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Sunday, May 19, 2013

Actinida kolomikta RETURNS TO THE SPOTLIGHT! (Courtesy of a Neighbor's Window!)

PICTURE ONE FOR 5-19-13's POST
Today's post is being co-authored by my very prolific Actinida kolomikta, who, as you may recall, is the one (of my kiwi vine "couple") that starred (as the narrator) in my first garden themed Virtual Story (mini-movie) titled The Kiwi Speaks! Fifteen Minutes of Fame . . . almost, which can still be viewed in my Vimeo Library by clicking here.

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
Juan V helps me in my garden, and he is the one who initially (2010) suggested I get a pair (male and female) of kiwi vines, known as Actinida kolomikta and Actimida. 

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
In any event, the kiwi vines have been with me since 2010, and in the fall of that year, they only "traveled" across a small portion of the railing located on the east side of my terrace (roof extension garden), which is indicated by a purple arrow superimposed over its foliage in the picture below.


PICTURE FOUR: A 2010 VIEW FOR 5-19-13's POST
The purple arrow at the left of the image indicates a Passion Vine. This variety of vine is a fast growing annual that Juan V and I planted at that time to create a "hedge" surrounding my railing in the interim (whilst the kiwis, which are perennials) made their way around the railing.

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
As you can see, the kiwis now span the entire east railing (purple arrow) and have made their way across the north railing (indicated by the turquoise arrow), where the SODAS sign used to be, and they are beginning to travel on the west railing indicated by the cream-colored oval that is superimposed on the picture.

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
If the two pictures directly above look familiar to you, dear reader, they were  featured in a "story" here on Blogger in November of 2010.

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
My Actinida kolomikta wants you to be sure that you know that they were not the only ones who gained weight and needed new digs in 2012, and he suggested that I use the following photo-op (taken from my neighbor's window) where I've added three circles and an arrow to illustrate his point.


PICTURE TEN FOR 5-19-13's POST
The yellow circle indicates my "Chelsea" Larch which received her "digs" at the end of last year. This graceful tree was not included in the Virtual Story my kiwi narrated, even though it has always "resided" directly to the north of my kiwi! 

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
Two of the other "things" in my garden which were not included in my kiwi's Virtual Story, but who hope to be in a sequel whenever I work out the glitches for producing it, can be found in the white circles superimposed on the image posted above.

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 feeders are indicated in the "graphics" which I've added to the image posted directly above. The white circle indicates a suet basket, the purple circle indicates a "safflower/sunflower" seed feeder, and the gold circle indicates a "steady customer" – a mourning dove who is constantly on the "prowl" for the food of the cardinals and tiny song birds!

The arrow is indicating a bird bath,


PICTURE THIRTEEN 5-19-13's  POST
which may prove to be an annoyance to my feisty Actinida kolomikta!

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
For, dear reader, if you know anything about birds, you know they eat and bathe in a manner which allows seeds to drop all over the place — which in my garden includes the foliage of my kiwi vines!


PICTURE EIGHTEEN 5-19-13's POST 
PICTURE NINETEEN 5-19-13's POST 
PICTURE TWENTY 5-19-13's BLOG POST
And even though it is only a very small portion of the kiwi vines' foliage that is being pecked at by birds accessing seeds that have dropped, I wouldn't blame the kiwis for feeling disgruntled because their lush foliage (the portions untouched by birds),


PICTURE TWENTY-ONE 5-19-13's POST
PICTURE TWENTY-ONE 5-19-13's POST
and appreciated by roses,


PICTURE TWENTY-TWO 5-19-13's POST
was hard earned, given how it tolerated being transplanted and completely uprooted during a "so-called" garden renovation!

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!

Moreover, the folks down the block didn't even get to see the tree peony in bloom! Nor did they get to see the interesting shapes their petals took after being soaked!
PICTURE TWENTY-FIVE 5-19-13's POST

PICTURE TWENTY-SIX 5-19-13's POST
As you know, Actinida kolomikta, the tree peony is located too far south in our garden to be seen by folks living in buildings west of us; but, at least, dear kiwi, they can appreciate your journey around the railing, as do I!

2 comments:

  1. 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.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks, 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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