HeadGardener's Journal

Last Post 330 days 20 hours ago

ISNA Plant Sale St. Annes Park

29 March 2011 00:16:19

Wish List Plants

Its been a busy day as I think by the look of the weather I cant garentee I'd get clear weather so was mad busy trying to sort things out. Today muself and Gabriel sorted out the veg beds proper and dug up our weed infested strawberry bed which was way too small and got them ready for replanting (hopefully tomorrow morning). I also sowed my 2nd Early potatoes and sowed a load of other veg.

However on Saturday we all (less Faith) headed off to Red Stables at St Annes Park for the Irish small nurseries assoc plant sale the sun was splitting the trees in wexford so I stupidly left my jacket at home! It was freezing so it focussed the mind and meant we did'nt hang about too long as we had to get back sharpish to collect Faith who came first in the U8 SE Gymnastic tournament.

Anyway there was some great value with a local nursery doing 2L pot Herb perennial for €3 each (he's in the Farmers market every sat if your up there) and another stall Caherhurley Plants doing great sales. Some of the other stall were more expensive and I was very tempted by a Trillium but at €20 decided against it in the end I bought mostly woodland plants as a lot of those were on sale given the time of year.

Gabriel as always bought about 10 HP I had given her a list of what we already had and told her not to buy anything on the list, but she bought two things we had a lready anyway.. oh and another Potentilla she's working up to a national collecttion at this stage! My plan to try and stick to my wish list did'nt quite work out but i did'nt go mad I bought a lovely bulb scopolia carniolica, also Anemone nermosa, Mukdenia rossii, Stylophorium diphyllum and a Ranunculus ficaria 'Brazen Hussy' (love that name). Having though I'd done well and been quite reserved I went and bought six ferns for my new fernery all for dry shade. I wont list them here as I'm sure people are'nt that intrested in the names anyway. The will look nothing for a while especially in the large fernery I'm curently building but I'm quite pleased

We brought some beautiful French Bread and some double chocolate brownies..mmmmm I will put some pics up of a few things and ofsome of the new beds etc.

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chilipepper 29 March 2011 01:25:20

Glad you enjoyed the day Bill, didn't get a chance to make it on Saturday, but sounds like a good day, we don't live to far from Red Stables and both the park and the Farmers market are regular haunts of ours, great venue for a good day!

chilipepper 29 March 2011 01:29:37

Just looked at your photos Bill, great work done on the beds and boarders, love the use of stone in the beds, the garden has inherited a great backbone and structure, look forward to watching this one evolve, keep the photos coming Bill.....

Jacinta 29 March 2011 06:14:34

Wow, Congratulations to Faith. Well done.

I didn't know that was on at the weekend. But then, Steve and I have been a bit too busy for garden-related things.

Jacinta 29 March 2011 06:42:37

Great photos of your garden, Bill. Love the photo of Primula 'Dark Rosaleen'. Must look out for that one.

sallysarah 29 March 2011 07:54:06

Me too, I really like the 'dark rosaleen' primula. Bill, haven't forgotten your P.denticulata. Keeping an eye on the different shades plus the white one. Sowed seeds taken from my mukdenia rossii last year and was amazed to get germination. I haven't potted them up yet as they are still quite small, but very strong and healthy looking, so thrilled to bits. Your new plants will keep you busy as if you're not busy enough with your garden which looks good!!

fran m 29 March 2011 08:13:30

Great photos, well done to all.

Lìga 29 March 2011 09:56:20

Ha,ha,you made me laught about 'plant list what NOT to buy' :))I would love to see you garden in life,so hope next time when we go to Rachel's we will have time to visit your garden too,it look very nice in pictures:))

HeadGardener 29 March 2011 10:50:04

Dave and Fran thanks for the kind comments. Jacinta they have loads of these plant sale the next one in Dublin is Farmleigh on 24th April, I bought Dark Roseleen last year in Johnstown. Thanks sallysarah can I ask you when the seed ripened on the mukdenia and when you sowed it? would love to grow some more. Liga I got fed up of my wife coming home with the same plants she bought Potentilla Miss wilmott four time last year! Liga your always welcome to the garden I'm hoping to have an open day for garden.ie people on the weekend of the 11/12th June.

PCON 29 March 2011 11:02:35

Not very nice complaining about your wife on the site, Bill. You really ought to apologise to her for your faux pas.

Periwinkle 29 March 2011 11:04:04

Sounds like you had a good day despite the cold! Think of how much you would have spent if you had been able to hang around in sunshine!

Cloncaw 29 March 2011 11:33:44

Well done Faith she must be very chuffed with that win. You certainly are doing a lot no wonder the spade decided to die with so much work going on, I'm very envious of all the new plants you've acquired on what sounds like a good day out good luck with all the plans looking forward to seeing more photos as the garden develops

rosburke 29 March 2011 11:54:27

Just been looking at your photos. Fab garden & Loads of work done, Must put that primula on my list. Love the grass between the beds

LindaB 29 March 2011 13:58:18

Bill you are getting lots done in the garden, love the lines of your new beds. Well done to Faith, great win!

HeadGardener 29 March 2011 14:47:02

PCON oh shes fully aware of my gripes :-) Faith was thrilled and excited :-) Conclaw going to have to find a replacement handle for it now! Perwinkle, Rosburke and Linda thanks :-)

Drumanagh 29 March 2011 18:15:18

Almost made it to that plant fare Bill but decided against it in the end! I have seeds of Paris to sow thanks to Deborah but it'll be a while before they look as good as your one.

HeadGardener 29 March 2011 23:53:14

As Good as my Paris Alison? I have a paris in a pot but sadly no show this year wonder if it's dead have I listed something on my pics as paris? maybe your mixing it up with the Scopolia? as it has similar leaves

Drumanagh 29 March 2011 23:58:42

Sorry Bill - I was thinking that thing in the photo above on the left was Paris but its actually nothing like it really! I was confusing it with something else - If my Paris grows I'll give ya some though!

HeadGardener 30 March 2011 23:04:01

Alison it happens to all us busy people :-) and thanks for the though even if your paris never appear :-)

unagrant 01 April 2011 10:29:32

Well done to Faith that is a brilliant achievement. Some lovely plants got. We managed to get hold of some stumps so will be using them in the garden, I think I remember seeing some in your photos. Your fernery sounds great.

HeadGardener 01 April 2011 10:31:58

Yes Una we have some tree stumps in the shady garden, the victorians used to turn them upsidedown and plant into an around the stump (know as victorian stumperies) Joe Swift did one in GW a while back. In any even the look lovely in a woodland setting where they can rot down a bit and be offset by ferns especially.