Dick's Journal

Arrived by post Monday. did not get much time to read it yet. There seems to be a lot of reading in it.

It seemed a sad day for Hypericum hidcote up to a little time ago. Now the story is different. Not so long ago, I cut nearly to the ground one bush at the back and low and behold the young Hypericum shoots were visible. A few days ago I cut another down in front very low with the same result. To day I tackled a third. Yes this Hypericum , the second in the front shows young material. I have, I believe eight such shrubs and it would seem that all will be safe and sound. This shrub is commonly called St. John's wort as it is normally in bloom on the feast of St. John the Baptist, 24 June. While I don't think I will have it in bloom then nevertheless it is alive. The picture by the way was taken last year.

This is the same shown about a week ago not open fully at the time. As was pointed the flower stalk was short.

Retired from front garden at 8.05 p.m. The three rose beds have the edging complete. Weeding is complete in one bed while the weeds have been given the works of spade in the other two. I showed a rose a few days ago Arthur Bell. Members noted that it was free of black spot. Looking at the hundred this evening, I noticed that there is a little black spot showing so on Monday if the weather is suitable, I should spray the roses again.

Much of the work to day consisted in removing weeds from rose beds and doing some edging. I find that after mowing the lawn, grass at the edge of the rose beds remains uncut. In the afternoon, this work was complete for two beds and after teatime, I hope to finish the three beds. The flowers are opening every day and I hope to have a good display of roses by this day week.

To day, instead of working in the garden, I drove to  Clonkeen Road, Dublin to visit my niece Josefa. I am not familiar with that part of Dublin and wondered if I would be able to get there at all. Some might say drive from Carlow to the Red Cow and enter the M50 but I hate motorways and instead went in by the Long Mile Road, through Drimnagh, Crumlin and turn right to the Canal Road, then into Leeson Street, but with cases of no right turn, here and there it took me nearly three hours to get there. I brought her some tomato plants, Alicante and Gardener's Delight, which we planted into big bucket pots. Also among what I brought were Campanula and Pelargoniums. I had promised  years ago to visit her but was scared about getting to that part of Dublin. She showed me a tree fern which is in good shape. Her greenhouse is about the same size as mine and has a vine growing there, the same age as mine. Say a prayer for her. Her health is not good but she is very positive. She offered me a copy of the Irish Garden but as I get it by post I told her to hold on to it and enjoy it. I left at 5 p.m. and got back to Carlow in less time than when I went to her house. 

It rained quite heavily in the morning, then some showers but out came the sun later on which gave me the chance to do some pruning of Hypericum which had been hit by the Arctic weather we had last winter. It was a slow job but I hope to get rid of the dead wood eventually and perhaps there is still life present. The wind was fairly strong but between the showers it appeared warm.

To day I entered the greenhouse to have a look at the plants and in particular to water same. I checked the tomato plants for side shoots and to my surprise, I found fruits on some of the plants. Then it was a case to find the tomato food and make up the solution. Now they have had their first feed. Thank God we have the sun again to day. Even in the greenhouse yesterday, there was no comfort and so not much was done there.

Nothing to do with Madame Butterfly, but wasn't  it a really fine day here? I had been at the country market in the morning. Moving into the building, we had a bit of rain but afterwards, the sun came out. I met Wellie there and she had a plant for me, a Verbascum, which she had grown from seed supplied by Rachel. My sale was six tomato plants, Gardeners Delight. Dermot O'Neill has on a number of occasions spoken of the extraordinary flavour of these tomatoes. After lunch, I travelled to Tullow for a meeting and was back by about 3 p.m. Next I was in the garden, took the grass cuttings to the compost heap, mowed the small back lawn and tackled the edging of same and part of the front lawn. Some weeding was carried out at the back and plenty more has to be done. It was a great day for the garden with sunshine and very little wind. I believe the rain is on the way so perhaps it will be work in the greenhouse potting on and some house work.

To day, the weather was great for the garden. Some more Pelargoniums were planted into boxes but I will have to wait a while before I plant some more as the boxes I have are occupied. The vine has grown a lot in the last week and some pruning was carried out. Weeding was necessary. At 7.10 p.m. I got out the lawn mower and completed the mowing in one hour. while the lawn looks good, it is evident that some selective weed-killer will have to be applied.

Runner beans have been in and out daily to harden. To day, I planted more than half using the wigwam method While most nights have been overcast, I hope that to night will not be too cold. More pelargoniums have been planted in selected pots but are still all near the house. I will move them to a permanent position when the temperature rises.

Over the last few days, I have been working on Pelargoniums. They are really hardened and have transplanted 25 of them from the ordinary flower pots they were in since late last year, into boxes some round some rectangular. I hope within the next few days, I will have as many planted into boxes or into the ground. I reckon I have about one hundred. Some did not survive but most did. Some have also been taken to the Hurling Club.

Of the many of these shrubs that I thought were all dead, there is one at least that is alive. I mentioned Hypericum hidcote recently. I tackled one at the back of the house and having cut it almost to the ground and removed the prunings, I found that young shoots are there just above ground level. I will have to tackle the others and see if there are similar results.

Early to day it seemed as if there would be rain all day. Later it tended to clear. Nothing done in this area in the morning but by 4 p.m. the grass in the front lawn was dry so out came the mower. A few times it seemed as if we would have some heavy showers but it remained clear of any precipitation and so the lawn was done and looks good. Later I did a bit of edging to one rose bed. Finally I got the spade to the Kerria japonica and lifted some roots. More will be lifted again maybe to morrow. Two members Rachel and Keego showed an interest in the same Kerria, so when we meet again, I will have it for you.

It seems that for the first time that I planted this hypericum in 1985, that it is really dead. My father who later came to live with me gave me one cutting that year. Year after year during the summer I took cuttings and planted them in several parts of the garden. I also gave plants I had propagated to friends of mine and planted one in the Hurling club grounds. To day I noticed that the hypericum in the Hurling Club is alive so about July I hope to get cuttings from it and have it growing in my garden again.

While this month is usually the driest month of the year, the rain is welcome. Last night at a meeting I heard the rain beating down on the roof and how welcome. I believe we will get some more over the next few days and we will notice our plants especially the vegetables making progress. It was cumbersome for some time watering flowers and vegetables. Another great point about the wet weather is that we will hardly get frost so certain bedding plants can be left out at night. April, I believe was a record for high temperatures and low rainfall. Now we can expect plenty of growth.

I planted out some of the Dahlias to day. i had left them out for a while to harden then left them out at night at a side of the house facing south. Now some are planted in the open. Others should be planted to morrow.

I did not watch the gardening competition  this evening for a number of reasons 1. the timing. It could be shown later, 2. I am not impressed with the idea. I said before that it is for the birds and I mean it. The ordinary person who perhaps has a mortgage and has to rear a family needs something more basic and could never afford to garden like that.

At long last, it has shown a flower bud. Some months ago I thought that there was a flower coming out lower down but Liga pointed out that it was not a flower that was on the way but an offset and she was right as usual. Now there is a flower on the way and not that it was not fed. I am now looking forward to a flower, the first time in years that I have had on such a bulbous flower like it.

I watched the last episode (for the moment) last light and enjoyed it. There were certain factors in it from which I learned but planting out tomatoes at the beginning of May?? Can anybody explain? I would not think of it for a long time yet. About a month ago they were talking about planting Pelargoniums in beds, far too early. Is it that in Fota Island they have something like a Mediterranian climate? perhaps they could think of a place 40 miles or more from the sea where it can be quite cold at night at this time. Now when we would wish to have the programme more than any other time, they are saying good bye for a while.

Plenty of sunshine here to day although a bit windy. Plenty of weeding in various places. More of the compost turned to day. I should be spreading it in rose beds to morrow. While turning the compost the robins visited me looking for some fresh meat! Nevertheless one robin came to me later in the day and reminded me that some seed should be put on the bird table. The hedge trimmer was fully charged to day and much of the trimming of hedges took place until the battery was run down and is recharging at present. Some onions which I got from my sister in Castlebar were planted. About 25 tomato plants were potted. No work done yesterday but watched the National Hurling League Final on TG4. Weren't the Dubs great? They will be a force in Hurling from now on. How about all of the members of garden.ie who come from Dublin? Were you all watching it? Some consolation after the footballers were beaten a week earlier.