Birds eye view if your garden

[Kazz]

Okay people any chance of a birds eye view (taken from a bedroom window) of your garden I would like to see how they are set out.
Because guess what I have put my name down for a garden design course :shock: scary eh. And the part of the interview/application form is how we "use" our gardens so I thought I would use some of yours/lateral thinking maybe the key to acceptance. ;) obviously won't be naming you.

And would like to have an idea what the "average" person has in their garden also what you use it for mostly and what if anything you would change.

Karen

[yola]

Karen, I do envy you - following your dream is such a great thing to do, and you have a very obvious aptitude :D .

OK, here is my garden, the back one. Front garden is a mess at the moment until we get a chance to landscape it a bit. Garden is used for sitting and eating/drinking, to play with the baby and for Dominik to play on his trike and in his sandpit.

What would I change? Not much seeing as we only did it last year, but if I did it again, I would spend more money on the paving and get proper yorkstone slabs rather than reconsituted concrete ones which kind of look the part; but not quite - if you know what I mean.

The planting is low-maintenance, and designed to be green all year around, with much interesting leaf texture and colour.


http://wwwdogsey.com/pics/32513Finished garden 1_s.jpg

[dandysmom]

Unless they have a section on design for the small urban townhouse, I'm not sure if my pics would help. Also, can't do a birds-eye as I'd have to crawl out on the porch roof to do so and heights make me queasy! I've taken some ground level shots if you think they'd be any good; also some of my neighbors garden which is professionally landscaped and very attractive. The back yard isn't in good enough shape to photograph now...problems with bamboo and honeysuckle overrunning things and a bit too much for me to cope with now! Let me know if you want the pics, please!

[cc22peatree]

heres mine, I cant take a pic from my bedroom as its mostly to the side of my house:roll:
Its so big, what am I to do:lol:

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w74/cc22peatree/kittens003-1.jpg
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w74/cc22peatree/kittens002-1.jpg
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w74/cc22peatree/kittens001-1.jpg

[Kazz]

Unless they have a section on design for the small urban townhouse, I'm not sure if my pics would help. Also, can't do a birds-eye as I'd have to crawl out on the porch roof to do so and heights make me queasy! I've taken some ground level shots if you think they'd be any good; also some of my neighbors garden which is professionally landscaped and very attractive. The back yard isn't in good enough shape to photograph now...problems with bamboo and honeysuckle overrunning things and a bit too much for me to cope with now! Let me know if you want the pics, please!

All most welcome- I did not realise the problem my request for Birds Eye views would cause - however any view would be good thank you Eileen. Yours would be most most welcome.

[dandysmom]

OK, I'll send them after dinner. They're too big for the resizer/uploader (can't crop because it would take out too much detail) so will have to use Photobucket, and that takes forever (I have dial--up)! Sounds like a fun course, Karen. hope you get lots of replys.

[alexgirl73]

I'll have to wait until tomorrow now Karen. But not a problem!

[tilly]

I don't have a garden just a tiny gravel triangle thing which is being attacked by weeds at the moment.
But All the best and I hope you get where you want to with the course.
Sally

[yola]

Unless they have a section on design for the small urban townhouse, I'm not sure if my pics would help.


That's all mine is Eileen, but the townhouse itself has 4 storeys hence I can do a good bird's eye view, but the garden is tiny :roll: !

[dandysmom]

I'll list what's in mine here, rather than with the pics. Azaleas, Japanese maple, barberry hedge, vinca minor, mahonia, hostas, heucheras, hellebores, dogwood, winter jasmine, English ivy, Virginia creeper, 3 container roses, miniature dahlias. bulbs (Emperor tulips, crocus, Asiatic lilies, anemone blanda, scilla, miniature daffodils). Things that Summer outdoors: amaryllis, spider plants, orchids, grape bonsai.

My neighbor's yard has: redbud tree, camellias, hostas, upright yews and liriope.

[Kazz]

Thank you to everyone, and may I point out I do not mind what anyone's garden is like I am not after show gardens I am after "average" gardens. Would it not be boring if everyone's garden was the same and remember people one man's jungle is another woman's eden;) Thank you to everyone who has and will reply with or without pictures.

I would also appreciate a rough idea what you use your garden for mostly/mainly, oh and roughly how long you spend in your garden weather it be daily, weekly, hourly...yearly I do not mind Thank you.

[random]

We use ours for the animals, for my son and playing with him in, and for BBQ and eating out on a nice day. Also relaxing, sunbathing, reading.

I'll get some pictures up tomorrow hopefully.

In my old house I had a much bigger garden, but it was just a plain huge fenced in lawn with privet at the rear and was only used for the animals, mostly the dogs as it was large enough for them to charge about in. The side garden had bushes and colourful shrubs and was mainly used for the cats on their harnesses. The front was a small lawn with border plants and flowers and was just there to look nice! :mrgreen: I'm not sure I have any pictures of my old house anymore though, it was a horrible place to live due to a lot of anti social behaviour and this is the reason the gardens were never used for sitting out or playing in e.t.c. You'd have had glass bottles thrown over the fence if you were heard having a garden party. :shock:

Anyway, will get some pictures up as soon as I can for you.

[dandysmom]

OK. here are some pics:
http://www.catsey.com/%5BIMG%5Dhttp://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d117/dandysmom/DSCN0421.jpg%5B/IMG%5D
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d117/dandysmom/DSCN0421.jpg

http://www.catsey.com/%5BIMG%5Dhttp://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d117/dandysmom/DSCN0418.jpg%5B/IMG%5D
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d117/dandysmom/DSCN0418.jpg

This is my neighbor's yard...not too good a pic.....
http://www.catsey.com/%5BIMG%5Dhttp://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d117/dandysmom/DSCN0419.jpg%5B/IMG%5D
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d117/dandysmom/DSCN0419.jpg

This is a better one ..
http://www.catsey.com/%5BIMG%5Dhttp://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d117/dandysmom/DSCN0423.jpg%5B/IMG%5D
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d117/dandysmom/DSCN0423.jpg

Before the invasion of the Asian Tiger mosquitoes (the day flying/biting ones) used to sit in the garden with a drink, book or crossword; now, sadly, rarely do so.

[dinahsmum]

Here's an old post with before during and after shots of our garden Kazz - you're welcome to use if it's any good. http://www.catsey.com/showpost.php?p=193989&postcount=20
I may have my "plan" of the work somewhere - if I can find it I'll scan & post - obviously being a plan it's two dimensional and to scale, so may help you fit the pics with what is actually on the ground.
Use - well, two adults one energetic dog and two cats. Used a great deal - even in winter we sit out and have coffee in the south facing 'courtyard'. I feed birds and hang washing but mostly it is informal, very low maintenance, leisure space.
Your course sounds fun - will you be able to use your skills at work or will it just be a hobby .... or maybe a new career?

Later:
Here you go
1 = my cunning plan :roll:
2 = an aerial pic. Am the RH (as you look) of the semis in the middle of the pic. Isn't is odd seeing your house from that angle?


http://wwwdogsey.com/pics/6593plan.jpg



http://wwwdogsey.com/pics/10891birds%20eye%20view.jpg

[alexgirl73]

wow, what a lovely garden you have DM!! Love the raised bed. I presume that's railway sleepers is it?

Here is my garden , and please remember this is a work in progress lol! When we moved in there was nothing except weeds, thorns, bramble bushes, various car parts etc!!!

My rockery (the large plant with the purple flowers is the wilted one I posted a while back that we didn't know what it was! Still don't lol, but it's very pretty!)

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m12/alexgirl73/PICT0075-2.jpg

My front bed, with the rabbits hutch in the background

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m12/alexgirl73/PICT0076-1.jpg

One of my pots! very pleased with this as it's the first time I have really planted anything in one of these.

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m12/alexgirl73/pict0077.jpg

From my bedroom window, the wood in the bottom eleft hand corner is off of some pallets I got from freecycle for Robert to make a fence out the front with!

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m12/alexgirl73/PICT0078-1.jpg

Please excuse the back of the garden! This is Roberts 'bit' lol, and he has great plans for a pond etc. (I'm just waiting on him finishing off the greenhouse lol). The table and chairs came from freecycle a few weeks ago as did the euonymous at the back bed!


http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m12/alexgirl73/PICT0079-1.jpg

Just the edge of the garden. The brieze blocks are for Robert to finish off the wall at the back as the council made a boo boo of doing it, so he needs to put them in place before it is safe to work on (they came from freecycle also lol)

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m12/alexgirl73/PICT0080.jpg

I use the garden to enjoy my planting etc, the kids use it to play in with the swing and playhouse etc. Robert enjoys digging and planning and we all use it to relax in on lovely sunny days.

[dinahsmum]

Thanks Alex :oops: Yes the planters are railway sleepers - and it was done just before the old creosoted ones were banned, so they're good and dark. I've heard that the tannilisation(?sp) they use now is actualy a much more environment-damaging process, so you don't really know where you are, do you? The planting is all much more 'lived in' now, and all 3 pets in those pics are now at rainbow bridge :(

Don't do your efforts down - that's coming along really well. Wait till the end of summer and see how much it's grown. That's the great thing about gardening - it improves rather than deteriorates over time.

Oh - and I'm really pleased Freecycle is working for you. I think it's a great way of helping people with stuff they no longer need and people who need stuff the others no longer want.

[tilly]

Here are the pictures of my garden at the moment.
This is a picuture of the corner of the garden with a virginia creep going up the wall and the cat kennel as well.:D These are what you see if you go right out of my kitchen door
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y182/tilly0_5/house/Image083.jpg

This is a picture of two clematis going up the fence and i don't knowwhat the plant in the pot is but it is very pretty.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y182/tilly0_5/house/Image082.jpg
and if you go left you see these varoius potted plants waiting for a bed to live in
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y182/tilly0_5/house/Image084.jpg
Please excuse the jungle of weeds in this next picture I haven't got round to weeding that section yet:shock: :shock: :oops: :oops: Yet more potted plants along the fence line too.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y182/tilly0_5/house/Image085.jpg
And here is a close up of my strawberry plant andthe strawberries on it. Again excuse the weeds:oops: :shock:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y182/tilly0_5/house/Image086.jpg
Lastly is a picture os my garden in the house I am buying. I hope to be able to relax and have a cattery in in. my garden at the moment is just used for the cats and keeping some potted plants in. Excuse the relfecrio of my t-shirt in the photo!!
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y182/tilly0_5/house/Image070.jpg

[sammy]

Here's a couple of my jungle :oops: As you can see, it's not very 'manicured'! You can just make out the small pond below the patio, no fish, just frogs and mostly newts.

It really just gets used as an outdoor room I suppose, drinks in the evening if it's fine, snoozing under the pear tree if it's very hot, and of course a playground for the cats!

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h302/Jillytub/IMG_0084.jpg

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h302/Jillytub/IMG_0082.jpg

[Elaine]

I'll get you some piccies later this week if you like as I will be getting a new camera. Mine is more of a junk yard than a garden although one of the bathroom suites seems to have died and disintigrated into the ground:lol:

[Kazz]

Just to let you know I did not get on the course for this year but have been "asked" in the letter received today to apply again next year.

[dandysmom]

Oh, I'm sorry to hear that......

[Donna]

Thats a shame Kazz....sorry to hear. Will you try next year?

[yola]

Oh what a bummer Karen :( You'd have been a natural! Are you going to try next year?

Maybe your employer can offer you some kind of sponsorship if you can then act in an advisory capacity to their customers???

[mable1718]

oh what a bad thing that happened you going to try next year

[Fran]

Sorrry to hear this Kazz :( Hope you will consider for next year??

[dinahsmum]

.......... but look on the bright side - no distractions to watching your kittens grow!
Do it next year instead!
(Great idea from Yola, above)

[Kazz]

Nah I won't do it in an advisory capacity I am happy with what I do. But will try next year it was hard to get onto though so pleased with what I did. Although I would have been happy obviously like it to have been YES. But no point mopping.