Gordon's Garden Diary

23 Jun '09 5:22 am

I've been noticing Thalictrums more and more in the last couple years. I sure like their little lavendar buds and flowers. Your Thalictrum rochebrunianum looks like a good one. The aggravation with your neighbors seems to have spurred quite an energetic and creative response from you. (It may be too early to send them a thank you card.javascript:emoticon(' Wink

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I've been very lazy so far this summer. I've seen a number of movies. Of course starting off with a cold gave me an excuse for numerous naps and lots of sleeping in. Today I'm feeling like starting a project and reading your post has given me even more resolve. I'll have to post some photos of the new wildflower meadow. It's still blooming its heads off, mostly Clarkia, California Poppy and an unknown white flower at the moment but there are still a few Tidytips out there.

Thanks for the photos,

23 Jun '09 5:48 am

The changing room - since it is next to the bedroom, amongst other reasons!

23 Jun '09 11:59 am

Thanks, Jack and Mark, for your notes. I sure understand your laziness at this time of year, Mark. It always used to take me a couple of weeks to get over the end-of-year rush after school let out for the summer!

By this weekend I should have the moon gate in place and I've invited the three brothers who own the company that is making it over for a barbeque so they can all see their handiwork in place. They've done so much work for me over the last few years but only one has ever seen it in place. Also, One of them wants to have time to talk to me about setting himself up a side-business of growing unusual flowers and vegetables in a greenhouse. I'm not sure how much I know about the greenhouse part of his idea, but I sure know about unusual species!!

I think I slept away most of today, dozing and listening to the insects and the birds and the wind in the leaves. How wonderful it is to be able to do things like that once in a while!

I think that later this evening I'll dig out another piece or two of the black bamboo where it's encroaching on the tree peony. By the way, that peony, which died back to the ground last winter, is now nearly up to where it was at the end of last summer! I'm wondering whether or not it'll bloom later this summer.

And, as for the name on the new garden room, I think I'll call it the "Hidden Garden", since it is pretty well hidden from the main garden and it's the only part of the garden that has a gate to shut it off from the rest. Last night I planted some pink wintergreen under the dogwood there and beside the Jack-in-the-Pulpit plants. I think I'll put the rest of the trilliums there as well, since I still have some of them that need to move.

Cheers!

gordonf

28 Jun '09 11:13 am

any pictures yet of the moon gate? I've always wanted to make one of those. There is definitely something special about entering a garden through one of those.

I finally got busy last week and completed the trail out along the top of the creek from the new gate to the place where I'll be building a still new gate. I brought in a yard of "road bed", what looks like gravel and sand, and used nearly all of it to level out the path. I basically cut in cinderblocks on the down hill side, drove 2 foot sections of 1/2 inch rebar through them and into the grounf to stabalize them and then topped it all with the road bed. I'll have to get some pictures soon.

Are you as toasty as we are this weekend? 80's (F) coastside where I am and 100's inland. Today we took an early walk and I've been holed up inside recording new music and making cd's to play outside. I've got one of Keith Jarrett on piano. I made one of my favorite African music and another with latin music: Bueno Vista Social Club, Calexico and Los Fabulosos Cadillacs. Now for a cup of tea and I think I'll go outside. Toodaloo.

28 Jun '09 3:39 pm

Hi, Mark!

It's good to hear from you again! Nope, it's not hot here today - we finally got rain after 27 days of dry weather and it has been rather cool all day. I had scheduled a barbeque for today but we had to move indoors as it was just too damp to be comfortable sitting around outside. So we got to watch a "Juanes" concert that I had recorded several years ago on t.v.

The moon gate is in place but not fastened or completed yet and it looks pretty good to me. Whenever the weather dries out a bit the fellow will be back to put on the trim, etc., and then I'll take a picture of it. Joey doesn't seem to mind it; he already has been through it several times as though it wasn't there! I don't think he is much of a connosieur of the better things in life! Very Happy

With the welcome rain, the garden has been growing like Topsy! I'll have to be busy cutting and tying things back once they dry a bit. The lilies are just beginning to bloom, so I should have a month or so of them to look forward to.

I'm looking forward to seeing your handiwork on the new path - isn't summertime grand??

Cheers!

gordonf

30 Jun '09 5:09 pm

Hello again, friends!

It was a lovely day here today - sunny and warm, with a stiff ocean breeze to keep it from seeming too hot. I was away all day, but yesterday I managed to take a new batch of pictures for you.

There is one of the new, still incompletely installed, moon gate. Then there are some of the succulents in bloom as well as some of the other annuals and perennials. The garden is doing wonderfully this year and I am really very proud of it! Embarassed

The lilies are just starting to bloom for the season so there should be a fairly steady supply of pictures of them for the next few weeks.

While away today, I bought a copy of Dan Hinkley's book, "The Explorer's Garden". It has some outstanding pictures of rare and unusual garden plants. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that many of them are already in my garden, but you can surmise from my title, "Happy Collector", that I'm now lusting after a few more!! Embarassed

Anyway, here are the latest pics from my summer garden!

Cheers, all!

gordonf

30 Jun '09 5:55 pm

I love the moon gate. It's a lovely shape, particularly since it's up near eye-level. Thanks for posting, big G. You have made my gloomy, coldish, wintry day.

1 Jul '09 8:23 am

Oh dear. I love the moon gate too. I have coveted one with an oval hole for many years - does this still make it a moon gate?

Gordon, your garden continues to impress. You have every reason to puff your chest out! Cool

1 Jul '09 6:05 pm

Thanks very much, Kerole and Moosey, for the kind words and support! Yes, I'm pretty proud of the garden, but it makes it mean so much more when other gardeners like it as well!! I'm sure there are some "purists" out there who would say that my garden has too many "scene-stealers" for the size of it, but I don't care about them. I just have to work with what I have and create thimble-sized dream spaces for myself. And it's fun doing that! After all, everyone has limits of one sort or another to what they can do, so you might as well make the best of what you CAN do, eh?

The fellow came back today to complete the installation of the moon gate and he discovered that some of the trim bars on it hadn't been properly fastened in, so he had to take it back to be done properly. It should be back on Thursday afternoon, so I should be able to post a picture of the completed item then.

As for whether or not an oval-shaped gate would still be called a "moon gate", I don't know. I've done searches on moon gates, and some of them are missing the bottom piece, so I don't see why an oval one shouldn't be known as a moon gate, but then, I'm not an expert on the subject. I suspect that some people wouldn't call mine a moon gate as it's too small for a person to go through. That's why I take pains to point out that it is a moon gate for a dog! Very Happy

It was another lovely, summer day here today, again with a good ocean breeze, but I was so busy with other things that I had little time to work in the garden, and tomorrow won't be much different, as it's July 1 - Canada Day - and I have friends coming for brunch and then I have to go out for a barbeque in the afternoon. There is also the fireworks display in the evening, but I don't think I'll attend it this year as Joey dog is terrified of the banging so I really can't take him there with me, and I hate to leave him home alone to be scared.

For a retired guy, I sure don't seem to have much time to myself lately (not that I'm complaining!), but it would be nice to get into the garden once more for an hour or so!!

Anyway, that's it from here tonight; all the best, everyone!

gordonf

1 Jul '09 6:45 pm

It really is interesting to see how much you have packed into your space, Gordon! And I for one don't think it overful, mainly because you haven't gone for the "Look at me!" kind of features - rather it is a garden that rewards focused exploration. Take in the overall effect and then concentrate on the details. You make me wish for something similar - I have the opposite. So much space that it is difficult to fill in the details. And then I get frustrated with the lack of them. As you say: we all make the most within the trengths and limitations of our situation.

I'd describe anything with rounded sides - even a flat topped one - as a moongate. And an oval one sounds wonderful, Kerole. I've been playing with garden shapes of late, and love the possibilities of a formal oval.

Keep posting Gordon! You are an international example to follow!

Gordon's Garden Diary

Hi Gordon.

Call it...

Hello Gordon,

Moon Gate

June 29

My Garden List Gets Longer...

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!

Moongates and all