MartinB's Journal

Garden shot

Garden shot

Took this today. Goodnight all

Aspenium onopteris for Rachel

Aspenium onopteris for Rachel

this is Martin Rickard studying the frond in order to pick me off the tiniest piece to propogate. What you see in the  other pic is the prothallus which are each about the size of a pin head at present. there is both male and female there and the male has to send his stuff across a film of water under them to fertilise the female and so produce a fern. More primative then seeds where all is done and ready. Please ask anything Rachel.

Golden Oak

Golden Oak

I have this little tree for about 14 years and it has never increased in size.

Esculus mutabilis 'Induta'

Esculus mutabilis 'Induta'

Horse chesnut Fran. We have it growing for many years and it is only four feet tall

Asplenium onopteris

Asplenium onopteris

Fern hunting with Martin Rickard last year, we visited one of only five sites that this fern has been seen growing wild in the last ten years. Expressing a desire propagate to my companion, he inspected the tiny fern minutely and picked off the tiniest piece of a tiny frond for me, and low and behold look at my prothalus's now each the size of a pin head. When I have them growing properly I will give one to any of you who visit. If anyone wants to see a picture of the fern let me know or of the killarney fern that we also found.

The bots

The bots

Deb has been planting into our inside two greenhouses garden today, raised beds can be such fun as it brings the plants nearer

Pink cow parsley

Pink cow parsley

This looks wonderful this time of year. I am exhausted after mowing the neighbour's field all day, so you have my pemission to feel sorry for me. thanks

Cutting the lawn !!!!

Cutting the lawn !!!!

Here is me trying to cut the lawn next door with my new big wheeled lawn mower, have come in for a spot of lunch or do we call it Tiffin Jacinta. (By the way the thug is covering the kitchen window on the back of the house) By the way the lawn next door has never been cut before.  :-(

Thug

Thug

A beautiful thug at the back of the house.

Garden shot

Garden shot

Just a garden shot

Pup 2 for Geraldine

Pup 2 for Geraldine

A few hours later after the scissors

pup 1 for Geraldine

pup 1 for Geraldine

The morning before we got out the scissors

Puppy for Liga

Puppy for Liga

Here is the puppy Liga, he is now called Rory and excuse us, for we cut off his hair and made an awful mess of the little fellow :-)

Dryopteris erythrosora

Dryopteris erythrosora

This fern is just starting to unfold; I have a lot of these.

Zoey

Zoey

Here is Zoey straight from school and helping Deborah in the polytunnel area, puppy was helping too :-)

Gerden shot

Gerden shot

Here is a shot of the side of the house

Viburnum

Viburnum

This lovely lace Viburnum is getting so tall thata lot of the flowers are 8 feet up facing the sky

Clematis

Clematis

I believe that this is the president, it has been moved around a bit in garden changes.

Lawn Mower

Lawn Mower

Today I paid 300 euro for this second hand lawn mower and then I made 4 new wheels for it and attached them. It is to mow our neighbours field as she has let us put a polytunnel in it and now cant let the horses in. It is very rough, the extra height might help

Garden shot

Garden shot

Took this shot this evening as i was walking over the bridge that crosses the old wild life pond

Sorbus

Sorbus

The flower heads remind me more of an elder

Welsh Poppies

Welsh Poppies

A lovely refreshing yellow tone.

Snowball close up

Snowball close up

Just in case you are interested.

The moon

The moon

Here is a picture of the moon this evening from the garden

Snowball bush

Snowball bush

A more pleasant reminder of the winter past

Azalea

Azalea

A dash of colour

Another wisteria

Another wisteria

This wisteria is just coming into flower, it has the longest tassles, will show again when in full flower if Fran promises to bring me back a present :-)

More Alliums

More Alliums

Some more Alliums

Alliums

Alliums

These are looking good too, there are good types with big heads and lastability

Lily of the Valley

Lily of the Valley

this clump is looking good. See how we have it contained my the grass, any that rise there is soon mowed out

Aquilegias

Aquilegias

The aquilegias are looking good in the garden now, a most wonderful plant to lead you into summer, easy from seed and even easier to remove where they do not suit.

Pink flower

Pink flower

Thanks Jacinta

Laburnocytissus

Laburnocytissus

This is a cross between a laburnum and a broom, some flowers are pink and some are yellow, if you really would like to see one of the pink ones then you only have to ask ;-)

Half Moon

Half Moon

Lovely day for gardening and a lovely evening last night, i took this shot of the half moon while I was watering yesterday evening

Aralia

Aralia

Here is an variegated Aralia that I planted over ten years ago

Where is my toggs

Where is my toggs

Went to our beach hut this evening to change for a dip, but could not find my swimming toggs. Someone has taken them. Just wondering did we have any male  guests here in the last week?

Podophyllum flower

Podophyllum flower

this wonderful flower hides under the leaves, it is a woodland plant and likes shade

Podophyllum

Podophyllum

Here is a pic of a large leafed podophyllum, if you would like to see the flower underneath that wonderful leaf then you can say so:-)

Wisteria

Wisteria

Yes are wisterias are coming into their own, this is the first to flower

Sunset in Thai house

Sunset in Thai house

As promised I have put up a view of the tree ferns as the sun was going down, a hopeless shot but here she be.

Garden project

Garden project

A neighbour called in to show me his plan for a building that he is going to build in his garden, he had built a model twelve times smaller and was asking my opinion, as it happens I had a camera in my hand and I asked him if it would fit on his head. He knows me not. :-)

Fran and me

Fran and me

We need to know the name of the flower

Bigger picture Jacinta

Bigger picture Jacinta

NOt sure how it will look as I took it this evening in low light

Rosa moyesii

Rosa moyesii

Full of flower now, could show you the bigger picture if enough of you ask me :-)

They're back

They're back

Yes the tree ferns have returned to terra nova

Clematis

Clematis

Here is a clematis growing up a bush, which is the way that most of our clematis's enjoy life. It is great for us as it can give a bush two sets of flowerings for the year, or three if you pop another clematis in, some we grow up trees. They seem to be happy enough growing this way even with all the competition for nutrients. Hang in there :-)

Peony

Peony

Here is a peony that Deb grew from seed, I haven't a clue what it is called though.

The bat tree

The bat tree

This tree always resembles a flock of bats at this time of year, hope that the picture shows it.

Tree fern

Tree fern

This tree fern is not aware that we had a bad winter, amazing when most died and the other few that might live are struggling to do anything.

Loch Gur

Loch Gur

This is daughter Zoe and her friend at loch gur the other day, I may take an hour off gardening today and visit the place with the two of them and puppy today.

Where are you all

Where are you all

Oh I see you all in your gardens working, well done and keep up the good work

Thanks Fran

Thanks Fran

Thanks for this item that you found by digging your garden, any railway memorabilia welcome, so get digging if you are on an old track. :-)

Present from Fran 2

Present from Fran 2

Here are my four children looking at the present from Fran.

A present from Fran

A present from Fran

Imagine my joy and surprise today while working in my garden, to look up and there was Fran with a present for me. A wonderful piece of driftwood with a magnificent shape, and small and tidy enough that it can sit on the shelf beside me as I send this journal

Fern anon

Fern anon

Does anyone know what this fern is called I have lost the label, I thought that I could ask you lot or wait until the BPS (british fern society) come to the garden in July.

Araiostegia parvipinnata

Araiostegia parvipinnata

I bought this at crug farm a few years ago, it was collected one from some expedition. We were their first customers of the year and so I nabbed this beauty, out in a pot all winter.

Shuttllecock fern

Shuttllecock fern

Matteucia struthiopteris spreads by stolens, and our one grows to four feet high, soon you will not see the naked lady until early autumn when the fronds start to fall around her exhausted and spent :-0

Smilacina racemosa

Smilacina racemosa

A plant to put a smile on your face. Goodmorning to you all

Adiantum eleuticum Fran

Adiantum eleuticum Fran

I could show you a few ferns over the next few days so that you might better consider your options  :-)

For Rachel, a sweet pea

For Rachel, a sweet pea

This one is called Flaky Chocolate, It is to die for.

Sold out

Sold out

Yes we sold just about every plant, see Deb here smiling. Thanks to all you guys who came up and said hello, it was really wonderful to meet you,  like you were all characters coming out of a favourite book. One of you gave me a hug and thank you, some of you looked like you would want to and thank you for that.

Acanthus Lady Moore

Acanthus Lady Moore

Well i won't be around tonight, so cyber hug to you know who and hope to see the rest of you at the rare plant fair tomorrow, though we will be so rushed off our sneakers that we might not be able to have extensive chats. :-)

ISS

My favourite plant lives

My favourite plant lives

Tree ferns are my favourite plants, and my favourite among them is one called the Beast, due to being almost too wide in girth to put your arms around (It is called hugging Fran). Anyway great is my joy to say that the croziers are rising. she lives.  :-)

Gardening with Deborah

Gardening with Deborah

Deb is like a wild mustang, she will plant anything without fear.Here is Japanese knotweed coming up for the summer. It is contained but escapes on a regular basis and vigilance is needed. This plant can go 15 metres underground to find a new place to come up, and it is sneaky too for it will send runners out a good way before coming up. Someone once told us that his one was not spreading, until he phoned us the next year with strangled cries.

Fern of the day

Fern of the day

Here is a picture that I took this afternoon of Athyrium niponicum pictum, which was not affected by the cold winter.

Deb's veg patch

Deb's veg patch

Deborah asked me if she could put a vegetable patch in our garden and I said ok, but was concerned that it might ruin our ornamental garden, but it did not. :-)  iss 11.02

Zoomo peltata

Zoomo peltata

If you need a closer shot then I can go out with the old flash

Darmera for Rachel

Darmera for Rachel

A close up, could go closer if you want

Dalmera peltata

Dalmera peltata

Look at this beauty growing in the bog garden, these flowering stems come up before the leaves and look amazing, will give you a close up if you play your cards right :-)  ISS 10.37 passing by Mars high in south

Onoclea sensibilis

Onoclea sensibilis

This is a lovely gently spreading fern that has formed a nice clump in the garden.

Night time gardeners

Night time gardeners

Hi, watch the International space station go over high in the south past Mars at 10.12 pm. Mars is the little orangy thing that does not flicker. Later at 11.47 but low in the west.

Part of front garden today

Part of front garden today

Flowering cherry and dark elder. The wet path was from me watering plants in. deb had left for work and gave me 125 pots of mainly primroses to plant.

sunset in the polytunnel

sunset in the polytunnel

Hi you guys, lovely day. International space station is going over near saturn at 9.48 this evening and it will be back around and go over near mars at 11.22. Exciting stuff to get you in your garden tonight

puppy

puppy

My daughter and her puppy from Bunclody

Species peony

Species peony

This is another of our many species peonies that are coming into flower

Rose

Rose

Note how red the leaves of roses can be this time of year, amazing aint it. This one is vira de flora. not sure if spelling correct. Oh by the way guys look for the international space station at10 57 this evening high in the south passing close to Mars. Be out earlier as it can be seen a few minutes earlier than this as it approaches its zenith.

Whiskery bluebell

Whiskery bluebell

Hi you guys. this is a whiskery bluebell. Brian Cross gave us a piece years ago after we have admired it on an ongoing basis. This method can work with friends.

Sunset tonight in Dromin

Sunset tonight in Dromin

ISS passing over 10.33 high in south, passing in front of Saturn

Naughty swallows

Naughty swallows

I dread swallows at this time of year as they keep flying into my workshop and getting stuck in some nook or cranny where I have to go to great lengths to get them. I try to keep the door closed but they are quick to see any error in my door closing technique (ie when I forget to close it) this one flew in this morning and dropped between two panes of glass, the inside one being a leaded panel which I had to smash in order to release him. He was only there 10 minutes before i released him to the skies. If you want to see the broken glass then I will show you otherwise I will keep it to myself.