jack two
nominate your own title
The new improved Jack Holloway v.2
Fields of cosmos
30 Mar '08 12:10 am Since no-one has posted a garden tour since 1 Jan (what a lazy, housebound bunch we are!) I will tell you about the fields of cosmos on this forum. I've just returned from an 1800km roundtrip to pick up a 2nd hand vehicle. Seems crazy? But it was worth it! We are upgrading from wheelbarrows on the farm. After much research I decided that an ancient (and thus cheap) but mechanically sound 4x4 truck or ute (known as a 'bakkie' in SA) was what I needed, rather than a garden tractor or quadbike combo. I then traced the perfect vehicle, proudly owned and not used too often over 18 years, to a rather distant place. Having driven it home over 900km I am convinced it was an excellent buy - and I am pleased to be back in my air-conditioned vehicle!
We passed through the flattish plains of the central highlands where cosmos has become naturalised. In my youth we used to drive through the area every easter and one of my earliest memories is of fields of cosmos, often growing in lands left fallow. This past summer was a particularly good one and the cosmos was gorgeous. I share a few pics with you! For the curious, they were taken in the Freestate, near the Gauteng border and the town of Villiers on the main highway between Durban and Johannesburg.
30 Mar '08 12:25 am How very beautiful. Thank you for sharing.
faerisweet
nominate your own title
Poolville,Texas
beautiful
30 Mar '08 4:46 am I plant a few every year because I can't resist the lacy delicate look of them. They are a lot hardier than they appear tho.
moosey
head gardener
31 Mar '08 3:25 pm I never imagined cosmos growing like this. Wow! I plant some every year - I love the colours, and for me they are a late summer flower. But to see fields of cosmos - really beautiful! And go the new farm truck. So ancient equals cheap, does it? Hmm... wish I hadn't sold my old morris minor...
cheers
4 Apr '08 7:23 am Just amazing! Made our day to see this.
Thanks, Jack.
Christopher
Mark
Home gardener & plant fetishist
Berkeley, California, USA
Delicious!
8 Apr '08 4:32 pm That fourth one, Cosmos and Light, should be a jigsaw puzzle or a poster. I think the balance between having the maximum number of blooms to get that feelinig of plenty -while at the same time having each bloom large enough to appreciate in some detail- is perfectly achieved. Also the variety in color shading is just wonderful. It could almost be an impressionist painting.
