Last Post 1024 days 16 hours ago
31 July 2010 21:18:50
Hedychium
This is one of the Gingers that I like
31 July 2010 21:14:06
Dancing lilies
Although these were not moving in the breeze, they still seemed to be dancing to me.
31 July 2010 16:15:44
In the Times
Did you all see our write up in the main part of the Irish Times, under 'Secret Gardens'. It means we might get one mega load of garden visitors tomorrow and I am all alone to get everything ship shape for them.
31 July 2010 13:19:12
Where's are you
It is me that has been left with all the jobs not you lot.
30 July 2010 21:56:08
Catalpa flower close up
Did not have time to fix up my telescopic sights so I had to crop this thing up
30 July 2010 21:53:50
Ricinus flowers
Are these to die for or what.
30 July 2010 21:51:08
Fern quiz
What I cannot understand is why I only have one of these in the garden. Well can anyone say what it is called
29 July 2010 22:30:06
Hydrangea
Deb was selling this for 50 p in early days and no takers so I bought it myself and planted it at the end of this path in a bad spot, but what a wonder it is every year.
29 July 2010 22:23:49
Indian bean tree
In flower now. If anyone wants a close up then I can take another pic tomorrow
28 July 2010 23:52:45
Garden shot
Hey how is this for a garden shot, taken yesterday
27 July 2010 20:24:38
Calycanthus
This ten foot tall shrub is outside the office window where I now sit, it is festooned in these 2 inch wide flowers
27 July 2010 20:18:44
Dianthus 'Chomley Farran'
Saw this flowering this evening as I passed by with a lawn mower.
25 July 2010 19:34:33
Buddleja
I could not see any bees in the garden today, and no butterflies either. Later this evening I chanced to stroll past a buddleja that we had planted out on the roadside and my casual if not distinguished glance spotted a lot of bees on the flower heads, but no butterflies alas. :-0
25 July 2010 12:36:21
Close up of Tiger lilies
Yes this is a close up shot
25 July 2010 12:34:02
Better shot of Tiger lilies
These come back each year, increasing in number.
25 July 2010 09:26:53
Tiger lilies Fran
Just nipped out and took this for you, they are just starting into flower
25 July 2010 09:13:48
Garden shot
At the back of our house, facing North
25 July 2010 09:11:55
Astilbe
Growing by the old wildlife pond
23 July 2010 19:50:55
Garden shot
Looking from the Thai house, and look at the little sad puppy from Bunclody, he is missing Zoey who is away for a few days. If you want a pic of Zoey sleeping with her cat and dog then let me know.
22 July 2010 22:21:44
Quiz
A super prize for anyone who can name the tall tree fern in the picture, if you think that it is not tall then look at the lady in the green coat on the left. This was taken a week ago on the great Irish fern hunting expedition.
19 July 2010 23:16:52
The dog checks the tree ferns
Here we see the dog patrolling the tree fern avenue in the secret Island garden.
19 July 2010 23:11:40
The dog ducks his head
Now you can see what the dog saw as he looked out from the secret Island
19 July 2010 23:08:18
A dog's view
This is a dog looking out from the secret island, I wonder what he saw?
19 July 2010 08:21:19
Cyathea mudullaris
One of the many amazing ferns we discovered on our fern hunting expedition last week, it is so tall that the head of it is out of the picture. It was planted 20 years ago and was only a 3 year old plant then.
17 July 2010 10:26:51
Dicksonia Antarctica the weed
I took these from the secret island, many tiny tree fern plants. I was not only allowed to take them but was encouraged to do so as they weed them out and I was doing them a favour. I had nothing to carry them out with and I did not want to be cheeky so I did not go too mad. Top Secret Island Liga but if you were on my friend list then I could let slip where it was.
17 July 2010 10:19:26
Expensive shoes
These are what you need to go plant hunting with, and those that follow can clearly see you. Ha Ha Olga can you match that :-)
16 July 2010 22:58:27
Close up of Killarney Fern today
Not a close up of the shoes. I will put a pic of them up tomorrow evening if you are willing
16 July 2010 22:23:03
The illusive Killarney Fern
Yes here it is, almost impossible to see, but worth every second of the trek up the main waterfall on mount Brandon, I'm sure that you will agree.
16 July 2010 22:19:24
Climbing up a water fall
Under this water fall we were told that a hundred years ago a chap found the Killarney fern, so off we went today. I decided to lead the party as I had on my expensive American shoes. I did find it. Do you want to see the picture
16 July 2010 22:10:06
Filmy fern
Found a filmy fern
16 July 2010 22:06:43
Secret Island
I Deb et moi (fluent) and the Fern society of Britain took little boats out to sea off the Kerry coast and arrived at a secret Island where there was a 80 acre garden of tropical plantings. It was beyond anything. I thought I would give some loving tree ferns a hug. (Sorry Fran)
13 July 2010 22:48:41
Good night
Good night I am going down
13 July 2010 21:36:08
discreet clematis
This is another that is climbing up a tree with leaves of a similar colour, the effect is fantastic if you don,t miss it.
13 July 2010 21:32:08
clematis climbing up a bush
Reaching ten feet tall and looking splended, what a long season one gets from a clematis.
13 July 2010 21:28:31
Garden shot
Just a garden shot, with Ligularia flower spikes to the forefront.
13 July 2010 21:24:45
Impatiens carpet
Will have to do this again this year. i did not know that it could look that good.
13 July 2010 21:20:26
Clematis seed head
This was the yellow one that I put up a week or so ago and Jacinta said that she did not like it, I wonder would this cause her to change her mind.
13 July 2010 00:05:50
Where are you all
Ok It is a bit late I take the hint and am off to bed goodnight
13 July 2010 00:00:02
Even closer up
Yay
12 July 2010 23:57:13
Close up
Ok don't all shout at once I just cropped it up for you and here it is
12 July 2010 23:53:19
Here it is
It is the one at the back not the bright leaved thing in front. One day I might take some of you to see it.
12 July 2010 23:49:28
Looking for the Killarney fern
I went with the BPS on sunday afternoon to look for the illusive Killarney fern and it was reported to be high on a hill in the Ballyhoura mountains. Strange as it is usualy likes a wet spot like near a waterfall, here is some of the group on the hill.
12 July 2010 23:45:26
B.P.S.
The fern society came to our garden on sunday and thank God the weather was fine. There were a lot of notable people there including, Sue Olsen the writer of a large encyclopedia on ferns, I got her to sign our copy of her book :-)
10 July 2010 21:37:57
Garden shot
Raining all day, hope it is fine tomorrow morning for the fern people coming
10 July 2010 00:01:04
Where are you
Oh I suppose you have all gone to bed, well I'll be off goodnight y'all. :-)
09 July 2010 21:40:04
Even closer up
Yes this is an even closer up
09 July 2010 21:35:24
Close up
Yes this is a close up. any one who wants me to go closer then shout
09 July 2010 21:28:23
Are the tree ferns coming back to life?
No they are not, I drilled out the rotten centres and planted little ones in the centre. My cunning plan is that the roots from the little ones will eventually spread through the plant and take it over. The British fern society (BPS) are coming on sunday, it might fool them.
09 July 2010 21:21:50
Ricinus in flower
Beautiful enough be the leaves but the flowers can not be ignored
08 July 2010 20:31:14
Garden shot
Yes another garden shot, I must confess to taking this yesterday, it was raining all day today
08 July 2010 19:19:11
Where are you all
Where is everybody, thought the rain would drive you in . You lot must be still out in the garden so I had better TOG up and go out, it will be a much wetter guy that comes back on :-(
07 July 2010 23:49:46
Hot lips
I visited my mother in law tonight and took a photo of this ridiculous plant on her coffee table and was informed that she had bought one for Deb too. It is called Hot Lips and cost 3 euro and stands ten inches tall
07 July 2010 23:39:31
Raised pond for my chicken eating friend
This is the pond that I was telling you about
06 July 2010 22:26:03
Monarda
2 feet tall will make a fine clump, keep well watered.
06 July 2010 22:20:49
Another garden shot
Have i shown this one before
06 July 2010 22:17:11
Flowering hostas and lillies
I have a bad sense of smell for a lot of flowers, but lillies like other members of the arum family I can smell and this one takes the old breath away
06 July 2010 22:12:48
Cleome
Our cleomes are in flower now, tall and bright and they add to it all
06 July 2010 22:07:39
Clematis
This one is growing up a tree and has hundreds of flowers on it, Rachel must have seen it as it was where she got out of Lindas car
05 July 2010 23:29:25
Clematis (Deborah's not Fran's)
This is growing in the 'Bots' a double greenhouse that we have for growing slightly tender stuff in raised beds for ornamental reasons
05 July 2010 23:10:19
Anything Fran can do I can do better
Well do the same anyway
04 July 2010 23:30:17
Round stone house
Working with stone is wonderful and the building can easily last for a thousand years
04 July 2010 23:26:00
Stone house
Here is a stone house at the show in Mallow; it could be made with odd pieces of granite. What I like is that you do not need a roof or even a lintel, as you are all aware lintels are a drag
04 July 2010 21:38:21
Brain wave
For years I have been thinking about putting a roof over the washing line, wondering about 4 x2 s and roofing cladding, but i did not seem to have the time. Well today I had a brain wave, I thought what about the pop up roof that we use at the rare plant fair. Twenty minutes later it was up. No cost no time. The best ideas are the simplest but can be the hardest to think of. I will need to cut down the hedge to let more air in :-)
04 July 2010 08:31:44
An idea for Jacinta
This would have looked swell in the middle of your pond, not that yuor island does not. Seen this yesterday in the Mallow show :-)
04 July 2010 08:29:15
Giant Hogweed
Huge and menacing beside the river in Kilmallock, deb thinks its beautiful.
03 July 2010 22:48:48
An idea for Fran's new wall
Took this shot at Mallow garden festival and knowing Fran is good with wood, I thought it might be nice as his boundary wall, all he has to do is find a name for it.
03 July 2010 22:45:10
Hugs
At Mallow garden festival again today.
03 July 2010 12:46:52
Just a brass ornament for Rachel
But we know better
03 July 2010 08:26:01
The cloud collector's handbook
This is a must for cloud loving gardeners. There is a larger version too I believe.
02 July 2010 22:00:43
Props
We bought about fifteen of these props today at the mallow festival, various shapes and sizes and paid 70 euro, very good value and powder coated. We found each summer that the half dozen that we had was never enough and they are great to prop up a leaning plant, perhaps i will show you then in action this week, hold onto your seats. Oh jacinta I wanted to talk to you about your pond I will look up the journal now.
01 July 2010 22:24:38
Ricinus
Looking good this time of year. Have to buy seeds each year as we are not normaly hot enough for seeds to set on them. these can come to five feet in height.
01 July 2010 22:06:09
The answer to the quiz
6 bronze coated fairies for the woodland walk
01 July 2010 21:56:30
Boxes
Yes boxes not boxers. Can anyone guess what are in these boxes that arrived today
01 July 2010 19:19:13
The same plant from behind
Fran!!
01 July 2010 18:02:17
Rodgersia from the front
I wonder if this is a Rodgersia, I will have to ask Deb, but first I will take a shot from the other side, it might clear things up