Gone potty? Plants gardens and lawns .

[JayCS]

What an attractive fungus. Is that praps some puffball / bovista?

After an aged neighbour today asked me bewildered what the heck I was doing and I explained I was building a small house for kids using "sticks" (like Eeyore, but apparently more stable up to now). Then I noticed I hadn't found a good place for a big red conifer root, looked at it, and saw it was actually an elephant with a trunk, OK two actually, and two tusks (at least)... So I called her back and showed her it, and she immediately said: You're right, that's an elephant, so I said: See, maybe I'll be able to convince you of my taste after all sometime. That inspired me to place it as a sculpture in the middle of the moss / lawn becoming meadowy. This really makes a massive stylistic mark on the whole garden, and the contrast of the big area of red wood in the midst of the green, next to the colourful bed of gigantic red & yellow tulips, daffodils and purple hyacinths. I was pleasantly surprised that my wife immediately understood and started making suggestions how to maybe place it slightly differently.

I've been doing a few days of starting "propagation by seeds" (sez my dictionary - what'd you call it?). Actually didn't want to, felt it was far too difficult for me. Then just did it - and it didn't hurt as much as I thought it would....

Also I'm trying to do up the patio with pots, cos my wife doesn't want me to remove the stones. I'm approaching it slowly. Praps I'll hide the pots under heaps or at least small walls of natural stones and earth, so again it looks like a little landscape / quarry. Our local botanical garden is in a quarry, I get most of my stones from outside it.
Slight mistake today filling cachepots with earth the same as normal pots. I thought I'd heard someone say that was OK. I would have put in plants that like being a big soggy in the cachepots. But on 2nd thoughts knowing our weather they could easily drown. Now I'm not sure what to use the cachepots for yet.
I'm also finding it hard to resist the temptation of putting a layer of mulch over all the patio.... - and you know me, when I start thinking something like that it doesn't take long till I try it. Praps so my wife doesn't go completely barmy I'll do a bit every day, till she starts screaming.

 

[JayCS]

Sitting on the grass leant against the rain butt pressing a painful shoulder blade spot into it, which is slowly getting better from pressure (why does that work for me??). The post of the planting table was better, because I can get it right into the spot, but it's now in the sun.
In front of me the tulips, above me the pink magnolia in front of the white amelanchier, to the right the elephant root sculpture in front of the other tulips is looking at me nonchalant and making me laugh every time I look up. Hasn't got a name yet, I don't even know if it's adult, teen, baby, male, female or diverse.

I've needed to take a break from gardening, but staying in the garden in the half shade of the giant cherry starting to blossom white. Had to dung (with coffee) and prune the pink magnolia ("Susan"), cos the blossoms are falling too quickly, needed a lot of breaks of course, but it was good exercise, with stretches, and mentally looking for self-care, plant care and simplification. I've not been used to turning my head on before doing something, this has very much changed, at least after charging into something for a minute or two and then realizing that my body and some bit of a plant I overlooked is complaining. But it's more like small jobs to do, no time pressure any more. And it's nice to get to know the magnolia which I'd been able to ignore because it's not usually necessary to prune it. Easy actually, once I'd realized I just have to press leafless twigs and see if they break off or not. The tons of fallen pink (and often slightly brown ) blossoms I've put on a not yet flowering flower bed, once again a dummy, and in front of our front door in the shade in 2 big saucers. I saw that in the sun that's pretty strong at the moment the blossoms are wilting much quicker now, so I figured the shade might work better. And one saucer I'll be sprinkling water on regularly the other dry, see which one works better. Prompted to try this because I studied the cuttings I put in a big cachepot in the shade at least a month ago, and seeing them faring pretty well and getting new fresh leaves, it seemed to me it's the shade I need to keep too more. Bit strange after finding most of the flowers I've planted need lots of sun. This has also reminded me what I desperately need the cachepots for: For cuttings! I'd forgotten because I've got less at the moment. But if I'd've put them more in the shade, I may still have more. No, that's not true, the cherry laurel had wilted even in the shade, but I've added a few more fresh cuttings, cos it's not insect = bird friendly and I need to make room for the flowers. And the conifers are doing fine without wilting even in the sun, so I'm now using them everywhere to hide the ugly walls. I had to cut some of the pyracantha / firethorn because up top it's getting extremely feeble, below it's thriving beautifully, but my wife hasn't got the hang of this game yet, she doesn't like change, so I have to be careful how much I cut off and also have re-hung ivy and used the conifers as dummies to fill up the emptier spaces. Hmm, just thought maybe Icould place some of them there more that they can at least get a little bit of water. Or can I water them, I wonder? At the moment there's enough water in our 2 rain butts. Learnt today in a video that oleander needs stagnant(?) tap water, whilst most other plants I think prefer rain water. Also learnt that many more plants than I thought can get coffee put on them, not just the typical ones, but also the magnolia likes it a littleacidic, but also the 3 berry sorts we've planted....

Ooh, just heard a kestrel , watch out everybody! (Don't necessarily want to dream that an enormous bird of prey circling over our garden suddenly swooped down towards me, like recently. But it was actually a very beautiful and exciting dream, it didn't get me, cos I side-stepped by waking up . I like re-calling that image, I could like see the feathers, even when it was high up, in dreams we can do that - super-powers...)
Yesterday evening I thought I saw a goldfinch from our balcony, which would be absolutely brilliant, but I can't imagine it. Well I can, but only in my mind, I don't think we've ever seen one here.
The other day a heron came very close over our garden - ah no, I think I've told you that already?
OK, the sun's got me again, got to flee out of it....

 

[JayCS]

The raw & wild stuff....

 

[JayCS]

The prettier stuff.
I love those yellow/red primrose blossoms wilting black (#3), I won't be pinching them for new flowers just yet... But Mrs JayCS got heated up about me buying and putting "dead flowers" on the balcony, so I've put them out in the garden (#6) in front of the rhododendrons and cherry laurels (which I've cut back as they don't do much for insects). Funny thing was the yellow primroses were wilting just as much, but yellow (#7), she put them right up front of the balcony so she could see them from indoors.
But at the end of the garden the colourful ones are lost, so I think I'll have to pull them up front, maybe integrate them into my new mulch & stone garden project - our robin loves me turning the patio all natural, kept hopping all around me and asking for more.
(Red-flowering currants #1 & #4, pink magnolia in front of white amelanchier #2 & #5.)

 

[Harpy]

Those gates do look like the entrance into the secret garden.
You’re doing a great job. Love the magnolia, I have been wanting one but just can’t work out where I need to plant it for the best effect.
We have a beautiful sunny day today , no rain or wind so far.
But I won’t be doing nothing today , had a horrible night.

 

[Auriel]

Better sleep wishes harpy ️️

 

[Harpy]

Better sleep wishes harpy ️️

Thanks lovely how are you?

 

[Auriel]

Scan went well (she told we when the " "wierd" feeling was gonna start ) having the cannula put in and pulled out was less painful this time (from the other times I've had them done) so all good results in about a week

 

[Harpy]

That’s great. It’s done and over with. Even better with the needle. Got me why you get a run of good nurses then the one that’s just cruel.

 

[JayCS]

After a weird professor squinted at me yesterday interested in everything I had to say, he hijacked my whole load of two inches of doc reports and says he'll text me by next Tuesday for another talk on eye level....

I've got so many good garden photos now that I don't know where to start. Tell me if you want more or less.... The sculpture goes even redder when it's rained #1+2, making it look more like a big sea animal (or even deeper than the sea??) than a big land animal (#7), don't you think? The "green" flower bed #10 is holding me in suspense. My wife's told me that they are "may bells", but I can't remember, I just feel it'll explode/erupt. I saw them elsewhere where I hadn't given them enough room, but I was fast enough so more came up.
Looking so closely every single day, it's amazing how sometimes there's a tree or shrub or flower which starts off 1 or 2 blossoms a month or two ahead of all the others of their kind, like a vanguard. But then when the others come all of them go from 0% to 100% inside of 3-5 days. And the blossoms of the white amelanchier behind the pink magnolia were gone inside of a week (came up much later here than elsewhere). The blossoms of the magnolia are raining onto the moss meadow all the time, I'm collecting them for the "still life painting" in front of the house. My wife was sad first, but more / enough are coming. And what I've only hinted is that that sort, Susan often blossoms a 2nd time. Same goes for some primrose sorts, which I've been pruning for seeds and to prolong the blossoms. Checked in on daffodils and tulips too, read what I'd thought you can give them more strength by cutting off the wilted blossoms and later leaves, but leave everything green standing as long as they don't go yellow.

 

[Auriel]

Are you annoyed the professor took your notes Jay? and also I can't speak for harpy (her thread) but I'd like more photos I love to lksey, (it gives you glimpses into peoples lives too, so that's cool) and who is Susan? Is that a name of your flower/plant (or a typo) is next Tuesday when you get your results (from yestersdays test? I think I've thrown a few questions in one post (I know men like to keep to one subject at a time but there was a few things going on in that one)

 

[Harpy]

After a weird professor squinted at me yesterday interested in everything I had to say, he hijacked my whole load of two inches of doc reports and says he'll text me by next Tuesday for another talk on eye level....

that sounds good, a dr that actually wants to read it all.

I've got so many good garden photos now that I don't know where to start. Tell me if you want more or less...

Yes definitely more pics

. The sculpture goes even redder when it's rained #1+2, making it look more like a big sea animal (or even deeper than the sea??) than a big land animal (#7), don't you think? The "green" flower bed #10 is holding me in suspense. My wife's told me that they are "may bells", but I can't remember, I just feel it'll explode/erupt. I saw them elsewhere where I hadn't given them enough room, but I was fast enough so more came up.

Definitely looks like a sea creature , it’s cool

Looking so closely every single day, it's amazing how sometimes there's a tree or shrub or flower which starts off 1 or 2 blossoms a month or two ahead of all the others of their kind, like a vanguard. But then when the others come all of them go from 0% to 100% inside of 3-5 days. And the blossoms of the white amelanchier behind the pink magnolia were gone inside of a week (came up much later here than elsewhere). The blossoms of the magnolia are raining onto the moss meadow all the time, I'm collecting them for the "still life painting" in front of the house.

I like jacarandas for the purple rain they do.

My wife was sad first, but more / enough are coming. And what I've only hinted is that that sort, Susan often blossoms a 2nd time. Same goes for some primrose sorts, which I've been pruning for seeds and to prolong the blossoms. Checked in on daffodils and tulips too, read what I'd thought you can give them more strength by cutting off the wilted blossoms and later leaves, but leave everything green standing as long as they don't go yellow.

You definitely have a pretty garden, lots of colour happening.

 

[JayCS]

Are you annoyed the professor took your notes Jay?

My wife is. I'm intrigued and hoping trust might breed trust.

and also I can't speak for harpy (her thread) but I'd like more photos I love to lksey, (it gives you glimpses into peoples lives too, so that's cool)

That makes 2 of ya - plus me, is 3. So more it is...

and who is Susan? Is that a name of your flower/plant (or a typo)

Name of this type of magnolia.

is next Tuesday when you get your results (from yestersdays test?

He said at the latest, cos after that he has no time for 10 days. Let's see if he's true to his word. Even a 10' talk'd be fair.

I think I've thrown a few questions in one post (I know men like to keep to one subject at a time but there was a few things going on in that one)

Ehm, me not typical man, as you know....
When I keep to one subject at at time it's only cos I think I confuse everybody whatever gender enough as it is. Probably so much they no longer know what gender they are (that's a German jest, don't know how well it translates)...

 

[JayCS]

So sweet: a short gentle repeated rasping noise a lot of the time the past days has turned out to be .... a jay...
They don't always "shout", like we think they do, we heard one with a wonderful array of ... gentle sounds ....
But of course too shy to get on to my ancient smartphone.

But our robin is very trusting. On youtube there's one sitting one someone's arm singing, who'd've believed!

More tulips here, plus a yellow blossomed "weed" hidden (in the shadows under see-through metal stairs) that someone else would long have ripped out. But in this garden everyone gets a chance. Just "snapped" it (see below) on which you can see it better.

First rhododendron flowers today, so coming up soon.

And I'll try "theme" posts. combining the art of gardening with the art of "snapping" -
in German we colloquially say "knipsen" for "photographing", and I feel "snap" is closest to that, altho shooting'd be OK-er.

 

[Auriel]

PRETTY!