Summer on Sequoia

18 Dec '07 10:39 am

Well!!! This new Cannon baby of yours, seems to be really a wondrous camera!!!"Stitching "!!!Wow! I used to have a normal camera taking panoramic photographs, and THAT was gorgeous indeed!! And you created now something like this with digital photos, on your own!!!!And you say, you can do many more tricks!!! My!!

But I just wish to express my admiration now for those exceptionally beautiful Hibiscus captures!!!! What a variety of gorgeous colours and shapes!!! It seems , that your parents must be very happy in the community where they live!! Their garden photos are also SO cute!!

And welcome to Flickr, dear friend!!This Flickr story turned out to me having a VERY humane facet , too!! People get closer there , just "wandering" inside each other's photos!! Photos have the immense power of transmitting vibrations , causing very strong feelings and emotions to experience!!And in this case, in my own Colourful Nature World, the feelings and emotions are but positive and wonderful! On the practical level, you keep your mostly loved captures well protected and arranged, and that is very important, especially if you love order , like I do...

18 Dec '07 12:45 pm

Great pictures, you seem to have mastered that new camera alot better than I have mine. Of course I would have to pry the thing out of my daughter's hands long enough to learn. Hubby got us a new canon powershot S5LS for our anniversary. Lots of really cool things you can do with it like an hour of video with sound. My daughter is the only one getting to play with it much so far, here is one of her shots.

21 Dec '07 8:51 pm

Yesterday I looked at the rainfall log: rain started in the last week of September and it rained steadily and softly for 3 weeks. We measured 173 in October, 177 in November and 177 up till yesterday for December - most of it soft, steady rain. I think it is wetter than it has been since 2000. I've even had to help a 4x2 that was stuck on the road up my hill...

The result is that little in the garden stands up to close scrutiny, although the overall effect is lush and ravishing...

22 Dec '07 2:21 am

Jack, I've made a number of discoveries in your garden here today. First, I'm very taken by that overhead structure in the anniversary garden. It looks more scuptural than utilitarian. I like the way it meanders about, not the usual rectangular bit. I've had an image in my head for some time of something similar I hope to do in a new area I'll be developing. If I could possibly see it from other angles it would really help me to visualize what I could do in my new area.

Then there is that bed of cannas! Wonderful composition. Great shapes, patterning and color. You're absolutely right about the flowers, they'd just busy up the scene.

The verbascum sure are textural. I'm going to have to find a place to grow some this year. Your buddleya (sp?) looks great. Too many flowers on mine get rolled up by some sort of spittle bug before they can open. I had to look around in that photo to find the border collie. It reminded of the Where's Waldo childrens books. "Where's The Border Collie" could make a great coffee table book for gardeners.

Oh, today is my first day of Winter Break. Free at last, free at last. I got up early and have greatly enjoyed my stroll in your garden this morning, Jack.

23 Dec '07 6:20 am

Thanks for the comments - I didn't realise that Doubly was in the pic of the border till I was editing it. As far as the Anniversary garden goes - imagine the following: an oblong cookie, say 2 1/2 by 1 1/2 inches, with a big bite taken out of the whole of one of the long sides. That gives you the shape of the pergola. The entrance gate is at the point where the cookie is thinnest, with steps at the apex of the curve (does a curve have an apex?) and the gate in the middle of the remaining long side. The central path runs down from here. To left and right are three sets of beams cutting across from the long side to the curve - the outer ones considerably longer than the middle ones, which are somewhat longer than the inner ones. All the way across the long axis there is a crossbeams marking the ends of the short beams, and then second crossbeams on either side marking the end of the middle beams. By now a drawing (photographed) and additional photographs would have been simpler! I will get there! But the structure has proved successful for various reasons - I shall still expand on it for you. The concept of course is that the wisteria will eventually cover the whole structure, but not hide it. You are right - it is very sculptural, and darn near killed me: it was more difficult than building my house. You see - there is a slope from left to right facing the cookie, and a considerable slope from front to back. The result is that the shortest back vertical is about 8 foot, but the longest front one (on the other side from this photo) is more like 20 foot, with considerable bracing hidden in the shrubs below, and it shoots out in a very architectural way that gives me great joy!

23 Dec '07 9:40 am

Ummmmm~excuse me Sir~what was that again??????
Dixie.

14 Jan '08 1:43 am

Dear friends

I am back from the coast and my annual holiday with Aunty May - in her nineties, no relation - who I've known for 25 years. I have stitched a pic of the wonderful view from her upstairs balcony to share with you.

I came home to more wet, most staff still on leave and to the lawnmowers out of action, so that the typical January post-holiday sense of 'how will we ever catch up!' was exaggerated considerably. In addition to finding Aunty May suddenly very old, my own parents are ageing alarmingly fast. Then both Phineas, our foreman, and Frans, my right-hand, are ageing, and it would seem Frans has diabetes. He goes for more tests tomorrow and has already applied for a state pension. I will retire him as soon as that is through and paying. Life without him will seem strange. Phineas' successor started in November, and so he returns only as advisor round-and-about the garden for a few more months. To make his successor's career worthwhile, we will be developing the nursery to a commercial level - my dream when I first moved to the farm 9 years ago... In addition I am taking over the running of the plantations from my father. At school we are in a transition phase with the headmaster leaving in June. To top it all I again become Rotary secretary in July, as well as President Elect, so I am in for 30 busy Rotary months...

On the one hand I will need you, and our gardens, and as many YOUNG friends as I can gather in the coming time. On the other hand I am of necessity going to be neglecting you and the forum because of all the other pressures. I will be around less often, post less often, fall behind with your postings more often - but I shall try not to lose touch!

Here are a few pics taken during the last few days - but note how few long shots there are due to the overgrown and unkempt nature of the garden at present!

14 Jan '08 4:08 am

I absolutely love the hillside of cannas! Takes my breath away. It is large enough to stand up to the grand scale of the view behind it. I like the way the flower color is constant while there is such wonderful contrast in the folliage. The dogs in front are all quite handsome but the cannas commanded my attention here.

The view from your aunty's is so full of subtle details. Very nice view.

Then that vining orange colored beauty absolutely stirred up my plant acquistion instincts. I am salivating here. I thought at first that this was a very special clematis. I will be looking for this one. Besides orange is a favorite of mine.

You've perked up my morning Jack. Thanks.

14 Jan '08 7:00 am

Just checked, Mark: it is described as 'grows easily from seed'... I've never actually been aware of the seed capsule, but I read they are two inches long. It shouldn't be too difficult to save you some Smile

14 Jan '08 7:06 am

I will endeavor to put a little reminder at the end of near distant posts to you. I'd guess the flowers must be at least a month away from going to seed and perhaps two or even three by the time the seed matures. If we manage to remember and the plant manages to set seed, you can expect to hear from me wanting to know all about the area where you found it growing .. but no need getting ahead of ourselves.

Summer on Sequoia

Wow Jack!!!

Jack,

Rain, rain and a few pics

Full of surprises.

Happy hols, Mark!

Ummmm

Back from the coast... and back to work!

Wow, wow and wow again!

Promise - help me to keep it...

Thanks Jack!