Author Topic: Hello from WA (Read 10822 times)

nasuli · « **on:** November 10, 2014, 11:18:37 PM »

Hi, I'm Annie from the state of WA. I live on an 18-acre farm that has been in my husband's family since 1927. I home schooled my two boys all the way through high school and now they have graduated from college and are in the process of looking for jobs. I work as a substitute teacher in the elementary grades. I never gardened until I was married and it was a long process of learning what was weed and what was desirable! It hasn't been until recently that I became serious in knowing specifically the name of a plant. I was continually getting frustrated with my mode of cataloging. Then joy of joys I discovered Ideas Genie. It's probably a bit more than what I originally had in mind, but I love what it does so far. I now have a place to keep everything organized and will no longer be losing all the little plant tags that would disappear down the black hole on my desk!

ideasguy · « **Reply #1 on:** November 11, 2014, 12:21:50 AM »

Welcome to the forum Annie

Thank you for posting this introduction

We've exchanged a few emails and now its nice to know more about your application for Ideas Genie.
You are more fortunate than most of us to have a wealth of farming expertise in the family!

I'd hazard a guess and say you were (in relation to us) quite young to take up gardening. My first introduction to gardening was at primary school when I was about 10 years old. I was so enthusiastic that I dug up a garden at home and planted lots of things.
There was a long lapse until I started seriously again later in life

Good news is that I have a new version of Ideas Genie soon to be released. I cant wait until that happy day when I post that announcement on this forum! I've worked hard at making it easier and more fun to use.

Ideas Genie was launched at the Northwest Flower & Garden show in Seattle in 2003.
Have you been to that show? Its spectacular

nasuli · « **Reply #2 on:** November 20, 2014, 07:41:22 PM »

The farming expertise is all on my husband's side!

I grew up in the Philippines as a missionary's kid and knew nothing about gardening until I was married. I both love and hate gardening. When something works and actually stays alive - I'm thrilled. When I've put money and time into something and it dies - I'm frustrated. Of course, I'm sure I'm not unique in all that.

No, I've never been to the Northwest Flower and Garden show. That's something I've wanted to do, but so far it's never worked out. Someday...

I'm looking forward to the update.

ideasguy · « **Reply #3 on:** November 25, 2014, 09:24:31 AM »

Our gardeners have been a bit quiet on the forum recently, Annie. We are usually much quicker at welcoming new members.
With more time to relax now we are approaching the winter months, I expect that to change

RE:

Quote

I'm looking forward to the update

Yes, the Ideas Genie Pro version 6 is tantalisingly close to release, but I'm also spending time on adding new features to the beta version of Bank Genie (Version 5) (as some of our members know only too well - thank you guys!).
I look forward to the two happy days when I make those announcements on the forum

(and that should also add a little bit more activity here again!)

Quite a contrast between life on the Philippines and Pacific North West (US), I'm sure.
Growing plants sure can be frustrating!
I can safely say that all gardeners have had the same experiences. Yes, there are tried and trusted and totally reliable plants which guarantee success, but most gardeners will have tried teasing plants which cross the environmental recommendations - climate, hardiness (both winter and summer!!) and trying to put that beautiful plant into a spot in your garden where it simply does not want to be

All part of the joys of gardening

and I do sincerely mean joys.
I love my garden.

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #4 on:** November 25, 2014, 04:45:04 PM »

Hello Annie, a very warm welcome from me too, an old (in every sense) gardener who has shared a garden with my wife, Anthea, for nearly sixty years. At the moment I am keeping snug indoors on a very dank, dark wet and cold November day. I envy you your warmer climate. Of course, having said that, Western Australia is an enormous state and I have no idea where you are located. We have a friend who lives near Perth who visits us from time to time.. She has a lovely garden and sends us photos occasionally.
I have shared my garden with my wife Anthea for very nearly sixty years and I try to post photos of plants in our garden from time to time. If you would like a peep sometime, visit http://www.flowergenie.co.uk/ideas/forum/index.php/topic,1007.0.html entitled "Eric and Anthea's garden at different times of the year". I don't think there will be many more posts until the Spring. I hope you will be able to lets us see how your garden develops at some time.
There are some knowledgeable people on the forum if you can awake them from their present slumbers

. As George said, the forum has gone very quiet lately.
Good luck with your gardening.
There is another Eric on the forum called Palustris, so to differentiate myself I always sign off
Eric H

ideasguy · « **Reply #5 on:** November 25, 2014, 07:27:10 PM »

Thank you for your warm welcome to Annie, Eric.

I have to apologise - I have misled you. Annie is from WA= Washington State in the USA, not WA as in Western Australia.

I hope Annie enjoys her virtual visit to your impressive garden and like you, I look forward to seeing a few photos of Annies garden if she kindly shares them with us on the forum.

Incidentally, I have photos from another forum member to post here soon, as a demo to all, using the newly developed WPG program (Web Page Generator to those who haven't been involved in that big project here on the forum a few years ago).
Not yet released yet - I'm looking forward to that happy day

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #6 on:** November 25, 2014, 10:18:37 PM »

Sorry Annie, George has put me right. Washington State has rather different climate to Western Australia. You are as susceptible to snow and ice as we are, possibly more so, more's the pity.
Eric H.

nasuli · « **Reply #7 on:** December 02, 2014, 03:40:14 AM »

Thank you, Eric, for your warm welcome to me and for your link to your gorgeous flowers. I'm sorry I'm not in Australia. I've always wanted to visit. My houseparents at boarding school were from Australia and I loved them, they were wonderful. I've been to England and Scotland as a 14 year-old and, sorry to say, was more interested in the boys than I was in the gardens. I'm so thankful for the internet where I can virtually visit, but it's not quite the same.

On a different note, I've tried to post a couple of pictures, but for some reason it hasn't worked.

Annie Glass

ideasguy · « **Reply #8 on:** December 02, 2014, 03:48:12 PM »

Well, we will have to get that photo posting problem overcome

What was the problem exactly?
Click Attachments and other options when posting your message.
Try posting one photo only. It has to have a file size less that 128kb.

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #9 on:** December 02, 2014, 10:54:09 PM »

Quote from: nasuli on December 02, 2014, 03:40:14 AM

On a different note, I've tried to post a couple of pictures, but for some reason it hasn't worked.
Annie Glass

It is a great pity that you have joined the forum at such a flat patch, Annie. When I joined it was a very active and interesting discussion group. It is George’s baby and he spent a lot of time and energy developing it so it must be a great disappointment to him for it to have gone so quiet now. Most of the regulars have gone strangely absent.

I don’t know how you tried to upload a photo. I use Flickr and clicking on the “share” button on a particular photo, then choosing https, I select
img (in square brackets) through to /img (in square brackets) then copying and pasting it into my post, the picture miraculously appears.

For your amusement I will post a picture using this method. Our eldest son, Adam, writes books on Indian Temple Architecture and was in India just last month on one of his regular visits. This was a photo he took at Benares when a monkey jumped down, stole his specs, then climbed back onto this ledge. It caused much amusement at the insurers when the photo was produced in evidence of his claim

.

Good luck

Eric H

ideasguy · « **Reply #10 on:** December 02, 2014, 11:27:02 PM »

I'm rolling in laughter Eric. That is a brilliant photo

I'm wondering - did it manage to put the glasses on as we do?
That photo is a prizewinner! Tell Adam to look out for a suitable competition and submit it as an entry.
I'd love to hear the results and follow its fortunes

nasuli · « **Reply #11 on:** December 03, 2014, 03:16:29 AM »

That is an awesome picture, Eric!! My dad used to travel to India and was always having to be on guard around the monkeys. I'm just attaching photos from on my computer. I'll try sending just one like George suggested.

nasuli · « **Reply #12 on:** December 03, 2014, 03:21:47 AM »

I tried sending just one photo and that doesn't work, either. I also can't use any of the emoticons. They don't show up on the post. It's probably my computer - I'm still using windows xp and have been holding out as long as possible before upgrading. However, I can post pictures to facebook. I'll see if I can send one from there.

ideasguy · « **Reply #13 on:** December 03, 2014, 10:57:37 PM »

All a bit mysterious if you cant get the emoticons to work, Annie.
I don't think its due to XO. More likely to be your browser.
What internet browser are you using?
If its Internet Explorer, what version is it?
Look on the Menu, click Help tab and click About Windows Explorer.

Palustris · « **Reply #14 on:** December 04, 2014, 12:36:59 PM »

I always forget that the Emoticons only appear when one goes to Reply rather than Quick Reply. Ditto Attachments.

ideasguy · « **Reply #15 on:** December 04, 2014, 11:19:12 PM »

I don't see the Quick reply option Eric

nasuli · « **Reply #16 on:** December 05, 2014, 02:48:17 AM »

I don't see the quick reply, either. At any rate, I've only been using the reply button.

Not much to do outside at this time of year. Actually, there's a lot of clean up to do, but it's so damp and cold that I much prefer being in by our wood stove and drooling over all the gardening books from the library.

We have a new puppy (German Shepherd/Lab). Molly is only 4 months old and, although she was the runt, I think she's going to be pretty big. Any ideas on keeping her out of my gardens? She's definitely a "free thinker" (think strong willed). Even though our front yard is fenced, we don't take her out unless she's on a leash. She refuses to come unless she's good and willing to. Even bribery doesn't always work. So, I'm thinking ahead on my gardens that are in the front yard. I will probably end up building fence sections from bamboo, so that I can take out a section at a time when I want to work in that particular area. We'll see how far we get with training her.

Thanks for all your suggestions on sending photos and the like. I may end up using flickr, Eric. Thanks for letting me know about it.

Palustris · « **Reply #17 on:** December 05, 2014, 09:43:05 AM »

Quick Reply is at the very bottom of a page. This was sent using it. There are no Options with it other than Preview and Spell Check.
Cannot find anything in Profile which stops Emoticons and/or Attachments. There is in some sites, the provision to stop them appearing. I think on here it is down to the Admin to enable or disable those things.

ideasguy · « **Reply #18 on:** December 05, 2014, 10:01:54 AM »

I still dont see it Eric

Ive looked for it using Internet explorer and Google Chrome, and have looked in Settings to see if there is a switch there to enable Quick Reply.
Odd!

ideasguy · « **Reply #19 on:** December 05, 2014, 10:09:10 AM »

Hi Annie

Thank you for emailing the photo you were trying to attach for the forum.
It is 3mb. Photos on the forum must be no greater than 128kb.

Good news

You can do that using the Resize a Photo program (GA051) in Ideas Genie Pro (its under the Tools tab on the menu).

This forum posting by Lauries explains how to use it very well:
http://www.flowergenie.co.uk/ideas/forum/index.php/topic,1692.0.html
The resize program does NOT change your original.
You then look for the resized photo and post it on the forum as an attachment.
Good luck and fingers crossed here

nasuli · « **Reply #20 on:** December 05, 2014, 07:42:12 PM »

OK, here goes. I'm going to try to post this photo and hope that I've figured it out correctly. This was taken in April of part of our back yard. When my husband and I first bought the farm from his parents, the house was surrounded by pasture except for a very small front yard and a side yard big enough for a clothes line.

nasuli · « **Reply #21 on:** December 05, 2014, 07:43:39 PM »

Hey it worked! What fun!

ideasguy · « **Reply #22 on:** December 05, 2014, 08:41:12 PM »

Well done and congratulations Annie!
Did you use the resize program in Ideas Genie Pro?

I can see some very nice spring flowering specimens in your photo

and a nice view in the background.

Eric Hardy · « **Reply #23 on:** December 05, 2014, 10:50:37 PM »

Great, Annie, you managed it. It looks quite a large "yard" as you call it but lovely Spring blossom I can see there. I look forward to seeing more now that you have mastered it.
Eric H

nasuli · « **Reply #24 on:** December 06, 2014, 12:01:30 AM »

Thank you Eric and George. Yes, my "yard" is pretty big. I'm hopeless with dimensions on how big something is (and my husband is not home to ask!), but it did used to be a large pasture. Our farm is 18 acres. Ten acres is the house with yard all around, the barn and surrounding pasture, orchard, vegetable garden, sweet corn field that my boys sell in the late summer and a creek between the house and barn. The eight acres is more pasture and woods on the other side of a train track. We raise our own veges and beef and that's about how far our farming goes. We don't bother with chickens because of all the coyotes.

So, I'll be posting a few photos at a time. Is this the best place to post them or should I start a different post in the "General Discussion" area?

Photo #1. "North on Creek - this was taken from the bridge of the same spring blossoms that I posted earlier.
Photo #2. "Flowering crabapple - you can see the barn in the upper right corner
Photo #3. 2/3rds of the front yard
Photo #4. taken from the front porch a "borrowed view" I think the gardening books call it.