The Gnome's Gardens

21 Jul '06 12:13 pm

Christopher I have spent some time going through your diary.I can see that you are truley bitten. I especially liked your comment that the internet makes you feel like we are all neighbors.

I have been on the internet since the late 80's it was not anything like it is today very different. But as the years go by I still marvel at the fact that I can in one evening travel to gardens all around the world and see gardens that I would never have a chance to visit. It is because of forums like this one that people from all corners of the earth can be neighbors.

I believe from looking at your gardens that you are very creative. It is great to see someone that can take something simple or a discarded piece of junk and turn it into an interesting garden addition. Your wall sconces are really a great idea. They remind me of those bag of flowers that you can buy at some of the garden centers. The beauty of yours is that they can be reused over and over. I suppose if someone was really artsy the could make some nice painted flowers or vines on them and sell them at craft shows or flee markets.

Recycling things that were once used for something else is truley great. I may even steal an idea or two of yours for the woodland garden.

Okay this is one of my faults I tend to go on and on and my short post is turning into a chapter of a book. Before I go I would like to leave you with this. A very successful garden designer once told me that some of his greatest ideas came from two tools. His Notebook and His Digital Camera. When ever he saw something that interestd him a flower an araingement or a garden grouping he would take a photo latter he could combine different pictures and he would come up with some great designs.

Christopher keep up the great work I will be back often

27 Jul '06 4:16 am

Hello there. It has been a few days since my last up-date. Things are growing to beat the band.

Thanks for the kind words, Glenn.

I have been building a new ramp on the front of our house. That's coming along. I fell and sprained my wrist. Confused

It's been real hot as of late, but today it looks like we may get a little cloud. It has rained the last two nights. the days have started to become noticeably shorter. August is just around the corner.

On with the show.

Christopher

27 Jul '06 9:37 am

As always, a delight to view your lovely pics. Your whole garden must be looking an absolute picture.
You seem to be getting along nicely with the ramp Im sure Deb cant wait for its completion. It looks like it will make access to the garden a whole lot easier.
I love your paint can planter, where do you get all your ideas from?

27 Jul '06 11:18 am

Hiyah Christopher
Nr. 5790 Mystery looks alot like a hollyhock. I grow lots of these plants in all colours and edge sorts - but this extra stuff in the center is REALLY an exotic variation. The extra petal formations in the center changes the appearance of the stamen presentation so much that I couldn't say with certainty that it is indeed, a hollyhock. Could you hold the center petals back and take another foto to show us?
I am sorry that I haven't had the time lately to comment on all that you have displayed here because we've been exceedingly busy with our jobs and in our private lives...but what you are doing looks really supurb. I know that you and your family must be as pleased as punch with the developments. Keep up the good work!

28 Jul '06 4:22 am

Dear Christopher, I have just spent an hour going through your journal and I am totally amazed at your energy and inventiveness. You put me to shame. Your plants are beautiful and your photographs of them are great. I can't wait to see how your new rose garden turns out. I started mine last year as a memorial to my dad, who passed away in October, 2004. He was a minister who loved people and plants, particulrly orchids and roses. I'm not much of an orchid gardener, so I chose roses for his garden. I have tried to choose roses that are vigorous and easy care; and that have names significant to him. Names such as "Amazing Grace", "Morning Has Broken", "Songs of Praise", etc.

I will keep up with your progress and can't wait to see what you will do next.

Faith

29 Jul '06 8:40 pm

Christopher, your flowers are lovely! lovely! Absolutely beautiful as usual. Hope your wrist has healed and you're able to 'happily toil' again Wink

. Thanks for adding sunshine to our days!

30 Jul '06 7:27 pm

Thanks you so much, my friends, for your kind words.

Sjoerd, I was wondering what you were up to. I made a garden tool like the one you showed in your thread. Or at least as close as I could. I'll get a pic and post it soon.

Rain, rain, rain today, and most of yesterday too. In between showers I did manage to snap a few pix to share.

Have you been following this thread from the start? Do you recall the climbing rose I bought for $3?

Well.... it bloomed !

A while back I rented a tiller to turn some soil for our new pumpkin patch and the new corn bed. The corn is about 14 inches high and the pumpkins are flourishing. We have been trading plants with our neighbours across the street. Dieter and Joe have a nice size place with some nice gardens. There was a vacant lot next to their place and to keep developers from throwing up a house next to them, they bought the vacant lot. Joe had said I could put some of my pumpkins over their, so when I had the tiller I went over and tilled a patch of earth in the vacant lot. I think it was a vegetable garden at one time. I put 2 of my pumpkins over there and they are doing better than the ones in my own garden. I was over there today and noticed they had lovely flowers, so I took a pic.

Not much else to report. The potatoes are finally peeking through, better late than never.

Christopher

9 Aug '06 9:10 pm

Well, Hello again.

Not too happy today. A big storm blew through here and wrecked a lot of our plants. Something has to be done to the south fence garden to try and control the wind. I have an idea in mind, but it will take years to accomplish.

The corn all got blown down but it stood itself back up again. The pumpkins are starting to fruit.

It was 33C today. Mom made a deal for me to get about 250 feet of fence for free. It's the old wooden fence from the back of her condominium. They are putting in a plastic fence. I'll make good use of all the recycled wood.... eventually. Rolling Eyes

We bought our last rose for this year. It is a white climbing rose and we will put it in the new rose garden just off the front deck with all the others. I always wanted a rose garden.

Do you remember that old song?

"I beg your pardon
I never promised you a rose garden."

heh heh, a lot of the knowledge I have is useless. Rolling Eyes

The Teddy Bear Plant finally bloomed, I have a pic for you. Also some other pix to update you all on what's been gnomin' in the glomin'. Wink

Christopher

13 Aug '06 4:14 am

Christopher – at last I have read your whole diary. I saw it in bits before, when I had to open the pics separately, and then for the last almost two months I just never could spare the time (OK, and I was away on holiday!!) And so, as you head towards late summer, I pick up on what you’ve been doing since spring – and you sure are a bundle of energy! I always thought gnomes were lazy, but this one sure aint! His hands and his mind are on the go all the time!

I love your ‘secret garden’, and especially the thought that it is where you hide mom’s castaways from her! It reminds me of one of the famous English gardeners –Robinson?? – who had a garden called the Mental Asylum where he kept all the bizarre plants like contorted willows. He would immediately have included your ‘crazy daisies’!

Your ‘Mystery6’ posted 13 July – the white daisy with the mauve heart is Osteospermum ecklonis. It comes in various shades from mauve to deep purple to white with a purple backing (very attractive when the flowers are half open ) to almost pure white. There are now varieties with a more wine red colour as well, but they tend to be rather muddy. There is also a soft butter yellow (possibly even ‘Mystery9’), with the slightest brushing of purple to show that it is also an osteospermum. I am looking for some yellow ones, as I will be using all three of them in the huge new bed above the Rosemary Terrace which we are preparing for planting at the moment. (Although they are not hardy, and I try to avoid plants that can’t overwinter outside.) On checking my facts I see it is now also known as Dimorphotheca ecklonis. Sounds to me like swearing! (It is actually not an Arctotis, Dixie, although they are very similar. Arctotis is more like perennial gazania – so much so that I’ve never quite understood the difference – but I THINK arctotis always has grey foliage, but then so do some gazanias.. It is much less leggy by nature than osteospermum , which needs regular trimming and replacing – but I just plant the cutting directly into the bed.)

Sjoerd, what is your verdict on the ‘hollyhock’ (img5790)? The leaves seem too small to me, and it looks as though it would naturally be a single flower – is it not a lavatera or a mallow which has stamen mutations?

Img5844 seems to be one of the large lobelias: lobelia cardinalis I would guess.

And now I’ve indulged in catching up with some of my forum friends way past my bedtime! Goodnight all!

13 Aug '06 5:27 pm

For the nice reply. I try and keep myself busy. A funny thing happened. My neighbour brought over her friend to see our gardens. Her friend said "What a nice pastime." I took exception with that. I don't look at gardening as a pastime! The nerve of that woman! I just smiled and said "Yes." but inside I was livid! Evil or Very Mad

How dare she say that. It seemed to belittle my efforts somehow. I think a pastime is like reading the newspaper while sitting on the toilet or waiting for a bus. I think gardening has become a compulsion for me. A compulsion that brings me joy and happiness. It's a hobby that inspires me. My wife feels the same about gardening.

What are your thoughts on this "pastime" question? I would be interested to see what you think of this.

Christopher

The Gnome's Gardens

Christopher I see that you are truley Bitten

Snap-happy Gnome

Christopher the powerhouse

A short update.

More stuff to report.

Busy Knome works his fingers to the bone!

Thanks Jack