Visions of Spring '08! - Part 2

Sounds like a secret code language from here. You two better be careful!

That looks a lot like one I had. I decided to transplant it last fall and it became 'Zi Die Dam'. Upon ordering 'Ye Guang Bei' my wallet said "no mo bucks"

Pirl, I think Victor has a secret code for each of his NE ladies.

I think yours developed Sum Tin Wong.

lol, I thought it was 'All Dun Wong"

Anyone heard this old joke? A Asian man went to the eye doctor who, after examining his eyes, told him he had cataracts. The man said, "No, I have a Rincoln Continental!"

He he he!

LOL I love those jokes...

have you ever heard of a peeping tom from the north?

Nanooktookalook! LOL

Oh, bother!!

Here are the pictures I have been promising for some time--- Stonewalls, raised gardens, lots of snow and patti some paintings of my flowers including the mystery rose.

Mystery Rose

More Gardens

I have buds on both the hyacinth and tulips that I'm forcing, yeay!!

I was hoping no "dumb blond" jokes would appear. I'd rather see Robin's lovely wall than suffer through more jokes. Maybe being a blond, I just don't get them!

Nice setting Robin, what are the shrubby things on the other side of the drive? I am doing a battle with Ma Nature at the moment to reclaim some more land. This is the an area that I cleared last year and have replanted with Viburnums and Kousa dogwood and a pin oak and some other native things. It will be awhile before it is fit for company. Y'all come. But happy to burn the debris. The new areas just cleared this month are not yet fit to photograph, but close to presenting to DG friends. I have been reading lists of native plants that attract particular birds and am about to send in another spring order to make our feathered friends really happy. The birds love my new endless stream, and it is apparent that having fresh water is more important to them than food here on Nantucket. The house in the background was just listed as for Sale. We don't see it in the summer, and my new Pin oak will block it out even more. I am moving some cedars to that area too that I discovered in the brush that should help with the winter blockage. Patti.

Patti:

You never cease to amaze me! You must have boundless energy!! You put me to shame.

As they say .... "I love what you've done with the place!"
*smile*

Love that green grass in Nantucket! You have some marvelous plans, Patti---the driveway in the pic is not mine, but my neighbor across the road--the drive goes straight up a hill, which is why she hasn't sold the place after a year. Her husband died of a sroke after they were married for only 10mo. You can also see my other neighbor's forsythia hedge, which he is always threatening to cut down--I hope he never does--the birds love it! My gardening is all in the catalogs right now, but I will be starting some seeds in a month or so--I love annual scabious, & no garden center here sells it.

That sounds like my drive - loooong and steep, and rocky!

Is the stream functional already, Patti?

Hmm, maybe a stream is what I need...

Any moving water feature will increase the wildlife dramatically. In the winter and early spring I get a decent number of birds drinking and bathing at the pond. As soon as I turn on the pump - Alfred Hitchcock time!

Here's my 'Beni kawa' JM from a couple of days ago. The stems are brighter than those on red-twig dogwoods, which I also have.

"Beni" means red, per the Japanese iris growers.

Yes - one of the things I learned from JM's.

At this rate we're hardly equipped to be considered bilingual.

It's a start. :)

Just "biwordal".

Good one, Sue!

Victor, yes I mostly finished the stream in early, Nov, and we have it running most days that the water is free of ice. Birds galore as it is deep enough for them to really splash about and with all the little falls there is lots of room. But not today, big storm, blowing hard with snow. Power was out for a few hours.

Here is a college of it on Nov 6th. Lots of tweaking to do come spring. We have brought down more rocks from Vt that are covered with moss which makes it look way better since these pictures. Lots more to vetch, but they are under many feet of snow at the moment. I am working on my Fairweather order. I am going to order 'white choc' crape myrtle, some viburnums, winterberry. to give them a try. I found some great shade plants at Avant Garden. Many of the same that are in WFF and Burpee /Heronwood for way less bucks, plus I like them.

I like your Beni, I am going to look for a red JM but think it best to get the form I want to do it in person. But Fairweather sure has a nice selection. Patti

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=4165611

Looks nice! Is there soil under / around those stones that are on either side? Will you be planting in there?

I will be tucking in lots of plants along the edges. I did plant a "few" bulbs around it, maybe,1500 or so, plus this area has been planted for many years. I just don't know how much I disturbed when I dug the stream. I did dig up most things and moved them before hand of what was apparent, but some old bulbs may be lost. Also I needed to change the level of some of the beds, so I did a lot of top dressing, which may have permanently buried some stuff. Spring will tell. Here is a pre stream picture of the area. Most of the stream is to the right of the blue iris, but all that got dug and moved including those iris down to the closest digitalis. So it is going to be a real mystery come spring. Patti

Victor have you moved forward at all with your project with the jug(s)?? Just curious how that is coming along - if it is coming along?

No - hope to finally get it done this spring. Haven't found the exact type I want yet. The few I have liked are hundreds of dollars!

Oh pooh!!! Well whatever it is you want to make I can't wait to see it when it is all complete.....I have been bugging you about this since last year!!! Too funny!!!

Found a better perspective. It comes down between the two trees and I cleared 5' to 7' along the route of the stream. So hopefully I will still have lots of plant material to play with if I didn't bury it all. Patti

My pond started looking way better and much more natural when plants started growing over the stones.

What is the trick? I was thinking of using one of those submersible bucket and planting an island of something down in the pool (not really a pool) part But that is not on the Victor list yet. Patti

I've spent part of this morning looking at endless streams (pondless) and water fountains.

Uh oh - catching the water garden bug, Deb?!

Unfortunately I'm susceptible to most garden bugs!

It is a great project to do. Gives you muscle, and makes the birds ecstatic. I found this article to be very help full. But the information I recieved from SongsofJoy on DG to be invaluable as well as from shithzmom . Victor has a gem. Patti http://www.rd.com/familyhandyman/content/17476