Laurie's Garden Tour

Laurie sorry I stayed on the stream early in the tour and got lost on an adventure down its sunny shorelines. I watched myself walk barefoot under the bridge and descended to the valley floor. I was impressed with the watercress and moss' I encountered. I ate some mushrooms along the bank and found a trout that I pitched up on the bank but let it roll back into the water. I met some wonderful people at Oxley's Green. I have now caught back up and plan on staying with the group.

This message was edited Jan 7, 2009 10:33 PM

Really, Sofer, pay attention! You know how the queen gets when people lag behind! Have some tea and sit still while we await further instruction. Have a watercress sandwich. Whole grain, of course.

Leave it to Steve to get lost, some kids never learn. maybe put a rope on him to stay with us. LOL

Gwen, a farrier is a person that takes care of livestock's hooves. like shoeing a horse. surprised Steve didn't say anything.

Laurie, if I could I'd pack up and move. I am "so" into your heaven. I love my little place on earth, but YOURS to envy.

Steve is still suffering from pain med overload. A little dreamy time there.

Tea and watercress sandwich sounds quite good to me. Think I'll have mine back at the stream. Holler when it's time to resume our walk.

LOL

haha. Gwen, I will most certainly keep an eye out for the closest match, that will be tough as our hills generally aren't "rolling hills" like those. Sally lives by one that is probably the closest thing that we have to a rolling hill here. Although, there is the Coburg Hills. There's a good thought. However no can do on a 16th century house. TP's just don't weather that well.

Plus they didn't stay in one place. Definitely mobile.

rc...your hills are more rolly than mine. LOL

This message was edited Jan 7, 2009 9:35 PM

Laurie, thank you for that quaint and beautiful walk. You are truly lucky to live in such a beautiful place with open wide land. I felt like I was right there taking a walk with you. This is a fantastic idea and I hope to get to take another walk with you in spring or summer.

Welcome to the thread Lili. Hopefully you could take us on a tour or your area sometime! I've only been to Georgia once, as I was making a trip from here to tennessee. We made the trip in 4 and half days. Although I did stay they night there, it was an unexpected stop do to much rain that caused gave trouble to some levies along our route. The water in the streets near where we were staying was literally knee deep. So, i would love to see what it looks like when it's not flooding!

Sally, you're the first to say that my hills are rolling! They usually describe them as steep peaks or ridges. But, I like it. lol

Well I sure can't take a nice walk up Mt Pisgah. Just barely get started up and I'm done in!

that's true. It is quite the hike up Pisgah. Besides, no one can actually buy land ON Pisgah anyhow, I don't think........ can they??. The Coburg Hills look great from the roads below with nifty antique places in Coburg itself. But, I like the top of Pisgah, you can wander all over there and not fall off, although you could roll down. There's a swing that hangs from an Oak tree up on top of there. Beautiful view when you're on the swing.

This message was edited Jan 7, 2009 10:15 PM

If it's on my side, I'll look with my binochulars. LOL Wish it wasn't so steep, my knees can't do that anymore. No it's park land, so you can't buy. They want us to give them our piece across the river. But people are afraid they'd make a camp grounds or something out of it and we'd have more people coming across the river.

I can't think of anything anywhere I've been that compares with Laurie's, that's why it's so fun to see.

No, I can't think of anywhere comparable to Lauries either. But, it may be as close to it as anywhere here in the PNWest!
Don't give them your land!! Keep it for as long as you can. There's plenty of campgrounds everywhere around here!!

The only way that I can think of to describe how to get to the swing is some what primitive. when you drive into the main parking lot: straight ahead is the "informative area, with parking spots on your left (facing the mt.) and on your right. Park on the left. There's the main trail that head's up the hill. Take that. when you get to the top and the trail starts to go right and along the plateau on the top, stop! Look for a little trail on your left that is a little wider than a deer trail. Take that. Don't take any other turns along the way and head towards the end of the plateau. When you get there, there's an old Oak tree with a swing on it. when you look across the valley, you see skinner's butte and you're a little above it!

I found someone else who mentions the swing there, but they went a much longer way than I did :-p http://66.218.69.11/search/cache?ei=UTF-8&p=the+swing+on+Mt.+Pisgah&fr=yfp-t-501&u=www.obsidians.org/reports/reports/2006/w112501.htm&w=swing+swinging+swings+mt+pisgah&d=CwSDREfiSEWm&icp=1&.intl=us

This message was edited Jan 7, 2009 10:51 PM

Look Sally!!!! Last picture, bottom right corner. The Swing!!! http://209.85.173.132/search?q=cache:oURCuc05tHcJ:digitaldumpstation.com/DAT_Gallery/Mt-Pisgah-Hike+swing+on+mt+pisgah&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us

The bench is new since I was there last.


This message was edited Jan 7, 2009 11:38 PM

Cool!! That is a great view. And PNW is closer to Laurie's than anywhere else I can think of, but that's why I love it here. Need my trees.^_^

Laurie ~ Thank you SO much for the wonderful tour. Imagine...my first day back to DG after a very long hiatus and this is what greets me. No wonder we all keep coming back for more.

Oh, bug*&$er - don't check out a photo and expect to find your reply still in place -

Nuts -

But what a great bunch of conversation - don't you love walking in a group, the things that come up are great! And to have tills stop by for a drink and a chat, and Steve going off on his own - but at least I can trust him to navigate back to the house. I think we can do without the rope for him. Well done on the trout, but I'm glad you put him back. Oxley isn't one of the places I know, I'll have to check that out.

Lovely to see you stop in Outta, and welcome Lillimerci - I second the request for a tour of your Georgia garden.

Gwen, we definately have beams - they are not for the tallheaded people in this room - it can be a tad awkward. I think the tree you are asking about is just a common willow - it was here when we arrived, so I doubt it is of anything to unusual. Oh goodness Pisgah looks wonderful - completely different from here - lets collect landscapes as well as architectural fantasy! And redchic what is the little glass jar - does anyone remember the tiny little glass pots of cream that use to come with coffee? They looked like that.

And now I better get back onto the tour. Let me just think where we left off - I'll go get a cup, that will jog the memory.

Just got my cuppa so I'm all ready. Waiting with worms in my mouth - you know - 'baited breath'. :) Okay, gotta spit them out so I can take a sip.

I thought the little jar was something you might use to wash out your eyes. Please tell us.

Still standing at the Loggia - this is the far end of the damp bed - this is kept moist by using the rain water off the barn. We pipe if from the rain barrels, under the bed that surrounds the loggia and then into this bed - works fairly well. We have had a few problems in the really dry periods, and have had to rely on emptying the barrels rather than just the overflow. But that is why we have two wacking great barrels.

This was fairly early in spring - you can see the bed that borders the outside of the moraine walk and the begining of the path that moves back up towards the barn

Gwen, the loggia is built onto the lower end of the barn - we have no idea of what its original purpose was.

Laurie, please include a picture of the rain barrels. I've never seen a whacking great barrel. :)
Ooh - a loggia with a secret purpose. HMMM.... I'm sure we can come up with something.
Taking another sip.

Jan - that is a funny gardeners joke. Ewwwwwwwww.

Next to the damp bed is a small pond - this was put in two owners ago (we think somewhere in the 50) the truth is it is actually too small for this garden, but it is so well built I don't have the heart to take it out - built just like a mini swimming pool, and it has a little island and a shallow end. I just can't figure out why they went to so much trouble for such a small space. It's also surprisingly deep - as I found out, unintentionally. AND, we have great crested newts.

This was taken in October - I love the cinnamon colour of the fern - I think it is Osmunda, may be regalis - but it is much bigger than my other Osmundas - could be that it has its feed in water.. The iris are psuedocorus. Look wonderful in the early summer, but my goodness they grow - and they take a machete and will of iron to get out!

Jan, just for you (the others have seen these on another thread)

Oxley's green is SE of Burwash. About 2 miles east of Batemans. I can't remember their names but good whiskey!

I like this photo -

Thank you, Laurie. I want a rain barrel like that, too.

OHHH, I like that picture, too. It kinda has a dreamy feel to it.

Taking another sip from my cuppa. This is wonderful!

I know Oxleys Green! I just couldn't place Oxleys - you need the full name. Pretty obscure place though, surprised it makes it onto the tourist list! Well done Sofer.

This is what I mean about we have become a garden of paths. Behind the dampbed/pond there are two paths - one stays along the pond area, the other drops down toward the wild garden. along the railings I am growing the David Austin rambler "generous gardener". Last summer the conditions were just the best for roses and they are were the most floriferous I have ever seen - the entire garden was scented - it was just the most amazing effect. Absolutely intoxicating. Please please give us another flowering season like that. I love it! I finally found out what all the fuss about roses was for.

Going back up above the pond area, the loggia is immediately to the right - again there are paths. One leads back up under the magnolia and onto the lawn area (that I am doing my best to turn into more paths), and one moves below the lawn area, circling below and towards the steps that go into the wild area. BUT, the lower one also forks, going straight down or off to the right and joining the steps at a lower point.

another one I like - you can see how small the pond is, about 1.2m/41/2' x 3m/91/2' but well built.

Jan - the barrels are old cider barrels - they are really big! And the water still comes out smelling of cider not at its best. Rather, um, pungent.

We're going to take the turning up onto the lawn - this photo was taking in October just before the landscape guys came back to do put in the trough and rebuild an area outside the kitchen. the lawn no longer looks like this - but it still shows the space

I can see the roses making the fence disappear and the aroma of old rose lifting off the bush in the early am. While you work I am off to find a pub at Stonegate. Is the one on the curve still there Laurie? Oh I guess there is more I can wait.

This message was edited Jan 8, 2009 11:47 AM

And this is looking back across the lawn towards the path we just came up.

the tree on the left is a judas tree - Cercis siliquastrum, and on the right is a Japanese maple. Across the lawn is a magnolia (you can kind of make it out through the sillouette of the Cercis branches). All three were planted probably in the 1950's. I had never seen a Cercis of this size before this one. I honestly thought they were shrubs. Sadly, we lost one trunk last year - just age related collapse, but the rest seems to be doing fine. In the spring it looks amazing, as if it is buzzing with purpley moths. All three were when we moved in, and I am ever so grateful to the long sightedness of a previous owner. Good people.

In the summer this is a great place to sit in the rain - the Cercis works like a wonderful green umbrella, surprisingly watertight.

Are you thinking of the Kicking Donkey, across from the hops fields? Sadly, it closed a few years ago and someone bought it and turned it into a house. Did you know that Roger Daltry lives just up the road from the Donkey - has a trout farm, may have been one of his that you scooped out of the stream.

I'm going to have to take a break - dog needs dinner, and husband just called from the airport - I had better go and reengage with the household.

More later.

This message was edited Jan 8, 2009 7:05 PM

Yes that is the one. Sorry to hear that. Well Roger and I can have a little gin and tonic while you cook dinner. Headed up the road. Be back to Witherenden hill later.

Lordy, those are wacking big barrels! LOL We scored a number of black plastic rain barrels off freecycle a few years ago. Unfortunately they don't have nearly the character that Laurie's woooden barrel do. Also, all the areas were we can put them to collect rainwater, are unfortunately the areas that have faucets already right there. But we do try and use them as much as we can.

What do you guys use the loggia for for. How do you pronounce that word anyway?

Laurie, just to make me feel better, could you please post some photos of weeds. I am really getting a complex.

We have a small pond too, already here when we moved in, but our plastic liner shows and the slope to the edge is steep enough so that rocks we place there fall down into the water but not steep enough so that we can get rocks to sit on top and hang over. I guess I have to go to the rockery and look for some stuff that might work. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Gosh, what a view in that last photo of the hills beyond...

Oh, I want to move. Those views are magical.

Got my Cuppa, and racing to ketch up, But I found a place to rest a bit.

Under the Cercis at the table, and looking at the wonderful fall colors and the landscape beyond, I could not move. so peaceful and lovely.
Laurie you are the Queen, to have all that, I bow to you.

Laurie, have a Q.
The Osmunda, 'I love' going to find one. but the "Psuedocorus" I can not find in plant files, Is it the one in the pic that has the toothed edges?
I come up with a Flag Iris, in plant files, but spelled different. Help!!!
I like it.

Another lovely walk Laurie, thank you. Smelling roses...a good thing.

Here's how Mt Pisgah looked mid December. Couldn't see the top for a few days.

I think I want to move, And go to England Oooooooooo to dream.
To have all that wonderful landscape to look at past your gardens. not saying I don't love mine, but to see beyond the trees that enclosed you. I always loved wide open spaces, country girl always. give me a horse and wide country to explore wild flowers to smell. trails to follow to see the beauty of it all.
Ooooooooo I'am a sad pup. But I still have dreams, to live there I would be in heaven, to ride the wind, and plant my to my hearts content.

I think I need to go to bed, to many cuppas waiting for me to get with the group.
Fab

Sounds like we think a lot alike Tills. I'm happy where I am, but those rolling hills.....