Last Post 630 days 4 hours ago
31 August 2011 23:21:36
Croscomia
Elizabeth has mentioned quite a few Croscomia's in her journals recently this is one that I have had for a few years really lovely flower on foliage that I can only describe as smokey brown unusual combination
30 August 2011 23:09:40
Verbascum Summer Sorbet
This lovely Verbascum has been blooming in the Cottage garden at the back since it was first planted (back in April I think). I gave it the Chelsea Chop and it has rewarded with repeat flowering. I hope it makes it through the Winter
28 August 2011 00:00:57
Victoria Plum
We have a huge crop of plums this year on both of our plum trees - Now we just need to pick them
26 August 2011 00:01:44
George and Gloria !!
Say hello to George and Gloria or (Gloria and Gwen we need to establish the gender of our new additions if anyone has any expertise in this field please advise how best this can be established!!). We have had them for about a week now and they have settled right in - Bullied our hens a bit though so had to be rehoused
25 August 2011 23:12:47
Penstemon and Cornflower
A combination of pinks from the front border - Cornflower, Penstemon, Alliums and Angelica - All looking good at the moment and have been flowering for weeks my kind of plants
25 August 2011 14:06:50
Correct name of perennial
We have been calling this "turtle head" for the last number of years but I would like to get the correct name please if anyone can help.
25 August 2011 10:26:59
Ligularia and Helenium
This combination of Ligularia Desdemona and Helenium provide nice colour in late Summer ( I am refusing to refer to Autumn yet)
24 August 2011 23:38:54
Monarda but which one ?
Very happy with this Monarda was planted last Autumn - I have had a red one for a few years and no flowers at all this year - Would be great if any one could give me the full title of this one
22 August 2011 23:27:21
Part of front border
I have to admit to not been a fan of Helen Dillon but I picked up this gardening book recently in the library and am really enjoying it. It is very simply a series of articles relevant to different months of the year(written previously for the Sunday Tribune) - some of the articles I have read and reread made notes on recommended plants, tips advice etc some of them i have just scanned and moved on).
One bit of advice that she gives for August is to review your borders now see what colour combinations work and what does not and move the plants now rather than waiting until September or October. The reasoning is and I tend to agree with her ( from making mental notes in previous years and then forgetting !!) is that when it comes to late September many of the flowers have gone over and you forget what was clashing and screaming MOVE ME !!
I started this process this evening by moving a "maltese cross " into the hot section of my border this was meant to be done last year but I forgot and it will add a lot to this part of the border as it flowers for such a long period now to keep the momentum going!!
The photo is of a section of the front border which I thought looked nice in the Summer sun yesterday evening
21 August 2011 00:47:34
Eupatorium
I have not been able to do journals recently as it has been a bit hectic here - We have had a lot of visitors over the past number of weeks which has kept us all occupied I have also returned to work 4 days a week. The all ireland Fleadh is also going on in Cavan town all this week and weekend so a lot of coming and going to that - the garden I am afraid has had to take a back seat. I have however been keeping an eye on all your journals lots going on and some great reports from garden visits
I did however get to spend a couple of hours in it today and the sun shone - planted up some of the purchases that I bought in Bay Garden when I was there, Calamagrostis "Carl Forester", Coreopsis verticillata, Crocosmia Rowallane Orange, & Eupatorium rugosum "chocolate". I also planted in a couple of the sedums that I got at Rachels get together (thanks to Fran and Hazel). I did a bit of weeding and dug out quite a few rogue geraniums that were in danger of taking over the border - lovely foliage and nice pretty pink flower but a bit of a thug.
09 August 2011 15:28:45
Alstromeria and grass in Rachel's garden
I had a great gardening day on Saturday the first half of the day was spent in the Bay Garden - normally only opens on Friday and Sunday but I rang and Iain was there and he was happy for me to come so I had the whole garden to myself and I spent two very happy hours there. As many of you know from previous visits or reports of the garden from Rachel etc the garden is made up of a series of rooms which you can walk through and it follows a sequence that brings you back to where you start. Ther areas includie a cottage garden, Sepertine garden, Rose garden, Hot border and Funeral Border, a wonderful area of prairie planting and a woodland area which leads you back to the start where they have their vegetable garden and their plant sales. This is my kind of garden I loved many of the planting combinations and all with relatively ordinary flowers. The prairie garden was at it's best with Stipa Gigantica, Acheilla, Echineacha, Rudbeckia, Eupatorium, Verbena and many other large grasses all blowing in the gentle breeze - The only glitch was that when I went to take my first picture I realised with Horrow that I had left my memory card in the computer at home - so no pictures to share!!
When I left the Bay garden I headed to Ferns to get a memory card as I could not go to Rachels wihtout a camera - with this mission successful I followed the sat Nav cross country to Carnew throught some beautiful countryside and on to Rachels.
What a beautiful Garden Rachel has stuffed full of beautiful flowers trees and shrubs, some very familiar but many rare and unusual. Bill accompanied me around the garden and id'd a lot of the plants for me (thanks Bill ) we even stayed out in the rain while the rest of you ran off for tea and cakes!!. The daily photos that Rachel posts does not do the garden justice at all . The beds were all immaculate and the Cocoa mulch looks to be doing a really great job even if the dogs and cats do not like it!. There were many lovely planting combinations and Rachel has managed to (what I can not seem to bring myself to do in my garden) plant in bulk it gives such a great effect. I also loved the succulents and the effort that goes into the annual border well I need not say anything more. I felt as I was leaving the garden that I had not even seen half of the plants certainly another visit required.
I also had the pleasure of meeting some ier's for the first time - Liz ( thanks for plant) Elizabeth ( we swapped Lynchis) Peter ( I got a very nice hug) Monica and Fritters. I also got to meet ier's better half's Greg, Gabrielle Brian and Maria (whose knowledge on Geraniums is very impressive!!). Thanks to Bill Clara and Fran for plants and I hope the swaps do well for you. A big thanks to Rachel and to Norman for opening up there home and garden the amount of work in advance of a visit like this is huge.
The only other glitch in the day was that after having to travel to Ferns for a memory card after taking 6 photos in Rachel's the batteries died sod's law!!
I finally got home to Cavan at 9 on Saturday night exhausted but on a high after my great gardening day
05 August 2011 19:50:55
Very last minute I know - I have the following if anyone would like some
Lychnis Coronaria (Pink) - 3
Geranium Endressii - 4
Yellow grass - 2 name unknown spreads freely
Knautia Macedonica - 3 ( could be pale pink or deep pink )
04 August 2011 23:41:49
Tracey, Doreen and Magiclou
I had such a wonderful visit today from three of our garden.iers Doreen, Tracey and Magiclou. It was raining when they arrived so we had a quick coffee and headed out when the rain stopped. The sun shone on us as we headed around the garden for the next three hours ( where does the time go).It was such a pleasure to have "real" gardening friends come to call rather than those whose eyes glaze over when you start to talk about plants or flowers. It just started to rain again when we were in the polytunnell so we headed back in for another cuppa. It was a real pleasure girls and has given me a bit of confidence to maybe do it again - now I have started there will be no stopping me. Thanks also to Doreen who put up the photos on her very slow broadband and the nice comments about the garden. PS Geraldine (Cloncaw) unfortunately could not make it as she had a busy afternoon teaching - Next time Geraldine
03 August 2011 23:37:40
Cordevlis 3rd August 2011
Tomorrow I am having a few garden.iers coming to call - how nervous am I!! - I hope there are not very high expectations - coming to call are Magiclou, Doreen and her friend Tracey and hopefully Geraldine (Cloncaw)- I hope we have a nice day as the last time Louise (Magiclou) came to call it lashed rain - All organised at the last minute so not a lot of time to prepare!! (If that sounds like an excuse for all the weeds not pulled, dead heading and staking not done it is!!
01 August 2011 23:12:55
Artemesia Lactiflora
Really like this new addition to the garden this year. It is lovely airy and transparent and the flower has a lovely pink hue off it which you can only see up close. The phote does not do it justice. Rachel I think you got one at Birr the same day as I got this one - I wonder how did yours do for you