Garden video #1: My patio in May, 2009

Looks good, Desktopgem. Your roses look good, and your neighbour’s cat looks well fed. Thanks for sharing.

-- jroot

Looks like everything is coming along nicely.

-- Bon,Hastings,Ont.....zone 5a....Always room for one more

a lovely tour. The cat thinks it owns the place – oh wait – it’s a cat – of course it does!

You have lots of things in your garden. Lovely!!

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a) http://www.execulink.com/~yohan

So much in your lovely garden … definitely keeps you busy! I truly enjoyed seeing your patio full of so many plants. And the cat showing up as you were talking about your birds was priceless … talk about timing. And yes, they do tend to think they own “everything” -vbg-

Would love another tour later in the season as your plants begin to take off and flower … your patio will truly be beautiful and so full of color and good things to eat!! :-)

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

Thank you for your comments and reassurance that the videos are viewable. Yes, I will definitely do another filming. I plan to do one a month just to get to see the difference over the 12. I have planted red poppies as well in one of those sweet pea tubs but so far minute seedlings are peeping out. I don’t know if they are poppies or not so will put some more in, perhaps in the greenhouse to start with.

Wow, I just imagined a stair full of red poppies instead of the wild area. That would be gorgeous but how would I get up them to sort them out? I’ll make a way. Perhaps next year for a project.

-- Desktopgem

I visited somebody over the weekend and she has no garden. Just a teenie patch under a window and it is very public. In her kitchen she had growing lots of sweet peppers. I thought I was bad with sowing stuff I don’t have room for! I suggested she grows things she can eat that don’t fruit like cabbage or lettuce. Does anyone have any ideas what to grow on a table top to eat, inside the house?

-- Desktopgem

there are lots of “veggie growers” here; however I am not one of them … but I am sure you will get some advice … :-)

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

Went to the garden centre again and found a hopeful cure for the presence of next doors cat. A plant call ‘scaredy cat’ of the coleus family. Cats, dogs, foxed, martens (whatever they are) hate the smell and won’t come near. If it works out the front I will get some more for out the back.

-- Desktopgem

Sounds like it is definitely worth a try … :-)

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

I have just applied to do a basic certificate in horticulture. Should be much more knowledgeable after that, and during of course. Has anyone else got a qualification in that?

-- Desktopgem

Can I add more photos on here or do I have to delete the six to make room for some flower photos? Does anybody know? Thank you.

-- Desktopgem

The six photos are on a project … on a blog (or this one) you can add as many photos as you want. Michal Bulla is “our” tech guy, so he would be a good one to ask questions.

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

exactly what GramT said. (oh and on your “garden” page you can upload 6 photos as well.)

The blog pix have to be hosted elsewhere so the number is unlimited.

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a) http://www.execulink.com/~yohan

I have done my video but it will take 3 hours to upload. I think it will be quicker in the morning when the rest of the world is asleep. I also ate my first tasteless strawberry. I won’t be buying them from the garden centre anymore. I also have my interview for a hortuculteral course so it will be good to get out there in the open to do some real study of gardening instead of guessing all the time. I do love teaching myself though but it does get a bit risky I suppose. The course if for a year then if you want help with your garden all you have to do is ask…

-- Desktopgem

I hope your interview goes well for the Horticultural course! You will have to tell us all about the different things you will be learning. Good Luck!! :-)

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

Here is an update to my patio. Hope you enjoy this second tour. It took me 3 hours yesterday to upload a rejected video as it was too long but it was funnier than this. In fact this is not at all funny but let me know if anything about it makes you laugh. Oh my I just read my last comment and I can spell horticultural, sorry about the mistake.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2oCqrQaiwE

-- Desktopgem

Wow you sure have a nice variety of plants for a patio.Well done.You have done a very nice job here.

-- Bon,Hastings,Ont.....zone 5a....Always room for one more

Thank you, Bon.

-- Desktopgem

Grandma T, if I am accepted on the course I will be starting late September. I felt right at home at the site yesterday. On my tour I saw a bird (not sure what) fly and sit closeby on a fence post and a red admiral butterfly sunning itself in the ground. It will surely make up for my not having a garden. The area is a huge park in a most beautiful setting. They teach alsort there from ponds to lawn management. They have a mini orchard too and well, it’s just heaven on earth – until of course you come across the dying bits and the bugs.

-- Desktopgem

I hope you can see these photos, they are of the pink rose i filmed today. I took them a few days ago. If you can see the My Flowers album on webshots not all the flowers are mine but I’m sure you will be able to spot the ones that are.

-- Desktopgem

My it sure does sound beautiful indeed! And seems like you will be learning a lot of good stuff. Great opportunity for sure.

Be sure to let us know if you get accepted. I’ll be praying … :-)

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

This is walking away from the college. I only took this one. You can just see a poppy field in the distance. It takes half an hour by bus to the park and then 20 minutes to half an hour to get to the college walking through the park.

-- Desktopgem

I just tried some fennel tea fresh from the patio. Lovely.

-- Desktopgem

That is quite a ride/walk to the college, but from your picture a truly lovely walk.

Fennel tea … how do you make it? Hot/cold?

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

I just picked the fronds, guessed how much, about a handful, put it in a mug, poured just off the boil water in and that was it. I think it needed a bit more fennel but it was very nice. It is said to help with digestion. I’ll be doing the same with mint and lemon balm when it grows some more. I haven’t tried it cold but it might be ok to cool it and put it in the fridge but not sure what cold aniseed flavour drink would be like.

-- Desktopgem

sounds interesting … I am not a “licorice” flavor lover, but hubby is.

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5

Once the water was added I let it ‘brew’ for about 3mins, could need 5. Then removed the fronds or I’d be in trouble lol.

-- Desktopgem

Here is the latest on my patio flowers. You should see two busy bees.

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I am tryiing to delete this entry as it’s no good but can’t find a delete button. Have tried to erase the message but it won’t erase.

-- Desktopgem

You should see two busy bees.

The next door cat or something decided to scratch up the compost around my sunflowers so off I went to the garden centre again to fill it in. I came back with a bag full of herbs, planted them and then broke up some thin sticks to put in the spare empty compost bits to prevent them from being dug up. If only I could claim compensation from the cat.

-- Desktopgem

Those are very nice looking sunflowers, Desktopgem. I hope you are entering the sunflower contest.

-- 'To plant a Garden is to believe in Tomorrow'

Thank you, Iris, I have just taken your advice and uploaded my sunflowers to the contest. Hope you enjoy it.

-- Desktopgem

What pretty Sunflowers!!! How they must bring a smile to your face. Glad you have entered the contest!!

-- "A beautiful garden is a work of heart" -- Royal Oak, MI - Zone 5