Last Post 1388 days 23 hours ago
30 July 2009 23:01:51
Thanks for a lovely evening......
We got such a lovely warm and friendly welcome from John and Ann when we visited Knocknakillew this evening. Their garden is a pure delight and a credit to all their hard work. All the plants and veg are in top class condition. It was a pleasure to spend time in their company and in such a beautiful setting. I have added more photos of their garden.
30 July 2009 22:48:50
Impatiens tinctoria
Yesterday was a 'special' day. Olga and Rita came to visit and as we were walking around the garden I noticed my 'special' plant had come into flower. I have been waiting for this for some time. It flowered just at the right time for Olga. You can see a photo of this plant on 'Deborah's' site and my friend and I bought ours last year when we visited TerraNova.
28 July 2009 22:51:16
Glenveigh National Park Co Donegal
Yesterday we visited Glenveigh Castle and gardens Co Donegal. This is a fabulous. hugh place with so much to see. Today we visited Salt Hill garden near Donegal town which is one of the gardens on the Donegal Garden Trail. This garden was just packed with plants in a beautiful layout and was a delight to see. I have made two new albums of these gardens
25 July 2009 17:42:48
Green Garden
There was great celebrations at our local national school yesterday and hundreds of people turned up from all over the world. This is the school my sons went to and also my father- in -law whose name is on the registar in 1927..... We had the planting of two apple trees in the lovely school wildlife garden. This garden was created by the team from the Rural Training Centre on the Westport Road Castlebar. It is wonderful and so natural looking and very good for attracting wildlife and insects. The celebrations are continuing over the weekend. I have made a photo album.
24 July 2009 10:32:54
Mexican Agastache
Imagine this was the only thing I bought at 'Bloom'........The smell is delicious, it came from Peppermint Farm and it says you can make a tea from it and it goes with fish. It may not over winter here in the West.
24 July 2009 10:01:14
Look at journal entry on 15 July to see difference
What a lot of rain yesterday. I was delighted to see the sun when I got up and went straight out with the camera. This is the broken Hollyhock stuck in the 'magic spot' on 15th July.................. (on 20th April I stuck in broken tulip here and it flowered).............Yes Olga I have kept the Ismene indoors all the time, it won't take temperatures below 15oC.
22 July 2009 17:58:09
Flowers that open very quickly
Four flowers now and even the bud, I accidentally knocked off and pushed into the pot, opened.
22 July 2009 15:08:29
Crocosmia
Drumanagh thank you for going to all that trouble you are thoughtful. Im not too fond of anything to do with cooking or being in the kitchen he he. ....So after simmering the gooseberries I just tipped in what I thought would be enough sugar, got it to set and made one lovely pot of jam and a bit ! Very nice taste not too sweet & not too sour....So its pot luck in my kitchen. I suppose it was a good job I only made a small amount. ....I'll be picking some more gooseberries soon. Anyway here is a photo of the Citronella Crocosmia taken last year & a larger one in 'My Garden' album.
22 July 2009 11:24:05
Hopefully happy in their new home
The collection was one pink & one blue Balloon Flowers(Platycodons from Lidl)(they will need to be covered with a mulch in winter) 1 Kniphofia(Strawberries & Cream), Santolina, Stokesia, Penstemon and Tree Lupin. They needed a bed, so I enlarged a bluebell bed and put a better curve on the lawn to make it easier for cutting. The drainage isn't great due to granite bedrock so I added lots of sand to the soil. Loads of bluebells were dug out and they went down into the Bluebell Wood,the scented Artemisia was moved to one sideand the 'Citronella Crocosmia was left in place. I have put in a before and after album.
21 July 2009 21:35:33
Doubling up in rapid time
21 July 2009 14:51:45
Hymenocallis (Ismene)
When I visited Rita's I spotted she had Peruvian daffodils just showing in a tub outside. I had one of these plants but it didn't grow the following year and I couldn't believe Ritas were left out all winter. Some time later Rita came across a mixed packet of bulbs which included a peruvian daffodil. So kind Rita bought it and reared it and I received the glorious result today............ Thank you so much thoughtfull and kind Rita XX............
20 July 2009 15:22:27
Cashel House Hotel
The village of Cashel must be in one of the most scenic areas of the whole of Ireland. The gardens around the Cashel House Hotel are magnificently planted with loads of herbaceous perennials. I have included a photo album.
20 July 2009 10:22:04
Gleann Aoibhean
The owner of this garden gave us a most wonderful tour and his enthusiasm was tremendous and infectious. The garden and house were started in the late 1700's and the history is amazing. There is a huge variety of trees.shrubs and climbers, some very old and others very unusual. It is situated in Clifden and the scenery is breathtaking. We were most generously given an Akebia and an Aralia..Have a look at the Album
20 July 2009 10:10:03
Tasty Gunnera!
Yesterday we had a wonderful day visiting two gardens on the Connemara Garden Trail........ Gleann Aoibheann and the Cashel House Hotel........
But first of all let me show you a fantastic ...'Gunnera Control Unit' .....that we spotted near Letterfrack Co Galway. Have a look at the album!
17 July 2009 10:34:03
pink phlox
I just love the Phlox.
17 July 2009 10:28:59
Linaria
Very similar
17 July 2009 10:28:18
Veronica
Delicate
17 July 2009 10:27:23
Ox eye daisy 'Shaggy'
We are very lucky with these lovely sunny days, we can enjoy the fruits of our hard work in the garden. Some more new flowers have opened.
16 July 2009 16:07:24
only a small amount so I don't loose patience!
The discs really helped keep the birds from the gooseberries. This is the first year since the bush was planted 4 years ago that I got any. I wonder was the willow protecting them too. They are very exposed since it was chopped. Will have to look up on internet now for recipe for goose berry jam. Haven't made jam since 1980's. I am getting great encouragement from all the members on garden.ie. Have the tea ready now to sit in sunshine and top and tail.
16 July 2009 16:00:37
common Osier
I decided to cut all the branches from the willow. I will use them later for a woven fence. This tree was growing very close to the gooseberries and blackberries. I have put in an album of before and after.
15 July 2009 22:11:21
Wildlife pond
Three lily flowers about to open in the pond. I have had goldfish in here for over 10 years and have never fed them. They keep breeding and you can see the small black fry when they are born. There is always loads of frogs around too and common lizards.
15 July 2009 10:38:27
From one tiny seedling
A seedling of the Shasta Daisy settled outside my wall a few years ago...... so I let it develope and planted a matching Shasta on the other side of the entrance...
15 July 2009 10:21:51
This spot may be magic!
I hope its stays nice and sunny for 'Heritage Day ' in Ballina, its a great day out! I was digging out another piece of the 'Flame Creeper' for someone. I had to move a climbing Jasmine and baby plant to get to the main roots as this is a difficult creeper to move if you don't. A stem broke off the Hollyhock so I stuck it in the place where I had the broken Tulip to see if it will flower as the Tulip did. The variegated Poplar was looking lovely in the sunshine and I also took more photos of new plants in flower.
14 July 2009 21:28:35
Gaillardia 'Goblin'
This is a very hardy reliable plant, comes up every year, flowers for a long time and seeds around but not too much.
14 July 2009 21:18:24
I love these flowers
I was delighted to see a few flowers out despite the downpours.
14 July 2009 21:16:05
Who is on his perch!
Cycled over for a visit with Fiona today. She has a wonderful collection of plants shrubs and trees. Her cottage garden is a real treasure. Fell in love with the fragrance of her rose scented geranium. You can look her up on www.greenwithenvy.biz The seeded saxifrages are coming into flower in my gravel bed.
13 July 2009 22:56:18
Gunnera everywhere
Yesterday we went on an extremely interesting and picturesque guided walk in Achill. It was nearly 8 miles long and took 4 hours. The scenery was breathtaking, the weather fabulous and our guide was very knowledgeable and great company. There is a huge problem with Gunnera on the island and it is now out of control. If you go on to the Heritage Council website you can see the thousands of Euros it is giving each year to try and eradicate this plant on Achill. Have a look at the Gunnera Album
11 July 2009 15:31:44
Wild ferns appeared
I also noticed the 'sunken garden' (that is the boulders I had to dig around and then just left as I liked the look of them) has started sprouting ferns.
11 July 2009 15:23:49
Arum Italicum
Damp and drizzly here today. Earlier on when it was dry I photographed these 'alien' looking things. They will turn bright scarlet red later on and then I think they look much more striking.
10 July 2009 20:19:43
Into the 'Fairy Woods'
Today I had to trim the entrances to the woods. There are 5 paths into the woods and they were very overgrown, mostly with rhododendrons and laurel. I put before and after photos in an album.
10 July 2009 10:57:34
Wine coloured
The Astilbes are looking lovely at the moment. This one is a very rich colour. I made an album of the other colours.
09 July 2009 21:53:34
Arum
There was lovely evening sunshine on the Arums.
09 July 2009 21:48:00
Thalictrum
I have gone back to using the long handled lawn edger as I find it gives a neater finish than the battery one from Aldi. The Aldi edger refused to cut tough grass. One of my favourite flowers has bloomed and its so 'airy fairy' it looks like raindrops.
09 July 2009 10:38:30
Cutting the Lawn
Isn't gardening a tonic! The feeling of contentment after you have cut the lawn. It was a pleasant morning so I said I will do this before my breakfast then sit outside with my tea and toast and enjoy the sight and smell of a freshly cut lawn. More photos added.
08 July 2009 20:49:22
watching us as we walked around
He was very friendly. The owl has a sensor and 'hoots' when you pass it. The kids think its so funny!
08 July 2009 20:28:44
All polygonums like moist soil
Cath gave me a sweet little plant today which I have discovered is a Polygonum capitatum. The book says this is a tender variety used as a bedding plant. I planted this one and the Phlox into a bed and put all the others into larger pots .
08 July 2009 17:05:43
presents from gardening friends
Two gardening friends called to visit today. Cath hasn't been here since spring of 2008 so she saw lots of different plants in flower. Marian saw different plants in flower since Rita and Sally's visit. I got some lovely presents and they went away with some also. After that I went around digging up their 'want list' The plants I received were Stokesia, Kniphofia( from Irishplantsdirect) Phlox 'Creme Brulee'(Irish garden mag free seeds) Bears Breeches, polygonum 'Firetail' and a small clover like plant which I hope to identify.
07 July 2009 23:03:05
Aggie and Petes garden
Not long home after spending a most enjoyable evening in a beautiful garden. Aggie is a member of the Swinford Garden Club and she invited all the members to her garden this evening. Herself and Pete have done trojan work and we all really enjoyed the visit and the welcome they gave us. Have a look at the photos.
07 July 2009 16:28:10
Dierama
I just love these Angels Fishing Rods......... this is a medium sized one.
07 July 2009 16:21:59
Ajuga
This one spreads a bit but is easy to pull out. Its a lovely colour.
07 July 2009 16:18:20
Gardener's garters
This plant I would panic about more than Houttuynia......... I had this everywhere and couldn't dig it out but ..........roundup finished it off no problem. ........I have this planted in pots now sunk into the ground..............
06 July 2009 16:18:00
Houttuynia 'Flore Pleno'
This is another plant from the same family with a plain leaf, same smell but a double flower. When I bought it I was told that it didn't spread as much as 'Chamaeleon'.......................but........it did! Anyway they all help to stop the weeds getting in.
06 July 2009 16:14:00
Houttuynia ' Chamaeleon'
Sunshine, showers and some dullness. This is a very brightly coloured, low growing spreader (has run through a whole bed) that has a very strong scent of orange peel. I love the smell but not everybody does. It disappears underground in the winter.
05 July 2009 22:17:50
Plant sale table
We had a great day today. First we went to visit a friends lovely garden. Then we went on to visit another garden in Kilmacteige Co Sligo proceeds of which went to the Donkey Sanctuary in Sligo. Have a look at the photos
04 July 2009 20:29:10
Bed covered in wild strawberries & everything else growing happily
Use wild strawberries as ground cover and they really do help cut down on weeds getting in. ! They will come up every year and of course they are yummy........
04 July 2009 17:00:37
This is a bed of Aquilegia ' The Pearl' which looks lovely in a vase
Went to a friends garden this morning. Had to use roundup of docks, thistles and dandelions growing in through her perennials. It was a delicate job and I had to convince her I would not kill her plants. I have tried to dig these plants out manually over the last two years to no avail. At least I had the sun for it but used washing up liquid through the solution in case of rain. I also planted, staked and weeded so she is all set for her American visitors on Thursday. A lot of my plants are in her garden.
03 July 2009 11:31:04
Decor in Helens loo
To anyone going to Helens don't miss going to the loo.......Helen will tell you to go anyway............ She has a right to be proud of the small room. Have a look! Also album
03 July 2009 11:29:05
Alstroemeria my favourite
Sun shine this morning. I used the watering can to put blight liquid on my small amount of spuds. I hate spraying. An azalea and trumpeter rose, which were performing very badly, were moved to new spots. I know this is a very bad time to move things but I don't have patience to wait. I made sure I dug well away from the roots. This made them quite heavy to dig up...........but I don't let that defeat me....... The pink Alstroemeria was looking gorgeous this morning.
02 July 2009 10:50:55
Bright & cheerful Alstroemeria
No gardening in Mayo today, overcast and drizzle......What to do..... take photos of cheerful, colourful July flowers to enjoy................New album posted
01 July 2009 10:49:22
Anemone rivularis
Hope its the start of a good gardening month for everyone. I am so glad I cut the lawn yesterday. This morning it is nice & sunny. I planted the Japanese anemone I got from Primrose Hill and trimmed some Escallonia which seems to put on so much growth at this time of the year. My Chatham Island Forget me Not has not looked happy since I put it in the ground. I think the soil was too boggy so I added some sharp sand , will keep a close eye on it. I tied up some Dahlias which are really starting to grow.......Took some more photos for 01/07/09.