I will probably “double post” for this week but after that you will find me at

www.artistsgarden.co.uk

I feel that self hosting my blog will give me more flexibility in the future – and it is better to move sooner rather than later. It will, however still be on the WordPress platform

If you have any problems with RSS feeds please let me know

Also – please bear with me – I know that the template I have chosen is going to be updated any day now – so there may be one or two glitches!

For those of you that read through Blotanical – I have submitted the new blog in place of the old- and it seems to be picking it up!

I got – 7 small cannas, 2 hostas (Pacific Blue), Sarcocca confusa (Sweet box), Malva “Park Rindell” – which is a rather excellent bright pink.  Some ivy for another friend and the three tall perennials at the back of the picture – which may be my shopping mistake!

I had seen them earlier in the year at the garden center – and they are a tall slender sort of plant – which will give a bit of height to the border.  I got them because I thought they would provide a good infilling clump of height in the summer probably for the bog garden. They are called “Lythrum Salicaria Mordern Pink”

Yes – that’s right – a member of the loosestrife family.  I did a quick check on the Internet – as the plant label had no sun/shade preferences and could only find a few references to it – but the most worrisome was here – on a page called “12 plants to avoid at all costs”.

So if anyone in the UK has ever grown it – please let me know!

Backlit Sambucus nigra “Black Beauty”

The Inelegant Gardener, Happy Mouffetard (and some beans) has declared the 12th October LAPCPADPOUB day

This stands for “let’s all post cat photos and dire poetry on our blogs” day.

So I have.

]]> http://artistsgarden.wordpress.com/2008/10/12/artists-garden-comic-issue-5/feed/ 15 artistsgarden page_1 page_2 page_3 http://artistsgarden.wordpress.com/2008/10/08/wordless-wednesday-8th-october-2008/ http://artistsgarden.wordpress.com/2008/10/08/wordless-wednesday-8th-october-2008/#comments Wed, 08 Oct 2008 19:41:23 +0000 artistsgarden http://artistsgarden.wordpress.com/?p=629 ]]>

Wordless Wednesday – After the rain

Why do we bloggers blog?
I suspect that each of us will have different reasons, and perhaps more than one.

I have kept dairies and journals off and on for years. Ranging from the self conscious “I hate so and so, they are a cow” mutterings of the teenage years.

Then I have sketchbooks / journals for my textile art, which are more work in progress with life notes.

Also “Morning Pages” as advocated by Julia Cameron, in the “Artists Way” where you write 3 pages of anything that comes into your head in long hand – these pages are not meant to be read – but I found them a wonderful tool for times in my life where I have been stressed or uncertain. And just needed to clear my mind – and find my path again.

Google the question – “What is a blog” and the first part of wikipedia’s response is:-
“A blog (a contraction of the term “Web log”) is a Web site, usually maintained by an individual, with regular entries of commentary …..”

My garden blog started as a personal garden journal for the garden here as we were doing so much work on it – I wanted some kind of record of the gardens development, it started as a celebration of this garden. Plus a visual reminder that we were making progress.

Then – of course, “Strangers” visited, and left comments.  Which was lovely, so here I am today – this is my 101 post on “An Artists Garden” – and now it is so much more than simply a journal for me to record the changes we make.

The first thing I noticed about blogging is “the kindness of strangers” I see evidence of this over an over again and it is an aspect of blogging that I appreciate, all be it in a rather bittersweet way.  How easy is it for me to be supportive to some one 100’s or 1000’s of miles away – but neglect to make time to be supportive within my local community. Although sometimes – I suspect it is much easier to share things with strangers rather than burden friends, family or neighbors.

The other thing I enjoy is that some of the commentators – have become “blogging friends” and I do so enjoy a friend popping in to say “hello” without having to tidy the house – or get out of my dressing gown for that matter!

So why do I write a blog?

Simply because I like it.

I enjoy photographing the world about me, I like thinking about things to write.  I get a certain amount of satisfaction from actually turning up at my blog dashboard and writing a post -  it has become part of my week.

Why do you blog?

If you would care to share why you blog – do leave a link here to your post.

If you don’t blog – perhaps you would care to share why you read blogs.

]]> http://artistsgarden.wordpress.com/2008/10/05/why-do-we-blog/feed/ 21 artistsgarden cosmos varbena http://artistsgarden.wordpress.com/2008/10/03/thinking-back-looking-forward/ http://artistsgarden.wordpress.com/2008/10/03/thinking-back-looking-forward/#comments Fri, 03 Oct 2008 17:49:47 +0000 artistsgarden http://artistsgarden.wordpress.com/?p=607 ]]>

I love this time of year, end of September / October can be such wonderful months.

Although I enjoy those languid days of mid summer –   I also like the bright crisp mornings that October can bring.  The air in the garden seems to be filled with the scent of the earth.  Deep and rich, with a hint of leaf mold.

Living where we do on the West coast – we have the most fantastic big skies.  Even though there are clouds and rain – the skies take on a clarity and light which is breathtaking.

It is also a betwixt and between kind of time.  Looking back to the spring / summer that has just gone – and making plans for the garden next year. Storing veg we grew this year and planting produce for next.

One of the best things about the past year has been reading garden blogs. If there is one thing that I have got this year from all the blogs I have read; it is day lilies.

This is a plant that I have ignored all my life – I have never had any in any of my own gardens – and if any friends have had them in theirs – they must have passed me by.  But the enthusiasm and joy that so many bloggers have greeted their day lilies with this summer, has meant that I had to give them a second look, particular mention here must go to Chey / Maritime Gardener, her day lilies are quite something. Plus she is an amateur day lily hybridizer

Zoe / Garden Hopping then gave me the addresses of places in the UK that supplied daylilies.  Some of the specialist suppliers have lists that are mind bogglingly long and I really didn’t know where to start.  So I started with a chap on e-bay (adamsplants) as his list was somewhat smaller and Zoe said she had success with growing good plants from the fans he provided. I have ordered three, which have duly arrived and been planted in the keyhole bed. So I am looking forward to seeing if I like them, and if I do – why haven’t I grown them before!

So THANK YOU all you garden bloggers who mentioned day lilies and brought them to my attention this summer – and I wonder what will catch my eye next year on your blogs!

Wordless Wednesday – Hydrangea

After a week of scaffolding around the house,

The builders arrived to-day!

Wordless Wednesday – Mawddach Estuary

The Turning Year.