In the summer garden...

[Goldfields]

Gertrude Jekyll.
Cabana.
Lichfield Angel.

[Goldfields]

This is a sunflower I gave to my sister but didn't plant myself. From memory it's named Teddy Bear, from the Digger's garden club. I'll be planting it next time for sure.

[Shaykeija]

Whaaaaaaaaa I want summer now.....I look outside and still that white crap all around.. LOL Beautiful flowers. I really like the sun flower. Are Annual or perennial? If they are annual I should get you to send me some seeds..LOL

[Goldfields]

You'd need seeds, Shaykeija. I'm hoping my sister will have plenty. I didn't plant mine because it's hotter here and I got them late. I'll pm you if she succeeds in harvesting some. The original packet didn't have many in it, disappointing really.

[chico2]

Beautiful
You must have a HUGE garden with all those different flowers,too many to comment on,all beautiful..
Here I am starting to see the tips of Tulips coming out,the snow from yesterday is mostly gone,now depressing rain.....but spring is on the horizon,I hope

[Goldfields]

It's too big, Chico2, about the equivalent of the garden part of 5 suburban blocks. Serves me right for getting greedy though and pinching a small sheep paddock for my roses. I don't really do enough in the front garden. It's a dog free zone where I plant things that may be toxic to them, but then I prefer to spend my time with them, hence the neglect out there. I always felt when I was showing my dogs that there was a limit to the time I could do that - due to arthritis - and when I jumped headfirst into gardening I felt the same. Get a pretty garden fast or forget it. How long I can keep on gardening is a good question, my back will let me down. I am totally hooked on growing flowers from seeds, it'll be hard to give that up.

[Goldfields]

I tried to replace a photo for a better one and must have left it too late to edit it, so here the new photo is, a better one of the Gerbera. That's it for Summer, it's Autumn now. Almost time for the big bonfire to get rid of all the garden rubbish. Now I can sit back and enjoy other people's beautiful blooms.

[BenMax]

I would do ANYTHING just to smell a flower! They are gorgeous.

[doggy lover]

BM Canada Blooms comes to Toronto in March....GF consider me ignorant I know what happens to our plants in the winter here but what happens to yours do they die and go dormant? I'm sure they don't get buried under 4 feet of snow like ours do..

[chico2]

GF,I too have arthritis in my back,hip and hands,I'll just have to go a little slower this spring,hubby being retired will do all the digging,luckily he too loves working outside
Love Gerberas!

[Goldfields]

BenMax, you won't believe how sorry for you that makes me feel. For any garden lover in the cold countries. It's comments like that that make me aware of how lucky we are down here. Wish I could go round my garden and hand you a big bunch of roses right now.
Doggy lover, I am as curious, and as ignorant, as you are. A lot in my garden are annuals, so they just die down and are replaced, but perennials motor on. Right here we never get snow, 30 miles away, in the Grampians mountain range, maybe a bit a few times in Winter. Some years plenty of frosts though, which aren't real good for the garden but you tell me, what happens to your plants? It's amazing that anything could survive that snow, but I've seen Chico2's lovely garden and those plants must get through Winter to be the size they are. What happens to roses? To succulents? If I met any of you there'd be a million questions about your country and the gardens.
Chico2, unfortunately my husband should have had a hip replacement 2 years ago last October and it can't be done , had to postponed, cancelled maybe. He also was a hard worker all his life and has very bad arthritis, but then I'm not much better off now. Not on the hip replacement list yet but moderately bad, with a worn disc and a couple of slipped vertebrae, as well as terribly painful arthritis in my right shoulder(dog groomer's shoulder I call that ) and right knee(too many laps around the ring with the dogs I showed ) - my mother, if she was still alive, would say it's self inflicted. I feel for you though having arthritis in your hands. Is that rheumatoid arthritis? Mine is osteo, and even the occassional aching finger is hard to bear. We just muddle along. I do the main work here so I'm grateful for even the little bits he can help with. I know he is far more interested in growing things he can EAT whereas I love colour and perfume. A typical man??
Yes, gerberas are nice and watching this lot thrive makes me yearn for some more colours. Heaps more daylilies too. Of course get another stinking hot summer and all that will change, dependant on what gets killed off by the scorching sun.

[doggy lover]

GF a lot of what you call perennials would probably not survive here, the perennials die right down so does the roses even the canes sometimes but they wake their sleepy heads every spring to start a year anew. Succulents there are only a few that survive our winters and they just kind of go dormant. Its amazing how they do survive year after year growing from bulbs or roots that survived in the ground over winter. Some bulbs we let die back and take in, replanting the following year. Better I try to explain it with pictures. Spring, summer and winter at the cottage. All my garden is perennials that survive a winter of snow and -30 degree weather.

[chico2]

GF,all the Perrenials get cut down early spring,the Roses cut down to about a foot high,their root-system covered with mulch and every year they return,having had a good sleep in the winter.

My arthritis is also Osteo,my Doctor told me early on,I was a candidate for Osteo,being tall and Scandinivian
My hubs,luckily is in good health basically

[chico2]

DL,beautiful!!

[Goldfields]

For a start, the sun on the timber of the cottage just makes it glow , it's quite lovely! So much promise in the Spring and your Summer garden is beautiful, I love lots of different colours like that. Don't recognise some of the plants mind you. What is that flower second from the left, next to an orange lily(?) ? I think I'd be very happy sitting on your porch with that garden to admire. I'd be pleased if you named all the plants you know are there. I think it's wonderful in any season. They say Aussies are tough(well, some are) because we survive the heat, but boy, my cap is off to all of you coping with the freezing winters. I could say it's picture postcard perfect, that last photo, but it has to be teeth chattering cold. Thanks for showing me those.