November 19, 2010

A Different Perspective

Posted by Barhi under Gardeners Diary | Tags: , , , , , , |
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In life, it is always interesting to get a different perspective on something.

Recently I was able to get a view of my garden from one of the readers of this blog when Bobbie and Ron Gratz, whose garden is featured in the Dogs and their Gardens section of the site, came to visit.

Some of Bobbie’s photos are quite similar to ones that I have taken, but it was really interesting to see what caught her eye as she wandered around on a November morning.

I love this picture of the trellis around the pond with the rose and clematis that adorn it starting to change colour.  The blue of the post works so well with the blue sky, but this is a picture I would never have thought to take.

I love these frogs playing leapfrog – although some visitors are not always sure what they are doing – it depends on the angle they are viewed from.  I bought them in US and have never seen anything similar in UK.   I love the moss growing between the slabs that form the seat around the edge of the raised pond that is now their home.  I usually get rid of the moss whenever I pressure wash, despite wondering on many occasions whether I should leave it.  Maybe next time I will see if I can get the slabs clean whilst preserving the moss.

When I looked at this photo, I was really flummoxed.  I couldn’t think of where it could be – I don’t have a wooden bench anywhere in the garden.  I looked at the picture again and again and then I noticed the trellis in the background.  There is only one place in the garden where I have that sort of trellis.  I suddenly realised where the photo was taken.  Turned through 90°, the picture is a sideways on view of one of my Trachelospermum growing to create a green window.

We had to have a photo with one of the dogs.  Here, Bobby has managed to get a feel of the garden from their perspective .  There is no doubt that this photo is taken outdoors and yet the garden is almost irrelevant to the story.  Far more important is the mission that Ruby is on – if only we could read her mind.

Thank you, Bobby, for introducing me to a new perspective on my garden.  Through your fresh eyes, I now have a whole new view of my outdoor space.

 

March 4, 2010

Lunchtime Pruning

Posted by Barhi under Gardeners Diary | Tags: , , |
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It was a beautiful day today, so at lunchtime I decided to get started on my spring pruning.  Thirty minutes later, three clematis and a climbing rose and been pruned and I had had a lovely dose of sunshine :).

It is always hard to cut back the clematis since it seems wrong to remove all those green shoots higher up the plant.  But this is the way to produce the strongest plant and the most buds for this year – so I do it.

Now that the working day is over and with it the sun has dropped below the roofs of the surrounding houses, it is now time to go out back to the garage and put the trimmings through the shredder, one job that can be done with the help of electric light.  

I know that I have trained the dogs to stay outside the garage, but it never ceases to amaze me that they do so, without any command what so ever.  They stood there tonight on the threshold, knowing they shouldn’t cross it –  them in the dark and me in the light. 

Only another three weeks to go before the hour changes :).