rita d's Journal

For Olga

Vallota

this is the Vallota or Scarborough Lily I told you about on your journal,  What do you think?

for michaelC

Watsonia

 Hi Michael 

Repotted my lovely Watsonias  you gave me the nudge towards.  Took this photo specially for you..  Do you think they will be ok in this size pot for a year or two.  Pilansii was potted earlier and has already made new growth.  look forward to lovely flowers next Spring.  Apricot Queen was really pot bound

How about this?

my prize

Sallysarah and I went on a day long plant hunt yesterday (Fri).  We started off in the HSE Rural Training Centre in castlebar.  I had never been there before but sally is a regular customer so brought me along.  I was so impressed in spite of the rain which was relentless.  We got four well established perennials for 10 Euro.  Will post names and varieties when I have them repotted.  The prize of the day was a large Strelizia given to me free gratis and for nothing by a member of staff looking for, as she said ' a good home' hope mine is good enough.  Had (have) one which bloomed for the first time earlier this year. Since it bloomed I followed guidelines and placed it outside for the summer....but its looking very sad and has not made any new growth since flowering..afraid for it..  Today I bought a special deep pot and repotted my prize.  Top dressed compost with aggregate and its now looking very smart...  even think it has a flower bud developing.. fingers crossed  (They take forever to open)  probably next spring if it is a flower..  may only be another leaf..

Next stop was Horkins Garden Centre where we raided the hospital trolley.  Then we met a staff member I have got to know through being a regular customer and she reduced the plants even further..  Will post names and varieties again when finished repotting.  All activity in that area finished with onset of rain in the early afternoon today

inside the diary

inside

Still blank til tomorrow...

Olga's diary

diary

this lovely little diary was given to me by Olga when she came to stay in Westport at the start of her Irish holiday.  I will now be more organised and keep records of new plants and repotting of older ones.  Johnplotman,  you have been my inspiration for resolve to be organised  ( on paper anyway)  Who says resolutions are for New Year only.

gift from Susan

Sues gift

these lovely Stargazer lilies were given to me by Sue when she paid a social visit last wednesday.  Thank you Sue,  they are gorgeous

For Myrtle

labeller

Brother P Touch label printer,  never fades or becomes illegible,  Bought in Mr Middleton,  ordered by phone and dispatched by post.  Very satisfactory.

pink tinged

pink tinged

was ordered to enter a text by site but I think picture speaks for itself

after the long wait

Agapanthus

Agapanthus in full flower.  Peeling paint still there.  White one has a touch of pink..

ravages of Mr smelly

afflicted Clivia

while going round like a bloodhound trying to track where Mr Smelly left his sprinkle after a late,late night visit,  I found it was on my prized Clivia...  Nothing for it but to take clivia out to yard and shower and shower and shower and even then leave poor clivia out in the rain.  Not sure the pong is gone yet but at least the compost must be free of evil urine.  Front door mat was another victim of this feral cat.  At least mat is disposable so will find its way to landfill to pollute the countryside. 

Have just consoled myself by ordering from Dibley's 'lucky dip' catalogue another 15,  yes fifteen varieties of streptocarpus. Will have to go on e-bay to source a giant shoe horn to fit them in somewhere. 

high in the sky

Up, up and away

this is a beautiful highly scented climbing rose,  but a victim of Lady Banks.  It was being so smothered  it grew and grew  ( maybe taking a lesson from her)  so high to get away I now cant reach the flowers to either smell or dead head.  Even long handled pruner is too short...  its reaching for the sky..

grown from seed.

Outdoor Bonsai

was given a Christmas present a few years ago of a bonsai kit including seeds of conifers suitable for outdoor bonsai.  Planted some seeds with mixed feelings.  Am not too keen on keeping plants minature.  Imagine they would be happier left to nature and their true size. Anyway this is the only survivor 4 years later and I find myself apologising to it for keeping it in such a tiny container.  What size would this be if allowed its freedom. ?

It reminds me of the barbaric chinese practise of binding little girls' feet to keep them small and undeveloped.

Pink Marshmallow

Pink Marshmallow or not...

Rachel,

I think this one is pink marshmallow but not 100% sure.  this one belonged to my mother and she knew every one of her plants and never labelled anything.  That is not the case with me.  Have to label or its forgotten.

Ground hog day!!

better shot of zygopetalum

Today the same cat deposited another of those giant caterpillars at my feet,  again uninjured.  I  rescued him/her from possessive moggie  (next time he might not give them to me)  This time,  thanks to garden.ie friends I knew what it was.  I made a few phone calls to neighbours who might know where willow might be growing so I could put him back there.  Eventually found some myself but its a bit near home ( mine and the cats)  but it was the best I could do. prevailed upon a more sprightly neighbour to climb the wall and put him into the willow.  he was a bit taken aback when he saw the size of the creature.  he showed it to his wife and children first and all shreiked.  Hope he is ok.  John got instructions to place him high in the tree where he would be out of reach.   2 hours later a relative called with her three boys.  they explored the garden and came in shouting they had seen a giant caterpillar floating in a container of water I use for soaking pots.  There the poor thing was, dead as a doornail.  (Dont cry Nadine).  It was not the last one rescued as it was too long dead.  maybe the first..  maybe a third one.  who knows.  If anybody knows how to stop cats hunting would be glad.

Took a better photo of zygopetalum.  Flowers had spaced themselves as they developed further.

Orchid...zygopetalum

zygopetalum

rare orchid  just blooming.  This had one bud when I purchased it three years ago.  This is the first time it rebloomed and now has 4 flowers,  it is more purple in reality than it appears in photo.  Had hoped it would be open before Olga went back to Dublin but alas...  this is the next best thing on site

Posted some more photos