Last Post 1365 days 7 hours ago
28 August 2009 14:16:47
Just to let you know that Rita has spent the last couple of days in Intensive Care. Her family have asked me to let you know she is now in recovery and the doctors are happy with her progress........ I hope she is soon on the road to a full recovery......
24 August 2009 14:41:11
A true butterfly plant
There are 3 huge clumps of the 'Hemp Agrimony' growing along my road. I spotted this years ago and pulled up a clump which did not survive. Gismo's journal reminded me to try again today. Butterflies do love this plant. More photos in the album
23 August 2009 23:14:45
Chinese Lanterns (Physalis)
The rain we had here today was torrential. Then around 4pm the sun came out so I hit off for Westport, unexpectedly met a friend and her husband and we all went for a lovely walk to the Quay. It is a beautiful scenic place to be on a beautiful evening. When I came home I had a stroll around the garden and just had to photograph these bright, cheery lanterns. I will cut them and dry them as they keep their colour for such a long time.
22 August 2009 15:50:19
I couldn't find a common name !
This is the first time this plant has flowered. It is a woodland plant and I have it planted in semi-shade. I got it 2 years ago at an open day in 'Frogswell Garden', Straide, Co Mayo. This is a charming woodland garden which has lovely spring flowers and is in the 'gardens to see' section of this website.
21 August 2009 18:55:58
Zebra grass in place
I asked my friend did the 'Zebra grass' spread very quickly. She has had hers in the ground for 4 years and said 'not that quick', maybe doubled in size in 4 years. .....It was such a job to dig this bit out, we nearly brought the whole clump out. We had to use a saw in the end after trying fork, shovel and spade...............I planted mine in a wild area. The old dead branches(from the 3 spruce trees that were chopped down) behind it will rot away and the cattle fence & natural hawthorn hedge is behind them............. There is a better photo in the album.
20 August 2009 20:14:44
I was delighted to get these & they are all planted now.
I brought some plants to a gardening-mad friend in Bohola today......and look what I came home with.
Fuchsia 'Thalia' (my only 1 died last winter because I didn't bring it in and my friend said she didn't like Fuchsias)
Plume poppy and heliopsis (on left)
Miscanthus 'Zebra' ( in background)
Hypericum 'Elstead'(the one with lovely berries) on right
Also got Malva 'Alba' and 2 mystery plants & 8 packets of seeds
This is one of the most enjoyable aspects of gardening. During the sunny spells we got outside to see the garden & I got to meet 'Mammy'(Milly) and baby donkey(Belle) who are given all the weeds to eat................Sorry I didn't bring my camera.
19 August 2009 11:47:59
Large plant dug up 4 weeks ago,other 2 dug up yesterday.
About 4 weeks ago I found a Passion flower seedling (didn't seem to be a root as it came up very easily) developing at the foot of the wall where the main plant is growing. I have had the passion flower climber for about 8 years and haven't come across young plants before this......So I dug it up and put in it a pot. Yesterday I found two more..............so dug them up too!!!!!
18 August 2009 23:28:34
Stays outside in this pot all winter
After Jools left yesterday I cut the lawn and today I trimmed the Lonicera and privet hedges. All I need to do now is trim the lawn edges but I dont think that will be done tomorrow due to the promised bad weather. I can hear the wind getting up now. This is a hardy fuschia that stays out all winter.
17 August 2009 21:35:01
Rowan
I had Jools and little Oscar visit today. I was glad when they arrived safe as they had a long journey. We had non-stop chat about all the different plants. Oscar seemed to enjoy the woods very much. I got good info from Jools about my potatoes as I didn't know for sure whether they had blight or not and whether to dig them up or leave them. They are not going to grow anymore so Im going to dig and store them. Jools brought me seed of a very unusual annual she has called Bupleurum griffithii. Its a bit like a euphorbia flower head with a leaf like a eucalyptus, it will be great for flower arranging as it is has a great shape. I also got seeds of the gorgeous papaver somniferum 'Dark Plum and calendula officinalis. I got some very tasty tomatoes and cucumber. Many thanks, much appreciated. It was only after they were gone a few minutes when I remembered I hadn't taken any photographs, such a pity. I enjoyed their company very much. This evening I noticed the berries on the Mountain Ash appeared very vivid and bright.
16 August 2009 17:18:44
These trees are about 30' high.
When I looked out the window this morning, something caught my eye in the Pine trees! vivid colour, its hard to see in this photo, look hard to top right of Hazel tree............. no..... you'll have to look in the album. 'Whats that'......
15 August 2009 20:33:42
Full of flowers
Bright and breezy to day just like this lovely Potentilla 'Red Ace'....... There is a better photo in todays album.
14 August 2009 16:20:08
Very wet looking but alive!
Continuing the 'Tree Peony saga' . I took this photo in the rain today, daft old me ! I had only planted this out 3 days ago. I got this when I went to Doug's open garden day and it was one of the many seedlings around his yellow tree peony. My own tree peony is young and small yet but I would love to try a cutting. Sallysarah please give us the complete 'how, when and where' instructions!
13 August 2009 22:40:10
Only 1 year old
This is a cutting I rooted last year called Buddleia weyeriana 'Sungold' and it is fragrant.
13 August 2009 11:42:16
Big Thank you to JOOLS
11 August 2009 21:35:22
Bright double Bizzy Lizzy
Well we couldn't stick our noses outside the door here today, non stop rain. So............ I took a photo of an indoor plant..................