HeadGardener's Journal

Dont you just love Ferns?

Fernery

Well I love ferns and I know there are many other admirers out there. Now I know you might think that one fern looks pretty like the next and there's not much variety but I dare anyone to look at my new photo albumn on ferns and not tell me theres a vast difference between many ferns.

Now of course it's hard to tell the difference between one fern and another sometimes unless you label well or are an expert but once you have them together you can often see the subtle differences between them.

Last year I created a fernery to display many of my ferns to good effect now I find i could nearly do with a second one as I've run out of space in it but not my enthusiasm for collecting them :)

If you haven't any ferns in your garden then try at least one there dead easy low maintenance and in the right spot will reward you for most of the year .. expecially for those damp dark spots people always seem to have...

Just to say I know there were site issues but to load the photos in the album was an adventure for the whole afternoon... school holidays tomorrow.. having a stiff drink tonight to brace myself :D

Bupleurum longifolium looking good now

Bupleurum longifolium

I was going to do a long journal about my shady bed and big leafed plants but wore out visiting journal so a quick one. I noticed this today in the garden (before it rained) and though it looked good it was stunning in Oliver Shurmanns garden last year at bloom. Although I had bought it from Mount Venus a couple of years before that..

then when I went to my plant database to check spelling I noticed I'd missed it completely and didn't have it listed.. although this has happened before I'm ashamed to admit LOL

See everyone who's going  to Hazels tomorrow I'm not prepared at all will have to get the finger out not sure what to bring or what others have but will bring a few bits and bobs maybe.

Peony 'Flame' finally opens

Peony 'Flame'

I got this Peony about four years ago from Robert in Altamont it has always flowered but it has been slow to bulk up (this may have to do with me I dont know) this year it has two flowers and is standing out in the border along with my pink Papaver orientalis 'Raspberry Queen' one of several papavers looking good now. I noticed Carol Kleine talking about it on GW last week funnily enough.

Remembering Sunnier Days on year on..

last years open day

Sorry I have been missing off the site for a while between being unwell (again) and trying to get things done I haven't had the time to get on. Trying now to get as many big jobs done before the kids are off at the end of next week. It's hard to believe that mis summers day has gone it didn't feel like the longest day of the year last night I can tell you, :D

Anyway the rain is making masses of stuff burst out especially the shady garden where all the big leafed plants are doing brillantly my gunnera is very large, as are my rheum, darmera, several ligularias etc...

Myexotic bed has just been planted up last year the week before my open day I planted everything out in glorious sunshine and that day was such a hot day too it worked out perfectly of course and the next day it lashed.. anyway it's good to think back to how well it went although I think this year i would not have been up to the work needed.

When/if I get time I hope to put up a couple of albumn I have spent a day classifying and photographing my ferns. Also lots of things now flowering and looking good although I dont have the time or inclination to be putting up a journal every day, there is something new that catches your eye every day now.

Anyway I hope to try to get to Hazels and Elizabeths open days.

Inspired by Fran

Papaver orientalis 'Beauty of Livermore'

Inspired by Frans poppy pic decided to put up my own love the way this branches five flowers at different heights :-)

With all this rain best to sit down with a cup of.

My echeveria runneth over

Well today so far has been a dissappointment and not just the weather I got rudely awake at 7am to my wife punchtured car. She took my car while i fixed hers in the rain to find I couldnt locate the alloy wheel lock then when I did I pulled off the puncture and replaced the spare to find it too was punchured. My back is in shreds anway but this finished it off. I'm a bit frustrated with everything to do but trying to mind myself.

Just took a few pics and thought this one was worth a look someone gave this cup as a kris kindle present in Johnstown but only got round to planting it up recently. Looks good now...

New Plant Photos

Diphyllia Cymosa

I have spent the last two hour struggling to put up 20 or so photos.. between the new photos system on here and my connection (and the door blowing open with my mobile dongle stuck out of it) it's been a torrid morning I tell you.

Anyway the rain has eased here thank God and what do you do on a wet morning only cleaning and photo loading.. I was going to put up the delayed Bay Garden pics but to be honest I dont have the heart or the time :-(

Anyway on a positive note there are lots of picture of things looking good and the heat/wet over the past two weeks came shooting out a prime example being this Diphyllia cymosa not a sign of it four weeks ago so planted an arisema behind it to cover up the patch.. now its 3ft tall.. and in flower amazing..

Anyway I might try put up more pictures later as Sams Hurling match has been rescheduled for Sunday (thank God).  By the way I should put a word out for anyone who has or knows someone who has old roof tiles (not slates) ideally the straight ones and not broken as I need to bury them as a bamboo barrier (I should have done this ages ago but... well you know) I need at least 60 if not more in truth.

Bloom and other things...

Jane McCorkells My Garden Potting Shed

I really enjoyed the trip with all the family to Bloom last Thursday.. in truth I could have spent another while there but in the end opted to head early to avoid the traffic and it was starting to turn a bit dirty at that stage.  Having won tickets thanks to Glenisk e met Jurgita, Violetta and then Liga at the gate before I split from the kids heading to the floral marquee where in truth I bought very little (well little for me ?:-)) I met Fran, Bruno and Joan in there before bullying Fran into a purchase (that hopefully he wont regret). 

Met with family to see how they got on when I heard Ben had shook hands with President Higgins and the lads had got there photo taken with the Chinese Ambassador and his wife who seemed amazed at the thought of triplets!! .. I then headed out to the show gardens where I met Hazel.. I tried doing them in order but failed a little got lots of good ideas although it was a bit wet.. Loved Jane McCorkells My Garden and that potting shed I soooo want :-)  liked lots of others to a greater or lesser extent my favorite small garden was An Ghairdin Cuil. I have to be contoversial and say I thought the Japenese tea Garden was lovely but a bit of a mish mash of ideas of a Japanese garden for me..

Anyway had a good time the kids enjoyed themselves but not as much to do this year for them i felt.. Scientific Sue was brilliant though :-)  My purchases were  Asplenium bulbiferum (aka 'Suze'), Arachnoides standesii, Woodwardia unigemata, Irish chrysographes 'Kilmurry black', Diplarrhena moraea and Dicentra formosa.'Bechenal' but my favorite was a Euphorbia cornigera 'Goldeners Turm'. Gabe got a few things too namely Dictamus albus purpurea, Polemonium Northern Lights and a few other bits and pieces.