Friday, February 13, 2009

Olive garden fetticini




pollen-flowers posted a photo

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wedding flowers - gorgeous birdcages with orchid butterflys at superb Buxted Park Hotel - 005-6.jpg


Hmm, I think a little flowerbed reshuffle is on the cards when I get home or possibly even flowerbed creation. I might have been suffering from the gardeners' affliction of my eyes being bigger than my garden. The car looked like a mobile greenhouse on the way back down the M6 but I bet we weren't the only car on the motorway adorned with foliage. Clematis x aromatica and C. flammula mysteriously found their way into my jute shopping bag, along with a really pretty Nepeta govaniana that I'll have to sneak into the back of a border. I find that yellow flowers divide gardeners in the same way as the variegated/non variegated debate but I can't resist yellow. I don't mind if it's a perfect sunshine yellow, wholesome and cheery or an acid greeny yellow, I'm quite happy with anything in between. The N. govaniana has delicate pale, lemony yellow flowers and is perfection in plant form. Lobelia tupa is a plant that I have been hankering after for a long time and now I am the proud owner of one. Carol Klein warned me about its hallucinogenic properties when she spied it my bag. Everyday's a school day at these shows... A tiny little blackcurrant sage completed my purchases, Salvia microphylla var. microphylla I couldn't resist its tiny little magenta pink flowers and scented foliage, I know that it'll thrive in my garden and it was a bargain, that's my excuse! tortoise_200x200.jpgOne item I would have loved to have brought home with me was this chap. My soon-to-be-husband and I have a little Russian tortoise called Claude so I am very fond of these slightly grumpy shelled creatures. Even though Claude has an uncanny habit of homing in and munching on any plant that I have struggled to grow or is very rare or special, I don't know how he does it! On second thoughts perhaps a stone version is a brilliant idea...
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Thursday, February 12, 2009

Carosel gardens seymour ct




pollen-flowers posted a photo

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041-2.jpg


Asim Shah posted a photo:

pretty


White and ample flower

White and ample flower


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Flower - ros136.gif



pollen-flowers posted a photo

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Hotel Seattle - 019-6.jpg



Winter Berries
Many people have commented that the trade stands at this year's shows have been every bit as good as some of the gardens themselves, and at Tatton I have to agree. Many of the gardens cre ated outside some of the nursery stands were exquisite and beautifully done. trade_stand_display.jpgI was particularly impressed with the display outside Brooklands nursery stand, which featured a swathe of perennials in a range of pastel colours. It was just the thing to entice visitors into the stand to buy plants (that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it). I try to resist buying things, but I always like to take home something from the flower shows I work at, and in the end I chose a Dierama. I purchased a large plant from the plant societies marquee, which was accompanied by plenty of useful advice from the grower. Hopefully it will do well in a sunny free-draining spot I have in my new garden. I got at lot of attention as I walked back to our tent with it, I don't think I've had so many admiring glances in a long while. If you're ever at a flower show and want to get attract attention, forget waving a coloured umbrella and choose a large Dierama instead.


Purple Flower


Photo shows lotus seeds - edible like nuts - each seed the size of an Acorn.
Lotus seeds are delicious. The size of a lotus seed is approximately the same as the size of an Acorn. The taste of a fresh and fully ripe lotus seed is somehow comparable to fresh - i.e. un-dried - hazelnuts. Lotus seeds are commonly eaten in Cambodia. Another part of the lotus flower used as food resource are lotus flower stems before they rich the water surface, hence before the lotus buds start to grow. The lotus leaves sometimes are used to wrap food. The common use of lotus parts as widely spread and most valuable food resource is the reason why in Cambodia so many large lotus ponds and lotus fields are maintained. Low maintenance / NO maintenance but a rich source of healthy food. In addition the lotus ponds accommodate a variety of other edible aquatic life such as fish, frogs, edible snails and much more.
At this point the life cycle of a lotus flower ends, new buds grow, open and blossom in full God made beauty for the joy and wellbeing of mankind.
In album Lotus flower photo - Lotus blossom images - Lotus pond photos
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Emily rose case





Asim Shah posted a photo:

pretty



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Yellow  flowers

Yellow flowers



atheana
DCF 1.0

DCF 1.0

Bright yellow flower

Bright yellow flower


Another yellow flower

Another yellow flower



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Flowers - bce213e3db06eb40c74c5ee6e11a2c1e_we.gif


Manzanita flower


A beautifully shaped lotus bud about a day or two before fully de ploying its beautiful lotus blossom.
In album Lotus flower photo - Lotus blossom images - Lotus pond photos

beetography

beetography's photo

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Flower - whiteflw.gif


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flowers - tulipbasket.jpg


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flowers - flower.jpg


Robert Nyman
Like, flowers

Like, flowers


Pyracantha berries in Ben Lomond, CA USA

atheana

atheana's photo

Daisy

beetography

beetography  's photo

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Flower - thROSESP12.gif


Asim Shah posted a photo:

the basket



Flower

atheana

atheana's photo

beetography

beetography's photo

flowers-1.jpg
flower - flowers-1.jpg


One of my highlights at this year's show has been the 'Art in the Garden'. As you wander around the showground you come across a variety of work from fibreglass cows to steel, pine and charcoal sculptures, as well as more traditional artwork, using willow and oak. moorcroft.jpgNot to be outdone however, many garden designers have used art in their show gardens. The Moorcroft Natural Woman Garden incorporates a handcrafted Moorcroft tile featuring the garden's plants, bees and butterflies. There's even more artwork from designers who are showcasing their work here. leaping_hare.jpgOne of my favourites is by an artist who has created leaping hares from twisted, plastic-coated wire - he's really managed to inject movement into his pieces. I'd love to take one home but I can't afford the price tag.

Flower

Winter Berries
Manzanita flower

beetography
Flowers of long beans.

Flowers of long beans.

beetography

beetography's photo
Show gardens at flower shows are always very subjective, the judges are looking for one thing, the gardening press another, and very often the public are just looking for something they can recreate in their own garden. All too often they don't agree on which should be the winner. beardshaw_300x150.jpg At Tatton Chris Beardshaw's garden, 'Cheshire's Year of Gardens 08', pleased all three and it's easy to see why it was awarded the Best in Show title. Recreating a classic english country house garden with bold herbaceous borders on both sides was a sure fire winner. I loved the predominantly pastel planting and highlights of gold added by the Catalpa at the end. I'm told there are subtle elements from at least 12 Cheshire gardens incorporated into the design, including the famous double borders at Arley Hall. If you're visiting the show and you know your Cheshire gardens see if you can spot them. east_west_300x150.jpg According to my colleague Louise I have 'Boy tastes'when it comes to gardens and some of the other designs i liked typified this. The 'East Meets West' garden (Gold) was created by combining the traditional elements of a relaxing Japanese Zen garden with a contemporary seating area and blocky water feature. adlington_300x150.jpg Angular water features were in evidence in several other gardens i liked, including the 'Adlington Relax and Reflect Garden'(Silver-Gilt), with white walls, red containers and interesting grassy planing scheme and 'Always There' (Silver-Gilt) a garden created to promote the work of the Samaritans. This was just my cup of tea, with green the predominant colour and plants chosen to complement perfectly the stonework and rusted steel used within the design. samaritan_300x150.jpg The judges awarded just two gold medals and four silver gilt at Tatton this year and I'd completely agree with their decision. A number of gardens featured heavy stonework waterfalls including 'Go with the Flow' (Silver), My Little Piece of the Lakes (Bronze) and Natural Distinction (Silver-gilt) and I think all of them could have done with a bit more planting to soften the hard landscaping. brett_300x150.jpg Elsewhere 'Real Life by Brett' (Silver-gilt) brought the traditional northern back garden into the 21st century and was definitely drawing interest from the crowds. 'Hot Dry Days' (Bronze) took a more Mediterranean approach and showed how we can adapt our gardens to the changing climate. Who knows, if the weather continues to be as hot and sunny here as it has been this week maybe bananas will soon catch on in Manchester?
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