Drumanagh's Journal

Radio Ga Ga(rdening)

Radio Ga Ga(rdening)

As Liga said Gardeners World was really good on friday, unfortuantely I had it recorded and watched half of it and decided to come back to it as it was too noisy to  hear any of it, and then it got deleted. I was Raging. Its such a disgrace its not reapeated when they have eastenders on I don't know how many times a week! Anyway, there is a really informative (if a little, whats the word, pompous maybe???) Radio show on BBC Radio 4 today - Gardener's Question Time - at 2pm. I think it is repeated on Fridays and you can listen to the latest shows at

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qp2f

It doesn't make up for missing Gardener's World but its something! And they do lots of book reviews.

For Spider

Remind you of anyone???

Somebody doesn't like the book 'competition' going on. Maybe we(I) did get a bit carried away but I have very few friends who would actually appreciate my gardening book collection and I was interested to see what books other people have. I have seen lots that I would like and as Headgardener says, you can never have too many books. Its where I learned most of what I know about gardening. My husband thinks I'm nuts for having so many but I just remind him how many CDs he has. If only we could download gardening books like music now! But I think I would still buy the books anyway. Half the joy is flicking through the pictures.

I found what would be a perfect Christmas present for Spider. Its tongue in cheek of course - I couldn't resist it.

My Garden library

My Books

All the gardening book worms on this site have me tidying up the whole 'office' today. My other half will be so grateful when he gets home as my gardening books have never looked so tidy! I've put a couple of photos in an album for a closer view!

The Garden of hope

The Vegetable garden in Capetown

For Clara and ClaireE who were at the fundraiser in Kilquade heres a pic of some of the work that was done in Capetown with the Niall Mellon Trust. For more info on the week and to watch a video on the landscaper Peter Donegan's blog about it see

http://blog.doneganlandscaping.com/2009/11/18/wallacedene-the-garden-of-hope-team-2009/

What a great achievement. Those kids look so a happy, with a new school hall, playground and garden which they otherwise would never have had.

Sweet Gum

Liquidamber or Sweet Gum

I'm a little embarassed I was so frivolous the other day moaning about not being able to go out without Wellies when people are having their houses flooded. This weather is just unreal. The bogs around here have turned into lakes, and the river Inny has burst its banks in places. As Jools was saying there are turloughs where there never were turloughs before. If there was a way to rig up mini water turbines on our gutters we'd all be living off grid!

Although its not tempting to go out and garden at this time of year I'm finding there are plenty of garden themed activities to be getting on with.  I've been ordering seeds, looking for 'green' christmas presents, making lists of plants I still have to dig up to bring with me when we move, (Yes the sign is finally up - fingers crossed!), and I've been adding to my garden book wishlist on Amazon, as if I need any more gardening books! 

One good thing, if we do manage to move, is that this is the best time of year to move plants, and I'm going to risk digging up this Liquidamber as it really brightens up the garden at this time of year. I do feel a little bad digging up my best plants, but I just couldn't leave them behind!

What I need....

One of these would be nice!

This is what I need - an Eco dome like the one we sat in at Kilquade. The garden has been so wet for weeks now it has been impossible to even give the grass its last cut of the year which means that you can't go out without wellies or the ends of your jeans get completely soaked. I hate that! I really envy all you polytunnel people.....

Also, for anyone who may not be aware of the plan for the Tree for Shelser, I have the certificate now ready to send so if anyone else would like a personal message included, please get in touch. Thanks to everyone who has responded already. It is good to see that her journal is being visited regularly. 

Seeing the Wood for the trees

Seeing the Wood for the trees

I'm not getting to spend much time outdoors these days due to too much happening indoors, but I am hoping to do a bit of a tidy up over the next few days. Had a lovely but flying visit from Janette who brought some great plants and some of those delicious fresh eggs. Thanks Janette! 

We went for a walk in the lovely Mullaghmeen forest in North Westmeath over the weekend and the kids loved swishing the leaves about and finding walking sticks. Its a magical place, although with the dense planting of the beech trees there is not much happening on the ground. There is a young Oak Plantation which will be an even nicer place to walk as the trees mature. Its so nice to be able to get out and do something for free and to blow all the cobwebs away.

Record breaking Chusan Palm?

Trachycarpus fortunei

While doing some tree research recently I came across the National Tree Council site and their tree register documenting the country's most important trees. (http://www.treecouncil.ie/tree_register_of_ireland.htm) There is a big old house near the village and there is a very tall Chusan Palm in the grounds - I often wondered if it might be some sort of record breaker as I didn't think a tree like this would survive in the midlands nevermind grow to a record height. It looks like the record in Ireland for this type of tree is 10m but I think this one may be more than that. Anyone know how to measure how tall a tree is without climbing it?

For Shelser

For Michelle

There is a garden in our hearts

Where friendly flowers grow

And each one has the gentle name

Of somebody we know

Their petals are the memories 

Of passing smiles and tears

Their stems are sturdy shafts of love

That last throughout the years

We tend our garden carefully 

And keep its beauty bright

Beneath a kindly sun by day 

And faithfull stars at night

The wind may blow, the snow may fall

The rain may gather gloom

But in the garden of our hearts

The flowers always bloom.

                    J.J. Metcalfe