Art in the Garden

  • 208 Replies
  • 81518 Views
*

JTh

  • Hero Member
    • Email
Re: Art in the Garden
« Reply #120 on: August 07, 2015, 02:32:46 PM »
Another possible name: Xyloichtyus decorativus, alternatively Xyloichtyus davidius ?
Retired veterinary surgeon by training with a PhD in parasitology,  but worked as a virologist since 1992.
Member of the MGS  since 2004. Gardening in Oslo and to a limited extent in Halkidiki, Greece.

David Dickinson

  • Hero Member
    • Email
Re: Art in the Garden
« Reply #121 on: August 07, 2015, 08:34:39 PM »
Hi John,

Thanks for the clarification. I know zero Greek but looking up "Phagos" gives a definition connected to eating, I suppose that is where the word "oesophagus" comes from. "Fagos" gives me beech in Latin. Is there a difference in Greek between "F" and "ph"? Fascinating to see how the ancient languages are the root of so much of modern European languages. Thanks to you I now know that "Xylo" means wood and hence the xylophone with its wooden bars.

My natural modesty gives me a few qualms about "davidius" Alisdair. But, if you really insist.... As a long-time naturalist to finally have something named after me would be very tempting :-\
I have a small garden in Rome, Italy. Some open soil, some concrete, some paved. Temperatures in winter occasionally down to 0°C. Summer temperatures up to 40°C in the shade. There are never watering restrictions but, of course, there is little natural water for much of June, July and August.

*

John J

  • Hero Member
Re: Art in the Garden
« Reply #122 on: August 07, 2015, 08:54:45 PM »
David, as you are aware the Greek alphabet is different and the traditional way of transliterating the f sound was to use ph. I'm not sure if it is general but certainly here in Cyprus several years ago the powers that be decided that for non-native English speakers that would be confusing and so they changed all the spellings replacing the ph with f. So the town of Paphos became Pafos, and so on. They didn't leave it at that but messed around with others too, such as Larnaca becoming Larnaka, Yermosoyia became Germasogia though how that helped with the pronunciation is anyone's guess.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

David Dickinson

  • Hero Member
    • Email
Re: Art in the Garden
« Reply #123 on: August 07, 2015, 09:44:31 PM »
Oh dear. Well intentioned meddling rarely (never?) does work, does it? Just like when objections were raised to terms such as "manual work" etc on the grounds of sexism. The average woman does 10 times more manual work in day than the average man does in a week!

Enforced change in language rarely sticks. I remember my first time in Naples on several occasions looking for a meeting place on the map and having to ring up the person I was meeting because the meeting point didn't exist. I was invariably told "Oh don't worry about the names on the map, those are just the official street names. Nobody uses those!"

Some Neapolitan readers (and others) might be interested in this article on the matter http://www.naplesldm.com/doria.html and here is a little quote: His (Gino Doria's) criticism is at its keenest when dealing with name-changes carried out to existing roads that carried names of historical importance for the city, as in the case of Via Roma/Toledo. He also shows obvious delight in demonstrating how traditional names persist, often for centuries, after the powers-that-be have decided it is time for a change.

I'd better close now or Alisdair will tick me off for posting topics irrelevant to mediterranean gardening!
I have a small garden in Rome, Italy. Some open soil, some concrete, some paved. Temperatures in winter occasionally down to 0°C. Summer temperatures up to 40°C in the shade. There are never watering restrictions but, of course, there is little natural water for much of June, July and August.

*

John J

  • Hero Member
Re: Art in the Garden
« Reply #124 on: August 09, 2015, 04:55:37 AM »
David, one last post on this topic, I promise. I have just received an email advertising the 17th Annual Pafos Aphrodite Festival. Nuff said!?
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

*

John J

  • Hero Member
Re: Art in the Garden
« Reply #125 on: September 06, 2015, 05:08:05 PM »
Here in Cyprus the MGS is on very amicable terms with the Cyprus Cactus & Succulent Society (CCSS). In fact we have members in common, such as the President of the CCSS being a member of the MGS and my wife being a member of the CCSS and so on. On the strength of that we attended a CCSS meeting this morning at the home of one of their members. I think the following photos qualify as art in the garden, although No 2 might provoke a little discussion! ;D
The wording translates as 'Our garden' by the way.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

*

John J

  • Hero Member
Re: Art in the Garden
« Reply #126 on: September 20, 2015, 07:56:49 AM »
Latest mosaic project, representations of our 4 cats, along with the subjects in the flesh!
Sammy (short for Salmon as that was the colour he reminded us of when he arrived as a kitten).
Banderas (named after an Inca guide in Peru and NOT the film star).
Norgay (named after the sherpa who conquered Everest with Sir Edmund as he was always climbing everything as a kitten).
Haircut (Kourema in Greek as he arrived on our property on the day the banks announced that all accounts would be subject to a haircut, due to the desperate financial situation the country was in, and refused to go away).
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

*

John J

  • Hero Member
Re: Art in the Garden
« Reply #127 on: October 29, 2015, 03:12:41 PM »
Is this art or advertising? ???
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

David Dickinson

  • Hero Member
    • Email
Re: Art in the Garden
« Reply #128 on: June 06, 2016, 03:17:07 PM »
Either everybody is too modest about their creations or winter and spring have caused natural suppression of our artistic bent. I am no artist in the sense of original creations but sometimes I see something and think "something could be done with that". Here is a case in point. It was dumped by the rubbish bins in the street. I thought about using it to grow some plant up. But then again I quite like just the bare outline against the plants. Or attach a garden light to make a face? Bird feeders and bird bath attached instead? Cats would have difficulty climbing the metal structure. It is life-size, by the way and is not yet in its final position. Any other ideas welcome.
I have a small garden in Rome, Italy. Some open soil, some concrete, some paved. Temperatures in winter occasionally down to 0°C. Summer temperatures up to 40°C in the shade. There are never watering restrictions but, of course, there is little natural water for much of June, July and August.

*

Charithea

  • Hero Member
Re: Art in the Garden
« Reply #129 on: June 07, 2016, 02:11:33 PM »
David I like your shape as it is. You could  try it in different positions and see where it looks its best. You could of course hang some 'mobiles' made from different colour glass which will reflect the light. I have been busy doing my grandmotherly duties to be creative mosaic wise,  but I have repaired my clothes line. It is clear that I like the colour blue.
« Last Edit: June 07, 2016, 06:25:06 PM by Charithea »
I garden in Cyprus, in a flat old farming field, alt. approx. 30 m asl.

royscot

  • Newbie
    • Email
Re: Art in the Garden
« Reply #130 on: June 07, 2016, 06:28:36 PM »
I think it would look great at the back of a border peeking through the undergrowth. Chelsea Show gardens eat your heart out!

Roy

David Dickinson

  • Hero Member
    • Email
Re: Art in the Garden
« Reply #131 on: June 07, 2016, 10:02:40 PM »
Hi Charithea,

Seems almost a shame to walk on your mosaic. I wonder what archaeologists will make of it in a couple of thousand of years' time? Will they need to analyse the dyes in the ceramic to date it or will this electronic dialogue still exist in some archives somewhere which will be all they will need. As always your mosaics are wonderful :-)

I think I agree with both yourself and royscot re just leaving the shape unadorned. Loitering behind the lemon tree, maybe.

I have a small garden in Rome, Italy. Some open soil, some concrete, some paved. Temperatures in winter occasionally down to 0°C. Summer temperatures up to 40°C in the shade. There are never watering restrictions but, of course, there is little natural water for much of June, July and August.

*

John J

  • Hero Member
Re: Art in the Garden
« Reply #132 on: August 18, 2016, 08:41:37 AM »
The latest additions to my wife's personal Art in the Garden collection.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

*

Alisdair

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
Re: Art in the Garden
« Reply #133 on: August 18, 2016, 09:16:16 AM »
Always make me smile :D, so clever!
Alisdair Aird
Gardens in SE England (Sussex); also coastal Southern Greece, and (in a very small way) South West France; MGS member (and former president); vice chairman RHS Lily Group, past chairman Cyclamen Society

*

John J

  • Hero Member
Re: Art in the Garden
« Reply #134 on: October 07, 2016, 04:30:58 PM »
Hilary, it has taken rather a long time but Thea has asked me to post a photo of her copy of the bird mosaic that you put on this thread. This is her second attempt as she didn't put a border around the first one and it just didn't look right.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)