Friday, February 13, 2009

Daisy vilt




Asim Shah posted a photo:

the basket




An average lotus blossom develops approximately 20-30 lotus seeds. The final step of the lotus flower life cycle is shown in my next photo.
In album Lotus flower photo - Lotus blossom images - Lotus pond photos

beetography

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Asim Shah posted a photo:

yellow


atheana

atheana's photo

When take this flower, i just curious in the middle of this flower, it's take couple days to figure out what to name this photo, finally name of "swirl" comes out... flower with combination of white and red, somehow it may like the flying bird.

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Monkey Flower Cairngorm - 28MonkeyFlower.jpg


pollen-flowers posted a photo

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Kingdom of lily ponds and lotus ponds - Cambodia is a paradise for water lover and lovers of all kinds of aquatic life and flowers. Millions of water lilies small or large and lotus flowers all ac ross Cambodia.
In album Lotus flower photo - Lotus blossom images - Lotus pond photos
Floral bedding is always something that divides gardeners; they either love it or hate it. There seems to be no half measure. butterflies.jpgWhile I wouldn't do it in my own garden I have to admit I think it looks great at Tatton and the 'Conwy Butterflies' created by Conwy County Borough Council display made of marigolds and sempervivum is a worthy winner of the RHS/ Ball Colegrave National Flower Bed Competition. cyclist_bed.jpgThe displays are always of a very high standard and there are many that stand out for me including the helicopter in the Cheltenham in Bloom display (Silver) and the cyclists on the Bury Borough Council display. There is even a 'Yellow Submarine' (Silver) courtesy of Vale Royal Borough Council, perfectly placed for suitable accompaniment from the bandstand. tank.jpgMany of the displays have interesting stories behind them and a large tank created out of plants was one that stuck out for me. It's been created by Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council in honour of Fred Kite, a resident of their borough. It commemorates the two military medals he was awarded while serving with the Royal Tank Regiment in North Africa. A fitting tribute, and certainly an explosion of colour. I've been trying to persuade my colleague Louise to love the flower beds without much success although she did admit that she liked the penguins in the 'Chill Out' display. The RHS are launching Britain's Best Flower Bed Competition for the nation's best flowerbed to rival those at Tatton. The competition is open to any team or individuals working on public bedding displays around the country. If you think you have what it takes, make sure you take a picture of your flowerbed before August 31 and find out how you can enter at the RHS Britain in Bloom site. The winner will have the chance to compete in the National Flower Bed Competition at Tatton 2009.
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Thursday, February 12, 2009

Rose clinic illinois




atheana

atheana's photo
Mountain-flowers
Many people have commented that the trade stands at this year's shows have been every bit as good as some of the gardens themselves, and at Tatton I have to agree. Many of the gardens created outside some of the nursery stands were exquisite and beautifully done. trade_stand_display.jpgI was particularly impressed with the display outside Brooklands nursery stand, which featured a swathe of perennials in a range of pastel colours. It was just the thing to entice visitors into the stand to buy plants (that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it). I try to resist buying things, but I always like to take home something from the flower shows I work at, and in the end I chose a Dierama. I purchased a large plant from the plant societies marquee, which was accompanied by plenty of useful advice from the grower. Hopefully it will do well in a sunny free-draining spot I have in my new garden. I got at lot of attention as I walked back to our tent with it, I don't think I've had so many admiring glances in a long while. If you're ever at a flower show and want to get attract attention, forget waving a coloured umbrella and choose a large Dierama instead.

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MaryGolde

beetography

beetography's photo


atheana
DCF 1.0

DCF 1.0
Bee's on Manzanita



Yellow, flower with bug around...



Natural lotus beauty made by God. In Cambodia lotus flowers are used as offerings to Buddha and brought to Buddhist Pagodas regularly.
In album Lotus flower photo - Lotus blossom images - Lotus pond photos
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Cartoon daffodil





Mountain-flowers

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FLOWERS - 2466849930030272744XYEDoD_ph.jpg


White flowers with blurred background

White flowers with blurred background


pollen-flowers posted a photo

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The beautiful loggia at Newick park - set for a partnership ceremony - 018-7.jpg


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Flowers - flowers.gif



Daffodils in late April

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A huge lotus pond with abundance of large pink lotus flowers.
In album Lotus flower photo - Lotus blossom images - Lotus pond photos

atheana

atheana's photo

Crocus - the first flowers of spring 2008

beetography

beetography's photo

Show gardens at flower shows are always very subjective, the judges are looking for one thing, the gardening press another, and very often the public are just looking for something they can recreate in their own garden. All too often they don't agree on which should be the winner. beardshaw_300x150.jpg At Tatton Chris Beardshaw's garden, 'Cheshire's Year of Gardens 08', pleased all three and it's easy to see why it was awarded the Best in Show title. Recreating a classic english country house garden with bold herbaceous borders on both sides was a sure fire winner. I loved the predominantly pastel planting and highlights of gold added by the Catalpa at the end. I'm told there are subtle elements from at least 12 Cheshire gardens incorporated into the design, including the famous double borders at Arley Hall. If you're visiting the show and you know your Cheshire gardens see if you can spot them. east_west_300x150.jpg According to my colleague Louise I have 'Boy tastes'when it comes to gardens and some of the other designs i liked typified this. The 'East Meets West' garden (Gold) was created by combining the traditional elements of a relaxing Japanese Zen garden with a contemporary seating area and blocky water feature. adlington_300x150.jpg Angular water features were in evidence in several other gardens i liked, including the 'Adlington Relax and Reflect Garden'(Silver-Gilt), with white walls, red containers and interesting grassy planing scheme and 'Always There' (Silver-Gilt) a garden created to promote the work of the Samaritans. This was just my cup of tea, with green the predominant colour and plants chosen to complement perfectly the stonework and rusted steel used within the design. samaritan_300x150.jpg The judges awarded just two gold medals and four silver gilt at Tatton this year and I'd completely agree with their decision. A number of gardens featured heavy stonework waterfalls including 'Go with the Flow' (Silver), My Little Piece of the Lakes (Bronze) and Natural Distinction (Silver-gilt) and I think all of them could have done with a bit more planting to soften the hard landscaping. brett_300x150.jpg Elsewhere 'Real Life by Brett' (Silver-gilt) brought the traditional northern back garden into the 21st century and was definitely drawing interest from the crowds. 'Hot Dry Days' (Bronze) took a more Mediterranean approach and showed how we can adapt our gardens to the changing climate. Who knows, if the weather continues to be as hot and sunny here as it has been this week maybe bananas will soon catch on in Manchester?
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Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Wild orchids adult




atheana

atheana's photo

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Hmm, I think a little flowerbed reshuffle is on the cards when I get home or possibly even flowerbed creation. I might have been suffering from the gardeners' affliction of my eyes being bigger than my garden. The car looked like a mobile greenhouse on the way back down the M6 but I bet we weren't the only car on the motorway adorned with foliage. Clematis x aromatica and C. flammula mysteriously found their way into my jute shopping bag, along with a really pretty Nepeta govaniana that I'll have to sneak into the back of a border. I find that yellow flowers divide gardeners in the same way as the variegated/non variegated debate but I can't resist yellow. I don't mind if it's a perfect sunshine yellow, wholesome and cheery or an acid greeny yellow, I'm quite happy with anything in between. The N. govaniana has delicate pale, lemony yellow flowers and is perfection in plant form. Lobelia tupa is a plant that I have been hankering after for a long time and now I am the proud owner of one. Carol Klein warned me about its hallucinogenic properties when she spied it my bag. Everyday's a school day at these shows... A tiny little blackcurrant sage completed my purchases, Salvia microphylla var. microphylla I couldn't resist its tiny little magenta pink flowers and scented foliage, I know that it'll thrive in my garden and it was a bargain, that's my excuse! tortoise_200x200.jpgOne item I would have loved to have brought home with me was this chap. My soon-to-be-husband and I have a little Russian tortoise called Claude so I am very fond of these slightly grumpy shelled creatures. Even though Claude has an uncanny habit of homing in and munching on any plant that I have struggled to grow or is very rare or special, I don't know how he does it! On second thoughts perhaps a stone version is a brilliant idea...
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Fashion show centerpiece





Crocus - the first flowers of spring 2008

Asim Shah posted a photo:

yellow


Mountain-flowers

pollen-flowers posted a photo

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Buxted Park lanterns - photo by kind permission of Lisa Devlin - lanterns2.jpg


Manzanita flower

Yellow flower with background out of focus

Yellow flower with background out of focus


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flowers - FLOWERS_smiley.jpg



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Crocus - the first flowers of spring 2008
One of my highlights at this year's show has been the 'Art in the Garden'. As you wander around the showground you come across a variety of work from fibreglass cows to steel, pine and charcoal sculpture s, as well as more traditional artwork, using willow and oak. moorcroft.jpgNot to be outdone however, many garden designers have used art in their show gardens. The Moorcroft Natural Woman Garden incorporates a handcrafted Moorcroft tile featuring the garden's plants, bees and butterflies. There's even more artwork from designers who are showcasing their work here. leaping_hare.jpgOne of my favourites is by an artist who has created leaping hares from twisted, plastic-coated wire - he's really managed to inject movement into his pieces. I'd love to take one home but I can't afford the price tag.

Asim Shah posted a photo:

pretty


pollen-flowers posted a photo

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Amnesia roses, ivory vendela roses with herbs and seed heads, matching petals - 086.jpg


Asim Shah posted a photo:

yellow




Daffodils in late April

Asim Shah posted a photo:

bee


Asim Shah posted a photo:

yellow


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The back to back gardens are a unique feature of the flower show at Tatton Park and they are arranged in groups of four all over the showground, what I like about this is that as I walk around the show I stumble across a square of gardens and keep seeing ones I haven't seen before, also you can get a really good look at them because they're nicely spread out. Out of 27 back to back gardens at the show, five were awarded the coveted gold medal, best in show went to Reaseheath Alumni with '5 a day with hidden play' a garden dedicated to growing and eating plenty of fruit and veg. bees_300x150.jpg 'A garden for bees' (Gold) designed by Ness Botanic Gardens highlights the importance of our buzzy little friends. It's beautiful too and more than dispells the myth that wildlife gardening has to be wild and woolly. 'Butterfly Journey' (Silver-gilt) is another wildlife friendly garden at the show. butterfly_300x150.jpgIt's packed with the sort of plants we could all try to grow more of, to attract native butterfly species into our gardens. I noticed a fair amount of black in the back to back gardens, 'The back to basics garden' uses black to dramatic effect as a backdrop and in the planting with two stunning Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy' and a generous sprinkling of Cosmos astrosanguineus, another garden which features this plant heavily is 'Urban retreat' (Silver) which also uses black as a backdrop but mixes acid greens through the dark flowers and foliage, a great combo. suburban_oasis_300x150.jpg 'Reflection' (Silver) uses colour but it's much more gentle here. The decking and fencing is stained a soft grey and is set off by touches of galvanised metal used as edging and in the form of poles used throughout the garden as a suggestion of a boundary. These double up as plant supports too, this is an idea I might well take away with me... scented_wall_300x150.jpg A garden that addresses a very common problem is 'The scented walled garden' (Silver) and it speaks volumes that I had a good long look at the garden, admired it, made notes, took a photograph and still had not realised that it had been designed with wheelchair users in mind, it proves the point that a garden when well designed can fit a specific brief and be gorgeous too.
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