English conversation

[jp60]

It's true though, isn't it? Too many shapes on the same lines don't add much drama. I confess I heard this saying a long time ago, I think it was originally said by Beth Chatto.

I may have room to put a tea rose in the middle of the bed. I'd never thought of a rose! I can see my garden is going to change shape in the future. My photinia is enormous and I'm afraid it's a much-loved plant. The coloured leaves in spring are fabulous and it also has enormous heads of tiny flowers. I never prune it, so it has a very natural shape, completely different to the manicured hedges around gardens.
My kniphofia is a classical orange and yellow. I'd like to grow more of them too, but the only ones I see on offer are dried out bare roots in supermarkets. I bought a tiny K. Northiae back from the UK. It's supposed to have enormous leaves eventually.
Medium pink and acid yellow I could get along with, I think! As long as one or the other colour is an extreme shade!

Harma I don't think I'll ever get my garden as I really want it! Often I get good results by accident more than by my planning! In theory plants flower at certain times, but when you want them to flower together one is held back by colder weather or more probably doesn't flower just to spite me! It's the fun of playing in the garden and of watching those big fat buds swell and burst into bloom that really makes it worthwhile.

 

[elena_11293]

Elena,
I had meant to take you up on color coordination in the garden, but forgot during my last post. ....

No problem, Melissa

All you guys said about this topic is very interesting to me and I just agree for the most.
I have to say that I'm pretty picky about colors and shapes (in general, not only about plants) and so I guess I'll just have to experiment.. Hehe, I wish you all were closer, so that I could learn more about all the different plants you mention.

Last year my Dutch neighbour's parents had brought me some tulips, and I also bought some other one, but only a couple of them out of 10 different kinds had a blooming that was close in color to the pictures... a bummer, since I had planted them according to that. However, I took pics of where they are, so next Autumn I'll change the place.

So far, the only other thing I had done about colors and positions was with the plants I have at home: I had chose in which room put them following the directions (South-East and so on) Feng Shui suggests for each color. It sounded a good idea, since I like to have different colors in different rooms, but I sincerely don't know what kind of plant could survive in a room that looks at North, and those I put towards East tend to grow a lot but do less flowers... The only ones that seem to enjoy their place are the ones in the living room, which looks at South, they all have red or orange flowers and look just happy. In the garden it would be even more difficult, again due to the light, and also because some of the spots are already taken by plants that I can't relocate.

Anyway, as already said, before to start with this kind of fun, I really have to clean the yard, it'll be easier then (or at least I hope!). But will tell you when I'm ready, would be nice getting your suggestions for matching new and old plants

 

[Harma]

Some years ago I studied a little Feng Shui,that was very interesting but not so easy to realize..Now you wrote about it Elena,I want to read over again the book ....Thank you for talking about it..

 

[elena_11293]

Some years ago I studied a little Feng Shui,that was very interesting but not so easy to realize..Now you wrote about it Elena,I want to read over again the book ....Thank you for talking about it..

You're welcome, Harma

Feng Shui has some good point, in my opinion, so when I can I follow some of its suggestions. To me 'reading' the energy around people, things, or in an environment is usually easy, then I also enjoy having it free to flow here at home, because I do notice the difference! (and that's why I should get rid of some old stuff.. but, ah, easier said than done!)
Something that I've always found just works, for example, it's about the position of the bed: I do sleep better if its head looks at/toward North-East [I keep writing 'look at/toward some direction', but sincerely I don't really know how to say in English that 'una certa cosa è rivolta verso una certa direzione' or 'ho messo una pianta in una certa direzione' and similars...].

Here for you a brief list of some of the colors related to the different directions (a very simple one, I'm sure you can find much more on some other website dedicated to Feng Shui):

North (Water element): Dark Blue, Black [Your Career, path in life]
NE (Earth element): Beige, tan, earthtones [Knowledge, Skills, Communication]
East (Wood element): Green - [Your Family, foundation in life, the past]
SE (Wood element): Green - Purple, Red - [Abundance, prosperity, wealth corner]
South (Fire element): Red, Orange - [Your reputation, social status, fame]
SW (Earth element): Reds, Pink, Orange, Purples, Earth tones - [Relationships, love/romance - Mother, lover]
West (Metal element): White, Pastels, Silver - [Your Children, creativity, projects, the future]
NW (Metal element): White, Grey, Silver - [Helpful friends/people, mentors, heavenly help - Father, man of house, lover]
Center (Earth element): Earth tones - [Physical, Mental, Emotional Health]

 

[elena_11293]

first (well, second, but it's the same plant, the other one was soon damaged by the rain of the past days) poppy of the season! I so love them




and (especially for Melissa, our 'expert') some of the roses my grandma planted more than 50 years ago (don't ask their name, I don't know anything about roses so I'm not yet able to tell the differences amongs Teas, English, Antiques and so on..):

 

[Harma]

You're welcome, Harma

Feng Shui has some good point, in my opinion, so when I can I follow some of its suggestions. To me 'reading' the energy around people, things, or in an environment is usually easy, then I also enjoy having it free to flow here at home, because I do notice the difference! (and that's why I should get rid of some old stuff.. but, ah, easier said than done!)
Something that I've always found just works, for example, it's about the position of the bed: I do sleep better if its head looks at/toward North-East [I keep writing 'look at/toward some direction', but sincerely I don't really know how to say in English that 'una certa cosa è rivolta verso una certa direzione' or 'ho messo una pianta in una certa direzione' and similars...].

Here for you a brief list of some of the colors related to the different directions (a very simple one, I'm sure you can find much more on some other website dedicated to Feng Shui):

North(Water element): Dark Blue, Black [Your Career, path in life]
NE (Earth element): Beige, tan, earthtones [Knowledge, Skills, Communication]
East (Wood element): Green - [Your Family, foundation in life, the past]
SE (Wood element): Green - Purple, Red - [Abundance, prosperity, wealth corner]
South (Fire element): Red, Orange - [Your reputation, social status, fame]
SW (Earth element): Reds, Pink, Orange, Purples, Earth tones - [Relationships, love/romance - Mother, lover]
West (Metal element): White, Pastels, Silver - [Your Children, creativity, projects, the future]
NW (Metal element): White, Grey, Silver - [Helpful friends/people, mentors, heavenly help - Father, man of house, lover]
Center (Earth element): Earth tones - [Physical, Mental, Emotional Health]

Very nice Elena thank you....4 years ago I went to a school to learn Shiatsu(3 years),and including a lot of the tradition Cinese medicin ,I loved it,but it was a very difficult period of my live,and after the school I did't continued.I don't have a good memory,and you really need that,and also you have to be relaxed to practice it...but even I'am happy to make that experience....

 

[MelissaP]

I love poppies too. They've been in bloom now for a while in my area.
Elena, about your roses. Fifty years ago, as now, people were mostly planting Hybrid Teas. They're a class I don't know very well; an Italian who knew his roses and knew what was on the market at the time would be more likely to be able to identify them. The first rose has quite a Tea look to it, however, as far as the flower form goes. Some Hybrid Teas favor the Tea side of their ancestry, others lean more to the Hybrid Perpetuals (the Hybrid Tea class was created by crossing Tea roses with Hybrid Perpetuals). The red looks as though it ought to have a strong Damask (old rose) scent; is it a climber? There are several excellent dark reds with strong fragrance. You have nice roses, anyway.
Melissa

 

[elena_11293]

Harma, I think I can understand.. When I was younger I had a therapist who was also a doctor in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), I used to get acupunture and shiatsu, and also just like you my then partner became a shiatsu therapist (with IRTE; he attended a school here for two years and, if I well remember, he went to Milan for other two years - but again like you he also didn't keep on then), so I know about it and how much you need to study to really master those principles. It's fascinating, tho. In my opinion energetics is at the core of just everything, and so I always look at things from that perspective, although I have a much more intuitive approach to it.

Melissa, thanks for that. I can only tell you that all of those roses are scented, and that they are not climbers.
Btw, the wall of the car box/garage of my neighbours just faces my yard, and I plan to plant there some climber, I've seen houses with beautiful 'walls' of flowers and I think that spot would be perfect for something like that..

Wishing you all a great weekend!!

 

[jp60]

Elena I usually say 'faces' when talking about a direction. If my bed faces west is that a bad thing?!

Beautiful roses! Amazing that they have lived for so long.

 

[elena_11293]

Elena I usually say 'faces' when talking about a direction. If my bed faces west is that a bad thing?!

Thanks for the right verb! And, hehe, no, I don't think so. According to Feng Shui each person can get the best rest when the bed faces the 'right' direction for them (in order to find it out you should look at a bunch of things and sincerely to me that's too much 'work'), but as a general rule it seems that North-East is a good one for that purpose, and I have to admit that I actually like it best than the others I tried (that's my way to work this kind of things, I just try and see how I feel )

Beautiful roses! Amazing that they have lived for so long.

Thanks Also to me it's amazing that so many very old plants survived, here, since I'm not the best of the gardeners.. but I'm definetely glad that something of what my granparents planted is still here

 

[Harma]

I love it when the plants have a story,once I worked for an old woman and she had a sedum in a pot and she never wet it,because she really didn't care...I asked her if I could take it,and she was happy to give it away,and now it is a beautiful plant....This is just one srory....

 

[jp60]

That's a nice story Harma. I have many plants in my garden from people I have 'met' through internet both here in Italy and sent from fellow gardeners in the UK.

I had (note had!) a beautiful pink Japanese anemone which was given to me by a man in England. I was admiring his garden with my mother as we were passing and asked the name of this unknown plant. The man told us about the plant and dug up some pieces for us. It was one of the first plants I ever grew! Unfortunately it died a couple of years ago because I just couldn't keep up with watering it. I hadn't thought to put some in a pot which is what I do nowadays if I just have to have a plant!

 

[Harma]

I bought some years ago a Japonese Anemone,and it was never nice...always very dry leaves,but this year they don't stop growing...I can sent you a little plant ,but I don't know if it's the right time to do that...

 

[jp60]

Awww that's very nice of you Harma :love_4: Perhaps autumn would be a good time to do it. If there's something I can send you in return, just say the word.

I imagine this year your plant is looking good because of all the rain we've been having. They also like moist shade and can be a nuisance by spreading too much.

Does anyone else have any plants they are particularly fond of for some reason?

 

[Harma]

Awww that's very nice of you Harma :love_4: Perhaps autumn would be a good time to do it. If there's something I can send you in return, just say the word.

I imagine this year your plant is looking good because of all the rain we've been having. They also like moist shade and can be a nuisance by spreading too much.

Does anyone else have any plants they are particularly fond of for some reason?

okay Jo we will do in autumn....The same story with my Lonicera...last year almost nothing and this year beautiful..I don't know the variety...in the beginning the flowers are white and after they become yellow,maybe it's a normal lonicera but I love it I'll put a picture on my thread...

 

[belvedere]

hey, a little kiss to everybody....
i also have a little story about one plant of mine: it's a euonimus variegatus.
1- it was where i have my cottage, in the ground. i was small and it didn't grow up... because snails ate it and peraphs it had too shadow...
2 - so i tried to put it in another point of the garden, more sunny, but no change.
3 - mounths ago i put this plant in full sun. once again no good news!
4 - then i put it in a pot and i placed it on my roof garden, in genoa. the pot was really too small.
5 - after some mounths i changed the pot.
now the euonymous is in a big pot, i forgot it, and FINALLY - after 5 changes! :martello:- this plant is growing fastly and it is very very beautiful and healty!
i think this is a little miracle.....:hands13:

 

[Harma]

Hi Belvedere,nice to read youAlmost all my plants are in the earth,but I have one big pot with an Euonymus Variegata too,and it's beautiful...Maybe they like to stay in a pot...If plants could speak,gardening would be easier

 

[jp60]

Nice to see you Belvedere. Plants can be so fussy sometimes! I'm happy your Euonimus is growing well. I have several of these plants, they are very easy to grow from cuttings, but they are often slow growers.
I would be very noisy out there if plants could talk!

 

[Harma]

....Right Jo,but just if they don't feel okay,so that I can do something for them
I have a question<somebody has an Carpenteria? I paid a lot of money for it,this year it's flowering a little bit but the leaves always have some problem....

 

[jp60]

I'm afraid I don't have this plant Harma. What is wrong with the leaves? Could it be insect damage or not enough sun?