Last Post 906 days 4 hours ago
29 November 2010 15:56:18
Picture taken from the Road
This photo was taken from the road outside my gate
29 November 2010 15:54:08
Front Garden during Snow
A photo of part of my garden to day
29 November 2010 15:50:11
Robin
This my friend the robin, always around at this time
29 November 2010 15:46:37
Was this the wasps' nest
Temperature recorded by car thermometer this morning about 9 was 5C. What was it early on . Temperature in the greenhouse despite the heater was below zero. I have a max min thermometer inside. This was the first time I had a figure below zero this season. I took some photos in the area. One photo relates to the burrowing I discovered last week in the greenhouse. I had put down rat poison but it had not been touched so perhaps it was the wasps that went underground. I uses the aerosol I bought for a nest. You may notice a blue green disc which is rat poison. It was not touched.
28 November 2010 16:50:33
November 2009
Remember November 2009. No freezing like this year, instead flooding. Many people including some members of the Club I would say had flooding problems. To look at the flooding outside my gate it would seem worse than it really was.
28 November 2010 11:03:02
When Icicles hang by the wall
And Dick the shepherd blows his nail.....
Most of you have learned this poem Winter by Shakespeare.
The weather now is like we had in January. Normally we expect that November will not be as cold as December or December as cold as January. What a change this season. At 10 a. m. the thermometer in the car read -3C. What would it have been earlier on. Now Dick has no sheep but had plenty of woollen blankets together with a rug over him during the night and kept warm. Rising at about 8.15 a.m. the central heating was on for some time but what was it like outside? I decided that instead of the usual 9 a.m. Mass I would delay it as the road here is never treated. I entered the greenhouse and thanks to the heater the temperature was about 7C. The lowest temperature recorded during the night and early morning was about 4C. Thank God all my fuchsias are in some time as well as begonias, dahlias and gladioli. One of my Passifloras has been potted and in the greenhouse and will remain there until the appropriate time. I had laid some rat poison in the greenhouse under a tile as there had been burrowing discovered some time ago. It has not been touched and I am about to ask myself is that the work of the wasps? Remember they took over there during the warm weather and devoured almost all of my grapes. I will test it now and use the aerosol I bought. I had been advised to find the wasp's nest. Have I found it now? My little friend the robin reminded me that he required his breakfast so the food was placed on the table and he was there beside me eating his first meal of the day. Small birds like this need plenty of food as their surface area compared with their mass is quite high. Dick Warner has an article in the Irish Garden this month and refers to the wren (not the commissioner) which is even smaller than the robin.
26 November 2010 17:11:59
Attended the Country Market 10-12 with a short meeting afterward. Total sale was one Echeveria. Looking at books in the centre I noticed a book The Wild Flowers of Ireland. It was priced at €10. I bought it, some bargain. On looking up books in the Irish Garden, I found that the retail price is €29.99. So I got it at a third of the price. Getting home, I found that the postman had called. a parcel was present addressed to "Dick, Pollerton Little, Carlow." I must hand it to the postman. It was from Violeta, two pieces of Euphorbia Trigona. What a surprise? Thank you very much Violeta. The two are now potted in a cactus mixture in the greenhouse. A short period was spent in the front cutting up some of the Cordyline and pruning some trees adjacent to it. I was reminded by the robin, as I put some plants not sold into the greenhouse, so food was put on the bird table.
25 November 2010 16:06:52
another orchid
Arrived back from Woodies at 3.45 p.m. Being Thursday, I get 10% discount. Before I left having fed the birds, I noticed that lifting tiles in the greenhouse, there was some burrowing so on my agenda was rat poison to clear away these destructive rodents. I bought sulphate of ammonia, for the rhubarb, rat poison, one skimmia at €2.99 and that seemed to be the total. Having paid at the checkout, I noticed some orchids reduced from €7.99 to €3.99, more than 50% reduction. I was tempted and gave in! What a bargain. The first one same variety Phalaenopsis (moth orchid) I paid something like €13 in another store. It is in very good condition. This time last year, I had no such thing as an orchid. Now I have seven, four of which are the type I bought to day. Incidentally, the discount was €2.07, it went more than half way towards the orchid.
25 November 2010 12:30:43
New Ground
This is the piece of ground reclaimed recently. Very little greenery yet. In front of the trellis is Weigela I got from Wellie. There are many bulbs planted there which should be visible in the spring. Jacinta suggested the name Talamh Nua rather than Tera Nova. Not all has to be seen in this picture, see Photos
23 November 2010 17:32:58
Some digging was done in a place where nothing but weeds grew early in the year. On account of the rain and frost, it was very easy to dig but I left it after a while to tackle more urgent parts of the back garden. Rhubarb is now covered with all kinds of organic matter, leaves, compost, even weeds and now that it has got some frost growth should be starting soon. I need to give it some nitrogenous fertilizer. More leaves were transferred to the compost heap. This process is not complete. Some people are inclined to wait until spring to deal with rhubarb but this is the time to start. I notice in the December issue of the Irish Garden that there is an article on Cymbidium Orchids. Rachel had mentioned these early on. I found her article entertaining if not amusing e.g. testing the bulbs. There is no doubt that from now on, garden centres and DIY s are giving great offers. I will have to pay a visit this week.
20 November 2010 22:29:09
Leaves were raked from the back lawn, should be the last this year. Some raspberries were dug up and potted. They were in the way as they were encroaching the lawn. I plan to have them on display for sale on Friday next at the Country Market. Some grass sods were taken from the front lawn and used to fill in the empty space left. This job is not complete yet. Now the back lawn looks fairly good. The place where I took out the sods was close to where I have heather growing. This operation served two purposes. The concrete path at the back was not straight so some soil was removed. It had been covering part of the path. A small flower bed needed soil so the work here solved two problems. No photo to day as time ran out with darkness coming. It was a great day for the garden, the last mild day for the present.
18 November 2010 15:21:45
Can somebody identify this plant
This succulent plant I have for years. One book gives it as Echeveria while another gives it as Graptopetalum. i know both are of the same family Crassulaceae.
17 November 2010 23:26:24
prunings
What a night. I was afraid there would be structural damage but everything seemed good in the morning. The sun shone for most of the day. In the afternoon I did a bit of weeding and tidying in the back garden and some pruning in the front. None of the prunings were removed to day. another day for this.
16 November 2010 17:23:01
Griselinia pruned
Not free for the garden until the afternoon. At about 2 p.m. began the pruning or really continued from yesterday. By 4.45 p.m. all pruning complete. See Photos for more.
15 November 2010 17:27:11
How different it was to day compared with Saturday. After a heavy frost, the sun was out and so was I. Pruning was the order of the day. The lawn was not dry enough for the mower. First job was the pruning of gooseberries and that is now finished. A little pruning of black currants was easy as most of this was done earlier on. I approached the griselinia in the afternoon. Normally I would not touch this at this time of year but there was a difference. The frost early in the year had done a serious job and even though I had pruned it early in the year, there was no sign of life except at ground level. The secateurs and even the loppers were out for this type of work so the bow saw or Bushman, was the only instrument to use. Some of the branches when cut were as much as three inches in diameter. One can imagine this when you think of the time it was planted, April 1979. By 5 p.m. I was back in the house as it was getting dark. Sunday evening, as darkness was near I approached the point where I feed the birds. I had not fed any up to now this season. As I came close to the point, a robin flew towards me. It was a sign to begin the feeding once more. As I left that area the robin was feeding. In the morning about 8, I saw a robin, a blue-tit and another small bird in that area, also a pigeon. Flying overhead was the Thieving Magpie as Rossini would put it. So I now feel that the winter has come but still not bad enough to keep me from the garden.
13 November 2010 19:19:00
Rising this morning the sun was shining. some hours after it was still shining so I looked forward to a good day in the garden. By 12, I was free to get out, still the sun shone. Just as yesterday, when I raked the leaves from a lawn about a quarter acre my plan was rake the leaves at the back and then finish the front with the mower and put it away until the spring, but alas less than an hour gone, leaves at the back raked and put in heaps, it began to rain so all I could do was retire. Some time in the afternoon, the rain stopped but no sunshine. I planted tulips lifted early in the year and snowdrops which I had bought in Woodies for less than half price. They were planted in the piece of ground I had reclaimed. They should be good in the spring. I have decided to call this piece of ground Terra Nova. Any objections from our friends in Dromin?
13 November 2010 00:29:17
Morning, at the Country Market, sold nothing, not that I am worried over it. In the afternoon as it was a fine day, I got at the lawn where the leaves from trees were abundant. It seemed to me that I never had so many leaves. So from about 2 to 5 with a short coffee break of about 30 minutes, I got surely 95% of the leaves removed and put in the compost heap. If it is fine to morrow, I will bring out the lawn mower and have the place free from leaves and excess grass. On Nationwide this evening I watched a programme on gardening, most enjoyable. Michael Ryan and Mary Kennedy always give us a good programme. This was the best programme on gardening I have seen for years, shame RTE! Michael showed a large sycamore tree, some tree. I have a sycamore in the middle of my lawn and considering that the lawn is big, the tree looks good during the summer. Liga, were you watching the programme? Michael showed us a group from Latvia who were in operation.
11 November 2010 23:44:26
Called to Lidl this morning and saw three types of orchid. I chose a Ludisia Red Velvet at €4.99. In the afternoon, I called to Woodies and bought one packet of snowdrops priced at €9.99 but reduced by 50%, also two trays of pansies at €1 each. I considered it a great bargain especially that I also got 10% off as a senior citizen on Thursday. Total at Woodies €6.79. No work done in garden, too wet, perhaps to morrow. I will be at my stand at the Country market to morrow.
10 November 2010 20:57:15
Builders about to leave
After a sharp or severe frost it turned to be a sunny day here although on the cool side. Nevertheless as long as you were working it was good with little or no wind. The builders have finally departed and did a good neat job. I can now get on with my gardening better. Leaves and concrete are segregated and each put in its proper place. Finished work before 4 p.m. I have plenty leaves in the front raked into heaps which will be moved to compost heap when I get suitable weather. Got no pruning done to day, very pleased with the ash trees and some gooseberries. It was like Autumn up to two days ago but more like Winter yesterday with cold winds, no sun worthwhile and heavy showers of rain and hail. There was no work done in the garden yesterday but instead went shopping to get some clothes and shoes appropriate for the cold wet weather. However I am very pleased with the progress made. For people interested in gardening, why do we have to wait until the end of March to put the clock forward again? After all we have 7 to 8 weeks of Winter time until we reach the shortest day 21 December. After that shortest day we should have conditions regarding the length of the day to put the clock forward early in February. What do you think?
08 November 2010 21:52:26
We all experienced the heavy rain and the wind last night. This morning the sun was shining and lovely calm weather made gardening easy. As I had pruned the ash trees on Saturday, I tackled the two apple trees. These trees had given bumper fruit crop between cookers and dessert. Quite a lot of branches which were too long got a hard pruning and some light pruning for branches which were too close to each other. The job was slow but worth while. Some gooseberries were also pruned. The piece of new ground got a bit of levelling and despite all of the rain, it was easy to get this done. Nothing has been planted in it yet. Thinking of giving it a name, I was thinking of calling it Terra Nova but I'm sure Deborah and Martin would not like that:)
07 November 2010 11:29:10
ash trees
After a sunny day yesterday and frost last night, going out at about 8.40 a.m. the frost was gone and the sun shone. I took a few photos at about 11 showing the ash trees I pruned yesterday. Periwinkle enquired how I would prune the trees without a chainsaw. You can see for yourself now. They are pruned every year in November at once the leaves have fallen and like the trees you would see at the side of a road in a suburban area. I also took probably the last photo of the liquidambar.
06 November 2010 19:34:11
To day it was great to see the sun shining and generally fine all day. I spent quite a while in the garden to day. Seven ash trees near the house are now pruned. Leaves at back lawn and side path raked. The pruning was slow using the secateurs and loppers. another day like this would be great but be thankful for small mercies. Only for the darkness I might have done more. I should have a photo to morrow.
05 November 2010 23:05:13
Attended the Country Market to day, finished at 12 noon. Very little sold, cookers and geranium. Wellie called and bought some geranium. I will have some free for her when I meet her again at a meeting. Weather was fine all the morning but broke as I was coming home so not a lot done in the garden. Some cuttings taken of Coleus and put in water to root. An interesting point about Coleus is that I never had it so good as this year but while it was sold quite frequently prior to this year, sales were very poor this year. After some time in the afternoon, the rain ceased and I got working at some ash trees at the back to prune. pruning was easier to day than yesterday. Almost all of the leaves have fallen as some pruning was done with secateurs, some with loppers and some with a saw. Shortly after 5 p.m. I had to depart from this work as absence of light did not help. To morrow should be more suitable, while temperature may be lower there should be less rain and there should be more free time. Wellie gave me some plants last Wednesday, Fennel and Solanum. There will be work in the front lawn raking leaves. While Rubberboots said that he would wait until all of the leaves are down before raking, he should see the size of my front lawn. Eventually when we get a break of a few fine days I should get the lawn mower at the lawn and that will collect what is left.
04 November 2010 17:12:44
What abnormal weather, temperature which would please one in early September but little or no sunshine, high humidity and no shortage of rain. Tuesday and Wednesday, I tried to do something in the garden. To day I called to Woodies to get items for the garden. One item was Arabis which went into the rockery and the other was moss killer for the drive. While the Arabis went down the moss killer will wait until later. While I was waiting at the check out, I noticed several Phalaenopsis at I think €7.99, very good value. I paid €13 plus in Lidl some time ago for the same type of orchid. I didn't buy but if I did I would have got 10% off. At home, with plenty leaves on the lawn, I got my rake out and worked on them for some time also on concrete paths. Then a short interval with light rain and out again to do a bit of pruning of the ash trees in the small lawn at the back. I got most of one done and retired, hoping to finish this work to morrow.
01 November 2010 20:07:53
Who might this politician be?
Who is this politician?
01 November 2010 20:05:53