Last Post 1056 days 2 hours ago
29 June 2010 15:41:02
Rosa Mundi
Just been swaning around the garden (charmed life really!!), notebook in hand noting plants in bloom at the moment and plants needing attention etc. etc.
Then I came to things in pots needing planting and discovered this rose given by Greenway! the bud had opened and what a lovely surprise! Rosa Mundi an old rose that I had got a cutting off a few years ago but had not been successful in getting it to 'take'. I am so excited and pleased to get it.
Greenway, thank you so much! and you can be sure I will take good care of this one and look forward to having it in the garden next year adding to my ever increasing selection of roses - I think that is now over 30 different varieties and multiples of many of those!
28 June 2010 21:41:15
Penstemon 'Barbatus Rondo'
As the morning was overcast and threatening drizzle I was very good(!) and stayed inside and did some housework! No rain came and by late afternoon I just had to get out!
Did some deadheading and weeding but in fairness the weeds are not too bad as the ground is so dry and the borders are now so full that there is little room for them to survive.
Planted in a few asters and one or two other things that were sitting around in pots and were difficult to keep watered. This year I am planting annuals on top of bulbs that have died back. Fills the space without lifting the bulbs.
Took some pictures and this is a penstemon that went in new last year and is doing really well. Up to now I have never had great success with Penstemon so dont know if it is this variety that is good or just the dry season.
Have just added some more pictures to the Album 'Roses' and will add to the June Album too.
26 June 2010 23:31:50
Irises
Another great day and very hot. had a very light shower early morning but not nearly enough to save watering. Got some work done in garden. Planted two tree Lupin given by Greenway on his visit. Im really delighted to get those as the one I had didnt survive from last year. Also planted Jasminum officinale which I bought on a recent visit to the garden centre.
Manage to cut the grass(should read buttercups and daisies!) in the Wilderness. With all the dry weather it reduces the time spent cutting grass! But needed to spend time watering in the late evening. This weather is amazing really and makes life so much easier.
These bulbous Irises are in great bloom at the moment. They have been in the garden for a very long time and I dont know what they are called, anyone know?
25 June 2010 11:14:57
Albertine
Another scorching day here and the roses are making the most of it. will try to put up an album maybe this evening if the light is good for tating pics at the moment much too bright!
this is a shot of Albertine which is now covering the arch to the Wilderness and the perfume in the evening is really heady! Might get better picture tonight.
22 June 2010 16:32:34
Albertine
Just checking in on you all after a long absence when too busy with garden Open!
We had a great weekend, with lots of generous visitors! The sun shone so the garden was looking good and folk enjoyed the walk around and buying a plant and then relaxing with the cup-of-tea in the cool of the orchard!!
At this point we have over €1500 for Fields of Life towards drilling a well in Uganda. Should be able to add to that with the odd late visitor. So a very enjoyable and successful weekend. But after clearing up today Myrtle and I are having a relaxing afternoon while we await a visitor to the garden sent by the Tourist Office!
The rose Albertine is now in great bloom over the arch into the Wilderness and as today is calm and less sunny the perfume is fantastic.
14 June 2010 10:59:45
Clematis 'William Kennett'
Took this picture this morning of a new Clematis, 'William Kennett' planted last year by the arch going into the Wilderness. Seems to be doing very well and should have blooms for the weekend!
We had some good rain here this morning so Im pleased as it saves time watering and is so much better for the plants.
Had a great day on Saturday with 3 groups to the garden so hope that continues this weekend. You will all understand if Im not on this site much over the next few days!
07 June 2010 18:39:36
Have you ever had that wonderful experience of answering a knock on the door or turning around at a function when someone tapped you on the shoulder and found, unexpectantly, a much loved friend, whom you havn't seen for a while, standing smiling at you?
well that was my experience today! I was in the garden quite early this morning as watering needed to be done in the wilderness and as I finished and came up to have a look around the Southfacing border I was confronted by the beautiful sight of two large oriental red poppies! they quite took my breath away! Yesterday they showed no sign of opening! I think it was Clara who mentioned how quickly they open in the end!! Great!
The second surprise was when digging in the Inner Circle this afternoon and what did I find but the root of the new arum lilly that I planted last year- a beautiful flower with purple center -think it was called Volitaire - and was in all the Garden Centers. Of course I had given up on it as no shoot had appeared so was surprised to find, although the centre of the root was soft and had a white smelly thick liquid, there were some healthy shoots emerging. I had of course, put the spade right through the root so have probably finished it off!!
So for those of you who may have a similar Arum- dig carefully!! You have been warned!! Off now to meet up with our G. S. members for a walk around a member's garden!
05 June 2010 20:44:23
Golden Showers
Spent a long time this morning on publicity for Open Days. But got a good bit done. In the afternoon I cut most of the grass. It wasnt very long but it looks better without the buttercups and daisies!
Spent a good while watering this evening as no rain came and it doesnt look like we will get much tonight.
This is a picture of one of my three Golden Showers, all grown from cuttings. Perfume is beautiful but I think they will have passed their first flush of flower before 18th., but that's 'the way the cookie crumbles'! And there should be plenty of other roses in bloom by then. I will try to put up pictures of the different ones as they come to full bloom.
04 June 2010 10:04:17
Sincere Apologies for not meeting up yesterday at Bloom. We arrived at the Show just before 12noon but had to stand for ages in a long line to get tickets and by the time I found the Irish garden Stand it was 1pm!
I do hope you didnt waste too much of your day waiting around for me and that you enjoyed your day and got some new plants! I enjoyed the day very much even though I would liked to have had more time! It was great to see such a crowd on a Thursday and the plant sales seemed to be going well which I was glad to see as growers had s very difficult winter and spring.
Hope we can meet up sometime!
02 June 2010 16:36:45
Rhod. 'Pink Pearl'
Im booked to go on a coach to Bloom tomorrow and was wondering if anyone else from the site is doing the same and would like to meet up? Perhaps we could meet at the Garden.ie stand around noon?( No not the Empire State Building!!!!!!!!!!!!)
This is Rhod. Pink Pearl which is in full bloom now.
01 June 2010 22:42:17
Crinodendron, 'Lantern Bush'
Clara, as promised, this is a (not very good) picture of my lantern bush, Crinodendron. The picture is not clear enough to show its height but I reckon it is about 9-10ft. But it can be kept cut back a little but I have to wait until there is a tall man around the place who is able to reach the top of it as it is way beyond my reach! They are lovely bushes and give a great colour at this time of year and will produce some flowers through the season if you pinch back the growing tips with your thumb-nail as you stand admiring it!! Needless to say I can only reach part of mine!