Some views of the back garden

24 Nov '07 2:41 pm

Well-a few days later and the birds are still suspicious !None have investigated their new open-air cafe with a view.It is interesting that different birds have their territories around the house.In this back garden we see sparrows and waxeyes mainly,and also swallows,minahs and finches.Always the noisy magpies which come right up to the door.Around other parts of the house are blackbirds,starlings and ocasionally the sweet-singing thrush.They are here all year round,which is why I want a feeder for them in Winter.
gordon-I wonder if you mean the Nandina-it seems to change colour all the time-it has yellowish new growth at the moment.
Anyway,here are some photos taken this morning.

24 Nov '07 5:38 pm

Hi, Dixie-

Wow! Your garden just keeps getting better, doesn't it? That white rose is a knock-out! And your penstemons are great! They look the same as some of mine, except that my lavender ones are all dwarves and don't get more than 6 or 8 inches high, and yours appear to be much larger than that! Maybe it's caused by the wonderful N.Z. climate! My red and dark blue penstemons are tall, though, and DO need some help to stay upright. I also really liked your violas; they never seem to do particularly well for me, so I've just about given up on them. After all, there are many other plants that will do better here, and I haven't much space. But violas are so cheerful!!

From these pictures, it appears that there is quite a good view from the other side of the garden. Is that right? What does it look like over there?

We've got frost tonight for the third night in a row, but it's sunny but crisp in the daytimes. And while winter is a nice time to plan and to dream, I'll be glad when spring arrives in a few months!

Cheers!

gordonf

26 Nov '07 10:01 pm

Oh , Dixie dear!!! What a serene, harmonious place this Summer garden of yours!! Especially the most recent photos with the patio, are SO charming!! I just love the colour harmony of white and blue, with some tender notes of pink here and there!! Together with the lovely green of the lawn, is the garden perfect!!! Congratulations, my good friend!!

I have to congratulate you as well, for the creat composition of your photos !!! You become more and more accustomed to your lovely digital camera!!

27 Nov '07 8:33 pm

Deb and I are just knocked out with these photographs, Dixie! Such a well-planned and well-groomed garden you have. We especially like the tall white rose bush (it is a rose bush, isn't it?) in the middle. And those blue pansies are like a dream. I'm especially fond of blue flowers. Deb really loves the Sharif Asma and the pensteman.

We were wondering if those are flagstones that the patio is made of. The reason I ask is that we are planning something similar for our back yard and we are looking at different techniques and materials for putting in a round patio.

It's your turn to bask in Summer and have beautiful flowers and our turn to contend with the cold, snowy Winter. It was -33 C here today, with the wind chill factored in. We've had two inches of snow today and are expecting another three inches tomorrow.

Walkin' in a winter wonderland,

Christopher

28 Nov '07 1:24 am

Dixie, how beautiful your gardens are in late spring and heading quickly into summer. I am especially admiring of your circular path as this is what I envision for a small patio area below my back deck. Your violas are making me a little sad that I decided not to put in pansies and violas this year because of the continuing draught. They are so fresh looking and beautiful combined with your roses. Sharifa Asma is one of my favorites as well and is the rose on my Avatar. Mine don't perform as well as yours, I suspect because of differences in climate; however the blooms that it produces are just as lovely, if sparser. I agree with Liza that you are becoming quite the photographic expert with your new camera. Give a deep sniff to your lovely roses next time you pass by in remembrance of all your Forum friends who are heading into winter and won't see roses for several months. And keep posting those lovely pics.

29 Nov '07 8:14 pm

It has been a very good display of roses for everyone in our district-mine are not always so prolific.
I have been wondering whether to show the rest of this area of garden,as Gordon inquired,as it is very messy !
There has been a huge conifer completely blocking the sun all year round,so that the concrete steps are often slippery,and most of the garden was in shade.So after thinking carefully for a long time,we decided to get the conifer removed-the previous owner had planted three trees a metre apart under it and they were in a sorry state.
The first picture is a 'before'.Then the grass path going towards the area.Hydrangeas on the left.The tree on the right with deep red leaves is a flowering plum.The other three trees are native NZ ones.The centre one is a golden Totara which I planted-it is evergreen.
Apart from tidying it,I can't make a garden till Autumn,as I need to bring in some soil and compost,and fix the fence...So here are the 'before' photos.
Dixie.

29 Nov '07 8:28 pm

I decided to take a couple more photos today.
The first is looking the opposite direction from the previous photos.
The first hydrangea flowers-they will become clear blue,but in the meantime,I like the soft lavender-blue.
Christopher and Deb,the first owner of this home did all the landscaping of the paths and walls,so I am lucky enough to be appreciating his hard work.The stones for the paths came from a quarry about half an hour's drive from here.I think the circle was formed using plywood bent into a circle,as it has a neat edge,then the stones were laid on a bed of fine metal,then concrete poured over carefully and brushed from off the stones.That is how I think it was done,as I made a small path like that under an archway elsewhere.
There was no garden around the paths-just lawn-I made nearly all the gardens over about 5 years.
Dixie.

30 Nov '07 12:28 am

What an amazing view of your garden and Hydrangeas, dear friend! And really interesting the story of before and after!! It gave you a great motive to create something new and really inspiring!

30 Nov '07 2:42 am

I really like the way you've framed that last shot, 0.13. The hydrangea balances out the tree on the other side nicely while also screening out what lies ahead, a very appealing path to take! All your garden shots look so beautiful and serene, I think because you've restricted you color choices to whites, blues and some yellow - at least that is the overall impression I was left with. Your garden also benifits from the borrowed scenery of the large trees in the distance.

Don't you love your digital camera? It really frees one up to experiment with variations in perspective on the same scene. With a camera full a hundred or so images one can then come in and decide which are the most worthy. As a tool, I think it helps us to learn which angles and light condition are most favorable.

Enjoying the show up here in winterland,
Mark

30 Nov '07 7:31 pm

Wow, Dixie!

Thanks for posting the latest 2 batches of pictures! I had thought that there was some sort of a drop-off on the other side of your house, and, lo, it's a farm field (and a nice one, too!)! And your "messy" part - don't worry about it! If everything were perfect, what fun would there be in planning for the future?? But now I'm wondering what kind of tree the big, gnarly one across from the hydrangeas is. It looks to be quite old and very interesting.

It all looks really great to me, even though I know it may not do so for you. What is the neighbouring pasture used for - cattle, sheep, or ??? I have mental images of you waking up in the morning to the lowing of cattle outside the window Very Happy

!

Cheerio from the damp, wintry North Pacific!!

-gordonf

Some views of the back garden

Some scenes today

Great Pics, Dixie!!

Blue and white marvels!!

A Patio Paradise

Ahhh, summer!

a little more

hydrangeas

Beautiful!!!!

What a Difference a Picture Makes!!