Journeys and Flowers From the Gardens

Rain Brings Beautiful Flowers Again!

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 19:22:07 GMT

Flowers Again!

Amazing what a little rain can do for gardens. We have had showers nearly every day for two weeks!

The best surprises are the Dahlias. Last year we lost an entire Dahlia Garden! Interestingly, they were planted near the Gate Post Garden that also did poorly. This year we planted Dahlias at the Walkway Garden in various locations and all are doing fine. One Pink Dahlia is our Super Dahlia having five or six very large blossoms every day!

The large Plate Hibiscus story is also fascinating. They produce seed which I propagated in the Greenhouse Misting Garden. We now have ten beautiful Plate Hibiscus in pots that are doing great! We have given many away to family and friends. Yesterday, I gathered seeds from them, again. I'll allow them to dry and then pot them in the Greenhouse for perhaps another ten or twenty plants next year.

The French Impressionist Monet had beautiful gardens. My daughter Carolyn had the cover story in Veranda Magazine this month. The story featured Monet's homesite and fabulous gardens. Quite interestingly, his gardens featured massive bulb and seed planted varieties. Our roses at the Gate Post Garden have been replaced with Zinnias from seed. The surviving roses have been transplanted to the Rose Garden.

I have expanded the Orange Garden to nearly twice the size from last year. It is doing well but I have work to do. The tubers and bulbs will have to be separated because they are too close together. They self propagate and become too crowded. I don't mind at all but will await cooler weather to complete the job.

I hope you enjoy the pictures. We enjoy the views. I'm making a few changes at this time. Pictures need rotating. AOL's Pix Editor is broken.

Richard Englefield

Tags: Cannas, Hibiscus, gardens, Roses, Dahlias, symphony

A Glorious Garden

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:44:03 GMT

Blossoms-Old & New!

We waited a little longer this year but at long last we have a blossoming garden. I think the blossoms are smaller on the roses but all others are normal. Drought and heat have had consequences.

As the new plantings emerge we'll share them with you. Several new flowers are pictured above. Last years roses are lovely today. The new ones make nice contrast and provide variety.

Richard

www.symphonybyenglefield.com (Click here)

Tags: Roses, Gardens, Lisianthus, Symphony,

Garden Progress

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:51:06 GMT

Despite The Drought Our Gardens Flourish

Yesterday I removed eight rose bushes from the Gate Post Garden, leaving the four QE Roses. The roses were replanted in the Walkway & Rose Gardens where they will do better.

Our dear friend Angela has a new rose at the Walkway Garden. The new Angel Face Rose (pictured above) is slightly lighter and perhaps more lovely than the former one.

Today is the third day in a row that we have had heavy rains in the afternoon. The rains signal the vast improvement we have been waiting for in the gardens. My two year old Ash Tree is looking very doubtful. I've been watering it three times a day. The rains will help.

Strange that my Bougainvilleas did not do well near the Gate Post but replanted are doing quite well at the East Garden. I'm told they need little watering. Perhaps that is the explanation. One of our three Pomegranate bushes (pictured above) is flowering for the first time. They were propagated from my neighbor Walter's garden two years ago.

Dahlias are doing much better at the Walkway Garden such that next year we will plant many more. We have ten or twelve this year.

Richard

www.symphonybyenglefield.com (Click Here)

Tags: Dahlias, Cannas, Gardens, Roses, Lilies

Gladiolus Steal The Show

Tue, 27 May 2008 18:43:58 GMT

A Little Slow But Here They Come!

I wanted to let you know we are still planting, weeding and cultivating in the gardens. Still in need of rain, our elaborate watering system is bringing on the flowers, slowly but surely. The early show is made up primarily of Gladiolus and surprisingly Dahlias.

Last year we had little luck with our Dahlia Garden. This year we placed them in the Walkway & Red Garden and they are doing fine. I'm still planting new flowers almost daily.Two beautiful new Dahlias are shown in today's photos.

I am sure our stories and pictures will grow more interesting during the month of June.

Richard

www.symphonybyenglefield.com (Click Here)

Tags: Gladiolus, Roses, Cannas, Gardens, Flowers

Flowers Begin to Blossom at the Englefield Gardens

Fri, 02 May 2008 20:42:54 GMT

The Long Wait Is Over...

The pastures are greening and Lillies adorn them. Roses are blossoming along with Gladiolus, Dahlias and Cannas. Spring is here at last!

We have new roses to replace those that did not survive the drought. The Yellow Strike It Rich are exciting. The Miss Behavin are stunning. Old Champion is just beginning to blossom again. The Orange Garden is twice as big as last year. The large display of Cannas will arrive in a week or two.

We hope you enjoy the views. It is early but there are beautiful days ahead.

Richard

www.symphonybyenglefield.com (Click Here)

Tags: Gardens, Roses,

Birdies & Bird Seed in January

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 02:04:53 GMT

The Birdies Are Hungry...

Our Avian friends eat two 25lb. bags of bird seed per week and maybe more! The colder weather might be responsible. It seems they have called their friends to join them. The feeders are more crowded than ever. Not uncommon to see thirty or forty Red Wing Black Birds feeding in the early afternoon. Probably more than forty Wrens feed in the mornings.

Old Mr. Owl returned last week. Odd that our last picture of Mr. Owl was in January of 2007. He was in the exact same place, the big Sycamore Tree in front of the porch and after darkness fell.

The Mourning Doves are now perching in the open feeder as never before. Previously always on the ground eating spillage. I always thought they were too big for the feeders and they are obviously not. One picture shows a large flock of Doves not previously seen. Typically one or two pairs will appear.

Robins are unusual this year. They never feed at a bird feeder. Always they appear in large flocks in the pastures. Yesterday a lonely Robin was feeding in the front yard.

The Mocking Birds (State Bird of Florida) are rare this year but Woody Woodpecker is one of our most frequent visitors.

In one of my journals I reported seeing a Bald Eagle last week at the roadside. A truly magnificent creature.

Richard

www.symphonybyenglefield.com (Click Here)

Tags: Birds, Owls, Cardinals, Robins, Red Wing Blackbirds, symphony

2007 Album Review No. 3

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 13:52:20 GMT

The Closing Pages Bring Fond Memories

First - Yesterday while driving home from the golf course I spotted a Bald Eagle at the side of the road. I turned the car around and went back with my cell phone camera but he had flown away to a far distant tree. How beautiful he was with white head and massive white tail feathers.

Secondly - The gardens have been my first "green thumb" endeavor. One garden became the first of nine gardens. At age 70 I have acquired my first digital camera. It should be obvious how much fun the experience has been. A wonderful way to share otherwise not easily done.

This Journal concludes the Album Review. We now look forward to Spring and contemplate what we "canna" do to maintain your interest. Here is my plan:

The Orange Garden will be much larger because the Cannas have self propagated. Many were relocated from the Rose Garden last month and still more must be moved. The Walkway Garden will be a multi-varied rose garden to greet us and our guests. Those of you that remember the Copper Canyon display will see an increase nearly five fold in late summer. The propagating Butterfly Gingers will be plentiful at the Walkway Garden because the fragrance is magnificent as we pass them by. I've given numerous Gingers to our neighbors. Surprising is the Impatiens that have re seeded themselves and now flourish in the misting Greenhouse. We've added six or seven new "Knock Out" Roses to the Walkway and Red Gardens because they are so trouble free and disease resistant. More will be added to the Gate Post Garden.

See you again in the Spring unless we take an exciting trip that is worthy of a Travel Journal.

Keep cool or warm if you prefer.

Richard

www.symphonybyenglefield.com (Click Here)

Tags: Roses, Gardens, flowers, symphony

Update 2007 Album Review

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 02:33:46 GMT

Rather Amazing the Variety

This update on the 2007 Garden Review shows me (and I hope you also) the amazing variety in the 9 Englefield Gardens. Far better than I imagined.

My thoughts as I searched the files:

"Flowers are a blessing to be sure!"

Richard

www.symphonybyenglefield.com (Click Here)

Tags: Flowers, Gardens, Roses, Zinnias, Butterflies, Gladiolus, Hibiscus, symphony

Flower Show - Best of 2007

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 14:54:39 GMT

A Delightful Look Back on 2007

Because of the drought in the SE during the past summer, the gardens were less prolific. Yet, looking back through the files I was surprised at the number of beautiful photos I had taken. Today, therefore, we are showcasing the best of 2007.

There are so many great pictures that we are posting them on both AOL Journals and will continue to update the Journals over the next few days. If the pictures are enjoyable you may see another set on the "Visions" Journal with a link on the side of this page. The title is Englefield Archives.

Cooler weather provides a well deserved respite for the gardener. Yet, with time on my hands I feel compelled to share during the bleak season the beauty of blossoms past.

I hope you enjoy the lovely display.

Richard

www.symphonybyenglefield.com (Click Here)

Tags: Roses, Hibiscus, Cannas, Flowers, Symphony

A Fascinating Christmas!

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 19:03:49 GMT

Good Weather, Family Gathering & Aquarium Visit - A Happy Holiday!

Patricia insisted we stop at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chatanooga enroute to Ohio. We did and it was fabulous! Enjoy the pictures.

After visiting with brother Bob and his lovely wife Ruthie in Springfield, we met daughter Carolyn at the Columbus Airport. Her flight from New York was delayed by weather and arrived three hours late. We didn't mind at all. We shopped and talked, drank cappuccino and browsed throughout the airport until she arrived.

We gathered on Christmas Day at my son Rick's house and opened presents and enjoyed a fine Christmas dinner.

The following day Carolyn, Rick, Patricia and I went to Columbus and visited the Easton Town Center Mall. It was fabulous, big and had every store imaginable. At lunch time we met at the Cheesecake Factory with Olev Viro, conductor of the Greater Columbus Symphony Orchestra and violinist with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. Olev and I discussed my symphonies and a myriad of other topics related to classical music. He is a fine fellow with a very promising future.

That evening we met at the Granville Inn in Granville, Ohio with my brother Bill and his beautiful wife Janet along with my daughters Carolyn and Diane and son Rick and his pretty wife Jennifer. Bill reserved a private room for our dinner which was superb and filled with much laughter, mirth, story telling and joy.

Coming home we stopped at a discount mall in S. Carolina where Patricia picked out a new Wearever Pot & Pan set and I selected a new original oil painting for my studio shown above. Also enroute we stopped to visit an International Paper Co. paper mill in Savannah, Ga. I wanted Patricia to see a paper mill in operation. They are huge and unbelievable in size. I worked in NYC with I.P. Co. during the late 1950s.

Liberty was a super good traveler. But I can tell you he was glad to get home. One mile from the house his tail started wagging and he was looking out the windows knowing for sure that we were nearing the end of our journey.

Happy New Year!

Richard

Tags: Sea World, Aquarium, Family Christmas