Last Post 1294 days 21 hours ago
31 October 2009 17:42:23
its a bleak day.
i only read of shelser's death this morning. it was such a blow-the last thing i was expecting to read. may she rest in peace.
like for so many of you shelser was one of my friends on this site. its hard to get my head around it.
29 October 2009 22:24:54
primroses
can i pick your brains?
i bought some primroses recently in woodies. unnamed ones. the small ones with the vibrant colours.
however i was B&Q today and i saw them there. on the label it said they were good for one season(as in one year i presume). on my way home i called into a nursery and enquired and she said they were perennials. i know they can die off if they are let dry out but i thought they were perennials. i'm confused now. it'll determine where i plant them if they are not perennials.
what do you think?
18 October 2009 22:37:23
sweetgum
i love the grounds of my workplace. this tree is outstanding. it is a liquidamber to the best of my knowledge.
i took the photo on fri just before i left for home. the colours are striking. i have the same tree myself so i can look forward to what it'll be like in the coming years
18 October 2009 22:31:03
spring shoots
could not believe it when i saw the shoots of some daffodils poking through at the weekend. they are an early variety "february gold" but i was taken aback when i saw them. maybe they'll bloom earlier as its been so mild.
i had a look around for others but couldn't see any sign of anything so maybe its just a fluke
18 October 2009 22:24:32
primula
i went into Woodies with Blaithin today. was just browsing the garden centre as usual-i always promise myself i wont buy anything but i think i have some kinda obsession or addiction with buying plants/bulbs...
anyway there were shelves with pots of flowers on them. they were a little bit forlorn but not very. i asked the attendant if they were on special offer. he said yes...went off and came back with little for sale labels and wrote them up there and then. i was interested in the cyclamen. they are normally €5.99 for 4. he marked them up at €1. i initially thought it was €1each but NO it was €1 for the 4.
i had no trolley so i asked him if he would keep then for me while i dashed away to get one. he did. i came back and i bought 10 trays of 4 for €10 instead of almost €60.
i then saw some primula/polyanthus at the back. i asked again if they wereon offer. he said yes. he asked me how many i'd like. i saw he put 50c each on them(normally €1.29)so i said i'd take 4 trays. 15 per tray. he went off to get a larger trolley for me.
he wheeled it to the check-out for me and i wheeled the other together with bla, the cyclamen and 3 bags of compost. when i got there he said that he had told the checkout assistant that the primula were down to 25c. yes 25c.
i was so happy. i couldn't believe it. i know gismo had a similar experience recently. but seriously how often does this happen.
i reckon i saved about €135....cos i bought a couple of other things on offer too!!
my faith in humanity was restored today
18 October 2009 22:05:04
cooking apple
huge huge apple. this tree is only down a year and there are about 8 apples on it this size. its phenomenal. i'd say 2 of them would make a decent size tart.
12 October 2009 22:09:47
hosta leaves
lovely autumn colours on this hosta. i know when they eventually die off completely i'll be able to go in and give a good weeding. i'm actually looking forward to it now. it'll give the bulbs a chance to poke through the soil and into flower in the next few months
12 October 2009 22:04:22
sorbus commixta
remember i mentioned about the berries here were vivid. well here is the berry-laden tree at the gate. its so eye-catching. i'm glad i have it. i've only ever seen it in one garden centre and when i saw it i bought it. its settling into the garden now after growing for about 4 years. the berries are a highlight but the leaves by themselves are multicoloured enough to catch the eye
12 October 2009 21:56:55
pumpkin in trouble?
the pumpkin plant just grew and grew. however there is a big concern in my mind that the pumpkins wont get any bigger than what they are. maybe they shuld have been pinched off to allow existing ones to enlarge. is it too late for them to get any bigger. i thought i'd have them "pumpkin-sized" at halloween. if they're not i might jsut buy some and put them on the ground and let the girls think they grew them. sly i know but i dont want them disappointed
12 October 2009 21:51:18
iceberg
i got this rose from karen's granny's house. i dont know its name but the scent of it is just sensual. its heady. its gorgeous. its a real perfume. i wonder is it iceberg. it flowers twice a year. summer and now.
12 October 2009 21:46:54
tangutica
i think this looks like a wig kylie minogue might wear on stage.
its clematis tangutica. the seed heads are so soft and silky and a beautiful silvery colour to them.
11 October 2009 22:20:10
sorbus commixta
the rowan tree never disappoints no matter what variety is grown. this one is really coming into it's own. sown about 4 years now and the no of berries each year seems to multiply in huge amounts. its near the gateway so i can see it as i approach the house. its so vivid that its like a traffic light.
11 October 2009 22:13:58
bud of euonymus red cascade
the spindle tree red cacade is now into it's hibernation with the buds formed, ready for the spring opening. delicate silky leaves unfurl and the spring flowers give way to beautiful summer/autumn fruit
11 October 2009 22:09:39
crab apple gorgeous
one of the best crab apples. it has something for every season. from now til late spring it'll be laden with lovely fruit which feeds the birds until the tree comes into spring flower
11 October 2009 22:05:43
acer october glory
its only planted since summer 08 and is coming on very well. colours beautifully and is very aptly named. it should be more eye-catching once it settles in properly over the next few years
11 October 2009 22:02:48
sprouts
they're coming on well now and will be lovely for christmas time
11 October 2009 21:58:29
sweetgum
how its looking now!
05 October 2009 23:31:02
this should be my screen image
just changed my screen image after a year of using the other one.
i hope the 2 girls are visible. when i viewed it it was only Reailtin and a bit of Blaithin.
addendum: i've just noticed that what i've written above is exactly the opposite of what you can see here. the above is accurate for the screen image. strange! i'll never understand technology...
05 October 2009 23:00:37
lily stem roots
as i was tidying up the pots i came across some lily stems with roots on them-just above the bulb itself. will these grow if i plant them or is that just an offshoot of the lily growing process?
(i pulled the bulb off the end of this lily before i took the photo)
05 October 2009 22:56:22
lily bulbs
what a glorious day! if only we had a few more of them before the winter hits us...anyway, i did a fair bit of weeding both yesterday and today. stung by nettles on every bit of exposed flesh( and becuse of the beautiful day i was wearing shorts so got stung on legs too!)
after that i himmed and hawed about tidying up the pots which have not been done in 3 years. over 3 years if truth be known. i knew it would be a job i had to finish once i started but knew that it would take a long time.
i started in the afternoon. sat on a little edge of the oil tank concrete platform. the sunbeat down andit was so warm you would've been forgivenfor thinking it was july.
i ended up at the pots for about 2 and a half hours. i emptied them all. put all the bulbs into a few pots for storage til i get the time to plant them up agian.
at the moment i am zonked. i am delighted i did what i did. i'm also a bit worried that it was not the best time to take up lily bulbs. i know not to leave them out of the soil too long as they dont take well to it but i'm not sure whether to plant them up or keep them in storage til spring.
04 October 2009 22:12:10
primula quakers Bonnet
the next 3 entries are really just 1
orchid-pink frilly double primrose goes back to the early 19th century. it is a beautiful little thing with a strong fragrance for the size of it.
04 October 2009 22:02:13
primula Siobhan
this is with the entry below
A very lovely double purple/pink posy like flower
04 October 2009 21:54:47
Primula Marie Crousse
is this normal?
i have a few primula that i planted this summer and they are all in bloom? ones that i planted over thelast few years are not in flower so i wonder does this mean that the newly planted ones are adjusting to their new environment?
they're all beautifully scented. a double whammy
04 October 2009 21:48:20
sick cyclamen
a while ago i planted a few cyclamen. i never had them before and am excited at how they'll come on. last week i noticed that one of them looked to be wilting. on your advice i watered it and hoped for the best. after a few days of watering each evening i am still waiting for it to spring back into a healthy looking plant. i'm not giving up hope though...
Woodies have them for sale. packets of 4 and packets of 6. the packets of 6 have quite small plants and i wonder if they'll grow as big as the ones in the packets of 4?
04 October 2009 20:59:41
sweet gum
this beautiful tree is in the throes of changing into its autumn colours. i'd say it'll be even more beautiful in the next week or so. on advice i deliberately kept the branches to the very bottom of the trunk. it is a sturdy tree that i am very happy with. when i was younger and would look up gardening books this is one tree that i always said i'd love to have..and now i have.