Laurie's Garden Tour

Absolutely beautiful Laurie!! I think that we're all green with envy!! I love the cercis tree, what a great place to sit for a while! Well, I love it all actually.

So for the conclusion to the little Jar like thing, something so easy took me so long to figure out. I thought you might be the one to get it Laurie as I think that they were used longer over your way. And get it you did! It is a little individual serving creamer jar that they set out in restaurants and like places to go with your coffee! Just like milk that came in the glass jars that the milk man would come and bring you new ones and take the empties, they would actually do the same with those little creamer things. If I were so inclined I could buy 5 others on ebay or someplace like that, to complete the set. A set can have there own little carrying type thing as well. Like the milk jugs did. However, I'm going to stick with my one as I figure that there's a good chance that someday I'll find others around where this one was.

Gwen, trust me - the weeds are there (although I'll take a picture tomorrow for you to keep you happy) - loggia, pronounced low-g-ah (a loggia is actually a roofed open gallery behind a colonnade - we started calling it that before we had the windows put in - ) we really just use it for sitting in (read: drinking), or on the little patio and drinking. I think get the slope on the edges is very difficult. I know our neighbours have a large liner pond, and it has taken years of adjustment to get it to settle and to take the plantings - so keep working with it Gwen, it will come right.

Jan there is always room for one more here. Hope you will do a tour of your New Jersey garden.

Hi tills. For the Osmunda, try Osmunda Regalis. The Iris Pseudocorus (Flag iris is right, I probably typo-ed it) is the large, common, yellow flag iris - if you want I will save you seed next summer - unbelievable easy, and blossom second year and then ever after. Usually grows wild near water/boggy areas, but I find it will grow anywhere!! Tall, boisterous. So put it in an area that you want some fill in. The toothed leafed plant is melianthus major - I love it, it has pleated leaves when they first open. Its suppose to be borderline hardy, but we are having a spell of really cold dry weather (-12C/10F) for almost a week now, and it hasn't phased it in the least. So worth trying - doesn't seem to mind some shade.

Sally, is that the view from your garden? WOW. That is a stunner - looks to me like you and Tills better saddle up and do a bit of riding up that way! Gorgeous

Oh, redchic! That's wonderful, can't believe I got it!! I think you need to find the others, wouldn't they look wonderful with winter blossom in them - a couple crocus, a few snowdrops, a couple of grape hyacinth - little minature posies.

sofer, I knew you would enjoy visiting Roger -

I'm in a bit of a state of shock right now - my computer just did an automatic up date, and when I went back to my photo file absolutely everything has been wiped - there are no photos. Not one. All the files are gone. Hmmmm. I'm going to have to sign off and see if I can locate where they have gone.

AACCKKK!!! Hope you find them. I'll sit under the tree enjoying my cuppa in the meanwhile.

Oh, no! Did it wipe out your other files as well? I hope you find everything!!

Oh, Laurie...I hope you are able to recover them. My hard drive fried a few months ago and I spent 9 hours at my brother's while he recovered what he could. Lost some, but not all. Send recover cyber thoughts your way...

Do what always fixes everything. Restart.

I just hate automatic stuff like that!! Since when do computers think better than humans? Hope you find all your stuff. I'm just sitting down at the computer with a pot of tea wanting a nice walk through your field and forest! I'll just have to go back and look at the first photos over again.
Meanwhile, Tills you should rethink those iris seeds. You can find those at just about any small lake or water area in Washington state. They are a very invasive species in our area, choking out native vegetation with their quick growth. They are really pretty, though, and there is a variegated type that is not so invasive. I do grow some, but I never let them go to seed and I thin them almost every year. If I'd known you wanted some, I would have saved some for you. I think Heidi has the variegated variety because I'm pretty sure I got mine from her last year. Nice leaves on it!

Laurie.....hope you find everything. That is so scary, I've got most of my pics in three places (different computers and on line) but I've been thinking about backing up all my files.

I was all set for a nice walk. Since things are delayed for a bit I guess I'll go back to the creek and listen to the birds.

Yes, that picture was taken from my yard. While I don't have a lot of garden space, I do have a marvelous view and grounds to wander in. That pic is what I see out the window where I sit with my laptop and tea.

Darn it Laurie, that's not good at all. Let us know what you find.

Oh, I forgot to say.... Great guess!

This message was edited Jan 10, 2009 12:17 AM

Oooooooooooo Nooooooooo. Laurie I hope you find them, Oh what a loss. I do the same as Sally, 'Kinda' I down load to Cds or a jump drive every so often so I don't have so much on my puter and in case it gos defunk, like the last time. Praying................

Its OK Pix, was just clarify the name, but I thought it could go wild down by the creek and fight with the rest of the wild stuff, at least it would look prettier than it does. LOL But the Melianthus I was more interested in and the Osmunda.

Sally, got any Horses? I'm on my way LOL

There's a training stable down the road. Cool place, looks like there's a ring for practicing under cover.

Wish I had a place to let things just go wild. Maybe I can sneak something down by the pond? Actually we're planning on planting more attractive plants down there. Weeds are good for the critters, but not too pretty to look at. So we're trying to find something good for both. Any ideas?

Look for something native. More likely to survive with no care and less likely to overgrow and become a problem. :-)

Tills, I wouldn't get that wild yellow iris. It is nasty. I have four colors of a type of isis that likes wet feet and spreads slowly. You may have some if you like. I will try to find the picture I took last summer. I also have a regular yellow iris.

This is one of them.

Pretty color willow.

Laurie ? Where are you? Not rushing you, just wondering if you found your pics. I know how frustrating that can be. Now I backup my backup.LOL

I love your garden of paths concept, and it really works in your garden with many picturesque trees as focal points for the paths to lead beside and under.

How distressing to lose all your picture files! What a shock. I've had something similar happen on a school computer, a weeks worth of work vanished in a blink of an eye when the computer crashed for an unknown reason. The computer tech found my files and retrieved them, though I couldn't tell you how. So do not despair, all your photos and files may still be accessible in some way.

I just found this thread - and wow what an amazing tour. I love England and have always wanted to explore the countryside so after seeing that tour it is very hard not to call the real estate agent to sell the house and just pick up & move there. The only hitch is family. My kids & grandkids would be soooo far away.
Laurie thank you so much for taking so much time to share. I have a house built in 1905, which is old for here but certainly not as old as yours! How fortunate you are!
As an architect it is interesting for me to listen to all of you talking about the love of old buildings. It is something that spans all cultures and somewhat of a mystery. There is a book that is a part of every architect's education that you would all enjoy. It is titled "A Pattern Language" and was written by Christopher Alexander, who is originally from Austria and now teaches at Berkeley. I still read through it and my copy is very used and worn.
Now I am going to read through this thread again! What a treat!

Hey, I'm familiar with that book! When we remodeled the house, our contractor, who is more of an artist than anything else, let us borrow his copy so we could make decisions about window placement, shapes of door openings, etc. We made a lot of decisions based on what that book had to offer and we've never regretted a single one. It's a great book. I highly recommend it.

Pixy it is a great book! I did research in Jarna, Sweden with an arch professor from Kansas State U who assisted Christopher Alexander with his research for the book quite a few years ago. She said she learned more during that time than in her 8 years of undergrad & grad school.
I have hundreds of arch books and that is the one I always go to.

Laurie, have you read Pollen's "Second Nature"?

Laurie, so worried, hope you find them.

The area I was thinking, for the flag iris. Is the area I called no mans land in my tour, nothing will grow there but buttercups that are the worst weed I can think of. I think if they survived out there they can have a ball. You can only walk this area in high summer and only if you know the high ground.
Above Ester in the creek.

Willow, I would love some, but I don't know where to but them, so they could have wet feet and not be aggressive enough to handle that mess. LOL

sorry to keep all of you waiting. what seems to have happened is that the last update outdated my photo software (largely because I always refuse the updates on the photosoftware - hmmm, they really get you don't you). I'm going through all of the temp files and trying to rescue photos from there - which seems to be working, except that I don't have any editing soft ware for the photos right now - I'm having to store them on a jump drive, but they are in raw state - a tad big for downloading onto daves, especially since I know some of you are on phones, and some still have to suffer under dial-up. I will continue regathering as much as I can, and am going to pick up a copy of photoshop (simplest form) tomorrow. But it has put a lurch in my tour. Is anyone else ready to start one? Meanwhile, get the cookies out, put the kettle on - and carry on with the very interesting conversations that are coming up -

Moral to the story - always back-up, (which I didn't), and accept the updates.

WW - I agree with you that the flag iris can be a bit of a brute - but it can also be contained. Like pix says just don't let it go to seed - especially near a watercourse. But I do make a plea for its use - I think the un-hybridized yellow flag is just a fab plant - the colour is wonderfully understated, and I do like the size of the leaves. In smaller spaces I do think it is too big, and introducing it into land that doesn't belong to you is a definate 'iffyness' (that's a technical phrase). But I also think Tils should get some of your offered irises - a multitude of plants is always a good idea.

Thank you MHF - I have gotten hooked on the whole theme of paths - mainly because between a pair of paths is a lovely big planting space - yes indeed! hurrah. But it is also so much a part of english gardening - just think of the novels where they go out to walk in the gardens: the paths among the shrubberies - Austins Mansfield Park makes a huge todo about this, as well Dickens Bleak House. Seems Queen Charlotte, Geo 3rd's wonderful wife was a keen gardener (although I somehow doubt she was allowed to do the barrowing and digging) and designed much of the pathway gardens at Hampton court - good for her, and started a trend for women to take an interest in gardening. Jane Brown wrote an interesting biography of Henrietta Luxborough - Lady Luxborough - who took up gardening when her husband found out she was romping about with the love of her life. His way of dealing with her was to exile her to their country seat (he got her banned from court), give her a pittance of an allowance, and stopping her from having most visitors (oh, yes, and he took their children away never allowing her to see them again). She decided the best way to continue to embarass him was to take on real hands on gardening (claiming there wasn't enough money to hire in the necessary men), and, posthumously, became famous for her use of borrowed landscape, pathways and shrubberies. Gertrude Jekyll, continued the fashion in her use of terraced pathways when she did the gardens for Lutyens buildings - goodness she was brillant. So I, and the rest of us, continue in a long tradition.

Portland, I agree that there is an overwhelming love for old properties - and thank goodness for that, it has allowed a number of them to survive and remain functional. But I also think there are some exquisite modern buildings that are constructed with contemporary gardens in mind - I think there is a an extremely strong culture of architecture and garden landscape growing in Mexico and south america. They really do seem to be grasping this art form with real vivacity. I will add in Pollen and Alexander's book to my list. Need to go to my favourite book store on Monday, right after I suffer going to the software store (does anyone else find those stores immediately sleep inducing? I walk in and start yawning instantly - ).

Meanwhile - Alas. A hiatus in the tour.

I love dog pictures - they have such work to do!!

Laurie, Have a idea. Picasa3 will help, I found photos in mind that I thought I lost. Redchic intro me to it. Try to Google it. if that don't work I'll try to sent it.

Try this
http://picasaweb.google.com/tillysrat/Blooms?authkey=VFItNUulYhg#5261995823740953202

See if you can down load it.

This message was edited Jan 11, 2009 12:41 AM

Great thought Tilly!! I completely forgot about the fact that picasa hunts down all of your photos if they are in a readable format. jpeg, tif, bmap, and one or two other forms. Great thinking!

Laurie, I'm glad that you figured out the problem and there is at least potential that most pics can be recovered. But how bloomin' frustrating.

Thanks Red, But I don't think I sent her the right path to it.

not quite. but it sure is a pretty picture :-p

You think she can get it? or do you have the easy one? I don't want her to lose them, if we can help.

you have dmail :-p

Got it.
Laurie, this is the right link.
http://picasa.google.com/

Thank you RC.

Sure thing! Lets hope that it works!!

Laurie, this is real team work to help you get back what you lost, we hope it works.
Hugs

gosh - while I was off having breakfast, the picture elves were working working. I will download and with fingers crossed..............talk later. Just have to walk demando dog first - he is sitting under my chair, muttering and sighing. Boy, can he mutter and sigh when he is ready and no one else is. Soon, the chattering starts, and then it is outright barking, with no off button.

Thank you tils and redchic.

Anytime
Hope it works, While you have breakfast and start your day (poor doggie) Its time for us to go to nite nite.
Have a good day
Gnite
Hugs from us elves LOL

My sentiments exactly Tilly.
Good luck Laurie! I'll be anxious to get on the computer first thing when I get up to see how it goes!
Gnight All

I am singing singing singing the praises of Tils and Redchic!!!!!!!! What brillant women these are - followed the above, and photos galore! Everyone of them, and I honest to goodness actually think Picasa has improved on them. You wonderful two! Kiss kiss kiss. Let me just try driving this a little and then onward and forward! I can't thank you enough.

xo, L

Well, I left all of you sipping tea under the Cercis - and then the landscaper guys arrived back in the garden, and that area now looks like this - it always gets worse before it gets better. We are paving over an area that was grass, and improving the steps down from that area - they were a bit treacherous. Repiped the run-off from the roof, and it will now come from an opening in the wall and into a catchbasin.

And if you turn around, the lawn area now looks like this - not for the faint hearted.

to the right of that mud track, we now have this.

This is the puddle iron drinking trough that I told you about last summer - I so regret that I didn't photograph it while it was sitting in the field - it was quite something, looks like an enormous inverted bowler hat - but it was originally set into the ground like this one is. The were drinking troughs for dray horses along side the toll roads (until I saw this, I had never thought about how they got enough water for the post horses, and haulage horses, now I know). although there is no exact date on this, we think it would have been made sometime around late 18thCent. early 19th. And that makes it roughly about the same age of our barn.