Gardens and Gardening Stuff

[Nrthwnd]

I looked it up, but nothing "garden-ish" that I could find.

 

I love gardens in all their forms, and sometimes how they are put together, etc.

 

We have more of an English garden-style front yard, and an all ferns

mini-park in the back. I have grown up with ferns literally in my back

yard when I was young. Add to that, the evergreens that forested my

younger years, and I will never tire of it, the look, the smell, the colour.

 

I just took these photos today, since we've been having such awesome

unheard of weather around here - mucho sun and blue skies - because

our crocus patch has literally doubled since last year and is already blooming!

 

A month or two earlier than it usually does!

Along with the crocus, I have created "nests" with what's called wattle = fallen branches woven together.

The crocus have multiplied! Eep.

Even we were impressed!

A small purple bunch hides from the crowd under the wattle nest

[Nrthwnd]

Not exactly a "garden" but our deck has a couple of planters with herbs that David has chosen, to use with

his various recipes. These shots are all of the chives, which really grow tall, with a lovely 'flower' that

eventually blossoms, on top.

[Philrad71]

Love chives...used to eat them right out of the garden as a kid!

 

I will post some photos of my flowers and (small) garden once I get stuff in the ground, Bill. Still a good 3-4 weeks away for that though due to possibility of frost until almost Memorial Day.

 

Although I do have strawberry plants poking up in the garden already - just got it all cleaned out (leaves, weeds, etc) the other day.

[Philrad71]

Here ya go, Bill....it always has to be around Memorial Day before we can plant anything here in Western NY, but here is my little garden and one of my flower beds for 2016.

Unlike past years when I was stepping over (and on) stuff to weed, I made a standing spot (gray area) this year. On the left is my ever-growing strawberry patch and in the darker areas are (from left), basil, cilantro, green pepper, more basil (in pot) and Boston pickling cucumbers.

Outer pots are a mix of habanero, green, jalapeno peppers with a grape tomato plant in the blue planter (need more tables to elevate). I am going down to buy another tomato plant tomorrow so I can hopefully get enough to make a few jars of pasta sauce this year!

This is out front. I did the flowers and mulch - Michael added the holiday flags & pinwheels for Memorial Day.

Bacchus approves of our hanging baskets in front of the house (although he barked incessantly at me while taking this picture!).

Zoomed out version of our front yard.

[Nrthwnd]

Everything at your home looks great, Phil! I especially like those hanging baskets, as we've tried before

with one after another, and we never seem to get it right with those. We kill one right after the other, LOL.

 

We also tried food gardening a few decades back and that proved "fruit"-less for us, ha ha. The only thing

we got out of one entire back yard planting....was a tomato. So we never tried that, again.

 

Have a nice Memorial Day, by the way.

Something we added, by the pathway to the backyard...

Can't see them, until....

...There they are! (on the right) They're supposed to be "owls," but I liken them to oversize earplugs, LOL.

[MisterP]

 

 

 

 

 

[Nrthwnd]

^ All yours, huh?

[coasterbill]

^^

 

 

End thread

[Philrad71]

^^^ At least list your hometown in CO, OR, WA, Canada...or Jamaica!

 

Edit: Bill, those owls are awesome! And what are the flowers? They almost look like a rhododendron?

[Nrthwnd]

^ Yes, they're Rhodies in the front yard there, hiding the owls, lol.

[Philrad71]

^ I had two HUGE ones in front of our front window that I eventually had to tear out. Not only were they obstructing the window views, the roots were starting to do a number on my sidewalk and foundation. Very pretty, but when they get to be as tall as your house, they're not good to have too close!

 

Now if I can get the roots pulled out from the Juniper Shrub that I cut out from around my mailbox - what a bear that thing has been to remove. While it looked good when I first put it in, weeds started coming up from inside and when I would go to pull them, the shrub branches were like cactus poking into my arms and gloved hands. It got to the point where the weeds and grass were overtaking the shrub and it just looked like crap, so time for it all to be pulled and start over with something that looks a little better and is easier to weed around.

[Nrthwnd]

...Edit: Bill, those owls are awesome!...

 

Yeah, and now I find out, they're selling for $2 Cdn each! I bought my

three for $5 each, at the time. Oh well.

 

Unfortunately, shipping 'might' be a teensy bit more... $$$$$$.

 

[Nrthwnd]

David and I just went to a (what I call) "Chi Chi" Gardening Centre. Meaning, it was in a very pricey part of the city, and the prices on some of these plants, were way more than I expected them to be. But we were there for a few ferns, and a specific Basil (Thai) that David wanted. And I discovered there were TONS of kinds of Basil to be grown and enjoyed in cooking, etc. So I may return, to create a "Basil Clock" with at least 9 of them to grow.

Basil Land

So many Basil plants to choose from!

This is what David wanted to get.

David in The Ferns Corner.

Got a guinea pig? Got $1800 Cdn? It's yours!

These were fun little orange orchids.

[nozzo]

Very nice place - I mean the green house.

[Nrthwnd]

^ I remember it being totally overwhelming, with so many herbs and spice plants to choose from!

 

But now - our little garden of CHIVES has totally BLOOMED & BLOSSOMED this spring.

A shame we're probably not going to use them all, but they definitely grow back,

and more plentiful, every year.

May 9, 2018. 3pm-ish.

This one's been lassoed by a spider!

[Nrthwnd]

Since this is Earth Day, I though I would re-post some photos of the big area that is part of our annual

exhibition's (The PNE) grounds. It's called The Sanctuary and part of a huge green space that the PNE

management has created, removing a few buildings from the Fair's past, adding a man made lake and

a smaller pond (for a possible future 'river' that is part of Playland's future redevelopment), along with

several pathways, wild growth for the wildlife (smile), and a general 'calm' to it all, even though a

busy noisy PNE is right beside it.

 

Let's call it The PNE's Giant Garden Project.

Here are the photos with a few captions added. From 2018.

If you turn away from all this noisy PNE 'busyness'...

....You see this. One of the many entryways into The Sanctuary.

Where you are. And it shows how most of the PNE "wraps around" Sanctuary.

Noted.

Bridge view.

This walkway takes you past swamp grasses and such.

They built a Fishing Dock, so that kids can try their luck at catching! Very cool idea.

Hmmm. Decisions....

Ooooo human-built stuff! (o;

One last look at the lake and it all.

Heading out of the place.

"Backstage PNE"

..Back to the PNE Grind.

[Philrad71]

Given the situation, perhaps now I will get to post some photos every now and again. I know that I am very much getting into gardening now that I have the time to do so!

 

Here are a couple of photos of the fountain pool in our backyard. It was filled with dead leaves and muck, so I spent Sunday cleaning it all out. Ordered some new filter media for the pump on Ebay and need a new receptacle and I should have this bad boy back in action soon!

[matthew7M]

Nrthwnd, I've been there, it's a great park for sure. I love when someone makes theme park in the boundaries of the "forest" area.

[Nrthwnd]

Not that this house plant (?) needs much attention, except watering from time to time, I still figured this would be the best Thread to post it in.

One of our small "all sorts" stores off The Drive (like a mini department store), also has house plants on racks in front of the store. This one immediately caught my eye. But the owner couldn't name it, or tell me, how long 'the fruit' stays on top. But I bought it anyway. Nearly $10 Cdn.

Am going to try and find the name of this, online. Stay tuned ....

It's so cute! Probably not edible, though.

[JessieRoss]

Your garden sounds amazing! The mix of English style and ferns must be so peaceful. The crocus blooms are gorgeous, and the wattle nests are such a creative touch. Thanks for sharing it’s so inspiring!

[Nrthwnd]

^ Thanks! It's mainly an unwritten "agreement," between myself and Mom Nature. The crocus, as did the bluebells, grew in front and back of our house for years. But, for some reason, I managed to 'coax' both plants to grow only in our front yard, last few years! And the back yard has been left alone, for all the ferns to grow better!  The 'nests' (as all the kids call them) continue to be an ongoing maintenance thing. But that's okay. Easy to re-assemble them, once branches have been pushed over, etc. or run thru with dogs, heh.