Igor,

The first pic: is that a lacecap hydrangea?

Love the hot pink colour on the honeysuckle!

Many years ago, I trained a honeysuckle into a standard.
Long process, and I kept rubbing off buds until a woody trunk formed a small tree, and then allowed it to branch at the top.
It's just starting to bloom, will post a pic of it here today.

Very nice, Igor.
Your plants are way ahead of us this year.

Thanks!
Barb

Igor,

Here's my standard very old honeysuckle

<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5758546659/" title="DSC04717 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="500" height="375" alt="DSC04717"></a>

They develop a very rough bark given enough time

<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5758546667/" title="DSC04718 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="500" height="375" alt="DSC04718"></a>

The honeysuckle tree isn't very showy

<a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5758546683/" title="DSC04716 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src=" " width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04716"></a>

I just realized I have some VERY OLD stuff... 😆 😆 😆 😆
Barb

Great pics Igor & Barb!

The first pic: is that a lacecap hydrangea?

Yes, Madam!

Love the hot pink colour on the honeysuckle!

Many years ago, I trained a honeysuckle into a standard.

I've seen a trumpet vine trained as a standard in Toronto. It looked good.

It's just starting to bloom, will post a pic of it here today.

I love your honeysuckle trained like that. And moreover - flowers colour. Very nice. Is it fragrant one?

Your plants are way ahead of us this year.

Barb we are kinda 7 degrees south of you and way far from any oceans

Thanks!

Barb

Thank you!

Great pics Igor & Barb!

Thanks Cameron, hope your plants do manage the Atlantic coast cool weather in order to making your backyard green and blooming. Actually i rather prefer having mild winter than a terrible cold here during January and February in Kazakhstan.

Nice pics Igor. 😀

Barb, what is that honeysuckle? I have never seen one like it before. 😕

Igor, can I borrow your 7 degrees south? 😆 😆

No, the honeysuckle I have has absolutely NO fragrance.
Actually it smells like a wet dog...

Thanks Cameron!

Aaron, it's a really old honeysuckle, long since forgot the name.
Seems I have a lot of really OLD stuff 😆 😆

Barb

Aaron, it's a really old honeysuckle, long since forgot the name.
Seems I have a lot of really OLD stuff 😆 😆

Barb

Just like everything you have, looks better with age. 😀

I know most of you guys have been being under oppressive heat for a good while. Take a cool breath while seeing a picture of my tiny fish pond...

Igor,
Wow and double Wow 😛

What a stunning water feature!

The colours and textures are so naturally beautiful, and the plants could not look better.
My goldfish are puny compared to yours.

That great picture was worth waiting for. Thanks!
😀

Barb

Fantastic picture, Igor!

Beautiful pond, Igor -- great colour and texture.
My pond never looked like much, and with the recent heat (e.g., 42 C as I type this) is nearly dried out anyways.

Very beautiful Igor thanks. I love honeysuckle and we also have the pink lemonade variety here. Ours stays green even in winter does yours too?

Barb, Cameron, Erik, Mike:
Thanks for your comments! I know my 1000 L fish pond is a nice and bright spot in my garden but only my neighbor girl was able to make a such fascinating pic. Many plants you could see on the picture have been brought from North America: Texas sword plant and EE plants are from some pond near Huston; a large leaf plant (Astilboides tabularis) - from the Lost Horizons nursery near Toronto; Osmunda fern, Ostrich fern and Cardinal Flower are from the Ottawa river valley. What are the close relations between North America and Kazakhstan LOL! I wish I had a time for doing my pics posting at Picasa Web so I would be able making more detailed tour around my garden.
Erik. Yes I know what you mean talking about the heat. A historical maximum for my town is 43.1 C (July 18th 1983). Now we have 35 C in a row for the last four days. Thanks God there is a night breeze cooling us down. So no a/c is needed though. In spite of a day heat the temperature is falling down to 18-20 C every night. And there is no limit water consumption that costs me about 100 bucks per 5 month. You guys have unlimited high speed Internet, me - unlimited water for watering my plants 😆 😆 😆
Mike. We have no evergreen plants here except of the conifers, yuccas ,Wintercreeper and Oregon grape.
Barb, oh yeh, my gold fishes are about a foot of a total length. It's Chinese breed comets that will been overwintering their 5th winter under no frost conditions. The only meal they eat is a Kitty Cat dry food. Most likely they are not giving chance to the mosquitoes larvae as well.