Summer shots

29 Nov '06 1:56 am

Jack, I love the photo of the birds (and what a great name they have!); the rosemary borders are looking great too - I love all those purples!

So glad to hear that Monty's ok, if a little bruised. Poor boy - I wonder what happened?

I don't want to encourage too much of a debate on this subject, as it's rather off the main theme, but I have to admit that I think more humans deserve corporal punishment than animals - I could never condone causing pain of this kind to any animal, but I've met and seen (plus my husband has quite a few that he teaches) a lot of children/young adults who may well have benefitted from it when they were younger - it totally depends on the individual situation, so it's difficult to make sweeping statements.

Anyway...

29 Nov '06 9:37 am

I'll ditto that.

While I've avoided smacking where possible, sometimes a little 'swat' was needed. (Rarely, and always with a follow up talk and hug)

If parents are anti-smacking, and it is their right to be so, they must be prepared to have alternative punishments that work, and therein lies the problem. Many don't, and their children grow up believng they can do anything, hurt anybody, and there will be no consequences.

But anyway, back on topic, I'm glad Monty is none the worse for his 'incident'. Smile

29 Nov '06 10:14 pm

I steal time between sessions to be on the forum...

The pics, still those taken over the weekend, aren't brilliant, but it is fun to take my camera along on a quick walk and try to capture the summer garden for you - have you noticed how we all tend to focus in on detail in summer?

30 Nov '06 2:15 am

More great pictures as always, Jack.

This may sound obvious, but probably the reason we focus on detail in the summer is because there is more detail to focus on!! (Work that out! Wink

)

Anyway, the pun wasn't all that bad - it made me smile anyway! And I love the sunset picture at the end too (well, ok, I love all of the pictures!)

30 Nov '06 6:18 am

My God!! What a sunset!

30 Nov '06 8:26 am

Dear Jack,

Again, your photos are beautiful. I agree that the sunset photo at the end is amazing. I also love your shots of your beautiful cottage, so idyllic. I have never seen a plant like the Dharmas (Did I spell that right? Forgot to check before starting this reply.) They are so romantic with their drooping form. What is their botanical name? I loved the pink guara also. I can't seem to get guaras to last more than one season here in my garden. Too much heat and humidity I suppose. Thanks for sharing your beautiful gardens with us in picture and word.

Faith

30 Nov '06 4:17 pm

Love the photos!

I'm quite taken with your chrysanthemum silver and gold. That's reet purdy foliage.

(Confession time, I have one of your older photos as my current wallpaper and it looks to be the same foliage. It's the picture with the Jacques Cartier rose and an agapanthus coming into bloom.)

And the pun wasn't half bad. Very Happy

30 Nov '06 7:46 pm

Yup Anna, that's the one! Near the end of winter I took a pic of it rimmed with frost, the best of them all. Check it out on http://forums.mooseyscountrygarden.com/garden737-30.html

Diarama, Faith, is the botanical name. They are sub-Saharan grassland plants, usually at high altitudes. I have the definitive book on the genus, huge and impressive. The main conclusion is that they are all darn-near identical, with slight changes in size, colour, flowering-time and proportions of the flowers (a bit like Michael's complaint about agapanthus!)

I first really became aware of them as garden subjects at Bodnant in Wales, although we had from somewhere acquired a plant or two of the more conventional mauvy-pink one.(ditto Bodnant) I am certain they must be available in the USA, and should manage in Alabama: they cope with heat and drought although they don't particularly like them, and in the high mountains often deal with sub-zero winter NIGHT temperatures...

The white form was a present from a very dear gardening friend, who rather shyly said to me 'I hope you realise this is a very special present.' I wished this year I could show her how lovely the several specimens are that I have gained by division!

1 Dec '06 4:07 am

Thanks Jack, I will see if I can locate a source in the U.S. They are so lovely and I think I have a good spot for them. I don't know why I couldn't remember the name in my last post because when I first read it I thought about a set scene like the Nativity. They seem to be doing very well on the sloped terrace you created alongside your walk. I would like to see if they will do as well on the sloped sides of my newest rose berm. It is shaped like a large horseshoe and I have plans to place a curved bench on a small stone paved area within the inside curve. I can just picture these flanking the bench.

Faith

1 Dec '06 9:31 am

Well Jack, I finally found a source for Dierama pulcherrimum 'Album', which I think is the variety you have. Looks like it anyway. A local nursery will have them in the spring. They are rated for Zone 8 or higher and I am actually in Zone 7, so it may be a little risky. However, the lady I spoke with at the nursery said they spread rapidly and they pulled theirs up at the end of the season. They had them planted on the edge of a display pond. I will have to remind myself to get them next spring. Thanks for introducing them.

Faith

Summer shots

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Summer pics

That's the one...

Diaramas

After an exhaustive search ........Success!