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

http://gallery.mac.com/flyingants#100008

I've been taking photos in my garden from early May with a fairly basic Kodak dig camera I recently bought. Sharpness of image isn't always what I'd like. Even the best photoshop editing can't entirely solve that. It took me a few weeks weeks to realise the little plastic camera could actually screw onto my SLR tripod... And also there's been an annoying slight breeze for weeks, that plays havoc with close-ups.

I see an intense almost science fiction quality to the imagery involving close-ups, especially of the Love-in-the mist flowers. And although flowers in general are often suggestive of the female genitalia, these seem very ambivalent in their sexuality. and more interesting to me therefore. It's fascinating the way the seed pod structure emerges in the flowers, as they develop. And there is much variety of the anatomy between each flower, even though they are the same species. They are aren't called Love-in-the-mist for nothing, I think. My mother loves them, but I think she may only be seeing the Romantic quality...I like both very much.

I grew the Love-in-the mist flowers from seed about 15 years ago. They were all a few shades of blue. They freely seed themselves each year. After 2 or 3 years they nearly all came up white, which disappointed me. But gradually more variety kept appearing each year. Now the variety of flower structures and subtlety of colours they have is quite extraordinary; though the blues tend to dominate. That brief period of all white was quite funny, looking back...

I so like this idea that such super-powered, intense abundance of nature occuring in a back garden in south east London; as some seem a bit surprised to hear about in my earlier journal entry. Anyone looking at these photos can see what a mixed up way all the variety of plants grow together, and the way 'wild' plants mix in with more cultivated varieties, in my garden. This is the way I love to have a garden. And natually there is no well mown lawn to be seen. You should see my mother's garden though.....

I'm calling these photos, 'Inner City'. I'll keep adding to them probably as the summer goes on into autumn. Because it's essential a documentary of my garden, and my relationship with it, from spring to autumn. It kind of reflects my intererest in both science and art, too, I think.

I may have to update the address at some point, as I think .mac are upgrading the thing in July sometime.

Oh yeah, you click on the image and the photos should all display. You can click on individuals to see larger, as per normal.

Hi honey,

I'm UTTERLY amazed at what you have in your garden! It is just a treat, a wonder
That Love in the mist... I'm in love with it. It has been a real shock. I'll tell you why:
I have a book on plants ( well, a few) and in the introduction there is a drawing, in black and white of that plant. I always thought that it was the invention of the artist. Particularly the drawing of the base, that kind of web. Now I've discovered that the artist is Nature! I thought it was an ornamental flowery. (btw,I've got a wonderful book about ornamentation in general. I recommend it to you: From the Industrial Revolution to Today, by Stuart Durant. I includes Ruskin, you may know him from your Art lessons)

Oh dear, how envy you!
but not for too long.
We have decided to go back to our hometown and I will have an orchard and MY garden there.

Every garden has the personality of the owner, in some ways. My older brother has a mix of tropical and Zen garden. There is a pond with fish, bonsais ( he travels to Japan and China to get stuff and learn)etc. He lives in the south coast of Spain, in an area which has tropical climate. Just imagine the exhuberance.

I want to have a section in my garden devoted to autoctonal flora. It is call xerogarden (dry garden) it lacks of meaning there in England as it is a rainy area, but here it is important. I want it to grow wildly.

Mmmmm

Beautiful! I've never seen flowers like those.

Jellen, Have you got a garden? It would be great if you linked here some photos.

Don´t you think we need a gardener smiley?

Hey guys. Thanks for positive response. Yes it's an exciting project for me this year, after months of no creativity, up until spring. Once I've gone on until autumn, and have the whole thing, I reckon it will be something to look at. The idea behind it, also excites me.

I was a bit upset today, because some vandal minded bloke from the council went into next door's garden and hacked it to shreds; it's full of overgrown vegetation. But it's a haven for wildlife in the area, along with my garden and others round here. This is inner city London. Whoever it is, does the same every year. Leaving it as it is hurts no-one, as no-one ever uses it. My own wild hedge was a bit blown about this evening, as the garden the other side, had been reduced to devastation. I think most of the sparrows who nest there, had hopefully fledged their young by now. But some caterpillars of a rare tiger moth, feed on the stuff there. This vandalism against nature, for no purpose, really angers me.

Yeah it would be good for people to link to their own garden photos from all over the world.

I don't have a garden of my own, but I do live next to a large park. And I have a little balcony. Theoretically, I could grow something, but in point of fact, I'm not very good at keeping plants alive and healthy.

Hi Effers,

Your garden is wonderful, what a delight, and what a variety. Good on yer lassie.

I live in a semi, our garden is full to bursting with plants and shrubs, and trees; but the next door neighbour seems averse to anything but a painted fence, one rhododendron and a patch of grass. therefore each year her dad comes round and cuts off every bit of honeysuckle growing up and over from our side of the dividing fence! Plus he removes similar traces of a prickly bush which has orange berries ( cant remember it's name - something to do with fire (?) ).

How strange some people are!

Novo

Hey thanks, Novo. It's good to hear from you again. It would be great if you posted some photos of your garden somewhere, if you are able.

Crikey fancy cutting off Honeysuckle, it's so wonderful. The scent of it and the look of the flowers. Moths love honeysuckle, for the nectar. I love coming out late evening and sometimes seeing moths feeding on mine. Yes I don't understand this behaviour. I have such a love for nature, myself.

I LOVED the pictures Effers. Awesome

Just to let you know...we've had our first crop of new potatoes and peas...both tasted fantastic!

Mikey2

Yes, mikey, I've been eating some new potatoes from my garden, and broad beans. The taste is wonderful, isn't it? And I always have plenty of mint with the tatties.

I'm continuing to add to the project of course. As of today I'm well onto page 2 of the 'album'. Some really weird latest ones of Love-in-the-mist, and the delightful Wall lettuce.

Well my paros visited yesterday, and they didn't think much of my garden; what a suprise

However we had a nice meal at a restaurant, I had rabbit and tiny carrots in a stew thing made in cider, new potatoes and spring greens...

Afterwards I persuaded them to go to the local wild plant and wildlife garden centre. I bought young Hornbeam and Hazel saplings - traditional trees that can be coppiced for hedges, ie kept small for a garden.

And Wild carrot and Wild clary, both plants that like dry conditions; so they got planted in the very hot and sunny rocky area. Also Ribwort plantain - wild meadow plant, that got stuck with the wild grasses.

Did lots of gardening today and planted the plants. The garden is getting a bit too wild at present. Some stuff is starting to strangle other stuff. Ivy a bit out of control. But bramble and bindweed also, and also strangling the ivy. After all it is a garden and not a total wilderness. It's looking a lot tidier. I'm all for competition between plants, but sometimes the plants that are real winners take over other plants that I really also like, that need a bit of help in a garden.

Very satisfying.

You're garden looks ace Effers. I love watching nature its like watching theo story in a drama just without all the over blown acting and cliched storylines. So in effect way better.

I got an ace, if I do ssay so myself picture of three male coots having a teritorial attle the other day I'll try to get them on to fotki or flikr.

We planted some shrubs to make the place the outside of the centre more attractive to birds last summer I think the one with the orange berries Novo is on about is called firethorn.

> I love watching nature its like watching theo story in a drama just without all the over blown acting and cliched storylines. So in effect way better.<

Yes blicky, you are so right. My relationship with my garden is like some kind of convoluted story, that is always different from one year to the next. A few years ago all these rooks and magpies were dominating. No blackbirds. Now I have so many blackbirds around and this year so many swallows made it to this neck of the woods from their migration from Africa. No sign of rooks or magpies this year. Some plants flourish and suddenly unexpectedly die. Plants suddenly appear like rasberries in my hedge, and my hawthorn, seeded by birds.

And of course the wonderful unpredicatibilty of the weather underpins it all. (But I'm pretty sick at the idea of another wet summer. Where's global warming when you need it? ) Nature is just the ultimate in creativity and unexpectedness.The fern near my backdoor that came back from the dead. And this year I happened to be in the garden as a baby blackbird was being fledged by its parents. The whole process of them encouraging it to fly was amazing. And I had to chase off next door's tom cat..

Glad you liked it. And I'd love to see your photo, of the 'Battle of the Coots.'

What kind of ivy have you got? There is one here which can push up roofs and go through walls. I don't like it. However, placed in the correct place it is a home for many birds. Blackberry tree makes also a very good shelter. And a very good fence, and a very good jam. But it can also be an invading bush, but not as dangerous like the ivy I said.
Do you have neighbours next to your walls Blicky?
If you don´t, I'll recommend blackberry trees as a bird "hotel"


That meal of rabbit sounds really good. You should try my paella with rabbit, or rabbit al ajillo, or rabbit al colorín...Mmmmm I love rabbit.

Mar I have all kinds of Ivy in my garden. And I regularly cut it back, because yes it is very invasive. And yes its great for birds, it gives them visual 'cover'. Same with bramble . And I always wait until after the nesting season is over before cutting these back.

Also Hawthorn is great for birds. In fact any spiny, thorny plant, such as holly or bramble. They especially give protection against predators such as cats, for obvious reasons. Hawthorn is particularly great as well because of the sheer variety of insects that live in association with it, providing food. And of course the berries it produces in autumn, as does Holly.

After what seems like days and days of leaden skies, coolness and showers, the sun finally returned this morning, although very windy. It didn't last long...before another shower. But in that brief window of warmth a load of insects appeared, bees on the buddlehia, a swarm of tiny hoverflies all around the hawthorn and a speckled wood butterfly, which was flitting about up the back of the garden, not surprisingly in the wooded bit, with dappled sunlight. Good for its camoflage. When it landed I managed to get a shot of it sunning itself in a patch of sunlight on a bit of old concrete.

Sunny again now. Hope it lasts as I'm going to an open air art event this afternoon...

Nice pic's /garden Effers, hope you don't mind me jumping into this thread I like nature too ,I have recently been given a camera and have been told it's a good one so I'm lucky, I tried to get some pic's of the insects living in my garden but it's hard work , when I go out onto the grass I see a hell of a lot jumping out of my way many kinds of crickets very small frogs (little finger nail size) that didn't come from my pool, small preying mantis all sorts of stuff ,now I know what the birds are eating when they come to visit.I also have one bit of wilderness that I keep for the pheasants to visit /live in ,it hasn' t been touched for 5 years and last week I saw a half size chick with momma pheasant out there, so that's my reason to , I do use a lawn mower but not as often as the neighbours would like

Jump all you like, Arnold Yes insects are a nightmare to photo. So often their gone before you can get a picture. I've had loads of different sorts of butterflies and I'm very pleased to say lots of flying ants emerging for mating a couple of days ago. Getting decent shots of them flying is not possible with that camera. But as you see I have a few on the ground or on plants. I wish I had a few more. Glad you liked the photos. I continue to add to them. I'll soon be on page 3 I reckon.

A preying mantis sounds cool. A few years ago I saw one in Crete, consuming a bee. It was fascinating watching the way it grabbed the bee in a flash, and then manipulated it whilst eating it.

Where do you live?