Oh, how awful. What a shock. Thanks for letting us know. It's good to hear that the doctors are pleased with her progress though. If you get the chance, please pass on my well wishes.

Will let Rita know you are wishing her well as soon as she is able for it

Very sorry to hear Rita has been so ill, I was wondering when we hadnt heard from her for awhile. Please pass on my very best wishes.

She was  improved a little today. Thank you

Thank you for letting us know...wishing Rita well and a speedy recovery.

I'm very sorry to hear Rita is ill and wish her a speedy recovery.

I was shocked to read this post as I only spoke to Rita recently on the phone and She seemed to be in good form. Please give Rita my best wishes for a speedy recovery.

ah poor rita tell her tessie that we are thinking of her, very fond of her, hope she keeps make a good recovery. we love you rita

There is no change today, no better no worse.  Hopefully tomorrow. 

Oh My God, that's terrible. Hope she makes a speedy recovery. Send her my best wishes!

will say a prayer

Got a shock reading this journal.  Please send her my best wishes and I will keep her in my prayers.

Oh, my God, I didn't know, so sorry!! Hope and pray Rita is ok now!

Very sorry to hear that Rita is not well and in Hospital. If you get the chance, please pass on my best wishes to her for a speedy recovery.

Our hearts are up today a slight improvement, keep the prayers coming that she will get over the hurdle that faces her tomorrow.

That's the right direction. Some of us mightn't pray, but we think of her all the same.

Tell Rita that she is surrounded by huge amounts of love because she really is someone special.

hopefully rita is recovering well, she is a very special woman, and missed on the site, get well rita thinking of you everyday

Rita is truly special, she's unique, heart of gold! Let our prayers and thoughts help her!

Best Wishes Rita, Everyone on Garden.ie is wishing you a speedy recovery.

We had hoped Rita would improve some more today, but she was not strong enough, we hope that with a few more days of rest  she will continue the progress she made yesterday.  Thank you all so much for your wishes and concern

Tessie, would you please pass on my good wished to Rita when you are talking to her, hope she makes a speedy recovery. Many thanks.

Me too, we miss her lovely comments.

So sorry to hear RITA is so ill . send her my regards and tell her I MISS HER ON GARDEN .IE. somr times one seems to be worse before one gets better , keep talking to her , whether she can hear you or understand you and tell her we are all praying for her . Hope she gets well soon

Just wondering if you have any news of Rita? I do hope she is improving. If you can, please pass on my best wishes.

There is no change today but she is no worse .We had hoped for a slight improvement today, but the day is not over yet. Thank you all for your kind wishes on her behalf, I have told her that you were all asking about her.  I hope she will recover enough soon to read all your wishes, she will be amazed there are so many, please keep her in your thoughts

A difficult time for you all, but we hope to hear good news soon, our thoughts and prayers are with her.

All waiting when Rita will come back to us. Warmest wishes to her from here!

I think of Rita every day. Do hope she is even a LITTLE bit better.

 My thoughts are with her. I hope she gets better soon.

Just to say I am continuing to think of Rita and remembering her in Prayer today.

Hi Susan, Any news on Rita's health?

Please give my best regards to Rita and her family. I hope she's feeling better now.

Hi Susan, Have you heard how Rita is doing now? 

I am afraid Rita is not doing so well there is no change and it is 2 weeks now.

Please keep her in your thoughts.    Thank you for all your good wishes.

Therese

Today was a good day, Rita was off the ventilator for several hours and was able to breathe on her own. !!!!!  She is to go back on again to give her a rest. She has taken the first step on the long road to recovery. All the prayers are working together, Thank you all so much.  Therese.

Oh that is great news, please God she will continue to impove.

Thank goodness for that. Poor Rita - she's really been in the wars but maybe she'll be back home soon.

That's the best news of several last weeks! Please, Therese, pass our love and very best wishes to Rita! 

So glad to hear that at last she has started to get on the road to recovery, hopefully it will be only good news from here on.

Today was the best day ever Rita laughed and smiled, she was off the ventilator for eight hours . So keep her in your thoughts that she will be back at the computer before long.

What super news. That is just wonderful. Please let Rita know how many of us are thinking of her and thank you o much for keeping us informed, Tessie.

Wonderful news! Hope for good and keep Rita in mind always, please God let her be ok soon!

great news. please pass on my best wishes and kindest regards.

Really great to hear that, pass on best wishes

rita is in my prayers.

will you tell her tessie that my blaithin says hello and to get well real soon.

Great to read of Rita's progress.  Hopefully, she will keep improving from here on in. 

Sorry, havent been on computer much in the last week. Great to hear Rita's health is on the 'up'. Give her my best regards, Tessie.

We are so glad to hear that Rita`s health is looking up. Please give her are kindest regards when you see her again.Ann and John

Rita, your garden is one of the featured gardens online at the moment. WELL DONE!!

Rita made good progress today, breathing on her own and off intensive equipment, keep up the prayers and thoughts, they seem to be working.

Oh, Therese, such a wonderful news! Send all my love every day to Rita and all of you there, God bless!

Therese, continuing to remember Rita and trust she is making good progress. Please pass on my good wishes.

sorry to hear of ritas ilness,have been on hols fr last two weeks an have had no time til now to go on line ,catching up in te work dept. i do wish her a speedy recoverary.

I often think of Rita and hope the news is still good and she is recovering, please pass on my good wishes .

Myrtle

What is the latest news on Rita?  Please pass on my best wishes

Rita is doing ok.  Well better than she was. She still has a gastric tube and the traceostomy but it is hoped to have both of these removed in about two weeks. I have been telling her all her friends on garden.ie have been sending messages. with a few more prayers and candles I am sure she will be able to respond on her own page.

Oh, Therese, that is a very good news! We all keep praying for Rita and wishing good health to her. Pass our love to her, as always!

Good to hear that, thoughts and wishes are with her.

Excellent news. The road to recovery is a slow one, but it is the right road. My thoughts and prayers are with her

Great to know that Rita is on the road to recovery - Sending love and best wishes.

God it has been so long since I looked at this journal. So glad Rita is on the mend. Regards to her, please.

Does anybody has any news about Rita? The last news was so long ago, I keep prying every day, and send her my love.

Rita is a little brighter she still has the traceostomy but this has been reduced in size several times. Doctors hope to remove it altogether by Monday week so we hope she will have her voice back, the rest will be a little slower. I have been telling her you were all asking about her.

Oh, wonderful to know Rita's getting better, little by little! We all are with her 200%!

I think of her often and pray she will be restored to full health.

Tessie, glad Rita is making progress, if slow. Thinking of her often and sending best wishes.

It's good to hear that Rita is improving even if it is slow. I hadn't realised she was so seriously ill as I was away when it first came on the website. All good wishes to her.

I hope Rita is slowly getting better, best wishes.

Regards to Rita. It will be a great day for everybody here, when she is able to respond to journal comments 'herself'.  Hope she continues to improve every day.

I hope Rita is doing well. She is in my thoughts and prayers all the time.

How is Rita, Tessie. Tell her I was asking for her. And my St Paulia is doing fine, and still flowering away.

Susan, how is Rita. It's a long time since we heard any news about her.

I have no news, good that you asked - I was about to do it myself. Keep sending my love to her.

It upsets me greatly to write this but Rita has made no progress lately in fact she is a little worse. I was away for a week and when I returned I noticed the difference. Please keep her in your thoughts. I know that she would be very chuffed to see all the well wishes.  Therese.

Oh my goodness.  I shall keep praying as she is such a lovely lady it would be tragic to lose her. 

Really sorry to that, my thoughts are with her and you all.

Rita, you are in my prayers for a speedy recovery.

Alan

We are all thinking of her, Tessie. If there's anything I could do at all.

Rita we are all praying for you and keeping you in our thoughts

Best wishes to Rita, she is in my thoughts.

Very sorry to hear that Tessie, I was in Westport area a couple of days last week and she was very much in my thoughts and prayers.

I'm so upset to hear it, Therese! :(((( I'm with Rita, always think of her and send my love. God bless!

So sorry to hear that Rita has not improved. My thoughts and prayers are with her. I really miss her journal treasures. Please pass on my good wishes.

So sorry to learn that Rita is still so unwell. will continue to remember her and you.

Oh thats dreadful. There is a BIG HOLE in Garden.ie without Rita. She has really been through the mill. Every time I look at my Saintpaulia, she comes to mind. :(

My thoughts and prayers are with Rita. Please pass on my best wishes.

Susan, how is Rita this week. Tell her I am asking for her. And wishing her a very speedy recovery.

Therese, how is Rita? Keep sending love and best wishes to her every day. This night I had a dream that I'm in Westport, and I felt her love with me. Give my best regards! Olga

Yesterday was a big day, Rita had the traci device removed from her throat.  It is too soon yet to know if her vocal chords were damaged because of the length of time it was in place.  Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers over the coming days.     Therese

Okay, will do, Therese. You are very good to keep us updated. My thoughts and wishes are with Rita.

That sounds like some progress which is good to hear, I will continue to think of her and remember her in prayer.

Great news, Therese! So happy to hear that! Keep praying for Rita all the time, give our love to her, please!

So good to get some positive news of Rita. Will continue to remember her in prayer. Give her my best wishes.

Aw brilliant, we all hope and pray that she has a speedy recovery and gets back on this site asap. Thinking of her a lot.

Small steps build to a long walk, best wishes.

Lovely news glad to hear Rita is starting to recover steadily. best wishes.

I hope there is a steady improvement still. Thinking of you, Rita.

Any news, Susan?

My thoughts are still with Rita. Hope she is doing ok. Happy New Year greetings to you, Rita.

Happy holidays to Rita! Keep praying for her and sending very best wishes!

As we approach New Year my thoughts are with Rita, I am wondering have you any god news and how she is?

Rita you are on my mind today as I think am right is saying this is your birthday, I remember you telling me this as my birthday is tomorrow.

Today is Rita's birthday,  We visited her in the hospital and remembered her birthday of last year.  She chuckled at the memory of me singing happy birthday at the swimming pool.  Rita was home for 4 days but became unwell again and is back in.  Unfortunately she did not regain her speech when the traceostomy was reversed as her vocal chords have been damaged.  We just hope that she remains comfortable.  It is hoped that she will be well enough to go home again in a week or so.

Give her my love, and best wishes, Tessie.

Wish Rita a very happy birthday from me and give her my best wishes.

Happy birthday to Rita, and all best wishes, keep her in my mind and wish she will be ok soon. Sending all my love to Rita!

Thanks Tessie for letting us know how Rita is, I wish the news was better, but she still has that happy spirit which is great, hope she knows we think of her.

A belated happy birthday to Rita and all the best wishes. Delighted to hear she maybe coming home

Any news about Rita, Therese? How is she? Send all our love every day!

Hi everyone, hope you are all enjoying this lovely day for gardening. The news of Rita is she has been at home  from hospital for four weeks.   We havebeen reading all of your comments and some of your journals.  She has enjoyed  particularly Spiders battle with the slug. We will shortly be posting some pictures from her garden in her own journal. She is progressing slowly but not fast enough for herself, but she is interested in everything.  Regards to all from Rita.

This is truly weird, Rita I was only think about you this morning. Great to hea you are home, look foreword to seeing the photos, take care.

Wonderful news, Therese! Great to know Rita is home :) Send all love from here every day and wish dear Rita will be fully recovered soon!

Aw that's the best news. Can't wait to see her back to her old self. Welcome home, Rita.

What great news. Please pass on my best wishes. Tell Rita to come back soon. We need her expertise on here.

that is great news. a lovely way to end a beautiful day. thinking of you rita. blaithin still helps in the garden you'll be glad to hear.

Welcome home, Rita.  We all missed you from this site.  Hope to see you back here sooner rather than later.

Just catching up after the weekend. And this is the best news! You have been in my thoughts often and delighted to hear that you are making progress

What wonderful news! So good to hear you are home, Rita, and making progress. My very best wishes for steady improvement from here on and will look forward to having you back on the site in the not too distant future!

I too was thinking of Rita at the weekend as one of the Dendrobrium cuttings she gave me in Belvedere has a number of buds on it, I couldn't believe it.  I will post photo as soon as they open - thanks Rita - great you'r on the mend.

Welcome home Rita, take care nice to see hear you are a bit better.

It is a sad time, Our dearest sister Rita passed away this morning. She finally gave up her battle.  Therese

Therese.

Our thoughts are with you and Rita's family today.  The comments above show how highly thought of she was. Rita will be sadly missed.

Dear Therese! what a irreparable loss.. no words... My sincere condolences to all the family and friends. I am honoured to know Rita. She was the treasure, and I will always keep her in my heart and soul. God bless you all.

may she rest in peace. both she and you are in my thoughts and prayers, Alan

I am so very very sorry, Tessie.

I have just come in from the garden to read such sad news. My deepest sympathy to you and all her family. It was a pleasure meeting her, she will be remembered as a very lovely person.

Therese, I am so saddened to read of Rita's passing and want to extend my sympathy to you and all the family circle at this sad time and pray that you might all know strength and comfort from God as you come to terms with your loss. It was a privilege to meet Rita at Belvedere last year.

It is with great sadness that I learn of Rita's death. She was a lovely warm person and I know is sadly missed by her family and many friends here on garden.ie. Her contribution to this site was invaluable and she never ceased to delight people with the wonderful photos of her fantastic plant collection. She will be fondly remembered by all who knew her here.

So sorry to hear of Ritas passing, may she rest in peace after a long battle bravely borne. My condolences to you and all the family. I will miss her on the site . May she rest in peace in garden heaven.

so sorry for your loss my condolences are sent to you and all her family and friends.

I am so sad to hear the news about Rita, it was so lovely to meet her in Belvedere, she will be really missed here.  I was only looking at all her lovely photos the other day as she gave me a dendrobrium cutting and it is flowering now and I think of her ever time I look at it.

We  are so sad to hear of Ritas passing such a lovely lady and glad we had the pleasure of meeting her and showing her our garden she will be missed.

I just heard the sad news this morning and wanted to pass on my condolences to Rita's friends and family. I am truly sorry that I never got to meet her in person as she came across as such a warm, kind and witty person in her emails.

Sorry to hear of Rita's passing may she rest in peace.Hope she gets around to doing a bit of gardening in heaven.

Sorry to hear about Rita.

Didn't know it grew wild in Ireland!

I bought this one last week in Longford. Is it as good for butterflies as the purple one do you think? I like the fact that it is native.

Oh, autumn is coming - time for Physalis! I love this flowers, very decorative.

this was one of the plants I bought at the Rural training Centre last Fri when Sally and I went there, it cost 2 euro. My father had these and it seemed to me we always had a vase full of lanterns over winter in the house when we were children

Is it a bit of a garden bully? Or is that my imagination?

It does spread underground but sparsely it dosen't swamp other plants and it disappears completely in winter. Rita I wish I known you wanted it as I have loads.

Susan , Did you grow this from seed and if so is it easy, A very nice plant !

no not from seed from a packet of dried roots and it grew no problem.

Very pretty - I wonder does it tolerate dry shade - I have a bed under a lot of large trees and am looking for plants that will tolerate dry shade - I lready have ferns, lenthen rose (hellebores) Bleeding heart but would like something to add colour later in the year when the daffodils and blue bells are gone

This is in free-draining soil but its not really dry. But I have variegated Vinca & Japanese Anemones growing in dry shade.

A friend gave me this plant a couple of years ago and it definitely does better in shade than in the open as I have a piece in both to try it out. Mine is in bud but not open yet.

Just planted some a couple of weeks ago, glad it's not too evasive.

i will have to look out for zebra grass as i have a wild area  and have some gunnery in it only 3 roots i will be keeping it under control i also have bamboo  and looking for reeds