Cloncaw's Journal

Remove of the Dead and Unwanted.

Another Lily Open 31/07

Spent the afternoon in the garden, tedious job deadheading the red standard rose and the climbing rose at the back door, removed spent Blue Thycoon and some of the candytuft from the NW bed. Watered everything in the polytunnel and then it was on to more tidying and weed removal in beds along front of the house more deadheading roses. Finished the terrace bed and then removed any remaining self seeded poppies as they had become very tatty, more deadheading and weeding along the south bed. Finally decided that the lupins needed drastic treatment in this bed as they really had suffered from aphids and the white budlehia has really spread out so now all that is left are new shoots emerging. This bed is going to have a few plants moved around once the summer is over, the yellow lily is too far forward but it must be twice as high this year than last, the yellow achellia is also going to move further bach and the lupins will move forward but that's another days work in the autumn. Have dahlia Vancouver nearly open and Queen Victoria Lobelia rising in the bed along the front of the house. With any luck tomorrow will be another reasonable day for gardening plan to lift some self seeded plants rather than weeding them out.

What is this called

What's my name

This was grown by sowing perennial mix last year but I'd like to know it's name.

Star Gazer Lily

Stargazer lily open

Eventually this beauty has opened is in one of the many terracotta pots, lots of plants shining in the garden with the picture changing daily. Hope the weather stays reasonable over the weekend as today was very changeable. Did very little i the garden today other than dig some more potatoes and decided to remove stalks from potatoes in the raised bed as it was very warm and decided that I'd remove any chance of blight as they had escaped so far. Some of the potatoes are massive so hopefully I'll not be disappointed with the rest of the crop. Pulled some carrots and picked more peas and a few more sticks of rhubarb.Posted up a few more photos around the garden in July hard to believe that August is upon us and the evenings are dropping quite dark here tonight at 10pm due to it being an overcast day.

Blazing Star

Blazing Star

Spent a while watering and feeding pots on the terrace before lunch and then decided after reading Rachel's journal about the effect of brown in planting made a decision to remove plants that were on a downward spiral providing little colour other than shades of brown. Started on the terrace bed and out came Blue Thycoon which had given a great display of soft lilac blue flowers earlier in the spring but was now only the odd flower and seed heads, Removed poppies that had selfseeded last year as these were looking decidely tatty, tattered lupin leaves and spent flower spikes, viola looking rather scraggly also met their end. Withered leaves from the stacys were removed and any weeds that had been lurking underneath all these plants have discovered plants that need to be lifted as I had sown a perennial mix in this bed last year. Had gone about half way along and was clearing leaves and debris from under Mary Rose when suddenly the palm of my hand was throbbing with pain discovered I had some sort of creature like a beetle stuck on my palm. Managed to dislodge it and rapidly retreated to the kitchen were the pain receeded once my hand was under cold running water. Little more done after this as I had to teach but I will wear leather gloves next time as I have learnt my lesson. Had nearly bought a hand rake in Sainsbury's yesterday hope they still have them next day I'm there. Took this photo of Blazing Star this evening in the south bed below the terrace was planted last year much better this year.

Sunset over Cloncaw

Sunset

This is a view of the skyline across the hill of our farm. It is in the path of the N2 route proposed for this area, there are 2 other routes proposed as well with a lot of variations, I just hope it will never land on our doorstep as this view would become cars and lorries crossing the skyline. I understand that the route from Waterford to the border is one of the road building projects in yesterday's announcement as this is the last section to be done it will become a reality by the sounds of it. Destruction in the name of progress in my opinion.

Yummy Mummy.

Whoopers of potatoes

Yesterday lifted some potatoes for lunch and just could not believe the size of some of them, so big I had to cut each potato into six wondering will the rest be like that. Pulled a few more stalks of rhubarb made more crumble just yummy.

Catching Up In The Garden

East bed 25/07

Saturday evening was spent weeding the bed on the NW of the house cut back the lupins as they were looking rather sad, I love these flowers but the one thing that bugs me about them is the giant aphids they attract regardless of spraying any tips on how to get rid of these little blighters. Started dead heading which due to the wet and windy weather causing rose petals to fall is a tiresome job on the roses climbing at the back door. Next stop was the bed to the south of the house with all seed heads of Lady's Mantle being removed along with weeds and dead heading flower.  Watering tomatoes in the tunnel, digging potatoes, lifting carrots and picking peas had been squuezed in in the morning along with bringing overwinter onions, red onions, shallots and garlic into the tunnel. The stuggart onions are all laid along the side of the raised beds and these will be brought in later today if I organise a bit more space on the racks. All day Sunday was garden time as we had no competitions to run, first job was watering and feeding all the pots and planters which are putting on a fabulous display. Weeded all along the front of the house dead headed roses and planted out salvia and lavender that I'd bought in Lidl a couple of weeks ago to fill in gaps at front of the beds. Staked up some of the lilies and also the white mop head hydrangea that the torrential rain on Tuesday had flattened. In the east gable bed cut back Bleeding hearts as it was really untidy and planted in the one Salvia Hot Lips that had survived the winter and been in the tunnel to bring it to life, the white cosmos that had not been planted out also found a home and will hopefully fill the gaps in this border. Although the weather was good early in the season the one problem I've had with some of my roses is black spot, I had sprayed them earlier but it still has raged on even though the roses have been plentiful. doesn't seem to affect the David Austin ones the same though so any tips on how to prevent or minimise would be appreciated. Finished up in the east bed weeding and removing emeging Lysimachia and spraying it in places as I really do not want it to take over this bed again even though I love the show it puts on, if I'd known how it would invade I would not have let it rampage through the bed but it's by our mistakes we learn. Still have bit to finish along with needing to get a step ladder to finish dead heading roses by the back door so hope the weather holds up.

Kitchen Garden Produce

Over Winter Onions

In comparison to everyone one elses extensive selection of vegetables I only have a limited range as other than me it's very basic what gets eaten. The overwinter onions are now on racking in the tunnel along with red onions, shallots and garlic, much more impressed with the overwinter onions than the stuggart ones which are lifted but outside will plant more red next year. Potatoes are being dug daily for dinner along with carrots and peas. Managed to miss the raspberries through lack of time and the weather, pulled off some sticks of rhubard the other day for crumble will chance doing this a few more times as it was delicious. Leeks are coming on nicely with brocolli, brussel sprouts and swedes there will be hopefully a good supply over the autumn and winter. Plan to sow some more cauliflower seeds in the tunnel not had great success with the ones I planted will also sow more peas, beans in the tunnel and carrots outdoors. Tomatoes are slowly starting to ripen along with cayenne peppers and californian wonder peppers but as Johnny isn't into hot spicey food will need to find a recipe to use these up for the boys and myself.

The Bishop of Llandaff & Lily

The Bishop of Llandaff

Took this photo on the 20th of the Bishop in the east bed set against one of the yellow lillies I bought in Lidl earlier this year.

So much to do so little time.

Looking gorgeous before the rain

Journal ready to post up on Tuesday evening and then the dratted mobile broadband crashed so all lost too frustrated to redo then and no time since. Tuesday evening saw us get torrential rain here and a few miles down the road none but then Wednesday although we had rain it wasn't torrential but other areas badly affected. On Tuesday night from 6:30 to around 7:15 it was unbelievable fields flooded and the pond rose around 15cm, I dreaded to think what damage would be done but I have to say that most plants survived remarkably well. The kitchen garden is providing all the veg for the table and today decided that I would pick a few sticks of rhrubarb so dessert was a delicious crumble I know this won't be the last picking.

On the flower front dahlia Nuit d'ete and the Bishop of Llandaff are both out budlehia is adding great height and colour around the garden .  Hope to get a bit of time to make some notes on what needs moved next year. Have perennial sweetpea in the NW bed putting on a fabulous show but the whole area needs to be replannned as it's just too crowded, have to see who I can get to make me a couple of obelisks over the winter as they need much higher supports . Another job if it's dry and calm is to paint the leaves of the lysmachia appearing where I didn't want it - James had dug it out but it's just reappearing so drastic steps need to be taken before it takes over the east bed again.

Putting On A Show

Putting on a show

We were given this Standard rose six years ago and for the first few years it was in a large planter and never did very well, but for the last three years it has been in the bed on the NW side of the house although it gets the sun for most of the day. Last year it put up a really fabulous display being laden down with flowers repeating all summer and this year it looks like it will be even better. Beneath it are selfseeded candytuft,  alliums it adds a focal point in this bed which at the moment is brimming full of plants. This is one area that needs to be sorted for next year giving plants more space especially the perennial sweetpea that has really taken off this year as it also adds height and colour but needs better support on a much higher obelisk. Have seen a design to make one in one of Geoff Hamilton's books now I just need to get someone to construct it.

All Home Grown

Kitchen Garden Produce

Spent a couple of hours in the kitchen garden this afternoon weeding and generally tidying up removed all the Milan top turnips as they had gone to seed. Lifted more onions,shallots and garlic dug up my first potatoes really surprised at the overall size. Pulled carrots picked peas as well as the massive cauliflower should have been used sooner the last time I looked there was nothing to be seen.Hope I find the knack of growing these on the whole cauliflower plants haven't done well. Removed all the Milan top turnips as they had gone to seed with any luck tomorrow will be another reasonable day as further tidying up needs to be done raspberries need picked as well as more peas which need to be frozen before they lose their sweetness. Tonights dinner was all home grown beef produced on the farm with potatoes, carrots, peas and cauliflower straight from the kitchen garden just delicious.  

Heaven on Earth

Heaven on Earth

Have been up to my eyes in preparation work for one day event competions on the last 2 Sundays. Garden time has been very limited only watering pots, .planters and the polytunnel so I've been having withdrawal symptons and trying to keep up with everyone's journals feeling very envious of everyone but that's life work has to come first. This evening I really needed to destress after scoring the Monaghan Pony Club competition with competiors from surrounding counties but also Galway and Kildare so it was great to get out from around 8:00 till 10:30 pm watered everything as although it has rainedc I think we escaped the heavy rain and storms down the counrty, dead headed roses and lupins along the front of the house and then in the terrace bed. Removed a lot of the selfseeded poppies heads and also some of the plants along with any weeds peeping up. Need to give plants a bit more space but up to now I've tried to have lots of colour and have on the whole suceeded, the chief steward today was from Kilkenny and she and her husband complimented me on the wonderful colour in the garden which is great as the garden is really only 3 years old but now I need to structure planting more- well that's the plan. Yesterday while lifting carrots for dinner decided to lift my overwinter onion, disappointed in the garlic it seemed to go to seed, red onions and stuggart onions also look ready as tops floped over as are the shallots, carrots, leeks, peas flying along. Potatoes are going to be lifted tomorrow for dinner and a cauliflower that is massive last time I looked thet were tiny and need to remove aany weeds and pick the raspberries. In the polytunnel tomatoes seem to be doing better have removed a lot of the side shoots to let them have more air and light don't know if I did the right thing, hopefully some of the Garden Pearl will be ready to use soon looking forward to that.

Took this photo on Thursday while out with kids cross country and feel lucky to live in such an unspolit Heaven on Earth. This evening listening to the bees buzzing around on the plants the ducks quacking as they wandered around the lawn looking for slugs et and the scent of flowers wafting around I once again realised how lucky I am to be surrounded by such beauty I just hope it won't change.

Totally Gobsmacked.

View 15/06 what will it be in the future?

Have been busy organising for the Riding Club event held here today so garden and posting journals or comments has been on the back boiler for the last week.

We were totally gobsmacked to learn there would be a possibilty that Rachel would be able to wave to us on her way to her ancestral family home in Donegal from one of the proposed routes for the realignment of the N2. Early last week a sign appeared on the edge of Monaghan advising of a consultation process for the Clontibret to Aughnacloy realignment but I really thought it already was decided this was running close to the current N2 so you can imagine my shock horror when we were advised to go and see the plans. I was totally floored when I discovered that one of the new proposed routes  passes straight through our farm in this unspolit area. No one had any idea this was even a possibility and the realiy of this does not sit well with the residents in the path of this route to the NW. I look out from our kitchen trying to visualise what it would be like looking at a bridge and probable embankment instead of unspolit farmland. The route would dissect our farm with competitions like today being a thing of the past and the fabulous sunsets to the west through the trees on the skyline also gone forever. I know it might be selfish to not want traffic roaring to the NW past us as others see it as necessary progress so now it'll be a case of trying to convince the powers n the NRA that this is not the right route but I know that other's on the other 3 routes will be doing exactly the same. The proposed road route would be running across the farm through the  hill to the west.

William Shakesphere - David Austin

William Shakesphere11/07

This rose has a wonderful scent with a very rich velvet look and opened over the last couple of days. Looking forward to it being set off by the artichoke crowns and the budlelia behind it. Have just one more Geoff Hamilton to bloom although it doesn't seem to be doing as well as the others think it was lacking watering mind you after the deluge yesterday it should hopefully pick up. Think of all my roses this is the favourite for colour and scent.

Brother Cadfel another David Austin.

Brother Cadfel 10/07

I can hardly believe that I haven't posted up anything for nine days due to lap top problems and work. Brother Cadfel the last of my Christmas present roses started opening on the 7th July. This shot was taken after the rain yesterday morning.

Winchester Cathedral

Winchester Cathedral

Opening this morning to the wind and rain was another of my David Austin christmas present roses Winchester Cathedral bloom is quite small but perfectly formed. Not really much garden time as we have a competition tomorrow evening and have been working in preperation for it. Did take a whilr to water in the tunnel small tomatoes now forming on Garden Pearl am looking forward to picking these for lunchtime salads as well as picking and sampling straight from the bush. Deadheaded climbing roses at the back door and the spent heads on the perennial wallflowers and staked up the sea holly that had been blown over by the wind. Although there was quite a wind blowing it was really quite warm and after the heavy rain around 10:30 it was a good day for working outside just wish I'd had more gardentime.