and I have closed off the path and put a notice to stay out and for why. Doing everything poss not to disturb them because so much would like to see again a family of young Wrens. At last address had a nest of them in a conifer just 6 feet from the back of the bungalow and though did not see them "decamp" they did stay around the garden for a couple of hours until their parents presumably took them off to the the woods. I will try to describe what happened in those couple of hours - There was about 8 or 9 ot these just fledged young, nothing more really than fluffy fluttering golf balls (I like that) and they were everywhere, on the garage, on the shed, the trees and even on the deck - just everywhere and with the parents seemingly trying to keep it all under control, at the same time was this clamouring for food and all trying to get in first to mum and dad. Best part part of all though was to watch them "scale" a fence, these were 4 feet high. Off the ground they just seemed to hurl themselves at it at it and clung on halfway up, somehow from there they propelled themselves to the top - goodness knows how they did it. A sight to see and I hope to see it again here with these - will take pics if poss and share with you a..
...I enjoyed reading that about the Wrens, some of my favourite little birds... don't see enough of them here... too many cats, everyone seems to have a cat, sometimes half a dozen, feral ones around too... I do have a Jenny Wren, and I still call them that... visit my garden through the winter and early Spring but haven't see her for some time...maybe she's busy with young now.. I always know she's about as her whirring sound is unmistakeable... could be a 'he' of course,, I wouldn't know...
..re, plant names... I know what you mean with this, I too like to be accurate with these and don't mind mostly, but I get annoyed when just as you get familiar with some of them they change it to something else... also like you I find people think you're being a bit uppity or clever, but we just like to be specific I think and not to confuse it...
...people near me think I am the local gardener, but I know they can be a bit surprised and disappointed when looking at my garden as they don't see what they expect to see - a whole range of summer bedding in mass effect... which is what they seem to expect at this time of year... virtually all my garden is permanently planted... I do like some annuals and wouldn't be without them in containers but my garden, like yours I expect, ebbs and flows, and many of my plants will flower perhaps for just a week or two, maybe a month, then others take over...lots of foliage along the way which doesn't always impress.. people are polite but I know what they're thinking.... ''where's the colour..??''.... it's there, you just have to look for it, or wait for it.... so come back next week..!... of course at this time of year most of our gardens will be in full flow... but even so, I still have, and enjoy, quiet areas that are resting... so to speak... where it's more foliage than flower...and people don't always understand that...
...I thought you would have a nice collection of conifers.. I've heard of most of these that you grow... I also like the 'Rheingold' and forgot to mention that, although I don't grow it now, I have a related one called 'Golden Tuffet'.. and I love these they make little balls of golden foliage tipped orange in winter.. I grow them next to Pittosporum 'Tom Thumb'.. it's dark foliage contrasts well I think.... to liven up this area midsummer.. I grow a white shrub rose called 'Diamond'... it has a very long flowering season just coming into bloom now, very thorny but it provides that colour I need for this area...bright and sparkling...
Hi. Apologies- no idea what went wrong there - if enlarged they are massive. Think I will have to give this pics thing up - more nuisance than I am worth.
Hi Verdun. Thanks for that. Some conifers do a lot for a garden - I will remember that one you mention and consider instead of Rheingold. Note you mention Hellebores another favourite of mine but only grow three. In spite of trying it umpteen times Niger I have never succeeded with and yet folk tell me it is easy renough. I have corsicus, foetidus and orientalis. I know you love grasses and I have some, Hakenochloa, Molinia, Carex (2 var), Millium (Bowles), Holcus, Phalaris ( in spite of its rampings love this for those leaves all different), Briza, Ophiopogon green and black, Liriope though not strictly a grass I treat it as such - have had others in the past but plot too small now so a try a few of everything. If I may say you are obviously very knowledgeable about plants and this I think is right, if you love things you must know all about them - what think you. Regards.
Hi. A couple of pics of the front sheeted and shingled garden - this to keep the Moles at bay which happy to say it does. Its a good thing really apart from that since this area is so very dry and its as much as i can do to keep that area at the back happy i n the dry spells. Looks OK and have a few shrubs in containers and also behind me in the pic I have a nice Viburnub, a var Eleagnus, yellow Choisya, couple of Laurels, more Bamboos, a Rhodo and a couple of small Azaleas under.
Hi Salino. I would be most surprised if I found a gardener who did not like birds but I have known many b/watchers who do not garden. Its a funny thing that here we live right next to a wood and in an area of many many beautiful trees both broad leaved and coniferous - my pet is a 50 ft Larch just over the fence - in spite of this theres far fewer birds (numbers and varieties) than there was in our last garden in a village near Colchester. I figure it is the tall and mature trees responsible because averagely small birds do not nest/live in big trees - where theres hedgerows here theres a better selection can be heard at least. Ref the front garden well now't I can do about that but I do keep it looking nice naturally. The little Boxes I will clip to a ball when theres enough growth.
Hi B-L. Sorry I am a bit behind in replying to your last post. Firstly ref the book I can appreciate you are very busy indeed but the time will come when you have got it to your way of thinking and with all that interest and the experiences behind then get that pen out.- I have read some really super book written by folk who did just the same as what you have - best wishes whatever. Ref the Hosta slugs and snails are their enemy number one and it is always so sad to see a hitherto superb clump overnight be chewed by them. I was talking to Salino and we spoke of there being far fewer Thrushes about now, a couple of regular visitors of their ilk soon made its mark. Sharp gravel under them and keep their hideyholes to a minimum where poss. A daily look under the leaves often pays dividends. There is another way - I like to grow them and that is in containers where you can really keep an eye on them but this often is just not practical. Hunt them mercilessly is the answer I think. May I say again your garden looks superb and all credit to you makers of it. Regards.
Posts
Hi all. We all would agree that we all have our own ideas about the plants we like to grow and also design etc etc. I am only saying this due to a thought that occured about me talking of all these plants with ( to many) "fancy names" - we do all know though that it is the only way to positively identify a plant everywhere - popular names vary up and down Country. Heres the story - I had a great pal who was also very keen on he's garden but loved annuals in very straight lines and patterns and also grew some really good ( but really blowsy) Chrysanths. He could never understand my garden full of ( to him) dull plants and no splashes of bright colour everywhere - used to call me ( forgive this word please) a "snotty" gardener, all these plants with the "high fallutin" names. I suppose it could appear (other than to all who grow the same as myself) that way to many . May I say please that I have about the same number of "everyday" plants as the "snotty" ones and love them dearly - Phloxes, Iris, Daylilies, Sedums, Helianthemums, Heleniums, Campanulas, Geraniums, Liatris and so on and so on - you know the ones. Just wondered what others thought though not meant in any way to be controversial - just for conversation.
Hi all. Better soon "get my coat" ( another Fast Show fan me). May I mention birds in the garden. We all love them ( except perhaps Woodie on occasions when he has "pecked your Peas" ( if you have ever had your "peas pecked" by him you will know what I mean). Seriously they are part of the garden scene and it would not be the same without seeing them about. I am a great bird lover and like most of us encourage them into the garden as much as poss. Delighted to say that we have Wrens nesting in the garden and very close to the bungalow. Theres just the bog standard conservatory on the side here and next to i tis a narrow path with the garage right next to it - about a 3 feet space and that far away from indoors. Its on that garage wall that the Roses and Clematis grow on trellis. and in the middle of one of these "clumps" they have their nest. They started building it some weeks ago - lefi it for while and then joy of joys they came back and looks like they mean business this time. All sorts of comings and goings now and I have closed off the path and put a notice to stay out and for why. Doing everything poss not to disturb them because so much would like to see again a family of young Wrens. At last address had a nest of them in a conifer just 6 feet from the back of the bungalow and though did not see them "decamp" they did stay around the garden for a couple of hours until their parents presumably took them off to the the woods. I will try to describe what happened in those couple of hours - There was about 8 or 9 ot these just fledged young, nothing more really than fluffy fluttering golf balls (I like that) and they were everywhere, on the garage, on the shed, the trees and even on the deck - just everywhere and with the parents seemingly trying to keep it all under control, at the same time was this clamouring for food and all trying to get in first to mum and dad. Best part part of all though was to watch them "scale" a fence, these were 4 feet high. Off the ground they just seemed to hurl themselves at it at it and clung on halfway up, somehow from there they propelled themselves to the top - goodness knows how they did it. A sight to see and I hope to see it again here with these - will take pics if poss and share with you a..
...I enjoyed reading that about the Wrens, some of my favourite little birds... don't see enough of them here... too many cats, everyone seems to have a cat, sometimes half a dozen, feral ones around too... I do have a Jenny Wren, and I still call them that... visit my garden through the winter and early Spring but haven't see her for some time...maybe she's busy with young now.. I always know she's about as her whirring sound is unmistakeable... could be a 'he' of course,, I wouldn't know...
..re, plant names... I know what you mean with this, I too like to be accurate with these and don't mind mostly, but I get annoyed when just as you get familiar with some of them they change it to something else... also like you I find people think you're being a bit uppity or clever, but we just like to be specific I think and not to confuse it...
...people near me think I am the local gardener, but I know they can be a bit surprised and disappointed when looking at my garden as they don't see what they expect to see - a whole range of summer bedding in mass effect... which is what they seem to expect at this time of year... virtually all my garden is permanently planted... I do like some annuals and wouldn't be without them in containers but my garden, like yours I expect, ebbs and flows, and many of my plants will flower perhaps for just a week or two, maybe a month, then others take over...lots of foliage along the way which doesn't always impress.. people are polite but I know what they're thinking.... ''where's the colour..??''.... it's there, you just have to look for it, or wait for it.... so come back next week..!
... of course at this time of year most of our gardens will be in full flow... but even so, I still have, and enjoy, quiet areas that are resting... so to speak... where it's more foliage than flower...and people don't always understand that...
...I thought you would have a nice collection of conifers.. I've heard of most of these that you grow... I also like the 'Rheingold' and forgot to mention that, although I don't grow it now, I have a related one called 'Golden Tuffet'.. and I love these they make little balls of golden foliage tipped orange in winter.. I grow them next to Pittosporum 'Tom Thumb'.. it's dark foliage contrasts well I think.... to liven up this area midsummer.. I grow a white shrub rose called 'Diamond'... it has a very long flowering season just coming into bloom now, very thorny but it provides that colour I need for this area...bright and sparkling...
Hi. A couple more Hostas and part of the back plot looking to thr woods.
Hi. Apologies- no idea what went wrong there - if enlarged they are massive. Think I will have to give this pics thing up - more nuisance than I am worth.
Hi Verdun. Thanks for that. Some conifers do a lot for a garden - I will remember that one you mention and consider instead of Rheingold. Note you mention Hellebores another favourite of mine but only grow three. In spite of trying it umpteen times Niger I have never succeeded with and yet folk tell me it is easy renough. I have corsicus, foetidus and orientalis. I know you love grasses and I have some, Hakenochloa, Molinia, Carex (2 var), Millium (Bowles), Holcus, Phalaris ( in spite of its rampings love this for those leaves all different), Briza, Ophiopogon green and black, Liriope though not strictly a grass I treat it as such - have had others in the past but plot too small now so a try a few of everything. If I may say you are obviously very knowledgeable about plants and this I think is right, if you love things you must know all about them - what think you. Regards.
Hi. A couple of pics of the front sheeted and shingled garden - this to keep the Moles at bay which happy to say it does. Its a good thing really apart from that since this area is so very dry and its as much as i can do to keep that area at the back happy i n the dry spells. Looks OK and have a few shrubs in containers and also behind me in the pic I have a nice Viburnub, a var Eleagnus, yellow Choisya, couple of Laurels, more Bamboos, a Rhodo and a couple of small Azaleas under.
Hi Salino. I would be most surprised if I found a gardener who did not like birds but I have known many b/watchers who do not garden. Its a funny thing that here we live right next to a wood and in an area of many many beautiful trees both broad leaved and coniferous - my pet is a 50 ft Larch just over the fence - in spite of this theres far fewer birds (numbers and varieties) than there was in our last garden in a village near Colchester. I figure it is the tall and mature trees responsible because averagely small birds do not nest/live in big trees - where theres hedgerows here theres a better selection can be heard at least. Ref the front garden well now't I can do about that but I do keep it looking nice naturally. The little Boxes I will clip to a ball when theres enough growth.
Hi B-L. Sorry I am a bit behind in replying to your last post. Firstly ref the book I can appreciate you are very busy indeed but the time will come when you have got it to your way of thinking and with all that interest and the experiences behind then get that pen out.- I have read some really super book written by folk who did just the same as what you have - best wishes whatever. Ref the Hosta slugs and snails are their enemy number one and it is always so sad to see a hitherto superb clump overnight be chewed by them. I was talking to Salino and we spoke of there being far fewer Thrushes about now, a couple of regular visitors of their ilk soon made its mark. Sharp gravel under them and keep their hideyholes to a minimum where poss. A daily look under the leaves often pays dividends. There is another way - I like to grow them and that is in containers where you can really keep an eye on them but this often is just not practical. Hunt them mercilessly is the answer I think. May I say again your garden looks superb and all credit to you makers of it. Regards.