Where I live, from the moon!...

[KentGardener]

Hi All

I have decided to start this thread as a result of some answers/questions in the cat poo thread!

When members have posted pictures and descriptions in the past I have often wondered about the size / location / shape / neighbourhood of where their gardens are located.

Below are some pictures that I have copied from two free internet resources:

http://local.live.com/

http://earth.google.com/

With these programmes / websites you can view your house from space (the images are usually about 3 or 4 years old though – but then they are free after all!)

I have then used the 'PrtSc' button on my keyboard (this copies my PC screen to my PC clipboard) and then pasted the result into a picture programme (or word).

You can see that I am in a tiny house with a tiny garden in a sprawling metropolis but I am proud to call it home, and have created the best garden I can with a very limited space to work on.

I would be very interested to see where other forum members are located.

(I have the feeling that this thread can go one of two ways – popular or me being the only poster…)

I look forward to seeing your situations

With my best wishes

John

[Maggi Young]

I think this is a great idea, John. A while ago, Mark sent us such a photo of our house. I'll look it out and see about marking "us" up on it, as you have done.

[Susan Band]

John,
I am often down your way as my partner Adrian ( alias tea boy at Perth Show) lives in Meopham. Have been to a couple of shows at Rainham, will look out the dates for this year and try and get down again. Very different plants on show there compared with Perth.
Will look out for you if I am down
Susan

[KentGardener]

Hi Susan

you will be most welcome to visit whenever you are next in Kent - the garden is small (as you can see) but hopefully there will be something showing that you can take a cutting/offset of.

If you give us a few days warning my other half is always eager to organise a BBQ at any opportunity!  (No matter what month)!!

cheers

John

[Maggi Young]

Aha! A BBQ at any opportunity, no matter what month, eh?  By this description your other half is Scottish, John... we Scots are well known for being daft enough to BBQ in any weather !! Here in Aberdeen, folk who BBQ in summer are thought of as rather soft! Our BBQ had to be scrapped and hasn't been replaced, we might need to come past, too!
You need to meet Susan and the fab Adrian, though, they'll make any party more fun, which is why we're trying to move him north on a permanent basis !

[Doreen]

Susan,

Are you referring the AGS show at Rainham (or Hardy Plant), sorry I'm not sure.

Doreen

[Susan Band]

don't worry John it has been known for Adrian to scrape the snow off the BBQ first
Doreen, it was the AGS show that I have been to. Lots of Dionisias and european primula hybs which is something we don't see much of up here.

[David Nicholson]

Now then John my friend, it's fine for you young IT wizards to "whiz" through these kinds of things. Some of us wrinklies need a little more time. I will have a go but don't know when. By the way she who must be obeyed had a look at your examples and went away muttering about her smalls on the washing line being visible from space. Now she's gone I can say that she kids her self using the term small

[Maggi Young]

I found the pix and Ian has marked our house on it; here's a map etc to show you where we are  so you can picture it when we tell you what's happening in the garden.

general area

google earth photo

Not sure how long ago the shot was taken, the car in the drive is Vera, a vauxhall estate, Ian reckons, now there's Verity, the Vauxhall Agila, bless her, the sweetest little car ever!
Looks like all the grass was gone from the garden, so my guess is around 1995, Ian says later.

[jomowi]

Not much good for this area, The Google photos of my garden are much older than 3 years and of very low resolution.

Brian Wilson  Aberdeen

[Maggi Young]

I think this isn't that bad, Brian, I can see your fruit garden!

Now you can tell us what you've changed!

[Paddy Tobin]

Where I live - from a helicopter.

The father of one of the kids in my school pilots the rescue helicopter in our area. As well as the obvious duties of rescuing those in distress there are the in between times when drills and practice flights are the order of the day. To fill in the time on these the crew sometimes take photographs. Last October they flew over my garden and photographed the area for me.

The first photograph shows the general area, close to the banks of the River Suir about two miles from Waterford City in south-east Ireland. To the left of the photograph you can see the road works which are in progress to build a new bridge over the river and give a by-pass route around Waterford. To the right is another bridge, now not in use - an old railway bridge.

The second photograph shows the garden. Look carefully and you will see a small figure in a white jacket - that is me, photographing the helicopter for my friends who were photographing my garden. A little left of me in the photograph, that black spot is my dog, Sid.

Hope you like the view.

Paddy

[KentGardener]

Paddy - that is cheating!  A lot better quality than the internet ones though.  Next time the pilot needs something to do perhaps you could suggest he fly over a different SRGC members garden each week  ....

(Far too much grass for my liking - mowing lawns - that's not fun).

cheers.

John

[Paddy Tobin]

John,

I was so taken by your idea when I read it earlier that I simply rushed on a put up my own photographs. Now, that I have slowed down a bit - and been given the computer back by my son - I can look again and enjoy your gardens at greater leisure.

We all have different gardens in different locations and in these we do what we enjoy and, as you say, we call it 'home'. Surely, this is what it is about. What is different here is that we can 'talk' with other people who have their own paradises and realise that despite different locations, conditions, careers, family situations and all the other variables of life we share a common interest and thanks to this modern technology we are able to share it and enjoy it all the more.

This reflects one of the great truths of gardening, I believe: one of greatest joys of gardening is the giving and receiving of plants. There is a great thrill and delight in receiving a plant from another gardening enthusiast. Likewise, there is a great pleasure in sending a plant on to a good home.

It also reflects an experience I had about five years ago. You will all be aware of the political situation here in Ireland and can, I imagine, appreciate that there was a great reluctance on the part of southern gardeners to travel north. My wife and I decided we had been deprived long enough and set off about five years ago with our youngest for a long weekend in the Belfast area. We knew of some Northern gardeners from television and by reputation. The public gardens were easily accessed - Mount Stewart and Rowallane for example - but a private garden is always so  much more enjoyable in a particular way. On impulse, we telephoned two gardeners and asked if we could come and visit - there and then. We were welcomed with open arms, treated like royalty, wined and dined and have remained in contact ever since.

Such an experience, and others similar to this, have taught me that there are areas of our lives which can transcend our many differences whether they be of nationality, politics, religion, social class or whatever. The love, admiration and appreciation of a good plant can unite the most diverse of people.   

What we each have by way of garden is not the most important thing in the world. It is that of ourselves which we have invested in this space of ours which is significant. My wife has always had her own particular phrase to describe this idea; she says that she always prefers to visit 'a person's garden' rather than any public garden. 'A person's garden' will have that individuality that cannot be found anywhere else.

Of course she always also said, as we drove back in our own gateway, 'You know, my own little garden is the best of them all' and it is because it is our own.



My god, I am a windbag. So with those sentiments, many thanks, John, for a great idea, loved seeing where you and the others gardened.

Oh, and as for saying you are in a 'tiny garden' you must sometime go to Lisburn in Northern Ireland and see the small suburban garden of Harold McBride - his name wil be very familiar to many in alpine gardening circles.  Here you will experience the warmest welcome you could wish to experience and see the most beautiful garden you couldn't even imagine with jewels of the alpine world grown to perfection. Small gardens can have great gardeners.


A quick comment on my garden photograph above, the second photo: you will be able to distinguish the original garden around the house. About four years ago we purchased an L-shaped piece around this to extend it. To the back left you can see the veg patch; the central area with young yew hedge is left open as it is the view out of the back windows of the house; to the right of the house are two glasshouses - one a present from Mary's mother and the other a present from  my father.  I am gradually filling up beyond these with trees, shrubs and underplanting, almost all grown from seed or from constant division of plants. This area is a bit on the big side for me to fill it with purchased plants. It is slow but great satisfaction.

I'm going to bed now.

Paddy

[Joakim B]

Very well spoken Paddy It warmed the heart more than wiskey
Hope You will find plants to fill Your garden.
Are You growing any magnolias?

Take care
Joakim