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Post by andy on Oct 18, 2006 14:59:28 GMT
Took the camera in to work today and had a snap about when i got fed up with the constant weeding. Firstly, this is the view from the chalet (my tool shed)  This is the view looking up to my chalet. The walls have parthonocissus and actinidia kolomikta on  Pond with stepping stones and gunnera round the outside  Other side  Bank leading to bridge  Front of garden  Gunnera (10' + tall !!!)  Miscanthus zebrinus in flower  Fuchsia mrs popple  Cotinus in glorious autumn colour  Acer palmatum dissectum atropurpureum just turning  |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2006 15:04:02 GMT
You lucky so and so ;D
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Post by Chuckles on Oct 18, 2006 15:10:52 GMT
Oh Andy I'm speachless, I want a garden shed like that. Come to think of it I'd like the garden too. Do you need an assistant  |
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Post by toonia on Oct 18, 2006 15:15:38 GMT
Lovely photos, lovely workplace!
How long does it take a gunnera to get that big?
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Post by andy on Oct 18, 2006 15:16:16 GMT
I'm the only gardener there so things do get a little busy especially in spring and in times like these when it's warm and wet. I have to prioritise my work so often, the front from the bridge down looks superb and the top looks awful.
But, being on my own has it's advantages. I can do what work i want and, within sensible reason, i can plant what plants i like. I don't see my boss for 6 months at a time and as he's a plantsman too, he tends to appreciate anything i put in.
The gunnera gets that big in about 2 months....it grows quickly then stops....then, when the frosts come, i'll cut it all down again.
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Post by toonia on Oct 18, 2006 15:23:17 GMT
But how long has it been there? I had a discussion with Obs a while back, I can never keep one over winter despite taking all the recommended precautions. I've only ever found very small plants to start from and wondered at the time if abigger specimen would have more chance of survival.
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Post by 4pygmies on Oct 18, 2006 15:25:52 GMT
Lumme, you LUCKY thing! I'd like to live in your chalet.....what a wonderful place to garden and being on your own there must be luvverly. You're obviously making a fine job of running the garden - it looks really beautiful. Is it a private garden then? If you don't see your boss much does that mean he doesn't even live there full time? You jammy thing! (I'm just jealous).
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Post by obelixx on Oct 18, 2006 15:37:59 GMT
HI Toons - My garden group - and Margi - visited a garden in Zelzate at the beginning of April. It had only just thawed and there wasn't much to see but there was this huge heap by a pond in one big bed. It turns out she buries her gunera under 3' of compost to protect it and it then just pushes its way through when it's ready and gets huge.
Mine has had to make do with only a foot of protection but managed to survive all last winetr threw it but this year it will get the works and then we'll see if it grows to a decent size. This year the biggest leaves were barely 2' across and not very tall so fingers crossed for next year.
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Post by andy on Oct 18, 2006 16:03:38 GMT
Toonia.....the gunnera have been there for many years. Every three or four years, i hack bits off the main plants and transplant them. I will be doing this in March next year.
Every November, i cut them right down to the crown and fold the old leaves over the crowns. I then smother in straw so there's at least 12" all over the plant. I get through 10 big bales doing this.
They're then uncovered in April time, mulched heavily with mushroom compost and kept as wet as possible.
4P.....the garden is council run (it used to be the biggest municiple rock garden in Europe). I never see my manager because he has his favourite staff in other parts of the park and spends all his time with them.....which suits me down to a T !!! ;D
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Post by toonia on Oct 18, 2006 16:14:53 GMT
I'll have to come and lurk around Lewes in March next year then!
By the way, do you know the Battle memorial in Lewes? It was sculpted by my late FIL and donated by the OH's godfather, MP for Lewes at the time! A small claim to fame!
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Post by Cheerypeabrain on Oct 18, 2006 16:35:30 GMT
Stunning Andy....and I covet your acer ;D
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Post by andy on Oct 18, 2006 16:45:51 GMT
Toon...the memorial in Lewes is a focal point of the town. It's there for remberance sunday as well as for prayers on the famous Lewes bonfire night. Tis a mighty fine erection !!!
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Post by andy on Oct 18, 2006 17:24:23 GMT
Just a few details on the garden.
The garden is just over 2 acres in total.
It was built from 1934 - 1936....officially opened on 30th may 1936
it was originally an overgrown railway bank although report early on say that there were two half size bowling greens where the pond currently is
The back of the garden is right next to the main Brighton to London rail line
1,350 tons of rock were imported from cheddar gorge by rail and a cutting dug in the bank to offload the rocks.
There have been several changes to the garden in the 70 years it's been with us....most of them involving chages to the paths.
The chalet was originally thatched.....right up to the late 1980's but it kept getting burned down.
only a few of the original plants remain....mainly cedars and Elms
When i got into the garden 7 years ago, it hadn't been touched for 10 years. It took myself and 3 other staff 6 months to renovate the lot....cutting back and clearing areas and exposing much of the rockwork
There is a waterfall (pumped up from the pond) that starts right at the top and flows down through about 20 different pools. There are both stepping stones and a footbridge over the waterfall.
The pond contains thousands of fish.....mainly goldfish and carp but there's some big koi in there plus lots of indiginous species such as Rudd and Bream. Not to mention the hundreds of frogs, toads and newts. We did have 3 terrapins but they got nicked about 3 years ago.
Many people say the garden was designed around the Willow pattern but no reference was ever made to this during design or construction.
I was a trainee there in 1985....there were 5 staff there then including the "boy"....now there's only me
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Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2006 20:12:27 GMT
my flabbers have never been so gasted.
the ideal job with the idea boss.
if you're ever recruiting .......... ;D
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Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2006 20:34:42 GMT
Mrskp - my thoughts exactly !!!!!!!
Fabulous Andy you must be very proud!
Px
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Post by sweetleaf on Oct 18, 2006 23:24:48 GMT
I have never been so envious in my life  You get PAID to work there? Im off to meditate on my covetiousness, I may be some time...  |
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Post by 4pygmies on Oct 19, 2006 6:31:18 GMT
Andy, I dreamt about your garden last night but somehow the chalet had turned into a hobbit hole! It was right nice inside though! There was something horrid lurking in the gunnera...so watch out this morning!
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Post by anneliesje on Oct 19, 2006 19:49:02 GMT
I promise to behave, shut up and be nice. Can I please come and help! This garden + shed looks like the setting for a fairy tale.  A. |
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Post by magrich on Oct 19, 2006 22:46:05 GMT
 I am so green with envy.........your acer is wonderful, and I have always wanted a garden big enough to allow me to have a gunnera. ah well........when I win the lottery.....
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Post by Alicat on Oct 19, 2006 22:56:28 GMT
 Andy I don't know what to say that hasn't already been said..... So I will just repeat everyone else. - and say:- I WOULD LOVE TO WORK THERE. Cheers. Alicat.
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Post by andy on Jan 18, 2007 11:55:04 GMT
Took my camera to work today. Twas evil with wind and lashing rain but despite all the gloom, there's still some lovely colour about Phormium tenax (New Zealand flax)  Hebe 'shamrock'  Salix alba chermesina  Cornus alba elegentissima (variegated dogwood)  Miscanthus zebrinus....providing some lovely winter movement.  Prunus subhirtella 'autumnalis'  A colourful view along a path  And finally, this is the bank we've been clearing. It was full of out of control rubus. This area, which has the waterfall going through, will be left for most of the summer and sprayed with roundup to kill all traces of rubus, and then planted up with mainly foliage shrubs and a few herbaceous species.  And finally finally.....this is my ickle rockery at home in my front garden. I did this about a year ago and in a few months, it will burst into life with loads of dwarf bulbs.  |
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Post by piggingardener on Jan 18, 2007 12:05:26 GMT
Lovely cheery pics Andy. Just what we need on such an awful day.
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Post by Dutchy on Jan 18, 2007 14:33:31 GMT
Andy what nice pictures. I love that variegated dogwood.
Your home garden looks pretty nice too. Will you post pictures of the bulbs in bloom please.
Dutchy
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Post by Plocket on Jan 18, 2007 14:40:24 GMT
Nice piccies! I've got Elegantissima but it's a bit smaller than that one!!!
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Post by andy on Jan 18, 2007 16:10:10 GMT
Nice piccies! I've got Elegantissima but it's a bit smaller than that one!!! The elegentissima is my favourite dogwood because of the stunning summer varigated foliage. There's about 6 plants in the above picture and they all get a good hard hack back every year to get the best winter colour. To tell you the truth, the salix is more stunning, probably because it's bigger and out on its own. Of course. I've now got a nice mix, although this will be the first year all the bulbs will be out. Hopefully, i've got crocus, Iris reticulata, dwarf narcissi, dwarf tulips, varigated tulips, snowdrops, chinadoxia and a few others i've forgotten about. |
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Post by andy on Feb 1, 2007 13:14:16 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2007 17:22:41 GMT
Lovely shots Andy, and good quality bulbs.
The dwarf iris are WAY, early though aren't they.
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Post by andy on Feb 1, 2007 17:41:35 GMT
Lovely shots Andy, and good quality bulbs. The dwarf iris are WAY, early though aren't they. Everything's all over the place TC...the crocus are just going over whilst the snowdrops don't even show a sign of flower buds. Next doors daffs are usually in flower in late feb/early march are in flower too. Iris reticulata can usually be expected to flower in Feb. |
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Post by Dutchy on Feb 1, 2007 19:18:44 GMT
Andy, I have my Iris in a pot with my buddleia.
The Iris is in full bloom today as well. ( still a bud yesterday)
Your rockery looks fab with its Spring colours out.
I love the pale pink crocuses against the steely blue gravel.
It emphasises their fragility thus drawing your eye to them. ( Hm hope you know what I mean )
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Post by andy on Apr 21, 2007 5:18:26 GMT
Went round work with the camera yesterday and took the following pics. There will be plenty more appearing over the following weeks as things of interest come into leaf and flower. Meanwhile, enjoy the colour....it's a shame you can't send scent over t'internet because some of the plants here are just heavenly. I'll start with this beauty. This is a Corokia cottoneaster. That's it's actual name....it's not a cottoneaster but the specific name of a plant is usually a descrbing name (aurea=golden, salicifolia=willow leaved) so this corokia is said to resemble a cottoneaster. Anyways, the plant has been in the garden for a good 30 years and is only 5' tall. It's just coming into flower and when it's fully out, the whole shrub is a mass of tiny yellow star shaped flowers which have the most unique scent. I asked someone yesterday what they thought it smelt like and someone immediately said "like a new leather handbag" But to me, it resembles 3 smells....vanilla, playdough and coconut suntan lotion. Whatever it resembles, it is spectacular.   Euphorbia grifithii 'fireglow'  A sea of Euphorbia  Euphorbia amigdoloides 'purpurea'....one of the nicest spurges around  One of the millions of seedling cowlips in the garden...god they seed everywhere !  A gorgeous alpine phlox  Malus 'profusion'....what a stunner  Another gloriously scented shrub....this is Osmanthus delaveyi  Acer palmatum dissectum atropurpureum  Exochordia 'the bride' looking mighty impressive  I hate flowering cherries with a passion but for a couple of weeks in spring and a couple in autumn, they are simply breathtaking  Another heavenly scented shrub. This is one of the vibernum carlesei variants....probably V. park farm hybrid.  The snowball tree....vibernum opulus 'sterile' the flowers eventually turn white and resemble snowballs. No berries or seed are produced as the plant is...sterile !!!   This is one of my favourite lilacs....the palabin lilac (Syringia velutina palabiniana). Small, sweetly scented flowers on a shrub that can reach 15' over time.  lastly, a few of the garden and pond    |
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You get PAID to work there?
