Nancy Reading

Blake Lenoir wrote: Are there any plants in this modern time that would pull off the restoration of an historic and ancient European garden today?

Hi Blake - UK seed and plant sources I would suggest are Thomas Etty and Pennard plants - also good as sources of information, as many of the varieties may well be available in the US as well. Thomas Etty publishes a vegetable timeline (presumably for UK) which, if you haven't already seen it you may find interesting

Thanks for finding that! It's hard to believe you can get such a nice article by playing mud pies! I wonder if I have enough clay for them to work with my soil?

I agree with Carla - you're doing great! The only thing I would add is that you need to find the level of simplicity that works for what you are trying to illustrate. The size and diversity of the plants and leaves, the direction of the sun, the way they cling to a structure, or whatever. I found this website by Erin Lau which you may find interesting on drawiing gardens for a colouring book.

I would suggest that it is also nice to include some element that adds the observer - a bucket or a pair of gloves for example, and nature - a bug or a bird.

Some might call it contemplation - how about observation?! Also, while raining may not be the obvious time to get a shovel and start digging, if water management (thinking paddy fields) is important, then that actually sounds like an excellent time to be making garden beds. I do like your aerial view of the bananas!

I like to think about things and make lots of fantasy gardens on paper....Most of them do come about eventually, unless the location is taken over by another idea.

paul wheaton,
I have merged your topic into this topic. I hope that helps.

I merged your stuff with the following thread. I hope that is okay by you.

Good efforts Nathanael.

I think drawings 1, 2 and 3 are fine - they illustrate the construction nicely. It looks like you are having trouble with the plants though! It seems that you are concentrating on the outlines of the plants, rather than the structure of them. This may work well for block colour or simple outlines, but doesn't seem to work for the line drawing.

Maybe some practice looking at plants growing, or copying photos of individual and groups of plants would help. They don't need to look real, you just need to find the style that works for you.

Sharing one of my favourite gifts I recieved this year. My friend kindly agreed for me to share the photos he took of the making. Nearly 2 years ago he helped us cut a limb off a sycamore tree here

the donor

From the chunk he took home, he made me two beautiful chopping boards. The chunk of bough was slabbed and end grain sealed, then left to season untill a few weeks ago. Then the boards were planed and shaped, and the faces oiled. Beautiful hardwood, they should wear well, although I'm going to just take them out and caress them every now and then for a while!

Not a quick gift however - definitely slow gifting!

Inge Leonora-den Ouden wrote:maybe there's a beautiful gansey now (to show here) ... or maybe it's still as it was 5 months ago.

It was finished a few months ago, but my husband finally agreed to model it for me. He is very happy with the extra length in the body and sleeves. The wool is not soft, but he wears it over a shirt which protects his neck from itches. Shown here with the matching hat (and Land Rover).