Maple's Inbox

Stunning xx

that is a one HOT colour, nay, scorching. xx

I really enjoyed my tour..........thanks for sharing..........smiles

I have this in one of my containers.............so pretty.........smiles

Pretty pretty.........I need more white in my garden........smiles

Soooooooo gorgeous........and healthy........smiles

The name sure does fit this,,,,,,pretty red too......smiles

this looks soooooooo wonderful.....I like the height......my next bed will be raised somewhat.......thanks for sharing......smiles

my my you are quite the vivid story teller it was almost as if i was reading a poem or short story there and it was amazing.I felt that i was standing right next to you as you described it all. It was very very good and i can not wait for your next installment.

Hi Maple, this is a lovely photo of Gazania, I've sown one similar (Gazania Daybreak Bronze F1) ideal for hot spots & patio pots, this will be the first time i've tried them, seedlings are doing well, hope we get plenty sun this year.

others have said it all

Hi all...I have success with the cleome that I have ...I let them go to seed and the seed overwinters...(We have serious winters here, lol.) I bought plants the first year, and I've had cleome every year since...they are annuals but I did not plant them... they come up in mat's if I don't disturb the soil in last years beds. I just take a clump and separate them, put them where I want them in the bed and let them do their thing. They grow 3 to 5 feet tall will ooodles of seeds. they aren't picky about soil, but like any other annual, give them the good stuff and they really come along. Keep trying, they're worth it. Also, if they don't germinate well the seeds may benefit from a short stay in the refrigerator. (vernalization)

You are a woman after my husband's heart...lol. He LOVES jap. maples too.

Love the way you have incorporated the rock into your garden, and your bright splashes of pink. It looks so inviting !

I love this shrub. I tryed to grow it once, too bad it didn't love me back...lol. So I'll just admire yours.

Your adopted home sounds so BEAUTIFUL maple! I am glad you are able to take such pleasure in it in amongst daily things-that-have-to-be-done! There's that poem... 'What is this life, if full of care we have no time to stand and stare' etc. Well done for making the time!

What a beautiful picture you've painted for us, it sounds wonderful. No snow here in England (at least where I live)but its still cold so things are nowhere near as advanced as in France. You've brought that 'spring feeling' to life though, hopefully it will arrive here soon. Can't wait!

You have no idea the desperation your lovely walk engendered. As Janette said "lucky you". Here in N.A. the snow is still deep. it is hard to believe that we are just a few days away from the first day of spring...It will take some seriously warm temps and lots of warm spring rain to take this mess away...just hope we don't have to group in twos, and head for the ark...

I enjoyed your lovely blog...cheers!!
Lori

Maple, I am anxiously waiting for days like you had. With so much snow still on the ground it feels like those days are never going to get here. Wishing you many more lazy Sundays. ENJOY !

I just wish I,d been on that walk with you it sounds beautiful ,lucky you

Maple, beautiful pictures. I especially like the pictures of your Acer palmatum 'Garnet' . Thanks for the quick and warm welcome as well.

Dan.

P.S. I think you need a few more new acer palmatums :).

There is a lot of good stuff on www.the-gardeners-calendar.co.uk if you know about RSS feeds you can be prompted what's best to sow / harvest on a weekly basis.

But to try and précis what I have gleaned...

The moon has four basic states - New, Waxing, Full & Waning

The really simple way is sow on a waxing moon and harvest on a waning moon.

The other method just adds a bit more detail to the phases by looking more closely at the moons orbit around the earth e.g. Early Waxing, Late Waxing etc. You need a book (like David’s) or a calendar poster to make this easier. But it's worth noting like any calendar they are only good for one year.

This reminded me that I have a booklet called "Planting by the Moon" (a Rodale publication). Have just looked it out, but it seems too complicated for me. Like you, Volunteer, it's hard enough getting tasks done on time. I have to let work and days off determine my gardening. I'm going to read my booklet again, though.

Well as a few of us are having a go we can compare results later??Personally I believe there is an effect but as will anything to do with nature there a other influencing factors hence it's hard to be 'scientific' about it. The basic principle as I understand is the control of water in the ground and given moons gravity controls our oceans it's a fair assumption it will have some effect on the water table etc. What's a bit confusing is there are several different ways to plant by the moon, and then to add to that you have bio-dyanmic gardening too. I find the gardeners calendar.co.uk web site to be pretty useful. I have one of their calendars which makes is pretty easy to know when to plant Fruit, Leaf, Root or Flower plants.. I have seen a gardner who never waters his plants, he just plants, prunes and harvests by the lunar cycle..

Don't some people plant their potatoes on Good Friday? Not sure what happens whenit falls as early as this year!

IVE HEARD OF SOME PEOPLE WHO PLANT THINGS SUCH AS POTATOES ON A FULL MOON ,AND IT HAS BEEN REPORTED IN SOME GARDEN MAGS THAT THEY DONT HAVE TO WATER AFTER INITIAL PLANTING ...MUST BE SOMETHING IN IT

Iv heard of the LUNAR TABLE as im into Candle Magic & i also have a use of the MOON LUNAR& of cos the 4 ELEMENTS of EARTH ; )

I dont know if you have read any of my previous blogs but this year on my Square Foot garden I am trying planting by the moon - fingers crossed I hope to see some sort of difference!

I was talking with a gardening friend who thinks that it really works. She sowed cabbage seeds 4 days apart and the ones that coincided with the correct lunar planting time came up before the first lot! I have enough trouble getting jobs done on time without having to wait for the right lunar time as well as weather, time available and energy levels! Worth a shot though. It's supposed to be something to do with water table levels rising and falling with the tides.

Very nice garden, years of hard work! I'll be there one day!