Author Topic: Eric & Anthea's garden at different times of year. (Read 113422 times)

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #425 on:** May 07, 2016, 08:48:55 PM »

Benji came home for the weekend and yesterday he mowed the large lawn at the back. THis morning he did the small lawn at the front Here he is.

His reward was lunch and a large glass of lemonade at The Prince Albert at Frieth

Eric H

Palustris · « **Reply #426 on:** May 08, 2016, 09:04:48 AM »

Amazing how much cutting the grass improves the feel of the place.

ideasguy · « **Reply #427 on:** May 08, 2016, 10:27:12 AM »

We all know how much you and Anthea love that lad Eric. Hes grown into a nice young man

Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Weather watching nationwide, I see you are having nice weather in the SE and missed that front which settled over Ireland.
Forecast says it is to clear here later (it was raining again this morning) and a nice week ahead.

I agree with Eric (palustris) about the effect a fresh cut to the grass makes.
Here, the edging makes it even better. A side effect of the plentiful rain supply is lush green grass

I'm impressed with your borders (behind Benji). Well maintained.
What are the yellow flowers?

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #428 on:** May 09, 2016, 06:54:34 AM »

Thank you George. The yellow flowers that you mention are just wallflowers, for some reason they have proliforated. The red flower that is most obvious is the first bloom on a Tree Peony. Yesterday was very warm and the pots became very dried out so it was back watering again, I'm afraid.My rainwater butt has given up the ghost so it is from the main. It is now I regret getting Thames Water to install a water metre

ERic H

ideasguy · « **Reply #429 on:** May 09, 2016, 08:58:06 AM »

We don't pay for water in N Ireland (yet!!!). It would cost me a fortune with the number of pot plants I have around the place, and the greenhouse and the outdoor staging around the greenhouse.

We had the oddest day yesterday. Until near midday it was cold and miserable and raining on and off.
The afternoon was beautiful - sunny and warm. We went to Dobbies (Sprucefield, Lisburn) for lunch - it was 18 degrees on our car thermometer on the way home- that is like high summer to us after the weather we have been having recently..
Went to buy grafted tomatoes (Ive been a number of times and they were sold out). Managed to get 2 Sweet cherry bite size varieties. They are the most popular here. Ended up with a boot full of other plants. What a fantastic range of mature plants they sell there! The ideal venue for those you like instant impact.

Wallflowers are lovely plants and on a sunny day their scent is exquisite. I love them. Haven't grown them for years though.
I walk past a neighbours house where the wallflowers are growing on their wall beside the footpath (hence my remark about the scent). Its amazing how they grow out of the tiny gap or cracks between tarmac and a wall. Try sowing seed and you would have no chance. Isn't nature wonderful

PS You posted your last message twice (identical each time).
I removed the second.

ideasguy · « **Reply #430 on:** May 09, 2016, 09:00:58 AM »

We seem to have lost the photos you posted on 5th May Eric.

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #431 on:** May 09, 2016, 09:07:31 AM »

That's strange, George. I can still see them on my computer. I will just copy my post and paste it. Is this the one you mean?

"Now that I am back on Flickr I can start posting photos again. Here are two views from upstairs windows with my iPhone. The second one gives an idea of the state of the back garden at the moment. In that one, on the far right, almost in the shadow of the hedge, the slight flecks of white on the the small tree are the Magnolia Stellata. The daffodils unfortunately are just beginning to go over but they have been blooming well for quite a while. There are bluebells and periwinkles out but they are difficult to spot at this distance. The fritillaries are almost over too. The primroses still flourish at the front."

Eric H

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #432 on:** May 16, 2016, 12:15:54 PM »

Some of the flowers out at the moment:-

Euphorbia in a shady nook by the summerhouse

Choysia - The scent is phenominal in the warm weather.

Clematis Montana on the corner of the summerhouse. There is a dark purple lilac in bloom behind it which is just visible. The apple blossom above is out of frame.

Eric H

Palustris · « **Reply #433 on:** May 16, 2016, 01:18:34 PM »

Very nice too!

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #434 on:** June 05, 2016, 03:44:13 AM »

Flaming June! After a deluge on the 31st May, June so far has been overcast without a glimmer of sunlight to warm us up. I suppose it is not cold, it has been a constant 15 degrees, but there is no sun to warm our summer house where we love to sit and warm our old bones. I have been told it was 15 degrees on Christmas Day. The flowers and plants don't seem to mind though, they seem very happy, in fact some seem to prefer not being baked.

Eric H

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #435 on:** June 05, 2016, 07:43:56 AM »

I spoke too soon (well it was rather early in the morning). Well now at 8:50 am the sun is breaking through. It all depends on the part of the country you are in, Adam in South Wales had brilliants sunshine while we were overcast.

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #436 on:** June 05, 2016, 03:16:57 PM »

And now this afternoon it is a glorious 20 degrees

ideasguy · « **Reply #437 on:** June 05, 2016, 07:04:21 PM »

Its been glorious here (N Ireland) for a week or more now.
Quite unbelievable for us to be sunnier and 4 degrees or more higher than London

Now that is very unusual.
Ive been making the most of this weather to tend to our garden. It was so cold and wet this spring it must have thought I had neglected it

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #438 on:** June 07, 2016, 05:21:11 AM »

Looks like another hot day coming up and a scorcher is promised tomorrow. The trouble is that the outdoor tomatoes have just been planted out and the marrows so lots of watering needed. The runner beans are looking promising but they need constant watering too.

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #439 on:** June 07, 2016, 03:36:01 PM »

Spoke too soon, it has been warm, yes but not a scorcher. There was a sudden shower just now which saves me watering but the rain doesn't get into the greenhouse so I watered Anthea's plants.

One terrible shock though, while I was down the garden I discovered those wretched muntjac deer have attacked our runner beans.

Eric H

Palustris · « **Reply #440 on:** June 07, 2016, 04:54:04 PM »

Human hair is supposed to keep them out of the garden. Stuff something porous with it and hang on a fence. Does not work on badgers.

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #441 on:** June 08, 2016, 12:55:00 PM »

Too many ways in, I'm afraid, Eric. I would need to go round all the barbers in the town to collect anything like enough

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #442 on:** July 03, 2016, 02:04:12 PM »

A few iPhone shots taken over the past couple of days

Fuschia

Fuschia and a cistus

White cistus

Rose “New Dawn” (I have just noticed the black spot, spray gun needed!)

Harts Tongue Fern growing between the joints in our York stone steps.

Antirrhinums

We call this rose “Stanton Harcourt”, not because that is the real name but because they have an identical rose in the gardens there

The Rose is “Fred Loads” growing next to a variegated Weigela and a Ball Buddleia

ideasguy · « **Reply #443 on:** July 04, 2016, 09:47:21 AM »

Good to see you are still enjoying the lovely plants in your garden and still taking photos to share with us here on the forum

I think that last photo has Buddleia globosa. It grew very tall in my garden as well - and very wide

Its neighbour Weigela 'Florida Variegata' (I guess) is a fantastic plant. I have one in my garden and it has survived for years needing little attention (suits me

).
https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/details?plantid=2040

Antirrhinums are one of my favourite garden plants. I showed James how they opens under the weight when a bee lands on the lower lip (earning the common name snapdragon?). He now tells anyone who visits here, doing a demo in the greenhouse where I always have some coming on.
Easy from seed and they self seed a little in my garden.

Keep up the good work Eric and Anthea

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #444 on:** July 04, 2016, 02:46:57 PM »

Thank you George. We normally call them snapdragons too, I was just trying to sound a bit more knowledgeable

ideasguy · « **Reply #445 on:** July 04, 2016, 06:01:53 PM »

In that case, you shouldn't have to try too hard Eric;D

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #446 on:** July 05, 2016, 12:20:26 AM »

I'm showing off now ( having done some consultation) the ball flower with the bee is an Echinops I have discovered.

ideasguy · « **Reply #447 on:** July 05, 2016, 07:37:02 PM »

Two can play at that game

My garden has a more common lookalike which means my garden is a Cardonnacum.
Answer is in Place Names here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thistle

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #448 on:** July 06, 2016, 08:51:38 AM »

Nice one George

A few photos of our garden taken yesterday

Red Cistus

Poppy

Senneccio

Kiftsgate Rose climbing our conifer

Two pots of Cyclamen on our windowsill

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #449 on:** October 03, 2016, 06:09:58 PM »

Flowers out in the garden at the moment.

Michaelmas Daisy, always colourful this time of year.

Hydrangea flowers beginning to dry out.

Fuschia

Marsh Marigold