A London Roof Terrace Garden makeover

7 May '06 9:44 am

I have seen a tableau of gnomes playing cricket on green grass....but I thought it might be a bit much !
Dixie

7 May '06 10:47 am

cascading cherubs? tableaus of gnomes? I am a single early-thirtysomething webmaster, I don't like fairies, gnomes or cherubs!! I like lcd televisions and beer fridges Smile

Stephen (the moosey garden engineer) arrived in london yesterday and he and I spent this afternoon purchasing more plants for the roof terrace. I could tell you about the FIVE different carex varieties I purchased, and the four flaxes but that will have to wait until moosey apologises for accusing me of "Overdoing the pies" Smile

8 May '06 12:52 am

9 May '06 8:25 pm

Your close-up shot of the rooftop lavender flowers is superb, Eggy!
Looking forward very much to see more as your garden progresses further and your plants bloom! I love...flowers of any kind!!!! Thanks for sharing!

10 May '06 8:27 am

thanks jacqueline Smile

Some observations from someone new to gardening :

1. You accumulate hundreds of plastic plant pots of varying sizes, all of which your plants have outgrown yet you hang on to all of the plastic pots.

2. There is always something more to do, another project to start, something to rearrange and something else not quite finished.

3. It can be difficult keeping plants and their labels together. Some plants simply do not have labels.

4. You can't always get what you want, but you can always find three 'something elses' to exceed your plant budget.

5. English ladies seem impressed by latin plant names Smile

I have been meaning to take some photos with all of the grasses and flaxes lining the bottom of my roof terrace wall but I have been working late this week. I'll try and take some sunset photos tomorrow night before the UEFA cup final starts.

10 May '06 6:52 pm

Had a hearty laugh reading your post, especially nos. 1 - 4. So very befitting for us gardeners! Speaking for myself, (an Asian lady) I'm impressed with common plant names instead! Thanks, Eggy for making me chuckle over and over again thinking of the numerous plastic pots that I'm still 'hanging on to'!! Smile

10 May '06 6:55 pm

Well, Eggy dear,

You're going to have plenty of replies for this last post of yours, because a great number of experienced garden gardeners have passed from this stage of yours!

I personally have lived the 3/4 of my life -- either with my parental or immediate families ---in hired, rather small apartments, having --luckily !--- wide, spacious , bright balconies. But always the same experience : surrounded by cats and plants! Therefore, I have passed the stage of ....apartment (interior and exterior-- experienced? ) gardener..

So, here we go:

1-- Well, you just keep only those pots that are in good condition. Because , a time will come, when you will become a ..propagating maniac! And you will find yourself with some baby plants living protected by your windows during Winter. And you can hide the pots' plastic ugliness in decorative bamboo pot covers. So, why buying new pots! Even more, if you like having real colour around you , represented by the same, bright coloured plants,all year long, adopt one common, short Impatiens (: Buzy Lizzie), and one Begonia Semperflorens (:meaning "everblooming"!!), or Bedding Begonia. You know, they are everblooming both of them!! You can easily propagate them by cuttings (: rooting in water), and turn your apatment in a colourful delight! All year long! Only , during hot weather, they both hate sun, but support it in Winter . Seldom watering during Winter, both of them. So, you have to choose the right apartment spot! Good luck!

2--Oh, how I love this energetic mental gardening of yours, about gardening projects! But this is so natural for a real gardener! How I would love my son in Athens to be like you! He also lives in an apartment, but his only dreams for the moment are to meet THE woman of his life and adopt two kittens (he adores the Felines!). He has no idea or inclination of a gardener...

3-- Well, since you know the basic name of a plant -- Salvia, Geranium, Jasminum -- you will need the rest only under a special occasion, needing to order, or informing seriously a friend who wants to buy. But, you have to buy some good refference books now, I think... Trustworthy, with plenty of photographs and valid information..

4-- Sometimes, these "three something elses" are really more important! Believe me! And they can live a long, happy life with you , like certain interior house plants : Scheffleras, Philodendrons, Dracaenas, or Yuccas, which have all incomparable qualities in enduring or supporting the dry, hot conditions of an apartment, while offering their magestic foliage display! And they all hate a lot of watering, while needing some occasional water spraying on their foliage.

5-- All ladies , not only the English ones! If they are seriously -- globally -- interested in the wonderful Plant World! Oh, yes!

I wish you great gardening luck and inspiration, and thank you for sharing all these with us!

11 May '06 10:45 am

Some more photos from the garden. Its getting a bit late, I'll add some descriptions tomorrow. This thread has grown into a garden diary so I moved the post.

11 May '06 10:52 am

Smashing...

11 May '06 4:40 pm

and love..ly!! Love your macro shots, esp. the one with the bee (wondering how close were you? Rolling Eyes

- congrats on that capture!) Thanks for posting, Eggy!

A London Roof Terrace Garden makeover

cricketing gnomes

Re: Make-over

Garden Photos!

gardening observations

Re: Gardening observations

Apartment gardens and other things...

The garden starts coming together nicely

Nice....