Blog about Gardening

oh dear Uma what is your climate can you grow things to brighten up your surroundings i'm sure that the goyers would help with advice

Oh dear - perhaps you can break with tradition in your country and start a garden. It's nice to think you see the British preoccupation with detail and difference as a good thing - we are often described as small minded and traditional, and sometimes I think that might be true...;-)

Pamq, thanks for your warm comment! This picture of my garden was taken tree years ago, in the Winter, when there wasn't our house yet. Then it was a building area...:(
Now, our garden is 2 years and it's not so awful as it was. :)

Bamboo, in my country there are many beautiful places and gardens. You can see it on my photos. But I think there is no tradition of Garden itself. In our Gardens there isn't Soul. Oh, I eager our people to be traditional!

I'm sure they are, but in other ways, I expect. Over here, gardening has always been part of the culture, well, for an awfully long time anyway, but I do wonder if that's because of our climate - temperate, damp, unlike yours, which gets extremely cold. And the idea of growing your own food really comes from the last world war, when practically everyone who had a garden was encouraged to grow veggies because otherwise there wouldn't have been enough food to go round, so that was part of the culture too, though now its very, very popular again for slightly different reasons. But I understand what you're saying - we feel passionately about growing plants here, and gardens in general and what you're saying is, that isn't the case generally where you live.

Yes, Bamboo, you are SO right!

As I remember, my grandgrandparents, my grandparents and now my parents have beautiful orchards, grow vegs and have many flowers. And I love their gardens! But they are mostly for food (and I like it too...) Your gardens are mostly for enjoying the beauty. Yes, and your climate plays not the last part.

We look forward to seeing your updated picture of how your garden is now. Because you do not have gardening as part of your culture you probably do not have garden centres either. Maybe someone can advise us on how to send you things from our gardens if you feel that would be helpful. Do you know other gardeners near you with whom you could start a club. Maybe one of your national or city parks would help. From your photos they do a stunning array of plants with a high design content. Is there a possibility of your becoming a volunteer in one of the parks or could you do a course in any of them. That could get you access to other gardeners. lol

Hi Uma I felt so sad reading your blog.I can't imagine not having a garden.I would imagine after 2 yrsyou have got some sort of colour in your garden. Please send more photos to show your garden now.

Hi Uma,I think we all feel so lucky to live where we are,regarding growing plants,and having the climate to be able to do this.We quite often grumble about our weather here,either too cold,too wet,and ..yes,in the summer,too hot,although that is a rare occasion.I look forward to seeing your progress on your garden,and hope when your neighbours see what you are doing,maybe it will get them interested as well,in time.good luck,and happy gardening.

Hi Uma - I know what you are talking about - in my home country Poland, the tradition for ornamental gardens is very young - just about 20 years. Before it was mostly for practical purpose - mostly veg and fruit production. Flowers were only the addition to it. My first visit to UK was about 15 years ago - and even it was autumn - I fell in love with its gardens... I wanted to come here to live here - it took several years for my dreams to come true... and my another dream is to study gardening here - and here I am going to college studying garden design. I am so happy I have opportunity to realize my dreams. And I keep saying - this country is heaven on Earth for gardeners... and it's not only the climate - I couldn't believe that palms are growing here - until I have seen them with my own eyes, haha... but people - they really enjoy gardening - sometimes I take pictures of plants in front gardens waiting for somebody to shout at me - it is just opposite - people are asking me if I want to know the name of the plants instead...
I am very happy I can live here - you should visit UK and its gardens:) and thank you for liking my pictures - I am sorry I don't visit you so often but I am very busy with my studying...
Kasia

Hi Uma. I am also upset that Bob has left. And I am angry that some people are so intollerant. Anyway I'm glad to have so many friends on GoY.

I'm sorry there is no tradition of gardening in Ukrain. I hope you can create a nice garden there for yourself. You will get lots of ideas here.

I think it's wonderful that you want your own garden Uma, even though it's not traditional in your country. As Hywel says, you will get lots of ideas on here. Good luck with all that you do in your garden :~)))

Okasia, it was lovely to hear your story, I am glad you are chasing your dreams - and that you love gardening too;-)

I'll be interested to know what you grow in your garden Uma and hope you can post some pictures of it for us to enjoy. I always find it interesting to see gardens from other countries

Uma, i've seen your plant pictures and they're good.
You're growing some lovely things, it would be good to see some pictures of the entire garden now it's planted up too :-)

Look forward to seeing some photos of your garden i'm sorry to see Bob go aswell.

And so am I ..... one of the nicest, funniest, most down to earth blokes I've ever met ! (On here, as well as in REAL life) :~))

Your wounds of the earth look like spoil from some sort of mining. In West Lothian, Scotland where the shale mining started by James (Paraffin) Young, the worlds first ever oil man, left similar heaps, the council have listed them ( protected them from being demolished ). They have set up a tour called the Paraffin Young Trail. It starts at the BP Oil Refinery in Grangemouth from their shale industry museum. If you type it in you should get it up on internet.

And bob might not be the only loss - Moongrower is considering her options - and so am I, I'm afraid, don't like the way the site isn't being overseen efficiently. I would have posted this on its own, but I suspect it would be taken down very quickly if I did... so I'm sorry, Uma, to use your blog to say this, but needs must...

Don't they just Bamboo. I've said very little... kept a watching brief...
What happened to the laughs ???

There are still laughs, to be fair, but I hate unfairness - sometimes things get flagged and they remain, even though the content is abusive to some poor soul - and then something else gets flagged and removed immediately. If you make rules, you have to enforce them across the board, not just when you feel like it. Not sure the people who run the site are up to the task of dealing with people's emotions, really, which do run high at times - they should nip in the bud anything that becomes abusive, at the first sign of it - that's the thing that's most crucial, not whether some poor bugger's done a blog which "breaks the rules cos its not about gardening", specially when other blogs patently not about gardening are allowed to stand. Maybe the rules need changing, is my view, and those you've got should apply to everyone, not just a few.

Emotions .... real life... I agree totally Bamboo. As for the rules .... well.... again, I totally agree... BUT ... these things need to be flagged don't they .... and it seems to me that only certain things are...... ??

that's true, only certain things are flagged - but even when you do flag something, it doesn't always disappear, despite the content resembling a pack of hounds savaging a fox. I'm much more concerned about containing people's darker emotions than I am about a non gardening blog - if you don't want to read it, don't, its not difficult is it. We had a discussion group running last night on Ian's blog - about eight of us, and we'd come to a sort of consensus as to how to handle non gardening stuff, with constructive suggestions, to be put to the site Gods - but oh no, it was flagged and removed. Very useful, I don't think... it was a lesson in how to negotiate and speak politely and sensibly to others, whilst still being able to express, and listen to, opposite views. Should have been left as an example, not removed. and that's why I've lost it - priorities are wrong, wrong, wrong.

As I said, I keep a 'watching brief'. Didn't add to because I thought it was a sensible discussion. Went away for an hour... came back and it was gone !
'A pack of hounds savaging a fox' ..... perfect Bamboo !

Better just straighten the facts out here - just had a PM from Ian to say he deleted it himself last night by accident - pity he didn't respond to my PM before though, cos I'd already gone into one to Ajay and co about the fact it was removed! heigh ho...

I've just had a PM as well. It wasn't just this one though was it Bamboo ? Your 'into one' was totally justified :~)

Yea, I know - I just withdrew the accusation that they'd taken Ian's down, but that I stood by all the other points I made, which were along the lines of what I said further up on here. Such a shame Ian took it down...

As I said, a sensible discussion..... but...... would that make a difference ?

Perhaps the discussion wasn't heated enough for Ian ? :0)))

I don't know - if you look under the "About Us" and other sections at the bottom, it says this is our site, run by the members, for the members - that SHOULD mean we get a say in what happens, shouldn't it? Or perhaps that only happens if there's a chorus singing from the same hymn sheet, rather than a solo soprano - that blog would have been useful from the point of view of making a chorus.

Bamboo ... totally agree.
BS...... Ian said he deleted the blog by mistake... I believe him.

I agree Bamboo, perhaps we should give Ian some stick though :0)))

Well go on then, Bluespruce, fill your boots up, lol

Crossed over there Sue, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt then :0)

Bamboo, I did say we!! :0)

I've already expressed myself on that score, BS - but only gently!

Bamboo .... you ... gentle !!!! Lol ;~)))

She's mellowing with age Sue :0)))

Oh dear! I know I'm strongwilled, opinionated and gobby, but I didn't think it was THAT obvious...

LMAO !!! :~)))))

Oh, I see there is no room for my response comments. LOL
Thanks everybody for your warm and understanding comments!

Madaboutplants, we have many garden centres here, and there is a botanical garden in the city I live. There are a lot of beautiful plants in it, but the Garden itself is in a sad state.

Tulsalady, yes, our garden has some colours, but it's not good enough, Hard Work are looking for us! :) But when I lived with my parents they had (and now have) some kind of allotment and big orchard, also many roses, but it was something like "many beautiful flowers and no design". Hope to make some photos of their garden next year to show you what I mean. But maybe it's not so bad, as I describe. :) Will be very glad to share my pics with you.

Bloomer, think everybody should be glad to live in their native land, but must learn and adopt one's methods if don't have one's own. I always grumble about our weather: too cold in Winter (sometimes -25-27, hard winds, and no snow, it's awful! No plant can stand these conditions, especially evergreens), too hot in Summer (sometimes +40+43 and no rain for some weeks!) Of course, I'll make photos of our garden, and hope there will be some progress you like. :)

Kasia, yes, you are right, in our country we also had gardens only for practical purpose, and now many of us still have. But I see a big progress in Real Gardening! Oh, in my country we have palms growing too! :)... in the Crimea, the South part of the country.
You're welcome, the pictures of yours are wonderful! Best wishes and good luck to you with your studying process! :)

Hywel, our country needs much time to create Gardening culture. Ukrainians love their land and try to make it beautiful. Thank you very much for your warm wishes as for the future life of our garden. I'm sure to find many ideas and to get many advices from GoY members. Thanks!

Sue, thank you for your warm words!

Andrew, I have some plants put into ""My plants", and going to show much more. Hope you'll like some of them. You have a wonderful garden!

Louise, thanks! I would like to show you some pics of my garden, but afraid, that it's too early. :) Your gardens are so pretty, our one needs being worked at...

Clarice, try to show progress in our garden in my next blogs. :)

Thank you all for your attention! Love you...

No snow? I'm shocked - I'd imagined you'd have metres of the stuff in winter. So yours must be a pretty dry climate, though very cold and also very hot at times. As you say, difficult gardening, compared to here.

Yes, Bamboo, no snow at all. Not always, but often. We lived in very windy area. When I was a little girl, not so many years ago :), remember a meter of the snow. But now we often have hard frosts with snow and then sharp change in the weather - thaw - and in a day or two - again hard frosts...All the plants become like glass. It's awful!

Hi Uma, I had no idea you had such extremes in temperature in the Ukraine. I look forward to seeing what plants you will grow in these conditions. My garden, like yours, was a blank canvas - but my holes were not as deep !!! I am sure that your neighbours will be inspired by the garden you make and I wish you good luck. ;~))

Oh, Muddywalters, we have sometimes, in the area I live. The plants, I'm growing, are in "my plants". But there are not all of them. This deep hole is the future foundation of the house. :) Thanks!

Bamboo are you and MG really thinking of leaving, I know that there has been a few disgruntled folk but I don't really understand why I would ( and I am sure )many others would miss you very much your knowledge of gardening in many of its forms is great and the site would be lost without all of the really knowledgable contributors I think the powers that be should remember that if the real gardeners all 'up sticks' then who will answer the questions?

Uma, near to where I live (Southport, Lancashire) is a place called Wigan. There is an area there that was mined years ago, the old mines have flooded and collapsed and the whole site has been made into a nature reserve called Wigan Flashes. There are many beautiful birds that live there or visit on migration. I have watched birds in other similar places, old gravel pits, disused sewage works or disused reservoirs that have been taken over by nature and then purchased or looked after by Nature Societies. I noticed the lake in your first photo and wondered if this might happen there some time in the future. ;~)

P. S. Sorry Uma i've hijacked your blog but I enjoy this site for it knowledge, diversity and friendship and I would be very sad to lose it :~(

No, I'm not leaving, Pamg - I've decided to rise above it all and just get on with the good bits - I like giving out information too much, lol;-)))

Well - thank goodness for that, Bamboo! :-)))

Pamg, no need to be sorry! I enjoy this site too, much more. And don't want wise and really knowledgeable members leaving.

Well that's you and me covered then Spritz, lol. Thanks Uma

Muddywalters, I wish our old mined areas to be turned into beautiful places you are talking about. But it's impossible, because they are everywhere in the city...almost in the centre of the city...all these waste banks are purchased for using at the road building. It's a good business. And nobody will not give these places to any societies! And it's just impossible to collapse and flood as the whole city is on these mines. I understand that it's awful. On the picture is River Calmius. In our country there is not a Privacy Law, in such conditions nobody will do anything for improving Nature and Land being rented. But I hope that you will be right! And some time it'll happen...

thankyou Bamboo I'm very pleased that you're not going I think that you are right to just ignore the odd bits-- ' theres nowt so queer as folk' :~)

Uma do the waste areas grow wild plants sometimes mother nature plants her own garden but it must be very difficult for you in such harsh conditions

Pamg, it will happen when there are no people here at all.
And as for the conditions - we have got accustomed to them. :)

Uma,I didn't realise your weather conditions were so extreme.It must be very frustrating when you obviously have such a love of gardening and plants,and
trying to find things that will cope with your conditions.I wish you well on your garden plan.

Bloomer, yes, we have these ones here in the East Ukraine. By the way, we have today -2 C degrees, but if the wind is taken into account, it's -8 C degrees. A little bit colder, isn't it? :) We try to grow the plants suitable for our weather.
Thank you very much for the warm words!

Hi Uma, I hope in the future your country will take gardening to its heart as we do here. I hope you will have a beautiful garden and that we will see the photos of it. :o)

Sandra x

Thank you, Sandra, for your warm wishes...:)
We have a very young garden, want to make it better. It's not so good enough, but we try...:)

Taken me a very long time to read all these comments Uma, I am sure your garden will be beautiful as you do have a soul, and you can make things better, as you know so much more now.....

Thank you, DD, very much for your kind words...Hope, we'll be able to make our garden lovely and beautiful...

I shall look forward to seeing all your beautiful pics........

Thanks, DD!

Uma : your dismay makes me as sad. Gardening and gardens are as is opium to an addict. To be happy think you are not addicted. Your information about climate and the traditions of the land u live in is shocking. Privacy is the food of the soul. If one is deprived of it the soul dies.To start, I would suggest u develop a garden in your living room. In all types of pots arranged nicely, Tulips, Hysynths, buttercups, pansies and what not. Wish u success in your struggle to come out of the old system

Uma : your dismay makes me as sad. Gardening and gardens are as is opium to an addict. To be happy think you are not addicted. Your information about climate and the traditions of the land u live in is shocking. Privacy is the food of the soul. If one is deprived of it the soul dies.To start, I would suggest u develop a garden in your living room. In all types of pots arranged nicely, Tulips, Hysynths, buttercups, pansies and what not. Wish u success in your struggle to come out of the old system