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31 August 2011 20:21:12
We were told by the lady from Met Éireann this evening that to morrow is the beginning of autumn. Now the name in our own language for September is Mean Fómhair in other words the middle of autumn and October is Deire Fómhair, end of autumn, so how does autumn start to morrow. Of course schools are opening at this time. The middle of autumn is surely when day and night are the same length, 12 hours each and that is usually 23 September, autumnal equinox. I have brought in all my Christmas cacti and Epiphyllum cacti. I potted up the last of my Pelergoniums.
31 August 2011 20:09:44
Firewood from Griselinia
Several hours spent at this to day. Two years ago there was a lovely hedge here. A year ago there where bare branches and some green shoots coming from below. Now look at what we have. It will provide firewood, any chance there will be any life left?
30 August 2011 14:00:06
A few more Pelargoniums slipped yesterday giving me thirty. The third rose bed was tackled re edging and looks better. Some of the wood which was part of the beautiful Griselinia hedge up to January 2010 is being sawn and makes good firewood. At once I have the job done I will have more space in the back garden. The orchids are making great progress and i look forward to seeing flowers on them. Actually there are three flower slalks on one plant.
29 August 2011 14:30:58
Phalaenopsis
Here is another orchid that is showing new life. Is there a flower on the way? This part of the plant is about 30 inches above the pot. Rachel, Liga.
28 August 2011 20:07:24
Hypericum hidcote
All of the Hypericums that seemed dead after the very cold weather in December, not only are alive but are blooming, yes in late August rather than late June but better late than ever. Jacinta, I promised you one and haven't forgotten.
27 August 2011 20:16:53
To day, much of the time was taken up at the rose beds. Edging of the beds took up some of the time, also edging of other parts of the lawn. One rose bed has still to be done. At about 7 p.m. I was about to start at it when I found a few more jobs to be done. One was to take some more cuttings of Pelargoniums. They will be potted on Monday DV. The ones which were slipped earlier are almost all rooted. They root very well at this time of year. While it would mean some less flowers, at the same time, I will have more young plants for next year and less woody stems. Then I was about to get at the third rose bed when a shower came so i retired. No photos to day.
26 August 2011 22:33:12
While I have been using tomatoes from the greenhouse since some time in July, there has been very little ripening from day to day. True there is a very heavy crop but to day I noticed a big change from the point of view of ripening. Yesterday I had enough to take to the Country Market to day, 1 lb. I think the main reason is that while it has been quite dry for some time, we had less sunshine than normal. To day was a very sunny day and quite warm for some hours. The temperature in the greenhouse was high and the door had to be opened. I look forward to having plenty of tomatoes from now on.
25 August 2011 19:29:31
Purchases in Woodies
Called to Woodies this afternoon. The weather was lovely at the time I bought the following: two ivy leaf pelargoniums @ €1 each, six pansies @ €2.84, Phalaenopsis orchid @ €6.29, 25 crocuses @ €2.69 and Miracle gro @ €5.39. Saved €1.93 Thursday senior citizen. I was about to depart when I saw the orchids and at that price could not resist.
25 August 2011 11:19:47
A heavy shower yesterday at about 2.30 p.m., how great. The place was so parched and very difficult to water certain parts of the garden. First came a flash. I wondered was it lightning as it had been lovely in the morning, then the roll of thunder and then down came the rain as it had not come for a long time. While it did not last long, it had great work done. Then out comes the sun and it remained fine for the rest of the day. This morning when I woke up the ground was really wet and while it was clear the rain came down in buckets full between 9.30 and 10 a.m. Now we have growth again. I was afraid that so much would be destroyed by the drought. Now I am pleased. When I got home at about ten, the Irish Garden had arrived. I glanced through it from cover to cover. It is really good this time. when I came to Rachel's article, I had to read it fully. How amusing but how true. I really had to laugh out loud! Well done Rachel. Perhaps soon we may get a bigger article from you.
20 August 2011 19:12:51
I took ten cuttings of Pelargoniums to day. I will pot them up on Monday when they will have dried a bit.
20 August 2011 17:31:26
Temperature is up quite a bit to day but the sun is hidden most of the time. I bought some pansies to day to replace the ones I had prior to this. They served me well. When the old plants were removed the soil was really dry. Several can fulls of water were needed for same.
18 August 2011 15:54:22
Last night according to Met Éireann, it seemed that rain would be here quite early. As I retired shortly after midnight, it hadn't arrived, neither early in the morning. after a little bit of shopping, I took the lawn mower out. The grass margin by the road and the grass and weeds at each of the drive were done. Then about 12.15 p.m. I got at the lawn, retired for lunch and at about 2 p.m. got at the lawn again and finished it. Clothes which had been washed that morning were on the line. Then at about 3.30 p.m. I felt a few drops of rain. I was about to bring the barrow (not the river) out into the lawn to pick up the grass when I realised that the rain was on the way, so no more work with the barrow, clothes down off the line and in home and down came the rain. Now that I have made this entry, the rain has stopped, for how long? I was very pleased to have the grass cut and having the rain arrived as we have had very little rain for some time.
16 August 2011 15:43:23
Bumble Bee on Solidago
I find that this flower attracts all kinds of insect - Honey Bee, Bumble Bee, Butterfly and others. I was planning to photograph a Butterfly but it flew away so I took one of the Bumble Bee instead.
15 August 2011 13:41:03
Rockery
This rockery replaces a varigated poplar tree which came down about a year ago. Part of it has yet to be planted as it was only recently I removed the part of the tree which still covered about half.
14 August 2011 19:15:48
Phalaenopsis
Is there a flower on the way here? Rachel and Liga.
14 August 2011 19:13:13
Phalaenopsis
Is there a flower about to come here? What do Rachel and Liga think?
13 August 2011 20:45:59
Gladiolus
Jacinta asked for a photo. My gladioli are apparently a bit later than some others.
13 August 2011 17:58:26
Now I feel that I am getting nearer to what I planned to have in the garden. 1. Pruning: at this time, I tackle the apple trees. The young shoots have been growing and they were cut back to day.One tree did not really require much pruning while the other did. 2. Yuccas at the back which are rooted were cleaned around and in the case of one plant which seemed dorment there were four shoots, in another there was one shoot. 3. Tackling the weeds around the apple trees, half of this work is complete. 4. The hedgetrimmer was brought out to trim a whitethorn hedge. This hedge was not touched this or last year as far as I remember. Now the back garden looks much better. 5. Cabbage Offenham is well overground and before long it will be transplanted. 6. Picked a few tomatoes. There is a very good crop but they are a bit slow to ripen.
12 August 2011 15:38:28
Despite the forecast for rain, I was able to make a bed for the onion seed and sow the seed. What was sown was White Lisbon Winter Hardy. The Alliums I reported on some time ago were up in the air. These ones are more down to earth.
11 August 2011 17:57:20
Heuchera & Penstemon
Called to Woodies. Bought Heuchera Plum Royale and Penstemon Snowstorm. Both are planted.
10 August 2011 17:50:20
Up to about 3.30 p.m. it was pleasant although not sunny. I decided to attack a piece of ground which had nothing growing in it last year, due to a hernia. Now that piece of ground is looking much better. When Rachel visited me this time last year, I was ashamed of the condition of it. This year thank God things are different. We have drizzle for over two hours but perhaps it will clear. I plan to put onion seed and strawberries in it. I would have put potatoes in it in the spring only that I have been informed that I may have eel worm and the ground should be free of potatoes for four years.
09 August 2011 17:26:19
Yucca
Called to Hurling Club. It had been neglected for some time. Some work was done tidying around some shrubs, Hydrangea, Yucca, Hypericum Senecio. All are doing well. The Yucca here in Hurling Club is a different variety from the ones I have at home. It is in bloom at present. There are Pelargoniums on window cills. More work has to be done yet.
08 August 2011 20:29:47
More Yuccas
Most of the day was taken up (1) cleaning a heather bed in front of the house. It was in a bad state with grasses and weeds mainly vetches. (2) cleaning around two large Yuccas one at each one of the heather bed. What did I find a large number of offsets around the Yuccas. There were at least eleven around one. As I said earlier, three members got Yuccas from me. Now there are enough for twenty if they are interested.
07 August 2011 20:53:29
Oncidium
This orchid I got from Rachel about a year ago. No flowers have appeared yet. However there seems to be some development. Rachel do you think a flower is on the way?
06 August 2011 17:04:28
I had planned to travel to North Wexford to meet Rachel and the gang and view Rachel's beautiful garden. I had seen it a little over a year ago but what it would be to see it this year would be another story. I had met the gang in Johnstown in March but to meet them again and perhaps some I never met before except on the monitor of the computer - not the same. Met Éireann had given a miserable weather forecast, apparently raining all day long with thunder showers and low temperatures. If it were forecast as it turned out I would be there but there you are, I made the decision to stay at home and maybe do some work in the house. The morning was lovely warm and sunny and also the afternoon up to about 3.30. As Caesar said "The die is cast." I got a lot done at home in the garden. Cabbage plants were planted out and a net put on them to protect them against the pigeons, a whitethorn was pruned giving a bit of topiary, some weeds were removed from heather in front of the house, pelargoniums were slipped and they should be planted in the greenhouse by Monday. Then the rain came for a while and when it ended I got digging a piece of ground at the back. Then the rain came again so I retired from the garden. I am sure the gang enjoyed the afternoon at least from 2 p.m. to 3.30 as it was lovely here and I am sure it was the same in Rachel's. I had some plants for people I would meet but please God there will be another day.
03 August 2011 23:22:38
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are doing well in the greenhouse. I have been picking a few a day for the last week. I think I will have a bumper crop this year. I have some in large pots outside and they should do well too I have got one tomato from there so far.
02 August 2011 17:58:36
Yuccas
Weather was ideal for the garden. Cabbage seed was sown and hoeing done to one of the rose beds, also some pruning where flowers were gone. However the greater time was taken cleaning and pruning away weeds, briars etc around Yucca. While the work was not so pleasant with nettles and briars what a result. First I thought one, then two, then three eventually four offsets. These can be lifted later on.
01 August 2011 22:33:31
To day, I dug the onion bed so they are on the way to be saved. The same area was under potatoes last year and I hope to put strawberries in it in about a months time. I have a bit of ground ready for cabbage plants and they should be planted into that ground to morrow. Roses were de-headed, they don't look as good as they did earlier on. Members admired the leaves of the roses earlier, free from black spot but Im afraid they are not looking so good now. I sprayed them earlier in the year but should have done it again. The drive shows a lot of weeds. Some of it was sprayed about a week ago, some to day and some more to morrow. Moss is appearing in the lawn, a bit early I would say. It probably needs some fertilizer. Weeds were removed from around concrete slabs in front of the house. Pots at the back of the house were examined to see if they were ok. Now the place is beginning to look a bit better.