Eric & Anthea's garden at different times of year.

[Eric Hardy]

For the moment I will just load a few flower photos taken from January to April in our house and garden. These are from previous years I have not taken many this year. Later in the year I will post summer and autumn flowers.


Winter Jasmine (Jasminium Nudiflorum)


Orchid


Crocus Tommasinianus (?)


Crocus


Lily


Lily


Hyacinth


Hellebore


Narcissus


Daffodil


Narcissus


Daffodil


Snake's head fritillary


Magnolia Stellata


Magnolia x Soulangiana


Magnolia x Soulangiana

I hope you enjoy them

Eric H

[NightHawk]

A lovely set of photos again there Eric, beautiful detail.

Do you have any names to go with each of them?

I recognise a few but not all of them.

Laurie.

[Eric Hardy]

Thank you Laurie.

As you know I joined this forum via Bank Genie. I am not a knowledgeable gardener when it comes to names. My father was the opposite, he knew the latin name of every plant in his garden, but I didn't inherit that knack  . I have done my best to add some names to my post but, although I know "Narcissus" covers them all I cannot name them. One with a small cup I call a narcissus and one with a large cup I call a daffodil . A lily is a lily and an orchid is an orchid and that's about it!!  I suppose if I had got involved with this forum years ago (had it existed) I would have documented our plants more efficiently. I haven't installed Plant Genie on my computer, do you think I should? Would it help?

If you can tell me more about any of the flowers I have posted I will gladly add the detail.

Eric H

PS Anthea is better at names than I am. The trouble is we are both getting a bit forgetful in our old age and a name that would readily come to mind a few years ago we struggle to remember

[NightHawk]

Thank you for doing that Eric.

Don't feel badly about not knowing all the names - very few people do anyway.    That could be a challenge to our members to name the ones you don't know. 

Kathy is more knowledgeable than I am, so I'm just getting 'into it' really.

I have learnt more from interacting on the Forum and also by using IG Pro.
Entering plant names into our database makes plant names stick in your memory more easily, because you're actually making yourself deal with them.

So, to answer your question - yes, I think it would be a good idea to install Plant Genie on your computer.  You can assign specific garden areas in the program and list the plants you have in each area.  Also, you can add your own photographs to your plant database for a visual reminder.
You'll then get a better feel for your plant names - both the Common Name and the Latin name.

George will be able to better guide you through any obstacles you may encounter during this process, but we're all here to help as best we can anyway.

Laurie.

P.S.  I can name Photo 13 for you - Snake's head fritillary.  Kathy planted this in our garden last year, but as yet we've not had a showing. 

[Eric Hardy]

Thanks, Laurie.

I had a feeling it was Snake's head fritillary but I didn't feel confident enough to label it as such.

Eric H

[ideasguy]

Abslutely exceptional photos, Eric. They are absolutely top drawer, and any professional photographer would be envious!
One (well a few actually) of my favourite plants included in that last selection - Magnolia stellata. The scent from that plant may be delicate, but it is one of the nicest plants for fragrance I know.

We are so fortunate to have the photographic expertise on this forum. Its a pleasure to visit and see new and exciting images every day!
Thank you for joining the team!

RE:

I haven't installed Plant Genie on my computer, do you think I should? Would it help?

I have a feeling you would really enjoy the Gardening Software. Ive sent you an email a few minutes recommending IG Pro, as it allows you to do - well, just about everything.

I forgot to mention in the email that you a copy of the Master Database of Plants and Gardens is included with each IG Pro package.
It now has almost 36,000 plants and a couple of thousand photos, many of which have been contributed by members of this forum.

Keep up the good work with that camera! I'm looking forward to the development of this topic with photos throughout the seasons. What a pleasure that will be!
Thanks once again for sharing here.

[Eric Hardy]

Thank you George 

I am most definiely going to pursue your suggestion of installing the IG Pro. In no time I will be pursuing you for help 

Eric H

[ideasguy]

Thats great news Eric!

I can live with those pursue threats! 

[Eric Hardy]

A bit off topic but I have just noticed that I am no longer a Newbie but have become a Junior Member  Just curious, what did I do for that to happen or is it just a matter of time?

Eric H

[NightHawk]

Eric, your membership status changes on the number of posts you have made.

In your case, it's 50 or more to go from Newbie to Junior.

Your next goal is to achieve Full membership, which is 100 or more.

The final two are Senior and Hero Member, but I won't give those targets away.  Not that anyone would do so, but it could encourage 'silly' posts just to increase the post count required in each case, which wouldn't be in the spirit of the Forum. 

Besides, it will be more fun watching and waiting.

Laurie.

[Eric Hardy]

Thanks Laurie, I won't post just to up the number  but I suppose even this one counts 

Eric H

[NightHawk]

A nice little sneaky one there Eric.  I'll allow you that one. 

Laurie.

[Eric Hardy]

I originally posted this in the "Welcome, and intoduce yourself" thread but I thought I would copy and paste it here as it relates to our garden.

I thought I would like to show you the sort of gardening Anthea and I are interested in. We established this in a decaying orchard 53 years ago. One or two of the trees are quite old and others we have planted. You can see that we do not go in for neat gardening and leave wild areas to give shape to the garden. We like it to look natural but it is surprising how much work there is in leaving it "natural". It is just beginning to get a bit beyond us 

We limit our veggies and they are out of sight. Runner beans, tomatoes, courgettes, cucumbers, lettuce, rocket and herbs we usually don't have problems with. Greens and root crops are never very successful and we have lots of pests.

We have roses round the front but the bed is now very old so we have problems now. I will post some questions about this later when I get a moment.

Here are a few pictures to give you the feel of the back garden.













Eric H

[Eric Hardy]

Mid May: An up date of what is in bloom in the garden at the moment. Some  of the shots were taken in other years but it seemed pointless to re take them. There are others that I haven’t recorded but as it is raining (hence my time being spent on the computer) I will not go out and photograph them just now
You can tell the older shots taken with my Fuji because they have a 4:3 proportion. The ones taken recently with my Canon have a 3:2 proportion.

This year we seem to be more advanced. I notice that some of my earlier shots were taken a few days later than we are now but look pretty much as they are now.


Dicentra


Pulmenaria


Clematis Montana over the summer house with choisya in blossom on the right taken 10 days ago. The clematis is looking even better now.


Choisya  smelling strongly of honey


Clematis Montana


Clematis Montana


Lilac


Ceanothus


Rosa Cantabrigiensis


Buddleia globosa


Columbines grow almost like weeds but we like them (and of course some forget-me-nots, those that are not weeded up yet).

Eric H

[NightHawk]

Your garden is certainly looking lovely and lush at the moment Eric.

Another great set of photos, of course. 

Laurie.

[Eric Hardy]

Thank you Laurie. It is getting almost too lush already.

After my last post it stopped raining so Anthea and I spent some time in the garden preparing a bed and planting three pumpkins and three squashes she had grown from last years seed. Before coming in I decided to take some more shots to supplement what I have just posted.

Firstly I thought I should post a more distant view of Rosa cantabrigiensis to show the type of growth. It grows quite tall. That is my little garden tool shed behind it.




Rosa ragusa drooping a bit after the rain


These pansies seem to have been flowering for ages.


We even have a lupin out. Not my favourite colour but at least it is in bloom. You can see it has just been raining!


Welsh poppies like to grow among our rhubarb!


Ragged sailor with a nice hearts tongue fern coming up beside it


Potentilla fruticosa ?tilford cream? planted this year in our dying rose bed. planted at Georges suggestion  Thank you George.


This is just to show why we don?t weed out all the columbines that seed themselves all over the place.


My previous picture of a ceanothus was taken last year about two weeks later. This is just to show how well advanced it is this year.


We have white lilac out too


Finally this yellow plant, which is quite delicate, seeds itself all over the place. I forget it?s name but I think it begins with a ?C?. Any ideas?

I think that is enough for now

Eric H

[NightHawk]

You've got a great selection of plants there Eric.

I like your cosy little tool shed, nicely disguised with all the planting around it.

The raindrops on the plants adds a nice little touch to the atmosphere of your garden.

I'm very impressed.

Oh, by the way, excellent set of photos too. 

Laurie.

[Eric Hardy]

Thank you Laurie. My cosy little tool shed as you called it was a privy about 80 years ago. This was an old orchard when we bought it and built our house in 1955. There were the remains of a three room summer house and the privy was nearby. It was quite dilapidated so I made a new concrete base and my neighbours helped lift up the frame and relocate it. I re boarded it and retiled it. and it already looks quite old again. This is a robin's territory and there is a robin's nesting box on the back. I removed last years nest but I haven't peered in this year in case I disturb it.

Eric H

[ideasguy]

Your garden is weeks ahead of mine Eric.
Once again, stunning photos. What a delight to have siuch a beautiful range of plants.
RE: Potentilla fruticosa ?tilford cream?
Wow, that has made my day!
It looks like a mature specimen! and in flower already! 
Did you only plant it there this year?

Re: the yellow flowering plant beginning with C
Corydalis lutea?

[Eric Hardy]

Your garden is weeks ahead of mine Eric.

I think we are two weeks ahead of normal, I don't know why. Taking photos each year gives a good guide.

RE: Potentilla fruticosa ?tilford cream?
Wow, that has made my day!
It looks like a mature specimen! and in flower already! 
Did you only plant it there this year?

Yes, soon after your recommendation we bought it from our favourite family run nursey/garden centre. We have been planting more in our dying rose bed. I will update later. I am off to bed when I finish this.

Corydalis lutea?

That's the one! I thought it was corysomething-or-other  Thank you

Goodnight

Eric H

Eric H

[NightHawk]

Goodnight Eric.  Pleasant dreams. 

Laurie.

[Eric Hardy]

Three "first blooms" taken today: -

Cistus


Nelly Moser


Papaver


Things are coming out apace. Lots of buds on various plants.

Eric H

[ideasguy]

Definitely a couple of weeks earlier than in my garden, Eric.
Lovely pics, and choice plants. Keep up the good work!

[Eric Hardy]

Thanks George. We seem to be a bit more advanced than usual this year. We are at about 600 ft elevation here and we have to go down a steep south facing hill to get to the valley 300 ft lower We are usually a few days behind them.

Eric H

[ideasguy]

I'm on a similar landscape, and Ive noticed that the daffodils are at least a week earlier at the bottom of the hills in either direction from my house. At this time of year I wish they would go away! Their leaves linger for what seems like an eternity and flop all over the place.