Dick's Journal

What a day we had yesterday? The last week of April, how different from the lovely weather we had at the end of March. I went to the hurling field in the morning, went for shelter to watch an under age team from our Club playing but retired to the car, it was so cold. In the afternoon, watched two football matches on TG4, one being the National League final Cork v Mayo. The Rebels finished  up winners so now for next Sunday to see them make it the double! How the players stood up to the inclement weather is a mystery. To day is better with no rain so far but still the North East winds are with us. No plants were put out for hardening yesterday. I think it will be ok to day. Yesterday at about 7.30 p.m. I went to the greenhouse to find that the temperature was down to 5 degrees so on with the heat.

It is still April. June is a long way away so very soon in May this rose should be fully open. There should be a great fragrance from it. 

It arrived by post, this morning and would you believe, it is only now, night time that I am reading it. There is great reading in it, congratulations to Gerry Daly and his team. As usual I opened the journal at Rachels article and all I could do was laugh as it is often the thing that happens me, preparing to do one thing and finishing doing something else. So amusing and so true. Friday is a busy day for me with the Country Market, at 10 a. m. (where I sold nothing), a meeting in Tullow at 2 p.m. and another meeting at 8 p.m. While some would be watching the Late Late show after that, I would be either reading or using the computer, what for? Garden.ie of course.

bought three of these  alpines at Woodies yesterday and got three for the price of two. I got them down same day despite the rain. 

The seeds were given to me in Johnstown at the get together in January. They would remind you of very small Gladioli. They seem hardy. They are monocotyledons of some sort.

Hard to believe that May will be with us next week. April must be one of the worst Aprils we have had both from the point of view of Rain and temperature. Evelyn Cusack this evening stated that we will be getting better temperatures next week and that will be welcome. To day being Thursday, I went to Woodies and decided to get something for the house and garden depending on the weather. I had two things in mind 1. something for the rockery, 2. a roller to apply some sort of paint inside, in preference for the ceiling in the hall. I was hoping for the former and considering that it was wet early in the day, I went Woodies before lunch. I bought the roller and three alpine plants, Armeria @€4.99 each but three for the price of two. I got out into the garden and began to dig a hole for the first plant when down came the rain. In I went again, got the paint and stepladder and set out to do some painting when it seemed that the rain was over so out again, planted the two others when down came the rain again. Earlier I had taken out some tender plants for hardening. I was back in the greenhouse to do some work there. In all very little was done over all but I am pleased with the Armeria and look forward to seeing them when they are properly rooted. I was hoping to take a picture but it is too wet. I believe that better weather is on the way.

At last we have an RTÉ programme on gardening. I enjoyed it although I have reservations about. Personally it is a programme for those who are and who are not involved in gardening. It is in a way like The Voice of Ireland which I did not follow. To enjoy that programme, you do not necessarily have to be a singer. I enjoy singing myself but would not be turned on by that particular programme. in the same way, you don't have to be a gardener to enjoy Super Garden. While I enjoyed the programme, I did not learn anything from it. Even the people involved in the competition, did not have to have gardening skills. I am still waiting for a real programme on gardening. Oh for the days when we had Gerry Daly!

Thank God I got the grass mown yesterday. A heavy shower about mid day. I was at the Hurling Club grounds. I spent the rest of the day indoor watching the hurling. The one I enjoyed was the Cork Tipp. game. The Cats can watch out. JBM has a great team, back to the old tactics. They will take beating.

To day was a much better day than yesterday, not as much hail, just one shower and after that it was great. I mentioned that on Thursday I had to leave the lawn with about one third to do. I had plants out again to harden and in the afternoon, down came a shower of the same so I rushed and put in the plants. Then the Hurling match Galway V Dublin was about to start and so I abandoned the gardening until it was over. I was interested in both teams, in particular Dublin as many of my nephews and nieces were born there. While Dublin were on the losing end they were short three very good players. After tea, I took out the mower and finished the job. The lawn is looking much better now although there is still moss in about half of it and I will get at that in a few days time with ferrous sulphate. 

Yesterday, there was a touch of Summer, at least here in Carlow. I really enjoyed being in the garden. Two thirds of the lawn was mown but time ran out and I had planned  to finish it off to day as I had to go to Woodies for compost.  I got three bags for the price of two. Many plants were out yesterday hardening but to day what a difference. We had hail before mid day and again, I was actually in Tullow when we had hail and thunder. The result was that the lawn was not finished, too wet. The plants were not put out to harden, except a few in the afternoon. I was very pleased that the plants didn't go out but on the other hand in the greenhouse the temperature was high when the sun came out. Coming back from Tullow between 2.30 and 3 p.m. the temperature fell from about 12C to 6 C. What a change. I am looking forward to an improvement in the weather to morrow.

To day, something like what we would expect in April. Some plants, half hardy, have been out during the day and in at night to harden. I hope to get more out to day. Cerinthe Major, on the left,  I got the seeds from Una at Johnstown and have come on well. I am looking forward to see the flowers. I was unable to get these flowering plants in any of the gardening books but did so through Google and when they bloom, they should be super.

Nationwide on Friday, 7 p.m. will come from Wexford and plenty of flowers to be seen. I believe Gerry will be there.

A number of changes have taken place in the rockery recently: 1. I removed the forget me not and a few weeds, 2. Some flowering plants have come on e.g. Alyssum, Heuchera, 3. Items purchased from Bakker: Milk Lady and Butterflies are introduced.

Somebody possibly noticed that there was no e-mail from me for just over a week. No there was nothing wrong with me only I drove to Castlebar on Wednesday 4 th. I spent nearly a week with my sister Nora and did a bit of gardening there too. Nora has a lovely garden and keeps it very well. I brought her some of my tomatoes, four Alicante and two beafsteak. a neighbour looked after my greenhouse while I was away. I noticed quite a change when I got back. Almost all of the forget me not which looked very good in the rockery was removed to make way for other plants. There is still plenty of it in other parts of the garden. To day I didnt get much time for the garden as I was at a funeral of a former colleague of mine. However I potted up the Dahlias which had come on a lot. They had been in a cardboard box in the greenhouse.