Images from Paradise 1 of 3

[YmirGF]

I was a bit puzzled where to stick this thread. Though this is more of a pictorial of the gardens and related phenomena and less about talk, it would be an interesting place for others to lob pictures of their own bits of paradise (ie. their gardens). Without further delay, I'll just let the pictures do the talking from here... well... for the most part, at least.

Image One: Is a mature dwarf maple that has been quite stunning for the last few days, especially at twilight.

Image Two: Is another dwarf maple getting ready for winter.

Image Three: The last of the snap dragons. These appear to be blood red are are magnificent... well... until the frost hits later this month or early next month.

Image Four: Is of the stairway leading from the middle gardens to the lower gardens. I fixed the crumbling sides in the summer and imbedded the frog in the lower right section. Poor bugger is still caught there, but he seems happy enough.

Image Five: Looking west from the middle of the above stairway.

Image Six: One of several beds.

Image Seven: The glorious Aralia tree that is quickly losing its leaves and branches.

Image Eight: A fabulous shot of lush foliage looking out towards the stairway from the middle gardens towards the lower gardens.

(continued)

 

[YmirGF]

Image Nine: Is from the same position as image eight, but looking behind me towards the front of the house.

Image Ten: Is on the second lot. This shot is of a deer trail that I cleared in the summer much to the delight of the roving packs of deer.

Image Eleven: Is just off the main work site looking out towards the road.

Image Twelve: Is also taken from the main work site looking south towards another road. The path is an extension of the deer path shown in the image ten. This area gets raked about twice a year to keep the path nice and clear.

Image Thirteen: Is a long shot of the entire landscaping 'work site'. It is very much 'in progress' and may be completed by the summer of 2009.

Image Fourteen: Is the same site from a different angle. Grading the paths was a monumental job as I did it all by hand.

Image Fifteen: Is from the same position but now facing west, towards the house and one of the three gates.

Image Sixteen: Is a closer view of my first attempt to build a wall out of concrete and stones. This facet of the project took about a week or so... ok, I'm not fast, but I only had an hour or two each day as it was in addition to all the other work. This is what I did when I got time to play.

(Continued)

 

[YmirGF]

Ok... almost done...

Image Seventeen is a close up of the two elves in the previous shot. I created this over the winter. I must say, it looks better "live" than it does here. Both pieces are set into a sandstone rock and epoxied into place permanently. They were a bit annoyed at first, but they are getting used to just sitting there. BTW: I didn't make the elves, they were purchased, lol.

Image Eighteen: My second major concrete project is pretty amitious, for a neophyte, at least. All in all, it is coming along very nicely, but alas it is already getting too cold to do cement work outside now, so I will have to wait till things warm up in the spring to finish this off.

And what garden would be complete without animals, eh?

Image Nineteen: This is an photo of a beloved Red Squirrel I have dubbed "Scrat". This mode of feeding is not unusual, although it mustn't be all that comfortable. It is quite hilarious when he/she falls off and hits the dirt a couple of feet below. He/she usually starts barking expressing his/her annoyance.

Image Twenty: Is of a beautiful Flicker that was snacking on a suet cake in the Arbutus tree. I tried to get some images of the Blue Jays, but they are very skiddish and fly away as soon as I get in decent range for a photo.

Image Twenty-One is of Little Dallas_Apple in honor of the RF Dallas Apple. Her namesake is now almost 9 months old (I think) and this is the little deer I held in my arms when her mom first came out foraging with her one very rainy day in February at the beginning of this year. Dallas Apple seems to definitely know me, but I'm not so sure I'd try to pick her up now, lol.

Image Twenty-Two: Is a very nice shot of Dallas's Mom. She too have become quite comfortable around me and I can get about 10 feet away from them before they get up and move.

Image Twenty-Three: What collection would be complete without a crazy pet shot? This image is of a rather possesive neighbourhood dog. She gets rather excitable and can give you a good nip if you don't toss her the stick fast enough.

 

[Don Penguinoini]

Lovely pics Ymir. Good with the garden, i see!

 

[3.14]

might like
masonary or masonry made easy
and
Mason Contractors Association of America (MCAA): Together We Are Stronger

nice pictures though

 

[Jeremy Mason]

Looks like you have great taste. Very enchanting.

 

[Caladan]

Outstanding. wonderful place to live in. very attended and beautiful.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

Great photos, Ymir.

If you want to continue working with the concrete during the colder months, you can use antifreeze in the mix. It will allow the concrete to cure rather than freeze.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

Congrats, Paul.

 

[YmirGF]

Thanks for your comments folks, I appreciate it. Now if only it wasn't SO MUCH freaking work to maintain.

might like
masonary or masonry made easy
and
Mason Contractors Association of America (MCAA): Together We Are Stronger

nice pictures though

Thanks for the links, 3:14. It is immense fun playing with concrete and stone although it isn't easy working with irregular objects. I am using the rocks in their raw form on purpose, although I am already much neater at laying the cement than when I began, lol.

Great photos, Ymir.

If you want to continue working with the concrete during the colder months, you can use antifreeze in the mix. It will allow the concrete to cure rather than freeze.

Now THAT is a useful tidbit. I will investigate it ... right now... :run:

 

[dawny0826]

So pretty! I love gardens. Makes me want to put on a long and flowing dress and go running, barefoot. Picture eight is my fave.

 

[YmirGF]

So pretty! I love gardens. Makes me want to put on a long and flowing dress and go running, barefoot. Picture eight is my fave.

You are welcome to do just that whenever you wish to visit! I admit, I am surrounded by so much eye candy that I wasn't sure where to shoot the images, so I just wandered around and took pictures till the batteries died. I did love how #8 turned out. It is one of the best, for sure.

 

[FFH]

Wow, awesome stuff Yimmer...

 

[OutOfTime]

Either that's grandma's backyard or pictures from a Sigur Ros album.

 

[Whateverist]

Ok... almost done...

Image Seventeen is a close up of the two elves in the previous shot. I created this over the winter. I must say, it looks better "live" than it does here. Both pieces are set into a sandstone rock and epoxied into place permanently. They were a bit annoyed at first, but they are getting used to just sitting there. BTW: I didn't make the elves, they were purchased, lol.

Image Eighteen: My second major concrete project is pretty amitious, for a neophyte, at least. All in all, it is coming along very nicely, but alas it is already getting too cold to do cement work outside now, so I will have to wait till things warm up in the spring to finish this off.

And what garden would be complete without animals, eh?

Image Nineteen: This is an photo of a beloved Red Squirrel I have dubbed "Scrat". This mode of feeding is not unusual, although it mustn't be all that comfortable. It is quite hilarious when he/she falls off and hits the dirt a couple of feet below. He/she usually starts barking expressing his/her annoyance.

Image Twenty: Is of a beautiful Flicker that was snacking on a suet cake in the Arbutus tree. I tried to get some images of the Blue Jays, but they are very skiddish and fly away as soon as I get in decent range for a photo.

Image Twenty-One is of Little Dallas_Apple in honor of the RF Dallas Apple. Her namesake is now almost 9 months old (I think) and this is the little deer I held in my arms when her mom first came out foraging with her one very rainy day in February at the beginning of this year. Dallas Apple seems to definitely know me, but I'm not so sure I'd try to pick her up now, lol.

Image Twenty-Two: Is a very nice shot of Dallas's Mom. She too have become quite comfortable around me and I can get about 10 feet away from them before they get up and move.

Image Twenty-Three: What collection would be complete without a crazy pet shot? This image is of a rather possesive neighbourhood dog. She gets rather excitable and can give you a good nip if you don't toss her the stick fast enough.

Oh my gawd, you even have an (Aussie?) Our idea of paradise has a lot in common!

My own bowzers .. the pup aussiexheeler Smokey, almost a year now:

.. and the boss *****, Heidi a mix of perhaps the same and other breeds at 7 years of age now:

It couldn't really be paradise without the dogs, could it?

 

[YmirGF]

Oh my gawd, you even have an (Aussie?) Our idea of paradise has a lot in common!

My own bowzers .. the pup aussiexheeler Smokey, almost a year now:

.. and the boss *****, Heidi a mix of perhaps the same and other breeds at 7 years of age now:

It couldn't really be paradise without the dogs, could it?

I love that mischievous look on her face in the last shot. Perfect. "Guess what I did, dad!"

 

[Shadow Wolf]

It looks beautiful (don't know how I missed this thread for eight years). Any updates? Eight years is some good time for a garden to see some fruition. Makes me think I'll eventually have to hire a gardener because plants just aren't something I have knowledge or patients with. My first few attempts at growing any sort of plant were thwarted by my devious cats and the one they don't eat was ruined by an unexpected sex-change of the plant (which likely means I screwed up somewhere and provided a stressful and damaging environment rather than a healthy and productive one).

 

[YmirGF]

It looks beautiful (don't know how I missed this thread for eight years). Any updates? Eight years is some good time for a garden to see some fruition. Makes me think I'll eventually have to hire a gardener because plants just aren't something I have knowledge or patients with. My first few attempts at growing any sort of plant were thwarted by my devious cats and the one they don't eat was ruined by an unexpected sex-change of the plant (which likely means I screwed up somewhere and provided a stressful and damaging environment rather than a healthy and productive one).

All 3 of my cameras are tits up now, so I can't do updates at the moment. I'll have to snag a friend when she comes up to trot her iPad about the place. Soon, hopefully.

 

[Revoltingest]

It looks beautiful (don't know how I missed this thread for eight years). Any updates? Eight years is some good time for a garden to see some fruition. Makes me think I'll eventually have to hire a gardener because plants just aren't something I have knowledge or patients with. My first few attempts at growing any sort of plant were thwarted by my devious cats and the one they don't eat was ruined by an unexpected sex-change of the plant (which likely means I screwed up somewhere and provided a stressful and damaging environment rather than a healthy and productive one).

Don't hire a gardener to do the fun stuff for you.
Just do what I did....kill a whole bunch'o plants for years,
& eventually they stop dying, & some even mature nicely.
Then you have to start changing things around.
Nothing is ever quite right...nothing is ever finished.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Don't hire a gardener to do the fun stuff for you.

I don't find it fun. To me, anything fun that involves my hands getting dirty is throwing pots, graphite/ink/charcoal from drawings, or dirt/dust from my bass strings. Anything else, I hate it. I've never found growing, planting, gardening, and other such things to be fun. If it were up to me, snakes, toads, and frogs would be my lawn care with no mowing involved.