What's it All About?

Well, it's about as much of My Family, My Friends, My Life and its Events, as I can recall and cram in . . . .
On this website I introduce myself, 'The Toynes', my family and their lives, as well as my life and our photographs from more than 70 years - 40 of them hiding in the shrubbery . . .

FIRST: A Whole Life

The Toynes, My Life, My Family and Our Travels - That's a 'Me & Mine' click.

THEN: A Life in Horticulture

Gardens, Plants, Techniques, Styles, Features, Wildlife - Good & Bad - and Ideas . . . this is where you'll find my latest photos to look at and use. Yes, USE!

I look forward to reading your comments in the 'About You' (that's 'you' NOT me!) and 'Get In Touch' Sections!

Visitors to this Toyne Website

Thanks for Visiting Folks! How's about telling us something about your life in the 'About You' Section or leaving a message in 'Get In Touch'?

Have a Look at the Toyne Family Tree:

Click on this logo for our Branch of 'The Toyne Family Tree'

For several years I have been putting together a Family Tree for our Branch of the Toynes in Lincolnshire and elsewhere in the world (I have two children and further offspring in Australia and Glenna has umpteen cousins in America) - However, I must admit to being neither very good nor very consistent in my efforts and have resolved to look elsewhere for information and history than just the Web! Time permitting, I'll put this into practice soon . . .

All the 'WILD Green-Stuff'

Including: Lower plants, Higher plants, Conifers, Broadleaves, Monocotyledons, Dicotyledons, but NOT Fungi - they are in a different Kingdom!

'Lower Plants' - Lichens, Mosses, Clubmosses, Horsetails, Ferns & Algae

A Cup Lichen illustrates this section

Lichens are simple slow-growing plants that typically forms a low crustlike, leaflike, or branching growth on rocks, walls, and trees.

For The Inquisitive:

Lichens are composite plants consisting of a fungus that contains photosynthetic algal cells. Their classification is based upon that of the fungal partner, which in most cases belongs to the subdivision Ascomycotina, and the algal partners are either green algae or cyanobacteria. Lichens obtain their water and nutrients from the atmosphere and can be sensitive indicators of atmospheric pollution.

Equisetum arvense - Field Horsetail

Vascular plants (from Latin vasculum: duct), also known as tracheophytes (from the equivalent Greek term trachea) and also higher plants, form a large group of plants that are defined as those land plants that have lignified tissues (the xylem) for conducting water and minerals throughout the plant. They also have a specialized non-lignified tissue (the phloem) to conduct products of photosynthesis.

Vascular plants include the clubmosses, horsetails, ferns, gymnosperms (including conifers) and angiosperms (flowering plants).

'Lower Plants' - Lichens, Mosses, Clubmosses, Horsetails, Ferns & Algae - Library Photos

'Higher Plants' - Conifers, Monocotyledons & Dicotyledons

Orchids are often considered the highest of the 'higher plants'.

<< Conifers>>

The Pinophyta, also known as Coniferophyta or Coniferae, or commonly as conifers, are a division of vascular land plants containing a single extant class, Pinopsida. They are Gymnosperms, cone-bearing seed plants. All extant conifers are perennial woody plants with secondary growth.

Conifers are distinct from both Monocotyledons and Dictoyledons (these are Angiosperms) Although they are still considered 'higher' plants, they do not have flowers and are mostly wind polinated. Many are dioecious having separate male and female parts on differenct plants, although, again, there are many Monoecious ones, with separate male and female parts on the same plant