Getting used to new habits for Coronavirus....

[Janet]

My last aunt was hospitalized a week ago Friday with COVID. Before anyone thinks or says ... she should have been fully vaccinated, her immune system was compromised. She died Wednesday. She was only five years older than me. Needless to say, our family is devastated.

So sorry.

 

[Glitterati3D]

Thank you for the comment. Yes they were rather lost in their pervious positions but then the old arch had become so large and it hid so much now there is more to see and we also have more natural light in the kitchen. While the arch does not provide the barrier the other one did this should change in early spring as we are to plant some tall, stunning red and white flowers on each side of the arch. We are growing them on at the moment but cannot put out in case of frost as the are passed there flowering period for this year. Unlike the ivy these die back each year but self seed with ease so they should not create the problem the ivy did.

The lights are quite prominent at the moment but the sedum planted on the edges of the path should grow over the silver edges of the lights which will also dull over time. Clearly we will need to keep the centers free of any growth as the are solar powered, but these use lithium polymer batteries and have a 600 mAh solar panel so that they can run for up to eight hours each night with enough sun during the day. We are also hoping that the sedum will grow over the wooden edge of the paths a invade the path itself thus softening the edge over time.

If I may be so bold, Hornet, might I suggest you look into Creeping Jenny for those spots you wish to grow over and tumble down. It's a lovely plant, fast growing and will take some foot traffic. It does bloom small, insignificant yellow flowers in summer and is evergreen and hardy in my USDA Zone 7a.

Here, I was creating some yard art with a small wooden wagon and used only 2 4 inch pots of creeping jenny. I tilted the wagon, took off one wheel, put some firewood logs under it to make it appear that it had lost its wheel and tipped over.

And here it is one year later, after I have cut it away from the sidewalk once this year and it needs it again.

The thing is you will never buy another pot of it as it roots all along the stems and will grow anywhere, under any conditions. I cut it away from the sidewalk and simply toss the cuttings in a pot or in another spot in the garden, keep it watered for about a week and it takes off in the new spot.

I've grown it in ponds, in the ground, in pots and it never fails where ever I put it.

 

[Hornet3d]

If I may be so bold, Hornet, might I suggest you look into Creeping Jenny for those spots you wish to grow over and tumble down. It's a lovely plant, fast growing and will take some foot traffic. It does bloom small, insignificant yellow flowers in summer and is evergreen and hardy in my USDA Zone 7a.

Here, I was creating some yard art with a small wooden wagon and used only 2 4 inch pots of creeping jenny. I tilted the wagon, took off one wheel, put some firewood logs under it to make it appear that it had lost its wheel and tipped over.

View attachment 70910

And here it is one year later, after I have cut it away from the sidewalk once this year and it needs it again.

View attachment 70911

The thing is you will never buy another pot of it as it roots all along the stems and will grow anywhere, under any conditions. I cut it away from the sidewalk and simply toss the cuttings in a pot or in another spot in the garden, keep it watered for about a week and it takes off in the new spot.

I've grown it in ponds, in the ground, in pots and it never fails where ever I put it.

That looks fantastic, it is a new one on me so thank you so much for the recommendation. I have ordered a few so I can put them in different parts of the garden. I have always used sedum in the past when I wanted ground cover it grows well and just about anywhere and it will survive being walked on occasionally. Creeping Jenny is something different though will add variety. Thank you so much for the recommendation.

 

[Satira Capriccio]

I love groundcovers. They are so much more appealing and interesting than grass. Plus, tiny little flowers are always a treasure.

 

[Glitterati3D]

I love groundcovers. They are so much more appealing and interesting than grass. Plus, tiny little flowers are always a treasure.

Me too, Satira! In fact, this spot needed the yard art because I put down landscape fabric on that spot to kill the grass. It was one of those spots that should never have been sodded because it was just one small circle at the edge of a flower bed that was more of a pain to mow than it deserved. I've watched a family of Carolina wrens who nested on the porch then raised the babies in that flower bed all summer. The little ones had a ball digging through the creeping jenny for bugs and worms and hiding under the wagon where I flipped it over. At one point, one of the babies caught what he/she thought was the biggest worm ever - a baby Dekay snake! Even the local armadillo visited nightly.

I'm also very sorry to hear about your aunt. I didn't read your note until after I had responded to Hornet. May your Aunt rest in peace and you take refuge in pleasant memories of her.

 

[Terre]

I love groundcovers. They are so much more appealing and interesting than grass. Plus, tiny little flowers are always a treasure.

Agreed.

 

[unreal]

My last aunt was hospitalized a week ago Friday with COVID. Before anyone thinks or says ... she should have been fully vaccinated, her immune system was compromised. She died Wednesday. She was only five years older than me. Needless to say, our family is devastated.

OMG, I'm so sorry.

 

[Hornet3d]

This is one of our finds during a sortie to our local garden centre, it is called a Portulaca Carnival but I guess it is just a mix of Portulaca of different colours. It hides it's beauty in the shade but when the sun comes out it is a little gem.

We liked it so much we purchased two, one for the front and one for the back of the house.

​

 

[unreal]

This is one of our finds during a sortie to our local garden centre, it is called a Portulaca Carnival but I guess it is just a mix of Portulaca of different colours. It hides it's beauty in the shade but when the sun comes out it is a little gem.

View attachment 70933

We liked it so much we purchased two, one for the front and one for the back of the house.

​

pretty! A lot of different colours all in the same pot.

 

[Hornet3d]

Progress is slow but I guess I should be grateful that it is progress. Stepping stones are now sunk into the path but will need to be adjusted once they have settled, the intention was to place them on a bed of sand so they would settle flat or could be adjusted. The only problem with that is buying sand is close to impossible in the UK at the moment. How ironic that, as an island, we are surrounded by water but sand is in short supply but then again so are bricks.

The sharp eyed amongst you will see a new visitor to the garden on the right hand edge of the first image. This is Luther, so if you get passed the owls and through the arch Luther is waiting for you on the other side, although he seems to be more interested in monitoring anything incoming from above. He had barely been in the garden a few hours before he started showing of like this leaf balancing trick.

Elsewhere the Creeping jenny has arrived and is now planted in various parts of the garden while other plants from last year have decided to show their colours.

Heavy rain and possible thunder storms have put any ideas of gardening on hold but we have around sixty odd plants from mere plugs to established plants to put out. Some in a few weeks when they have grown and others will need to be shielded from frost until the spring. With that in mind I am back indoors and trying to list all the plants with information on height, hardiness and also flowering season as we have a mix of early, summer and late flowering so the idea will be to mix them so there is some colour that changes as the year progresses.

 

[Miss B]

I'm liking the new edition, and he's certainly good at balancing the leaf.

This is really progressing nicely Hornet. Look forward to seeing it completed.

 

[Terre]

That is really coming along well Hornet.

 

[unreal]

In the weirdest way I feel connected to it. I've been playing with the OBJ files in Blender and about to start building a Poser 12 scene. I've made vert groups for the house so I can try my hands at rigging the doors to open and close. Never done that before (at least, not a non figure type thing in Poser).

Now we need a stone dragon

 

[Hornet3d]

In the weirdest way I feel connected to it. I've been playing with the OBJ files in Blender and about to start building a Poser 12 scene. I've made vert groups for the house so I can try my hands at rigging the doors to open and close. Never done that before (at least, not a non figure type thing in Poser).

Now we need a stone dragon

Thank you for the interest and good luck with your building in Blender. I am really surprised at the interest but very thankful to everyone here for that interest, it sort of shows there can be a plus side to new habits learnt during Covid. I know it is a very small plus but as Covid is such a terrifying virus I try to find solace in where ever I can.

 

[unreal]

Thank you for the interest and good luck with your building in Blender. I am really surprised at the interest but very thankful to everyone here for that interest, it sort of shows there can be a plus side to new habits learnt during Covid. I know it is a very small plus but as Covid is such a terrifying virus I try to find solace in where ever I can.

Playing is fun!

I feel sorry for people that forget that.

 

[Terre]

Agreed. Playing is fun and it seems to me that those who do play now and then are happier.

 

[Stezza]

In the weirdest way I feel connected to it. I've been playing with the OBJ files in Blender and about to start building a Poser 12 scene. I've made vert groups for the house so I can try my hands at rigging the doors to open and close. Never done that before (at least, not a non figure type thing in Poser).

Now we need a stone dragon

a stone dragon..... hmmmm

glad to see my models are getting used in some way and being inspired by @Hornet3d

 

[eclark1894]

a stone dragon..... hmmmm

glad to see my models are getting used in some way and being inspired by @Hornet3d

I don't know about the stone part, but I've been telling Chris that for years!

 

[Stezza]

just modelled this one up in Carrara for the garden... if anyone would like it then shoot me a PM

 

[Miss B]

He's cute Stezza.