Georges garden in June

[ideasguy]

A set of photos for you to have a look at here:

http://www.ideasforgardens.net/george/JuneFlowers/

Its in response to Lauries question about my plans for an Alpine House.
The Campanula in this set would be a perfect plant for that collection. I might dig it up at the end of the season!

[NightHawk]

A great set of photos there George, and a wonderful display of flowers.

The lawn looks especially nice, with a grand display of daisies.  It could almost be a wildflower meadow 

Laurie.

[ideasguy]

Its unusual for it to be like that. I like to get the lawn cut on Friday evening and wake up to a garden of bowling greens next morning.
I find the lawn makes the garden. If the lawn needs cut, then its not a pretty sight. If the edges are done, its the icing on the cake.

The Delphinium was one of a set of photos I did as a test when watching the Euro footie (one of the less exciting ones, obviously)
I used both cameras, and my old Caplio came out tops on that occasion.

I took a number of pics of 'Tubby' yesterday evening around 7:30 pm. Usually its a bit late (light considerations) but they came out just perfect. The others were also taken in the same session.

Note the photo of one of my Phlomis varieties, and my notes to say thats the one I can send you a rooted division.
I have two varieties. That one is evergreen and quite low growing. The other is a different habit - shrubby.

I'm not sure of the varieties, so I'll do some research today.

Heres a starting point:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/plants/plant_finder/plant_pages/639.shtml
That may be my second variety. It looks like I can send you a few cuttings for propagation.

[NightHawk]

Well I have to say that I thought those photos were a lot brighter this time.  I thought maybe you'd been practising with your Scene Modes to get the lighting results better. 

It's possible that the default settings for your Caplio's Scene Modes differ from those on your other camera.

This is where experimentation comes in.  Taking the same photo at the same time with both cameras, then comparing the results will indicate if those Scene Mode settings are giving different results.

Laurie.

[ideasguy]

I adjusted one of the photos for brightness, Laurie - the others were untouched. Its a simple matter to change the brightness, mercifully. If find its better to take photos on the dark side, and adjust on the computer to make them brightness.

Doing a bit of research on Phlomis has led to yet another complication in plant names.
I always work on the Master Database when I do research.
One of the plants listed in the Master in the Phlomis genus is:
Phlomis fruticosa 'Lloyd's Variety'
Thats the name used by a garden open in England.

However, depending on which authority you go with, its correct name may be:
Phlomis anatolica 'Lloyd's Variety'  (RHS Plant finder - in IG Pro, or FG, - sleect that plant for editing, click the RHS button, then remove the single quote and search again for the search to work)
or
Phlomis grandiflora 'Lloyd's Variety'  (See this page from a Phlomis National Collection Holder on the NCCPG website)
http://www.nccpg.com/gloucestershire/grandifl.html

On that page you'll also find antolica listed as a cultivar (name enclosed in single quotes) not a species:
P. ?Anatolica? (P. anatolica invalid)  A form of P. grandiflora H.S. Thompson
So, theres a bit of contradiction there!!

What hope has poor old Mr average gardener in such matters?

[NightHawk]

I adjusted one of the photos for brightness, Laurie - the others were untouched. Its a simple matter to change the brightness, mercifully. If find its better to take photos on the dark side, and adjust on the computer to make them brightness.

There's certainly nothing wrong in doing that George.  Even professional photographers use image enhancing software to adjust their photos.  And whatever works for you, then stick with that. 

................ What hope has poor old Mr average gardener in such matters?

I agree about the problem of all those different names for the same plant variety.  My head's spinning from just reading about it. 

I think I need to go and have a lie down now to rest my weary head.

Laurie.

[ideasguy]

The garden beckons... I'll continue my research into Phlomis later!

[NightHawk]

Our garden beckons also - but guess what? ..................... the wind and rain is back again. 

I guess we'll be watching more Wimbledon tennis (providing they're not rained off again like yesterday.)

Laurie.

[Lynda A]

Good afternoon fellow gardeners.  Have been very busy but have now almost completed sunken terrace, We bought large palms yesterday 'Archontphoenix Alex.' and two lovely heavily scented orange trees ' Cirtrus citrofort. Mitis'.  Too hot to do anything after 11am so I am sitting in the shade working through the Photoshop Elements missing manual.  We have to wait till after 8pm to start watering although a lot is on irragation.Peas all finished in veg garden but have planted some more.  French beans all ready but too hot to pick them .
Hope the sun comes out over there soon.

[NightHawk]

It's great to hear you've almost got the work completed Lynda.

Soon you'll be able to get to the fun part of the planting 

Looking forward to seeing some photos to see how things are going, and see those fabulous new trees.

Weather is so fickle here at the moment.  The drizzle actually stopped around noon time so I was able to get out into the rear garden to get the grass cut and do some tidying.  The sun actually came out for a while, but the wind kept the temperatures down.

I have to say though that we prefer these cooler temperatures to the ones you're getting.  Neither of us are real sun-worshippers and find the excess heat energy-sapping.

I suppose if you're living in it constantly then you get acclimatised to a certain degree.

I hope you're enjoying your 'book'. 

Laurie.