My Tomb Raider-inspired Garden

[LARALOVERnr.1]

Originally Posted by GoggleboxUK

Thanks LL

No, they'll have to stay in the pots because they won't survive if planted out as they are used to Tropical climates and the cold and wet of a British winter wouldn't do them any good at all.

If you want to age clay you'd be better off using off milk mixed together with just a little soft mud. Rubbing the models first with some juicy grass helps too.

Will you at least put some rocks or something around them to cover the pots? I don't really like pots lol

And thanks for the tip. I'll try it with an Asian torso I have finished after it's been baked

[GoggleboxUK]

Thanks CB

I did some planting over the weekend:







and then tried to create a look as if the palms had just burst through the blockwork as if the area was being reclaimed by nature



LL, yes I really need to do something about those pots. I hate the pots on all the plants and am intending to plant out as much as I can in the same fashion as the palms above. Maybe I'll try and make some artificial rocks that the plants can sit inside? Either that or just try and track down some suitably ancient looking clay vases.

[LARALOVERnr.1]

^
That'd be cool! Maybe you can create a 'pile' of vase fragments and huge peces of some ancient wall, so it looks as if some structure has collapsed and is being taken over by nature? Those arteficial rocks sound like a great idea too

Looking more awesome with every picture you post

[Driber]

^ Good ideas

[phoenix630]

I wish I had the money, and a green thumb lol. Amazing job!

[GoggleboxUK]

Thanks Phoenix

[Ivana KC]

I love palms! They fit very well in your garden. What other plants are you going to add to your garden?

[GoggleboxUK]

Thanks Ivana

I'll be planting some more bamboo soon, I have 3 different types. The theme is mainly Oriental in the planting and I have some lovely Japanese Poppies (Papaver) and a big Lily that only blooms for about a week but looks amazing when it does.

I have 2 types of Banana plants, green and red leaved varieties, Japanese Maples, Japanese Temple Cedars, Hosas (inclkuding a huge leaved Empress Wu variety), Heuchera, Heucherella and Tiarella, ornamental grasses, Clematis, 4 different varieties of Fatsia Japonica, New Guinea Busy Lizzies, Canna and 3 different varieties of Colocasia including Mammoth and Black Magic.

Other palms I have include Cordylines, Brahea, Jubaea, Butia, Chamaerops and Trachycarpus. I have around 50 different palms all at different sizes from seedling to semi mature at around 12 years old.

I'm fairly impatirnt but am learning to appreciate watching my garden grow over time.

[GoggleboxUK]

More planting:



This has made the view from my desk look like this:

[Ivana KC]

Originally Posted by GoggleboxUK

Thanks Ivana

I'll be planting some more bamboo soon, I have 3 different types. The theme is mainly Oriental in the planting and I have some lovely Japanese Poppies (Papaver) and a big Lily that only blooms for about a week but looks amazing when it does.

I have 2 types of Banana plants, green and red leaved varieties, Japanese Maples, Japanese Temple Cedars, Hosas (inclkuding a huge leaved Empress Wu variety), Heuchera, Heucherella and Tiarella, ornamental grasses, Clematis, 4 different varieties of Fatsia Japonica, New Guinea Busy Lizzies, Canna and 3 different varieties of Colocasia including Mammoth and Black Magic.

Other palms I have include Cordylines, Brahea, Jubaea, Butia, Chamaerops and Trachycarpus. I have around 50 different palms all at different sizes from seedling to semi mature at around 12 years old.

I'm fairly impatirnt but am learning to appreciate watching my garden grow over time.

Poppies are always lovely, but I've never seen Japanese poppies. And how do you plan to keep all those species alive? Isn't it too cold to hold, for example, for Brahea palm in UK?

[GoggleboxUK]

Yes, absolutely. Too cold and too wet in winter for most of what I grow so I spend a lot of time digging in good drainage before planting and stuff either gets well wrapped in fleece or a cane wigwam built over it, wrapped with duvets, blankets and Mylar thermal foil and 2 litre pop bottles of hot water added for the coldest nights.

The plants I have in pots were all overwintered in the house last year but now I have the Temple which will be used as a greenhouse for winter.

[Ivana KC]

It sounds great, you really love plants. But I didn't see on the pictures that you can close your temple. So, can you? Or is that part still to be added?

[Driber]

^ Check this post, Ivana

[GoggleboxUK]

What a pain in the backside it is trying to dig a hole 2ft deep when it's only 2ft x 18" at the top.

Finally got it done, lined with a root barrier, backfilled and planted with Phyllostacys Aurea and Fargesia 'Simba'.
Hopefully this will help the P. Aurea perk up a bit.









Now I've got to do it all over again. I hope it rains for a week

[Ivana KC]

Originally Posted by Driber

^ Check this post, Ivana

Oh, now I see. Thanks, Driber.

[GoggleboxUK]

I took some pics from the upstairs window and used Photomerge in Photoshop to create a panorama.

Does anyone else think it looks like the level editor?

[LARALOVERnr.1]

That looks so cool XD

[Ivana KC]

Finally, the whole picture! Looks awesome!

[GoggleboxUK]

I just wanted to say thanks to Jakobsen who voted me his Number 1 choice in the "By Hand" competition, I'm honoured to receive such an accolade when there are so many fantastic entries to choose from.

Thank you so much!

[GoggleboxUK]

Not had much time in the garden lately due to rain and other commitments but I did try to plant another bamboo area. Unfortunately I got thwarted by a large storm drain that runs across my garden meaning I had to rethink the area.

This is what I ended up having to do, moved the potted Butia over the drain instead and put another Fatsia in the ground in the corner to grow up round the light.

I'm also going to plant some ferns around the base of the stone trough when I get time.

[mrskurtistrent]

This is fantastic

[GoggleboxUK]

Braved the rain this morning to do some more palm planting and managed to get the double trunked Fortunei and one of the Naini Tal Palms in the ground.

[GoggleboxUK]

Managed to get a fair bit done, crammed a good few plants into gaps and had a good tidy. Dotted a few rocks around until I can decide what to do with them permanently.

Had a good wander round and took lots of pics of the late spring look to the completed areas of the garden so far.

The garden looks glorious in the sunshine and warmth:







































Not long now and it will be ready and I'll bring Lara out for a few pics.

[Driber]

Awesome updates, dude. The garden sure looks so much more spectacular in the sun.

Also love the overview pic from your window!

And it does indeed remind me of the level editor, hehe

[GoggleboxUK]

Thanks Driber

Had a go at the border paving and extended it today. Moved a few bits, planted a few more pots and added a couple of the new Heuchera Blackout and Sparkling Burgundy:





Going to work on the other side tomorrow, staining up the dragon planter.