Southern Spring

30 Oct '07 2:11 am

Jack, you are outdoing even yourself here. This is the first time you have posted so many photos showing the fence and gate structures in your many gardens. I am fascinated by these. I wish you could easily post a map of your gardens the way Moosey has on the mooseyscountrygarden homepage. It would be so nice to put all the gardens in context with the garden as a whole. I know this is a tall order, so I don't really expect you to attempt it, but if you ever do such a map for a garden tour perhaps, a scanned copy here would be nice.

The bounty of spring in your gardens is just wonderful to see, especially for those of us in the northern hemisphere who are about to enter the winter season. It gives us so much to hope for in our own future spring.

30 Oct '07 3:48 pm

Wow, Jack!

What wonderful pictures this time - even better than usual! What is the name of that amazing blue rose?? I want one!! And how long has it taken for the Japanese maple to grow this large? And how did the Ellensgate Garden get its name? Is that bamboo fence held together with wire? If so, I have one the same in my garden!! Very Happy

So many questions!!

Thanks for the information about Zimbabwe and S.A. I, like Liza, would like to get an easy-to read book that summarizes the situation there; if you can suggest one by an author who you think knows what he/she's talking about, I'd be greatful. And, you know, the other day you referred to wanting to live in a first-world country, but I've really never looked at South Africa as a third-world one! I know it has more than its share of poor, under-educated people, but really, isn't it pretty industrialized? After all, even the Canadian military is buying mine-removal equipment from there, I understand. And didn't S.A. have an atomic program which was voluntarily given up? Even here, we have such a homeless problem that the U.N is looking into it Crying or Very sad

; and we're the most soundly financially managed country in the G7!! I just heard on the news today that our federal surplus is already $14 billion, and the year isn't over yet!! Yet we don't have money to help folks get decent housing!! Shame on our politicians!

Sorry about that. I've been in a bit of a grumpy mood all day today. I'd rather think about your beautiful pictures and imagine the wonderful fragrance of your lovely roses!

Cheers!

gordonf

30 Oct '07 11:44 pm

Firstly, and to get this out of the way quickly, I normally hate politics - it gets me so riled up! Rolling Eyes

But I'm finding it fascinating hearing about all the different political opinions around the world. It's so sad that an amazing country like South Africa has been through, and is still suffering from, such horrendous politics. And to hear that even Canada (one of the most popular destinations for British ex-pats, along with Australia - another sore point: please stop nicking all our best people!! Wink

) can't quite get the balance right doesn't really leave much hope for the rest of us, eh?!?! Rolling Eyes

I've always thought that those who want to be politicians are the last people who should be and those who definitely don't want to be politicians are the ones who would make the best! Ah well, life is full of these little paradoxes!

Anyway, as you say Jack, we retreat to the garden to escape these things, and what an escape you have provided for us! Once again, your waterlilies captured my heart with the creamy-yellow colour inside and the pink flush on the outside petals - just gorgeous! The violas are so sweet too - I was amazed at the red-ish colour of the soil though; is it clay in that spot or is it not the soil at all and I'm being stupid?! Rolling Eyes

31 Oct '07 2:04 am

Faith - a map of the farm is becoming a priority. I recently acquired an aerial photo (disappointing in itself, unfortunately) which I can use as a template for a map. I have been looking forward for ages to publishing just such a map Smile

!

No, Bambi - much of our soil is very red, and when I built my house I chose flooring etc. that toned with the soil colour - being a practical male, you know Wink

, and knowing how it can remain wet for weeks on end, and how our red soil collects in thick chunks on the bottom of shoes and no matter how careful you are, some WILL end up in the house! Plus I did pump up the colour saturation a little too much as the roses and violas are both a rather creamy yellow and I wanted more definition *he admits sheepishly* Embarassed

After posting I realised that I had missed a whole lot of questions from you, Gordon Embarassed

Got to go now, but will answer them soon!

Bye all!

31 Oct '07 7:49 am

"The Squire" simply couldn't cope with the rain. The heavy heads led to folded necks. But there is a solution... which made a talking piece over Sunday Lunch with my folks and Aunty Corrie. And waiting in the wings - some post-prandial pictures...

31 Oct '07 3:21 pm

The Squire pie looks good enough to sniff! I think the Squire is a David Austin rose, isn't it? Nice dark red, very much like the Prince I think. I can't remember which is the newer development.

I'm delighted to enter through Ellen'sgate. The opening in the far side above the fence looks like a plein air painting. The pink roses set the white flowers off nicely. Definitely an inviting outdoor room.

I never get tired of columbines. They earn their popularity. I've always been more drawn to shape than color and these guys are exquisite little scuptures.

The red in the surrounding trees almost make me think of fall. This must be new folliage?

Nice to see your house too. Very pleasing lines and color. Living in a cracker box of a warehouse, I always appreciate architectural detail. I imagine a site plan for your garden would be a complex thing to execute though interesting for us that haven't been there to see. It isn't as if you need it for anything. I sometimes struggle to draw one up myself but there always seems to be something more urgent or attractive to do.

Thanks for the new photos.

31 Oct '07 10:09 pm

Very quickly, from work, some titles:

Strange Days Indeed: How Apartheid Was Torn Apart - and How South Africa Came Together (ISBN: 0553408917) by Johnson, Shaun (dated by now, but one of the best)

1 Nov '07 1:09 am

Dear Jack, how exciting to think that there will someday be a map (site plan) of your beautiful gardens. I disagree with Mark about the importance of site plans. I have always drawn site plans for every garden I ever developed, even before I ever tilled the first bed. I guess I am a frustrated architect, because I love drawing plans. It gives me focus when developing a new property; even if the plans change dramatically in the course of the development. I just go back and adjust the site plan to reflect what actually ended up being developed. Unfortunately, my site plan is drawn on very large paper in some detail, so it is not scanable (if that is a word)or I would post it for all to see. I do have a very small scale (not detailed) version that I drew for the open garden tour this past summer. Maybe I will scan that.

Anyway, I will look forward to your plan. Also, it is nice to see a resourceful gardener making "lemonade" out of the lemon-like weather that nature sometimes doles out. Your rose plate was lovely.

1 Nov '07 4:03 pm

Thanks, Jack, for the reference; I'll see if it's available in the library here. If not, I'll see whether I can get it from Amazon.com, in their used book section. Any other suggestions?

Cheers!

gordonf

1 Nov '07 8:02 pm

I found a book on Mugabe on the net. Trying to find out more about it, I discovered this interesting revue which also gives the name of the book.

http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showpdf.cgi?path=185721033029433

Southern Spring

More of Jack's bounty.

Oh, Jealousy, jealousy - turn away from me!!!

Maps and Red Soil

Quick pics

Books on SA

Site plan

Books

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