PICTURE ONE FOR 5-19-13's POST |
My Actinida kolomikta has been somewhat disgruntled lately as he was looking forward to appearing in a sequel to that movie! However, I have had one delay after another in terms of producing it, and, therefore, I'm "allowing" my media savvy vine to assist me in this entry; which has been inspired by my recent visit to a neighbor's home, a neighbor who lives in a building five doors west of me, where her kitchen window looks onto a portion of my rooftop garden, a "view" that can be seen in the image at the top of today's entry.
If you follow TLLG's venues, then you may recall that I often include aerial views taken by Juan V, such as the one posted below, which appeared in a recent entry here on Blogger.
PICTURE TWO FOR 5-19-13's POST |
Because Juan V is "responsible" for introducing me to the kiwis, we want to take the oportunity to acknowledge him, and to "show" you, dear reader, where he stands when he takes aerial photo-ops of my garden, especially since I was able to "capture" Juan's vantage point from my neighbor's window!
Juan's "photo-op" spot is indicated by an "X" (at the right of the picture) which was superimposed over the following image.
PICTURE THREE FOR 5-19-13's POST |
PICTURE FOUR: A 2010 VIEW FOR 5-19-13's POST |
Ultimately, over the course of nearly three years, the kiwis have made their way across the north railing (the railing behind the SODAS sign in the top of this 2010 image), and they have just begun to turn the corner to travel around the west railing as seen below.
PICTURE FIVE FOR 5-19-13's POST |
Be that as it may, Actinida kolomikta now recalls that when he narrated my first garden themed Virtual Story (the aforementioned movie that's on Vimeo), he voiced that he felt the SODAS sign was in his way (in terms of traveling). I gave in to his request, agreeing with him that, like Ogden Nash, I'd "never seen a billboard lovely as a tree," and I removed the SODAS sign (which is a fact you may recall from a previous post here on Blogger).
Actinida kolomikta also likes to remind me (as he mentioned in "his" movie), that he was very influencial in my removing lights which I had "installed" around the entire railing of my terrace! (A partial view of this is indicated by an aqua-colored arrow in PICTURE FOUR.)
Actinida kolomikta and I are both aware of the fact that branches have much beauty on their own, and, moreover, the kiwis' branches felt that their pathway was "too obstacle ridden" when lights were there! Eventually, Juan V installed string lights, which are the canopy of lights seen in the image directly above, and was a "renovation" discussed at length here on Blogger in 2011.
Another change in the lives of my kiwis from 2010 to the present is their "digs" (container)! They started out their "residency" in my garden in a cylinder container, a "high-end" container that they were so "proud" of my Actinida kolomikta included it as a talking point in "his" movie!
This particular container is indicated by a pale yellow arrow in PICTURE FOUR, but it can be seen in a close-up format in other 2010 images (below) that feature the kiwis' ever-changing foliage.
PICTURE SIX: OCTOBER's 2010 IMAGE FOR 5-19-13's POST |
PICTURE SEVEN: NOVEMBER 2010 IMAGE FOR 5-19-13's POST |
However, in spite of the kiwis' admiration for their digs, they grew too big for them, and had to transplanted into new ones in May of 2012 and then those with kiwis intact were painted in July of 2012 as seen in the images below.
PICTURE EIGHT: MAY 2012 IMAGE FOR 5-19-13's POST |
PICTURE NINE: JULY 2012 IMAGE FOR 5-19-13's POST |
PICTURE TEN FOR 5-19-13's POST |
But the Chelsea larch has never let it bother her that she was not cast in that movie! She is one who is not an entertainer; rather, she prefers to be entertained and gets her entertainment via a different neighbor's window, a window within the building directly north of me, where she can get her television fix by watching it through their "picture window," since I don't own a telly!
Moreover, the Chelsea larch wasn't the only one "excluded" from The Kiwi Speaks! Fifteen Minutes of Fame . . . almost, my Fagus sylvatica AKA Beech Tree (seen in the purple circle) was not cast either!
And like my kiwis, as well as my Chelsea larch, my very tall Fagus sylvatica, also received new digs in 2012, but he is too busy with his own life to focus on them or to worry about not being featured in a Virtual Story!
In his case, he is concentrating on other venues; such as my photographic "comic strips", where he was one of the first "things" in my garden to be featured!
The white circle indicates yet another "thing" to receive new "digs" in 2012, which is my Avellana corylus (Contorted Hazelnut), who was feels she has bragging rights for being featured in the kiwi's movie!
However, even though my contorted hazelnut (also known as Harry's Walking Stick) was included in that particular venue, and has been the "sole subject" for one of my Christmas cards, she still suffers from low self-esteem, which is a fact you may recall from a previous entry, where she wondered aloud if the birds — who visit my garden — only appreciated her branches for their proximity to some bird feeders!
As for the white arrow in the image, it is indicating my 'Tamukeyama' (Japanese Red Maple), a tree that did not receive new digs in 2012, but is a tree that was featured in The Kiwi Speaks Fifteen! Minutes of Fame . . . almost, and is a tree that is honored to be part of the "view" for the folks who allowed me to take photo-ops from their kitchen!
PICTURE ELEVEN FOR 5-19-13's POST |
The upper circle indicates my Coggygria (Smoke Bush), who is thrilled that she can be seen from other "places" and that her beautiful foliage and flowers can be appreciated by others (besides my kiwi vines and me)! After all, a "nickname" for the smoke bush is 'grace,' which she certainly has; hence her inspiration for one of my greeting cards!
The lower circle indicates my Lemon-Lime Cypress Twins who are the only ones of the "things" I grow to not be winterized; rather they spend their winters inside my apartment — my kitchen — with a view that is not as nice as my down-the-block neighbor's!
In the image directly above, the turquoise arrow is pointing (off camera) to my Autumn Clematis, a vine I've named Donna's Legacy after its dearly departed grower, and a vine who was a "major player" in the kiwi's Virtual Story, as well as a vine that was part of the 2012 gang that received new digs last year!
She is a vine that can only be seen via windows in the building directly north of me; hence if my west-living neighbors want to see her, they must come visit my garden, to which they are always welcome!
Meanwhile, there are other visitors — the feathered variety — who have been so inspirational, that I continue to enjoy having them nosh here from some song-bird feeders I have in my garden!
PICTURE TWELVE FOR 5-19-13's POST |
The arrow is indicating a bird bath,
PICTURE THIRTEEN 5-19-13's POST |
I say this with all due respect (and also because he is co-authoring this post and sees every word I "type"); but this kiwi did express his annoyances with happenings in my garden (when he narrated my first Virtual Story), and I just hope he can tolerate the locale of this bird bath as well as a feeder that is in close proximity!
PICTURE FOURTEEN 5-19-13's POST |
PICTURE FIFTEEN 5-19-13's POST |
PICTURE SIXTEEN 5-19-13's POST |
PICTURE SEVENTEEN 5-19-13's POST |
PICTURE EIGHTEEN 5-19-13's POST |
PICTURE NINETEEN 5-19-13's POST |
PICTURE TWENTY 5-19-13's BLOG POST |
PICTURE TWENTY-ONE 5-19-13's POST |
PICTURE TWENTY-ONE 5-19-13's POST |
PICTURE TWENTY-TWO 5-19-13's POST |
It seems, dear kiwi, that you have mellowed somewhat since the days of your starring role in my first Virtual Story! If so, is it because of the "influence" of the "things" which grow here?
After all, you did end your narrative in that venue by saying "where else can you live and look at a Paeonia suffruitcosa (Tree Peony) all day!"
But this year, as you know, dear kiwi, that even though our beloved tree peony produced nine gorgeous flowers,
PICTURE TWENTY-THREEN 5-19-13'S POST |
PICTURE TWENTY-FOUR 5-19-13's POST |
they had a short stay (nine days) in the garden, which was due to the fact that their annual visit was interrupted by torrents of rain!
PICTURE TWENTY-FIVE 5-19-13's POST |
PICTURE TWENTY-SIX 5-19-13's POST |
Thanks for this fascinating narrative on the evolution of your garden. Interesting to read how your garden has transformed, most recently with the visiting of birds, over the past few years.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Zoe! My visiting birds have brought much pleasure to the "things" I grow as well as to me, and all of us appreciate that you weighed in on this!
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