h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The project(s) in the States were the Biodomes, and their biggest problems were that they leaked ( bodes well for the Yanks GM industries), and the inhabitants ended up hating each other ( Just like most marriages really...).
Perhaps the crusties don't venture out of St. Ives, nor the hippies out of Tintagel.
Some people have soooo little imagination,.Surely the idea behind the Eden Project was to get different ecospheres in the same place, and show their interdependencies and our reliance on the plant world, and I don't know of anywhere else that does that, ( at least in a disused Cornish quarry in a high unemployment area).

The project(s) in the States were the Biodomes, and their biggest problems were that they leaked ( bodes well for the Yanks GM industries), and the inhabitants ended up hating each other ( Just like most marriages really...).
Perhaps the crusties don't venture out of St. Ives, nor the hippies out of Tintagel.
Some people have soooo little imagination,.Surely the idea behind the Eden Project was to get different ecospheres in the same place, and show their interdependencies and our reliance on the plant world, and I don't know of anywhere else that does that, ( at least in a disused Cornish quarry in a high unemployment area).

The project(s) in the States were the Biodomes, and their biggest problems were that they leaked ( bodes well for the Yanks GM industries), and the inhabitants ended up hating each other ( Just like most marriages really...).
Perhaps the crusties don't venture out of St. Ives, nor the hippies out of Tintagel.
Some people have soooo little imagination,.Surely the idea behind the Eden Project was to get different ecospheres in the same place, and show their interdependencies and our reliance on the plant world, and I don't know of anywhere else that does that, ( at least in a disused Cornish quarry in a high unemployment area).

I quite agree and it has definitely improved employment down there with all the visitors. I think it is a marvellous achievement and the people that go to the Project aren't necessarily gardeners so wouldn't particularly want to go to the traditional form of garden.

Also the engineering involved in the building of the domes is worth a visit too.

I consider myself to be both a gardener and interested in (Intact) ecologies.
On the gardening front I can tell the world that the concrete in a balcony on the 19th floor in Wolverhampton is :-
Difficult to dig;
Not very productive:
Very embarrassing when you fall thru' the hole to the balcony below ( so that's where my trowel went!).

I view gardening in thae same as housework, no one else is going to do it so I had better get on with it!

I do like seeing other people's gardens though! A full blown herbaceous border is a glorious sight and the scent from a herb garden on a hot day (some hope at the moment) is bliss.

Work on that sense of obligation, gardening should give you the same sense of pleasure as seeing Charlie Dimmock in a well fitting bra.
Except for the fact that it still leaves me exhausted after only a litle while, I find gardening a real pleasure, tho' having to pray for the weeds I pull up is a bind.
Know what you mean about a herb garden, my friends down south have a Rosemary bush just behind their garden bench and it grows thru it, ( tho it is a bit spikey when you're sunbathing in the nude). As you can tell from the weather, I haven't done that, ( or been to see them), this year.

I love rosemary, I have Mrs Jessop growing in my garden. I don't use it very much in cooking, except with lamb (sorry!), but had it with mash potato in a restaurant the other evening, I shall give that a try next time I make some.

You're right, I should change my mindset and enjoy gardening. It is much more rewarding than housework and I do like the compliments when the garden is looking good.

The front garden needs really sorting out, but in order to do what we want it is going to take time and money. We need to organise some off street parking and I know we would get the investment if and when we move. But it will cost a small fortune to get it ll leveled and paved nicely.

Who is this poor Mrs Jessop you have cruelly planted in your garden?
My idea of off street parking is a big hook for hanging a bicycle on.
Today would be a good day for sitting in the garden weeding, ( at least the weeds within reach of a deck chair).

It is an old fashioned rosemary bush, nice an upright with no mucking around!

In Italy last year we saw a Swatch car with what looked like a huge hook on the back. We realised after seeing all the yachts in the harbour that the hook was for lifting it into the hold .

Now that would be the way to live, cruising the Med, hot and cold running staff. Jet skis, Swatch car and private cinema on board for when you got bored at looking at harbour lights.

I'm more of a sail boat and bicycle man myself, and have an aversion to Gin Palaces , ( motor yachts), having done the little yachting I have done on the Solent, when they frequently steer straight for you.
I couldn't stand being waited on, as nobody else does things the way I like them, (tidying up- rarely; meals- when I'm hungry; noising into my business- never).
But that's me really.

I'm more of a sail boat and bicycle man myself, and have an aversion to Gin Palaces , ( motor yachts), having done the little yachting I have done on the Solent, when they frequently steer straight for you.
I couldn't stand being waited on, as nobody else does things the way I like them, (tidying up- rarely; meals- when I'm hungry; noising into my business- never).
But that's me really.

I'm more of a sail boat and bicycle man myself, and have an aversion to Gin Palaces , ( motor yachts), having done the little yachting I have done on the Solent, when they frequently steer straight for you.
I couldn't stand being waited on, as nobody else does things the way I like them, (tidying up- rarely; meals- when I'm hungry; noising into my business- never).
But that's me really.

I see the gremlins are having fun as its Friday!

I've sailed on the Solent too, in a Bosun, which was pretty well unsinkable. Wouldn't mind doing a bit of that again, but don't have access to a boat anymore.

I could handle the gin palace though, I'm basically lazy so it would be wonderful not to lift a hand and have someone else do all the boring stuff that I already have to do at home!

Actually went out and trimmed the shrubs, yesterday. I had no excuse after finding the hedge shears when looking for something else . The damn bushes bit back though and my arms are now covered with scratches! At least the garden loos neater.

The neighbours at the end are up to something behind the laurel hedge involving bricks and paving slabs, I shall try and have a nose later

Was it, ( inhales breath and whispers whilst looking around furtively),a barbecue?

I couldn't see

A barbecue would be preferably to the huge bonfires they have on a regular basis. I don't know where they find all the wood, the last one was a dining table.

My hands now smell of geraniums, cranesbill type. The blasted things grow like weeds here and smother just about anything if they aren't pulled up regularly. In spite of washing my hands twice, I can still smell them . The snails and slugs love them to hide under but don't eat the ing things.

A weed tends to be a flower in the wrong place, and something that the local pests avoid as they see it every day,( a bit like having to pass KFC every day, the smell still makes me nauseous).
They're pretty tho' don't you think? ( Cranesbill that is.)
Round here, factory fires are more common than bonfairs.

Cranesbill are very pretty and there are several varieties in our garden. From the local history book this area was heavily wooded, not so unusual of course, then for centuries was an orchard, until the 1950s when the land was developed.

At the smallest oppurtunity the cranesbills will appear anywhere in the garden, along with wild violets, foxgloves and bluebells. It's as if the garden is trying its best to get back to woodland.

So that's why I'm planning my shady border area, around woodland plants. I have loads of them sitting in pots, but still haven't dug the potential border over fully. It's just too darned hot!

Well, if it's anything like the weather here, it's cooler now and the rain should cut down on the need for watering so you have no excuse for planting them up.

Yep, its cooler here too, but those plants aren't any nearer going in yet!

I shall try and make an effort next week, the plants are beginning to look uncomfortable in their pots and need some room to get going before much longer.

Hoping to get a chance to see Men in Black II in the very near future. It got panned in my newspaper, but No2 son went to see it and he said it was very funny. I would rather go by his judgement than a jaded film critic.