New garden photos

[Miranda]

It stopped raining so I went out and took some photos in the garden. We had all that rain, but it doesn't look too bad - guess it will be looking quite different in a few weeks anyway, as the summer comes on. I'm really pleased with those marigolds, they're intense and they go wonderfully with the Stipa tenuissima.

They're here if you want a look:
http://s7.photobucket.com/albums/y295/miranda_uk/june%2007/

[Paul Narramore]

Superb Miranda, how can you bare to leave that lovely garden?

[Paul Narramore]

http://s190.photobucket.com/albums/z312/Paul_Narramore/?mediafilter=all

This is the first time I've tried Photobucket, I hope it works. Miranda, How can I give a general title such as 'Garden, July 2007' to these without titling every single one?

[Miranda]

Thanks Paul and Maire :) It will be a wrench, Paul, but there will be other gardens to tend.

Love the look of your garden, Paul - I think we must have similar tastes, or maybe we're equally obsessed? In Photobucket, you can make sub-folders and then edit the pictures to rename them, if that makes sense. It isn't that clear, but if you spend a bit of time fiddling, you should get the hang of it.

[Paul Narramore]

Yes, I've worked out how to change the title of each image but I want to change the title of the album as is has my name at present. I've looked in the 'Help' facility but that was no help. I've got some old pictures of the garden so I want to add these in another album.

[Miranda]

Have a look at your photobucket home page when you're logged in - there should be a list of your albums with a pencil at the side of each. Clicking on the pencil will allow you to change the name of the album - I think that's right.

You're right, the help facility is not very good. This is often the case, because they're written by programmers and not writers.

[Paul Narramore]

Nope. No sign of list of albums on the Home Page - I have only one and for some reason that's got my name as a title. Nor is there any sign of any pencil ikons. I've gone to 'Contact us' which referred me to their forum. I'm concerned as when I make a second album, that also will get my name as a title too.

[sue1002]

When you are on the Home Page Paul, look just below the 'Upload' icon and the next line should read 'Sub albums', beside this is a box showing 'new sub album title' and a box beside it with 'submit'. You will need to enter whatever title you want into the 'new sub album title' then click on 'submit' and your new album will be created. Whenever you go to upload your photos it automatically comes up with your first album but to add to another one just click on the one you have added, if that makes sense.

[Paul Narramore]

...and then double the first number I thought of?

Sorry Sue, it's just not working for me at all. I went to 'new sub album' deleted that and typed 'Garden, July 2007', then clicked on 'submit', but then got the same page back again, typed in 'Garden, July 2007', clicked on 'submit' but then got the same page back again.

I've no idea whether my pics are in an album or a sub-album and they are STILL entitled 'Paul Narramore'.

I've read the tutorial on starting off but it wrongly assumes that I already have an album or sub-album title, which I don't. Why does this damned thing have to be so goddam complicated? I've got the pics on there, no problems, but simply putting a title to the album is impossible for me.

[Paul Narramore]

I have put a post on the forum under 'Photobucket Technical Help' as I'm pulling my hair out with this. I've spent at least an hour trying to change the title without success, and life is far too short for that. :-(

[digger]

You pictures look fine Paul but i do notice a fair amount of paved areas we are unfortunately having some more paving in the back garden because it's too much work to keep it looking good and we are eventually going to have another greenhouse out in the back at the moment we have a small paved area in between the tool shed and the potting shed.

[Paul Narramore]

Right, the present Mrs N has solved it. Photobucket didn't like the comma in 'Garden, July 2007'. With just 'Garden July 2007' it worked and then it was straightforward transferring the images from 'Paul Narramore' to 'Garden July 2007'. Now to load up some more images.

Yes Digger, I wanted to cut down the amount of grass we have. The garden is on the side of a steep hill so the lawns are sloping. We cannot walk on the grass in the winter as it's too slippery and mowing on a slope is not much fun. A lot of the paving I acquired for nothing. A local school had about thirty paving slabs which just needed carrying away, and a former colleague grubbed up a perfectly good patio to have the old slabs replaced my modern ones. He was going to skip them but I saved them and stored them for thirteen years until the time was right. The curved paths are fake cobbles set on a plastic mesh. They are a bit fiddly to lay, if the mortar is too wet, they sink so have to be lifted. They've aged a bit now and look all the better for it. Some of the raised beds are made from old railway sleepers just bedded onto an inch of concrete - they are so heavy they'll not budge. The taller raised beds are in new tanatlised timber, again set onto an inch of mortar but with large galvanised steel straps bent to curves and screwed to the insides almost like the bands of a barrel. The vertical faces of the timber are covered with damp course material (DPM), stapled in place. The hard landscaping is now just about complete so now it's time to enjoy the garden more. A while ago I bought a concrete mixer on ebay and this has proved indispensable. All the 'concrete' mixtures were 1:2:3 (Cement, Builders Sand & Sharp Sand) and has proved to be as solid as a rock.

[digger]

You have done a lot of work there Paul but it does look really good, we are thinking on the same level of reducing the workload and making things more accessible for me but i do like the high maintenance flowerbeds, the fake cobbles do look really nice but storing the pavings flags for thirteen years! that showed a lot of foresight on your part did you know when you took them that it would be thirteen years before you needed them?

[Paul Narramore]

Well I knew that one day they'd come in handy. Nor are the raised bed high maintenance. They all have a thick mulch of tree bark and are mostly planted with easy going shrubs which need the minimum of attention. I do have a great problem with brambles and bindweed though. The former are OK, I just dig them out, but I've probably got a sprig of bindweed in every square foot of the soil. I've tried every method but all fail. It's even in the lawn but cutting the grass at least controls that.
In amongst all of the heavy showers, thunder and lightning, and sunny spells, a pretty Lesser Spotted Woodpecker visited our bird table - twice!

[Paul Narramore]

Now this Photobucket thing has got me going, here are some images I took in June -

http://s190.photobucket.com/albums/z312/Paul_Narramore/Garden%20June%202007/

[Paul Narramore]

I have added a host of images to my July list -

http://s190.photobucket.com/albums/z312/Paul_Narramore/Garden%20July%202007/

A couple of things. The Pelargonium 'Lord Bute' is clearly not 'Lord Bute' although I bought it as such. A friend cast doubts on it's type and this was confirmed when at Hampton Court Palace Garden Show I spoke to a pelargonium expert. 'Lord Bute' is almost black with a thin pink/red edge to the petals. My one is attractive so I wonder what it is?

The two daisy-like flowers we call 'Moon Daisies' - there are two distinct types, one has normal petals and the other almost torn in appearance - can someone identify these too?

[sue1002]

Lovely photos Paul. I think you are right about the Pelargonium not being 'Lord Bute', the pictures I can find of it are all pretty much darker than your one, and from other dark coloured ones I wasn't able to find one that matched yours, good luck with searching!

With your 'Moon Daisies' - could your pic number 0998 be Aster (Michaelmas Daisy) 'Composition', and pic number 1005 Leucanthemum x superbum 'Snowcap', not exactly sure on those two but they are possibilities.

[Paul Narramore]

Sue
Thank you. I'd say you are spot on with the Leucanthemum x superbum 'Snowcap' (Shasta Daisy) but I have doubts about the Michaelmas Daisy which seems to be smaller and with a slightly differing growth. Both plants are about 4ft tall and are identical with the exception that the petals on the 'Aster' have raggedy tips. I thought once that they were in fact the same variety and that one was a sport of the other, but they seem quite different.

[sue1002]

I'm pleased you've got one of them sorted Paul, it don't half get confusing looking at different pictures of flowers in the same family doesn't it? Have you got the RHS Encyclopedia of Perennials?, if so have a look at page 302, it is possible the other one might be another Leucanthemum, the petals are very similar to those of the Anemone-centred one called 'Wirral Supreme' that is pictured but your's doesn't have the tiny petal bits around the yellow centre, perhaps it's another breed of the same type??

[Paul Narramore]

No Sue I don't have that particular book. I tried a Google search of Leucanthemum but my head started to spin, so I've emailed the National Collection of Leucanthemum x superbum, which is way up in Scotland, so perhaps they might know. There certainly appear to be many varieties.

[sue1002]

but my head started to spin,

Same here, there are so many. When you get your email answered, you can put our minds at rest too:)

[Paul Narramore]

Right, I received a reply yesterday and neither of them are Leucanthemum x superbum 'Snowcap' as this is a much shorter plant. Both of my varieties are 3ft6in to 4ft tall. Unfortunately she is unable to get attachments so I'm a bit stuck at the moment.:confused:

[sue1002]

Oh gawd Paul does this mean we will never know?

According to the Perennials book it says that L. x superbum is thought to be a hybrid between L. lacustre and L. maximum, the first one being from 10 inches high to the second one being able to reach 5.5 foot.

This is a quote from the book "Originally, all cultivars were intended to be propagated vegetatively, by division or cuttings. However, in recent years a number of dwarf cultivars of Leucanthemum x superbum in particular have been introduced as plants to be raised from seed. When grown from the raiser's seed these are often superb dwarf plants flowering prolifically in their first summer but developing into large plants in succeeding years. Plants raised from home-collected seed are often more variable, as are those raised from seed from cultivars intended to be vegetatively propagated."

Do you think from the above that it might still be?

[Paul Narramore]

I took more images of the two Leucanthemums I have and emailed them off to the lady who has the Leucanthemum National Collection, Etain, Lady Hagart-Alexander of Mauchline, Ayrshire. She has expressed an interest in these plants and has asked if I would care to send two small pieces for her to grow on and try to identify. As I am now mixing in very posh circles these days, please address me as 'Mister'. ;-)

[Helen]

Im living on a quater acre of land here, looking at your beatiful gardens your all welcome to come and give mine a makeover lol, just bring your spades Ill supply the nourishment :P
Ive managed to reconstruct the front garden but the back is huge and faces south so heat is a real issue when it comes to working in it most summers are between 85-98 temps and I dont like the heat, its my English blood lol

[digger]

OOH it must be lovely in summertime Helen i wish I lived somewhere warm and sunny. As you probably know the pennines is cold wet and cloudy and that in summer. where in the US are you? I know someone who lives in the US and in England and in his American garden big bears come to visit and even come and look in through the windows! maybe though you will have poisonous snakes and spiders where you live? and those fire ants and killer bees they live in America i think. In the back garden where it's sunny you could have loads of native prairie plants rudbeckias and echinaceas it must be lovely there, do you have to check for snakes before you get into bed?

[Paul Narramore]

Helen

I'd also be interested to know what part of the US you live. I've visited the US three times now. In 1999 our daughter Lucy was an au pair in Silver Spring MD for a year. I went over, hired a car and we drove to New York, Washington DC, Boston and Niagara. In 2001 I returned with my motorcycle and rode from Vancouver to Toronto via the Mexican border in six weeks. In 2006 I returned yet again and spent three months on my motorbike riding form the eats coat to the west and back again. I love the country and the people.

I cvould never understand why the average American doesn't care for gardening. The home I stayed at had simple rectangles of grass and precious little else. Monty Don also mentioned it in 'Around the World in 80 Gardens'. Mile upon mile of grassy front gardens with the occasional tree in the middle. An American said the his countyfolk like to sit by the pool rather than work on their garden. Also the heat might have a bearing on it. Such a shame.

[Neil Bromhall]

Miranda,
You left your lovely garden and I was wondering if you had pictures of your new place.
I'd love to see them and hear how you're doing. Maybe a new post would be good Mirandas no dig garden perhaps :)
Best wishes
Neil