Lots of the shrubs in my garden have no foliage at present, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they have no visual interest. Look at the range of beautiful colours represented in the stems of my patch of Cornus (Dogwood) plants:
Even the complex web of twigs on this Cornus Sanguinea "Midwinter Fire" is pleasing to me. The colour is not very good this year though. I must prune it very hard in the early Spring, since this allegedly encourages it to produce more vividly-coloured new stems.
Here's a shot of the trunk of my now leafless Bronze Maple tree, with several patches of grey-green lichen surrounding the old claw-marks in the bark, dating back to the time when our long-since-departed feline friends Charlie and Sammy used to play at running up the tree (and scrambling down far less elegantly).
This twisted mass of dry stems is all that's left of the Golden Hop plants. Again, I need to prune these right back to ground level at some stage during the Winter, to make way for new growth.
The tangle of stems has a lot of artistic appeal in its own right, but you know me - I never miss an opportunity to "enhance" a suitable photo, so I have created this Modern Art picture based on the previous photo:
Would you give that wall-space in your home?
Finally (and I know this will probably only mean something to those who are familiar with the London Underground), here's my version of the Tube Map:-
I think my version is probably just as intelligible to the foreign visitor as the official one, don't you? Must have a word with Boris... (Who? Oh, sorry. Boris Johnson, Mayor of London).
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P.S. Sue from Our Plot at Green Lane Allotments has kindly "embellished" my picture of the cane-topper duck. Thanks, Sue - brilliant!
Your blue-ly enhanced picture is very attractive. Not so sure about the Underground!
ReplyDeleteGoodness, you are expanding the limits of this blog all the time, not content with growing veg, you cook it very nicely, photograph it prettily, embellish your pictures and turn them into art. A multi-talented man. And then, your followers join in, it's amazing!
ReplyDeleteMost of the branches around here will end up on the floor if this wind keeps on the way it is!! Excellent colours on the Dogwoods Mark, I'm impressed. There is LOTS of hard pruning to be done in my little jungle over the next few months I can tell you. I wasn't aware that you had so much non-veg in your garden!!
ReplyDeletelove the tube map... genius!
ReplyDeleteI wish I knew more about growing Cornus. There's a patch of it in one of the overgrown borders that's due for clearing. The dogwood is very overgrown, mostly thick brown stems that haven't been pruned in over a decade - I'd love to resurrect it; do you think it would survive if I chopped it right back? Great tube map, by the way!
ReplyDeleteCaro; Yes, I think Cornus actually benefits from very severe pruning. At least that's what I've heard. I'm going to try it myself in the Spring.
ReplyDeleteSomeone looks like they don't have much to do in the garden at the moment ;) haha! Nice effects though...I like the topmost picture best :)
ReplyDeleteGreat job Sue on the duck lol! The London underground is a laugh (really good). The top photo is great, I do love dogwood branches this time of year! I moved my dogwood this year so its not as striking as in previous years.
ReplyDeleteLove all the arty photos. Sue's duck embellishment is so cute, too.
ReplyDeleteYour branches are very beautiful. Amazing.
ReplyDeleteLoved your Modern Art picture. The colours are very dramatic. And Sue's duck is so cute.
ReplyDeleteStunning pics as usual Mark - LOVED the dogwood (one of my favourites) and that tree bark.... Modern Art isn't my thing but I really enjoyed the Tube map! How about a caption competition for the duck? My suggestion would be "Would someone PLEASE remove this thing from my bottom???" xxx
ReplyDeleteColourful branches. Sue did a great job. Very cute.
ReplyDeleteCool pictures Mark! I love the Dogwood and the Golden Hop too!
ReplyDeleteI do enjoy your arty photos. I like your modern art effot a lot. Instead of getting him to redo the tube map could you ask for a photo of him and then do an arty version of his hair - I suspect it may slightly resemble that tube map when 'arted' up. Love the duck.
ReplyDeleteThe blue design is really striking Mark - Natural objects make great arty subjects - and by the way did the invoice for the duck design arrive OK?
ReplyDeleteSue; I'll pay you "in kind" if that's OK... There's two parsnips and a swede in the post to you today! :)
ReplyDeleteThe colour of the dogwood is stunning, it can always be counted on to brighten up a winter garden.
ReplyDeleteHi Mark.. I just found you via a crochet blog in South Africa(http://myhouseinafrica.blogspot.com ! I am about to get a willow tree that I love taken down in my suburban Oxford garden so that I can start a veg patch here....I thought I would join you for inspiration...
ReplyDeleteHi Stocki; Thanks for following. I saw that you were also a Follower of Laura's blog. I'm not into crochet or anything like that, but I'm a fanatical gardener so I'll be only too happy to provide you with inspiration on veg-growing if I can.
ReplyDeleteOur branches never have that kind of fireworks display.:) But I'd love to find out what I can photograph one of these days. The enhanced pictures are great. I'd give that blue a prominent wall space. Cute duck too!
ReplyDeleteWhat can I say that hasn't already been said - I agree with everyone!
ReplyDeleteLove the your vision of the Tube map...
ReplyDeleteI too have the Dogwood. Just adore it's red branches and use the as home decorations.
lol at the tube map!
ReplyDeleteImpressive Mark!
ReplyDeleteLoved all of the art work ;D
That first pic is very appealing!
ReplyDeleteThe "blue" treatment is fabulous!
ReplyDelete