This is a tour of some of my gardens. Hope everyone enjoys
Glenn Jones(9b)
3 years ago
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Glenn Jones(9b)
3 years agoRelated Discussions
Do you enjoy your garden, or do you just enjoy gardening?
Comments (22)Well, the party line answer is clearly both, and obviously for me too, there is enjoyment of the process and the results. I think that must be true for any gardener who is involved in the making of their own garden space and who isn't getting paid for doing it. But I find that as I get older and farther down the garden path, I would like to enjoy the results more, and I find that the process itself can sometimes be tedious, expensive, require too much patience, and overwhelming. So I am going to be brutally honest here -- while I enjoy the work of gardening to some extent, if I could hire more people to do more things for me and just enjoy the results myself, I would do it. The problem is that, for the most part, if you are a real plant geek like I am (and a whole lot of others who responded above), you can't really hire people to arrange plants for you in the way you want them. So there is a certain amount that you have to be involved with yourself. Being involved again in the creation of a new garden, and having left a mature one, I have to say that so far, I enjoyed the mature one more. The last few years I spent there I did work a lot in the garden still, of course, but the proportion of time spent just enjoying the garden was greater. That doesn't mean that I was sitting when I enjoyed it. It doesn't mean that I didn't pull a weed or two when I walked with a glass of wine in the evening. But after 20 years working on that space, the garden felt "finished" to a great extent. That doesn't mean that there would never be anything new. But the garden had a certain cohesiveness that is certainly lacking in my new garden. It also had as much seasonal interest as I could pack into 2/3 acre in my rotten climate. So, weather permitting, the garden always had moments of great beauty and enjoyment for me. But then again, I know that one of the reasons the garden meant so much to me is that I had spent 20 years making it. I had watched the trees, shrubs, perennials that I had planted get moved from one place to anohter (NAY he says, "I MOVED them from one place to another"...) until they finally found a place that they (and I) liked. Still garden making takes patience, and it is hard in the early stages not to want more results, with less work at garden making. I think that's one reason why, relatively speaking, I did not take many pictures of the new garden this year -- in the last year I was at my old place I took over a thousand, this year less than 100. A reflection that the garden was more about process than results, so far. One of the greatest times of garden enjoyment I ever remember in my old garden was after a big garden tour. The weeds were all pulled, the plants all relatively pristine (it was mid-June), the crowds were gone, my family and the dog were gone, the walks and drives all neat and clean, no cars or other distractions to be seen. Then I walked through and enjoyed my own garden, for a couple of hours, nobody but me and the hummingbirds and butterflies. One of the best times of garden enjoyment I ever had, along with very early foggy mornings and late summer evenings. Give me more of those, and less back-breaking work, any day.......See MoreA short tour of my garden ...
Comments (35)Christopher, thanks. We could do that. If you come after the weather warms up bring your version of a "tucker". Kitty, that little history of colonial dresses is SO interesting. I never knew about "tuckers", but you know those hard working ladies had to do something to help them keep cool! I loved hearing about one way they did it and seeing your photos. Thank you!. You know, I can remember EVERY nook, plant, and cranny of my grandmother's yard and house -- better than I can remember houses that i've lived in as an adult. I also remember the mischief I got into like chewing off one of her elephant ears to play with and how my tongue swelled up.. It's a wonder it didn't kill me ... lol. Thank you Daisy and Bluegirl, and everybody, for your kind remarks. It's been fun getting to know you all better. I heard a simple quote once, but I guess it was the Knowledge in which it was said that still moves my heart. "We're all just people here." So simply and yet so sweet. This post was edited by roselee on Thu, Apr 18, 13 at 21:19...See MoreCome tour my front-street garden
Comments (19)Glad you folks enjoyed it. The coneflowers seem to be popular with others as well. So far, all have over-wintered here though we don't get severe weather like you folks do in the rest of the country. The hardest thing they had to endure was about thirty inches of rain from November to May. All of the coneflowers you see here are in their second or third year. The gigantic pink flowering mound in pic #7 was planted two years ago and now it is exploding. There are just a TON of flowers coming. This is another part of the coneflower difference here, these are the FIRST wave of flowers from my plants as Summer comes late here(and stays into October many years). The double-dark red/orange cone flowers are 'Hot Papaya'. I'll be glad to save you a seedhead Dax, and it will help if you remind me here or email me around October/November. Is this how they propogate? I'd love to have more. Ken, still a few projects left but the only major project is the grass which is gone probably in the Fall of 2012, replaced by rock paths, a sitting area and perhaps a water feature. I plan on having NO grass at all after 2013/2014. Ken, the conifer I think you're referring to in pic#22 is a Picea glehnii cultivar that Bob Fincham contributed to the garden. I'll have to look up the cultivar name. I'll work on some 'before pics' as well. This is the best I have for now: After. -Will...See MorePhoto tour of my gardens - June 1 -pic intensive
Comments (24)I am so envious! Beautiful yard, beautiful house and beautiful dogs. Lovely beyond words. I tell you what. All of you with your picture perfect gardens puts mine to shame. I am not posting anymore pictures of my simple gardens! I had a Dalmatian/Great Dane named Benny. I told people he was a "Damnation". He scared everyone who came to our house, especially the meter readers. He was beautiful and so playful, like a Dane, but had the not-so-friendly-strangers-personality like Dalmatians. A great guard dog for me. Poor Benny died of kidney failure at age 5. I believe it was the result of being bit by a gigantic copperhead. He developed complications afterward and the kidneys failed. He loved to go for rides in the truck, sitting up tall in the cab and looking out. He HAD to go for a ride every day. What a character. I took him for his final ride, having to lift him up into the cab and by the time we got home, he could not walk. He was miserable and suffering. The next day, I took him to the vet. My poor Benny. I love your Great Dane. He has just a beautiful coat coloration. I love how they are big, playful pups. A great breed of dog. Thanks for sharing all. ~Annie...See MoreGlenn Jones(9b)
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3 years ago- Glenn Jones(9b) thanked kinzyjr {Lakeland, FL - USDA: 9b, Record: 20F}
Glenn Jones(9b)
3 years agoGlenn Jones(9b)
3 years ago
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