Author Topic: Eric & Anthea's garden at different times of year. (Read 113414 times)

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #50 on:** June 18, 2009, 06:44:17 AM »

In my post about our aruncus George commented on our hydrangea petiolaris which I explained grew over and hid our old stable. Here it another shot. The stable door is in the shadow. It is divided into two and our old mare used to put her head out of the top half and watch us in the garden.

What I didn't explain is that a lean to passage takes you from the front of the house to the stable and this is also concealed by an old honeysuckle. This was taken three days ago and smells beautiful.

It has been there such a long time the "trunk" looks like this

Eric H

ideasguy · « **Reply #51 on:** June 18, 2009, 01:55:43 PM »

Yip, I know all about honeysuckle, Eric!
I planted one at the back of a border. It took off (running root) in the direction of the sun, found an electric pole about 6ft away and climbed up that. It liked it there, so put up more shoots. The planned "resident" was a rather nice Clematis. It survived the invasion and the two worked together OK.
The scent was a nice surprise when you get a whiff walking up and down the garden.
If formed a tangled mass, I couldn't get past it and that area of the garden was like a jungle.
However I sorted it out in two stages - last autumn (so I could get at my Chrysanthemum beds) and this spring (my son used that part of the garden for his vegetable patch).
Honeysuckle stump spared and runners dug up <phew>
Its sprouting again, so not sure whether to dig it out $:-\$

Did you ever prune yours back?

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #52 on:** June 18, 2009, 03:54:28 PM »

Quote from: ideasguy on June 18, 2009, 01:55:43 PM

Yip, I know all about honeysuckle, Eric! ...........Did you ever prune yours back?

I always have to prune back around our back door every year otherwise we would never get out of the house

. That is why you see that bare "trunk". Over the lean to roof it is left to its own devices.

Eric H

ideasguy · « **Reply #53 on:** June 19, 2009, 02:39:30 PM »

Necessity is a fine thing!
It certainly is "trunk" proportions

Looking forward to what comes to prominence next in your gardens.
You have a terrific range of plants, Eric and Anthea. I'm really enjoying your presentation.

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #54 on:** July 04, 2009, 03:33:06 PM »

Photo's through glass: - We have some plants that have grown so high up our walls that they are knocking at the first floor windows trying to get in

Both the jasmine and Rosa Mermaid are trying to get into our bedroom and Paul's Scarlet is making quite a good try to get into our little office. These photos were taken with the windows closed.

Rosa Mermaid. You can see the Common fuzzily outside.

Rosa Mermaid

Rosa Paul's Scarlet

Finally the jasmine. I told George that the scent pervades upstairs when the windows are open. He asked me how long the flowers last. I couldn't really answer that one. I have kept a note of the date he asked the question. I will answer it when I know the answer.

Eric H

Lyn and Malcolm · « **Reply #55 on:** July 04, 2009, 08:01:57 PM »

I know Mermaid is a strong grower in my mothers garden, I am always cutting it back when it overgrows the path.

You must at times see some "wildlife" over the common from that window.

Malcolm

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #56 on:** July 04, 2009, 10:32:53 PM »

Yes, Malcolm, but not as much as there used to be. Muntjac deer are common in the woods and are often on the common too. There used to be plenty of skylarks but they have gone. Game birds are numerous. I think they know that they are safer here than on the adjoining Dashwood estate. There was a woodcock just outside our gate a while back. I haven't seen one before or since. We used to have glow worms and they have disappeared. Grass snakes and slow worms of course. Sometimes we find grass snakes in our little pond looking for frogs. Rabbits are common and our neighbour has a nightly visit at about 10 pm from a badger. He puts peanuts out on his terrace! He emailed me a shot he had taken only today. I think there is never a moment when we can't see a red kite somewhere around. Anthea counted nine at the same time yesterday.

Here is a grass snake in our pond. I swear it was four feet long.

and here is the badger taken by our friend and neighbour snuffling the peanuts

Eric H

ideasguy · « **Reply #57 on:** July 04, 2009, 11:45:48 PM »

RE: (Eric H)

Quote

I will answer it when I know the answer

Thanks Eric! Good to see its flowering away for you.

I had noticed a number of plants climbing your walls to the upstairs windows level in previous photos.
It must be lovely to look out of an upstairs window and be greeted by such lovely flowers!
Great choice of plants! I have Paul's Scarlet and its a real good Rose. I made a mistake of planting conifers in front of mine (growing on a wooden fence). After quite a number of years the conifers had reached 10 ft and more. I cut them down last year, and Pauls Scarlet was still hanging in there, after years in the shadows. I'm now nurturing it back to its former glory. By sheer coincidence, I inspected it today and found it has produced a flower!
That wooden fence will now be put to good use. It gets full sun from early afternoon until evening. I say full sun, meaning of course when it manages to find a gap in the clouds in our Irish skies

NightHawk · « **Reply #58 on:** July 05, 2009, 11:42:37 AM »

I'm trying to catch up on some postings when I can Eric, and as usual you have shown us some outstanding photos.

Great to see the badger in your area, they can be very elusive little critters.

I'm not so sure about that snake though. $:-\$

Laurie.

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #59 on:** July 06, 2009, 10:34:51 PM »

Thank you Laurie. I am not sure how much time I will have for a while either. Having been retired since 1992 Anthea and I have been approached by a very good friend (the one who had the golden wedding recently) who insists we design a large house on an 8 1/2 acre plot in the Chilterns. A lovely opportunity. I have been on the drawing board for 10 hours a day, yesterday and today, and I must say am thoroughly enjoying myself. It is a bit like riding a bicycle, it is as though I never stopped.

Eric H

ideasguy · « **Reply #60 on:** July 07, 2009, 10:23:33 AM »

Its nice to be head hunted for jobs like that Eric! Dont overdo it with those 10hr days though!
What a talent to start a project like that from scratch

Has the design of the gardens been mentioned?

I hope you will find some relaxation time to play outside with your camera and pay us a visit here

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #61 on:** July 08, 2009, 09:50:39 PM »

Thanks George. I have had another busy day but am now relaxing on the computer for a few minutes before turning in. I took a couple of pictures a few days ago of a little shrub I was given in October 2006 as an 80th birthday present. For the life of me I can't remember its name. Can anyone help please? (reminds me of a little joke I told a few days ago

)

Eric H

Lyn and Malcolm · « **Reply #62 on:** July 08, 2009, 10:20:36 PM »

Is this the one Abutilon Megapotamicum

http://www.thompson-morgan.com/plants1/product/p1030/1.html

Malcolm

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #63 on:** July 08, 2009, 10:47:29 PM »

That's the one Malcolm. I knew it began with a B

. I was looking at all the Bs in the bible and couldn't find it.

Thanks

Eric H

ideasguy · « **Reply #64 on:** July 08, 2009, 11:14:22 PM »

Good to see you have time for a "rest" Eric

Thats a very pretty flowering plant I have to say. Do you have it planted outside?
Go on, tell us the joke

Well done for making such a quick ID, Malcolm. I dont see it in your plant list (had a quick look at your web site) so all the more commendable!

Lyn and Malcolm · « **Reply #65 on:** July 08, 2009, 11:37:19 PM »

But this one in the garden is similar

Kentish Belle

Malcolm

ideasguy · « **Reply #66 on:** July 08, 2009, 11:55:08 PM »

The second letter begins with B

;)

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #67 on:** July 09, 2009, 06:37:58 AM »

Quote from: ideasguy on July 08, 2009, 11:14:22 PM

. Do you have it planted outside?

It is half hardy so we have it against a west wall. So far so good.

Quote

Go on, tell us the joke

Can't remember it

ideasguy · « **Reply #68 on:** July 09, 2009, 10:49:03 AM »

That joke... begins with B?

Beginning with b brings another favourite story to mind.
I used to play I-spy with our children at bed time.
Came to Taras turn (she was all of 7 years old at the time).
I spy, with my little eye, something beginning with B.
After umpteen guesses and umpteen delighted No's, we finally gave in.
Tara had the distinction of being asked what it was.
Bajamas!!! came the excited reply.
We all laughed for ages on that one.
Needless to say, the story is part of the family folklore and gets an airing now and again

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #69 on:** July 09, 2009, 01:50:56 PM »

Quote from: ideasguy on July 09, 2009, 10:49:03 AM

Needless to say, the story is part of the family folklore

I bet it did. Lovely, I like that one.

ideasguy · « **Reply #70 on:** July 09, 2009, 01:57:42 PM »

Eric, I have a request, prompted by you telling us you are back on the drawing board designing again.
How about starting a new topic to show some photos of the end product of some of the projects you worked on in your career?
I have a suspicion there are a few in those 1000's of images you have up there on flickr

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #71 on:** July 09, 2009, 02:57:43 PM »

Believe it or not George there is none of my work on Flickr. I retired in 1992 and any photos I took were on coloured slides. I would have quite a job ferreting them out but when I am a bit calmer I will see what I can find. I am having a slightly more restful day today having completed the first stage yesterday. We will be seeing the client tomorrow which will mean back to the grindstone after the weekend. Benji will be home for the weekend so not much time then either

.

A lot of my work was industrial and commercial. I was involved in work for Black and Decker in Maidenhead, Spennymoor and Kildare in Southern Ireland. Maidenhead and Kildare were closed in 1984 and I know Maidenhead was demolished to redevelop the site. That tended to happen to a lot of my projects

. Two research laboratories for Wilkinson Sword at Colnbrook that I was rather proud of were demolished to redevelop the site too. Domestic work tended to be for directors of the various companies we worked for when they found they had a tame architect on tap

ideasguy · « **Reply #72 on:** July 09, 2009, 07:37:29 PM »

I should have know that! Digital cameras weren't too good when they first came on the scene, and it was after 1992 before I got one in my hands.
Its disappointing to read how your creations had to make way for "new" development.
I can relate to that in a way.
In my days in Mechanical Engineering I designed machine tools and equipment for assembly lines. It was always a real hammer blow when companies closed where I was proud of my creations e.g. De Lorean. In another case, I took a Voluntary Severance package - the company closed one week later! Fortunately the cheque had cleared!

You don't need any distractions at present, so concentrate on your new project, Eric. Its good to know you are enjoying that challenge.
Enjoy your weekend! My daughter is also flying home from Manchester on Saturday, for 10 days. I spy...

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #73 on:** August 23, 2009, 10:41:07 PM »

AUGUST: -

August is sometimes a dull month in our garden but this year there is still some colour around. There are a few roses flowering and here are some of the other blooms out at the moment.

Potentilla fruticosa ?Princess? which has been flowering the whole summer.

Phlox ?Bright Eyes?

Another phlox (unknown) with a sedum developing in the background.

The clematis jackmanii is still flowering as is the jasmine which is there out of focus.

The honeysuckle is still blooming by the back door.

Cosmos

Love-in-the-mist

Various hollyhocks are still in flower.

Hibiscus

Japanese anemones

Hypericum

The Black Eyed Susan is still blooming well

The hydrangeas are still doing well. I don't know why these two leaves are pale. The rest of the leaves are dark green.

The Abutilon is still much the same as it was at the beginning of July when I posted this photo. It has been flowering for ages.

And finally a little posy of sweet peas and cat mint on the dining room table straight from the garden.

All these photos are recent except two which were taken in a previous year. They are the cosmos and the love-in-the-mist. They are growing in the garden at the moment but I did not want to walk over the bed to photograph them.

Eric H

ideasguy · « **Reply #74 on:** August 24, 2009, 09:58:27 AM »

You have a lovely range of flowers in your garden Anthea and Eric

Thanks for posting the photos and sharing the delights.
I have to say those photos are excellent, Eric, the Cosmos and Love-in-a-mist in particular.

I'm envious! How do you manage to get so many blooms on your Hibiscus?
Its the sunshine level of course. Mine don't perform at all well - not nearly enough sunshine,I guess.
I love the foliage though, and they are slow growing plants with me so neat rather than troublesome.

Love the posy

Theres a special section on the forum for posies if you happen to enjoy those little arrangements. We certainly do.

Author Topic: Eric & Anthea's garden at different times of year. (Read 113414 times)

NightHawk