Joybells's Garden

View more photos

Check back soon to read all about Joybells's Garden

Journal

Success with Albums!

19 August 2012 13:44:09

Badgers Garden

Hi Everyone, At last have got the hang of Album uploading!. So if anyone cares to take a look I have added two albums, one of my own garden during this rainy Summer. The other one is of our visit to the West, including Badgers garden, Drimbawn House and garden, a special place to me, as lived here the first year of my life. Then on to Kylemore Abbey which is just gorgeous, I have visited here several times and it is so worth it, they have worked so hard to re-create this wonderful garden and are still developing it all the time. Its in the most beautiful setting in this lovely part of Connemara.

Happy gardening in between the showers.....Ciao for now!

kitty 19 August 2012 16:06:42

just seen the photos of your garden and badgers and kylemore, they look brill, espeically love the cute visitor and the glasshouse and coldframes. your garden looks fab

Rachel 19 August 2012 16:49:06

Great photos. Some super shots of Badgers. It's quite few years since I was at Kylemore. I bet it has come on a lot and it looks great.

Mairin 19 August 2012 22:04:50

I just had a look at the photos of your garden. Some lovely plants there. Love the clemantis. What do you do with your 'bowl of sunshine' in winter? Do you bring it into your house / greenhouse / or outside?

andyf7 19 August 2012 23:28:57

i like the pics and i was at kylemore abbey a long time ago, great place.

Joybells 19 August 2012 23:30:22

Thanks Kitty....had a lovely visit over in the West.

Thanks too Rachel, Kylemore is amazing, I have a particular penchant for walled gardens and it ticks all the boxes...

Mairin, thanks for the comments...I'll be bringing the bowl into the sunroom for the winter and hope it does well, its the first year for it as I have wanted one for ages...so fingers crossed :)

Scrubber 25 August 2012 21:48:51

So enjoyed all the photos. I have huge respect for kylemore-cant say I love it though whereas badgers and drimbawn tantalising! Is there an astilbe masquerading as a buddleia or am I dumb?

Joybells 25 August 2012 22:03:48

Gosh Scrubber you have me in doubt now about the buddeleia/astible....maybe Badger would clear that dilemma....looks like astilbe fronds but has the droop of buddeleia???? Kylemore is pretty impressive in its re-creation...I have seen it over the years from its bare infancy to todays developement...Kylemore estate is a huge tourist attraction but when you can see past that to the bones of the gardening work for me its a winner :)

I'll be back!

12 August 2012 15:46:58

Hi Everyone,

Its been so long since I put up photos that I have lost the knack. So bear with me and I will get back to this, as its taken me ages to do it so far and now I have to leave it for now....I have more photos of Badgers garden, Drimbawn and Kylemore...so will get it sorted later....

milliemouse1234 12 August 2012 16:41:18

OF COURSE YOU'LL SORT IT JOYBELL'S IT TAKES TIME SOMETIMES IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO UPLOAD PHOTOS ..LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THEM

fran m 12 August 2012 18:17:21

;-))

Jacinta 12 August 2012 18:27:42

Looking forward......

andyf7 12 August 2012 22:27:12

we are more than paitent, we will see them when your ready.

Visit to Badger

24 July 2012 15:51:20

Hi Everyone, Yesterday myself and my hubby had the pleasure of calling in to Badger and his lovely wife Lola. They are doing a brilliant job on a very challenging but very beautiful site.

From the woodland area and Japanese garden to the proposed bbq area across the pond with its own waterfall, and not forgetting the wonderful views of Lough Mask this is one garden to watch developing.

Thank you so much Badger and Lola for your hospitality and company on our visit we both thoroughly enjoyed meeting you and seeing and hearing all your plans.

We visited Drimbawn House and Gardens which was wonderful and anyone who is planning to visit their Open Weekend coming up are in for such a treat. Thank you again Badger for pointing us in the right direction.

There will be photos to follow when we get back from the West.

Happy Gardening!!!

Jacinta 24 July 2012 15:54:56

Nice area for you to visit, Joybells. Hope the weather is better than here in Dublin?

JoanG 24 July 2012 17:24:33

Sounds like a lovely visit Joy, glad you enjoyed it and looking forward to the photos.

Clara 24 July 2012 19:26:14

Enjoy the rest of your travels.

Hoeys 24 July 2012 19:36:46

great visit, looking forward to see photos.

ladygardener 24 July 2012 19:47:52

Badger's garden sounds great.

Pat 24 July 2012 20:29:44

Looking for to the photos. badgers plans seem great, worth watching.

andyf7 25 July 2012 00:29:43

bring on the pics.

Badger 25 July 2012 08:25:46

Thank you for the lovely comments, it was good to meet you both, we are glad you got to see Drimbawn

Catchin Up!

13 April 2012 10:08:46

Playing a lot of catch-up in the garden this week...its been a very busy non-gardening time over the past three weeks....but all calming down now and almost back to 'normal' whatever that is!!

Made a shopping trip to Johnstown to buy my daughter Acer palm. 'Orange Dream' as her 'easter egg' to re-place one she lost in the big freeze. Of course had to make some purchases of my own too and finally decided on photinia 'Little Red Robin' as the main shrub for the 3 large containers for front of the house. They are presently plants in waiting as is Erysimum Bowles Mauve. Also was on the hunt for hebe 'Heartbreaker' which Johnstown did'nt have in stock yet...but my kind hubby picked it up in Newlands yesterday on his way to golf....

Yesterday, in the lovely morning sunshine had a potting on session and have trailing lobelia, genaniums and petunias done. Then sowed seeds of Cosmos (I know a little late) and sunflowers. Had to take a trip to Wexford then to have lunch with my daughter so good day and so glad to get some catching up done too!

Have taken some photos but still have to follow the instruction book for uploading photos, but I'll get there :)

Ciao for now!!!!

Keego 13 April 2012 12:01:00

Great work done Joy the cosmos seeds will be fine they are such good doers I have set three different types this year - normal pink , white double and a yellow!! Looking forward to seeing the results

Jacinta 13 April 2012 18:05:00

Wow, what a lot you accomplished in one day.

We got in 'Little Red Robin' a few weeks ago, but I think it's a bit more 'sprawly' than 'Red Robin'. Will be interesting to know how it matures.

Joybells 13 April 2012 18:46:16

Mary, glad to get that re-assurance on the Cosmos....they did very well last year, so really want them this year too...they are such troopers!

Jacinta, I bought 'little red robin' for its compact and slow growing nature....so really expecting it to do well and as they are going to be in containers here's hoping that it'll be good!!

andyf7 13 April 2012 22:32:01

i love your idea of an easter egg, thats the type i want

im glad you got back to the garden, but what must be

done, will be. red robin looks the part.

JoanG 13 April 2012 23:32:01

Family and gardening, what could be better and you got lots done Joy. Hope the little red robins thrive for you. Lucky daughter got a great Easter egg!

kitty 21 April 2012 00:43:49

i am sowing more of them tomorrow. you got loads done

Badger 23 June 2012 10:41:43

Thankyou for your welcome, yes Tourmakeady is a lovely quite place and we are very happy here.

Drimbourn had an "open day" last weekend and the gardens were lovely, they have spent a lot of money in the garden and on the house, and its still developing, and on the proceeds of mushrooms

Badger 16 July 2012 11:21:06

Drimbourn is open 28th and 29th July from 10-00 to 4-00

T'was Full Steam Ahead!!

04 April 2012 12:55:11

Thankfully before this cold snap hit us...it was full steam ahead on Monday...so the grass got another cutting...Hubby sowed his new veggie raised bed with parsnips and turnips, also sowed courgette seeds in pots for later planting out in this new bed! I got some more onionsets planted to replace the ones that went missing, sprinkled paprika around them..a tip from the internet..so they should be less attractive to predators. Also sowed Little Gem, Radish and beetroot under cloche and planted out early peas too....so happy to have got this much done.

The weather change has scuppered plans to play golf with our Son who is visiting from Australia as the course was closed due to 'snow' :( but never mind we can't legislate for the weather and some plan 'B' s have been put in operation.

Its batten down the hatches for today but we all should be up and running again soon.

Happy Easter everyone!

Jacinta 04 April 2012 14:01:13

I suppose the change in weather is 'Par for the Course'. Pity you're plans have gone awry. But I'm sure you'll all make up for it in some other way soon.

kitty 04 April 2012 14:08:42

happy easter to you all too. hope your son is enjoying his holiday. we have been very lucky here in galway, getting away with strong gusty winds and very cold but dry.

Myrtle 04 April 2012 15:59:50

Hope your son was here last week and experienced some of the warm sunshine!

Joybells 04 April 2012 16:11:50

Haha!! very good Jacinta ;)....thanks Kitty he is having a good time and fitting everyone in!

Myrtle he was here for our good weather which was great and even gave us some great help using some muscle to fill the new raised bed...it would have taken us days to do what he and our son-in-law had done in about half an hour :)

Myrtle 04 April 2012 16:14:25

Thats good, always nice to get good weather for visitors, I have my daughter, hubby and little 2 year old coming from England on Sat and I want the weather to be good, not that they will do any gardening!

Mairin 06 April 2012 23:42:51

Where is the golf course with the snow?

Joybells 07 April 2012 08:50:23

Hi Mairin...golf was snowed off in Kildare :(