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| The newest Google Earth aerial photo of our property, taken in June 2014. Click for greater detail. |
I've been waiting for over a year, hoping since last fall that Google Earth would soon have a new aerial photograph of our property, and I finally noticed one has been added! The last photo had been taken in September 2012, and we have made some significant changes to our gardens and added several new areas since then. I could hardly wait to see what the changes would look like from the air, and the new photo clearly shows all the major changes we've made this year and last year.
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| The previous photo, taken in September 2012. |
The changes can be seen if you compare the two photos:
Seeing these changes from the air has been very exciting for us. Google Earth is a valuable tool for gardeners, giving us a bird's eye view that helps in garden planning, as well as in making garden maps. Do any of you use Google Earth to help in planning and designing your garden areas, or for any other uses?
Thanks for reading! -Beth
- The Kitchen Garden and chicken pen, lower left, hadn't been laid out yet, although the lumber for these was waiting on the edge of the driveway in September 2012.
The Kitchen Garden.
- The Gazebo, bottom right, wasn't in place until Spring 2013.
The Gazebo, in the distance.
- The new West Island and North Island, to the left of the house, were laid out and planted in Spring of this year.
The West Island.
- One of the two ash trees behind the house was removed this spring and the border on the north side of the house was extended into the new Yellow Garden.
The Yellow Garden, with the North Island at right, and West Island
at left, in the background.
- The North Border, behind the house and in front of the windbreak, was extended and redesigned in Spring 2013.
The North Border.
- The Rainbow Border, to the right of the driveway, has filled in since it was planted in early 2012.
The Rainbow Border.
- The mulched area near our LP tank, to the right of the house, was extended this year.
The LP tank area, with Herb Garden in front and the Rainbow Border
at right (taken from an upstairs window).
Seeing these changes from the air has been very exciting for us. Google Earth is a valuable tool for gardeners, giving us a bird's eye view that helps in garden planning, as well as in making garden maps. Do any of you use Google Earth to help in planning and designing your garden areas, or for any other uses?
Thanks for reading! -Beth
I can't make up my mind about Google Earth as to whether or not it is an infringement of privacy. This occurred to me when I happened to look at a friend's house, not the satellite view but Google street view. I saw my friend sitting in their conservatory, reading a book, not knowing that Google was capturing them. I don't like the idea that strangers could do that to you in your own home and show it to the world without your knowledge. Now I reflect on it I think that I should really inform them so that it can be removed.
ReplyDeleteRosemary, there certainly can be some privacy concerns -- if you look very closely in the 2012 photo, I actually can be seen (only as a dot) behind the garage, on the retaining wall on the left side of the garage, on the other side from the white truck. It is a bit strange to think that I was being spied on from on high. You should definitely inform Google about the person appearing in the photo (I can't imagine that they would want an obvious invasion of privacy on their site). I guess a lot of modern conveniences have their downsides, and we must be constantly vigilant to prevent them from going too far. Thanks for reading. -Beth
DeleteYou have a large area in which to garden like me, but I have concentrated my efforts closer to the house. This is mainly because the further you get from the house, the more trees and rocks and other obstacles there are to deal with. I do wish Google Earth would update the shots of our house. I agree it can be useful. P. x
ReplyDeletePam, Concentrating gardens closer to the house, like you have done, is the natural way to garden, starting close to the house and later expanding outward as we buy more plants and have to put them somewhere. My gardens seem to be spread out farther, mostly because I wasn't sure what to do in the west and north yards (inside the windbreak, which would seem to be the best spot for protected planting) until we had the ash tree removed this year, so there is more light and openness. But Americans might also just like to "spread out" more than the English... :-) (Although I know you are both now.) I hope Google Earth updates your area soon, so you can see your efforts from the sky. Thanks for reading! -Beth
DeleteI like Google earth too, and look at it frequently. I would love for them to update my house ... the current photo is from 2004, and the yard is completely different now!
ReplyDelete2004 - What an eternity! I do wonder why some areas are updated more frequently than others. I live in a rural area like you do, although I'm not far from a university town, so perhaps that's why my location gets updated every year or two. I hope they post a new aerial shot of your place soon, Netty -- you're long overdue! Thanks for reading, -Beth
ReplyDeleteVery cool! I enjoyed your post. A couple of weeks ago, a car with a large camera mounted on top drove down our street - possibly for google street view? I found it interesting. Technology can be fascinating and I enjoyed seeing your farm from above. You've done a whole lot of work, and it shows - beautifully! ~ Beth
ReplyDeleteBeth, I always wondered how they got all the street view footage, and you're probably right that that's how they do it. Very useful. Thanks for your kind words! -Beth
DeleteI love the changes and the garden areas you can see now from above. My last Google Earth was last year before trees were taken down. Love to see an update yearly but not likely.
ReplyDeleteDonna, Thanks! I hope you get an Google Earth update soon, so you can see your changes -- very exciting for us gardeners! Thanks for visiting, -Beth
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