Last Post 1055 days 13 hours ago
30 June 2010 17:44:54
Groden Gecko - 1st stone left hand side at bottom of photo
Just back from Lisle-sur-Tern in France. Went over with my brother and sister-in-law to the house they bought there that is being gutted at the moment. What a beautiful place!! I was green with envy at the plants that we would be minding in a green house just growing wild and huge everywhere.
Their garden is a bit of a mess at the moment from builders equipment going in and out digging out the swimming pool and connecting the house to the main drains ect. But you could still see what a beautiful garden it was and will be again. They have Cherry trees, Plum trees, Almond trees, Pear trees, and a huge Hazelnut tree - to mention but a few. So you could just help yourself to a plum or a few Cherries as you wander through the garden.
I spent a very happy morning digging out 6ft thistles and whaterever from the front garden. Madam Lovatel came in to help me from next door armed with her Slash-hook!!! You should have seen this woman work. I am sure she was delighted to see me out clearing the front - as you should see her garden - Just beautiful. We made a funny pair as she has NO english and my french - to say the least- is very basic!!! So there was a lot of pointing and sign language going on. But we got the front garden cleared. I started early in the morning but it was still so hot that I had to keep clearing the lens of my sunglasses from drops of sweat falling onto them. No afternoon gardening there!!! Not an option as it was high 30's to 40's.
The next day John, Tom and myself cut the hedge between the houses all several hundreds of feet of it and the Rosemary hedge around the garden. Everyone seems to grow Rosemary as a hedge.
This is my new friend Gorden Gecko!! He and his hundred or so mates kept me company in the garden. I have put up some photos.
23 June 2010 08:33:08
Asiatic Lily
Blooming on the deck this morning. I bought this in Lidl last year. It bloomed in August?????
22 June 2010 11:16:14
Peas
Had some fresh from the pod this morning!!! So sweet!!!
22 June 2010 11:13:41
Almost ready for dinner!!!
Looks good enough to eat!!! :-)
21 June 2010 12:38:20
Lysimachia
to Drumanagh. I got this Lysimachia from her at the Mullingar meeting last year. It is just starting to bloom and looks lovely. So thanks.
21 June 2010 07:05:02
What is this??
This started to flower in my garden on Friday. No idea what it is or where I got it from. Leaves are soft to touch like "rabbit ears". There seems to be plenty of flowers to come on it. Very pretty what ever it is!!
20 June 2010 22:41:33
Currant bushes
Had a lovely day today in the garden!! It was so hot. Got loads of work done. Filled wheelbarrows with weeds I took out. Cut a few leaves from my Gunnera that were blocking the gateway to that part of the garden. Just pottered and did what ever I came across. It is starting to look good out there. I have never in my life seen fruit like I have on my black and red currant bushes. It seems like everything is gone into overdrive after the hard winter.
19 June 2010 16:13:24
Iris
in the deepest - darkest - dampest corner of my garden.
17 June 2010 21:04:31
So what is this all about???
Now picture this!! Our dog - the mistress of the garden is 11 years old. We have done all the puppy stuff and the sitting on top of you most prized plants!!! And the running through and breaking your lilies!! But today beats all. Just had the lawn all cut and strimmed to within an inch of its life and while I was serving the dinner she dug a hole in the lawn!!Luckily we caught her before she got too carried away!! Not so unusual for a dog - you may think - but today was the first time in 11 years she has done this - and then , to add insult to injury she did it again after dinner!! I am at a loss as to what is going on - but she had better give it up fast!!!
16 June 2010 18:24:18
Froggy Heaven
Excellent evening in the garden- once I had survived the History exam!! I got a new strimmer and strimmed everything that stayed still long enough. Also we have a Frog invasion = Thanks Becca !!! XX So far they have been on the water feature - climbling the trees!!!
I know -- I know - Little amuses the simple!!! What can I say. hahaha
15 June 2010 21:05:35
minding the garden for me!!!
Was up early this morning to get Ben off to school. I had a day off - or so I thought. By 9.00Am the ironing was just about finished and was just planning on a whizz around the flloors before I spent the day in my garden. At 9.10 the school called - could I be there by 9.15 to supervise a leaving cert exam???
Didn't finish till 5.00pm - so rather than work in the garden when I got home - I was exhausted!!! - poured myself a G&T and sat out in it!!! As yet, I am off on Friday so we will try again then!!
14 June 2010 21:31:54
White Campanula
This is my white campanula. For the last year or two it has lived on the other side of the garden. then one day lastsummer when it had been it full bloom I found it eaten alive. No flower, no leaves nothing - just a bare stalk. Rather than dump it I transplanted it to the other side of the garden. Well the results speak for themselves!!!So glad I didn't dump it!!
13 June 2010 12:32:24
Full Plant for Ternie
Sheltered and sunny!!!
13 June 2010 09:51:43
Perfection
No need for words!!!
The Lily season is here!!!
12 June 2010 16:23:44
To Monica - From Monica with love!!
Bought this little pressie for myself at Bloom. Only got terracotta pots today. Think it looks very pretty and welcoming!!!
12 June 2010 08:48:08
Kiwi Flowers
My Kiwi flowers have started to open and there are hundreds of them. If I get
One Kiwi from it I will be over the moon - If I get anything like the number of flowers I have, I will have to set up a stall at the local Farmers Market!!! ha ha
09 June 2010 20:16:52
Libertia Grandiflora
a.k.a. - More Luck than good judgement!!! It is such a grey horrible evening and blustery too that I just stayed in and cleaned my kitchen. The kitchen is truly grateful :-) :-).
However, everytime I looked out the window - this caught my eye!!!! It is Libertia Grandiflora and the flowers are soooo white in this grey light that they look "Blue-White". Has made me smile all evening - You would ALMOST think I planned it that way ha ha ha
09 June 2010 16:53:47
Sometimes you just have to laugh!!! :-)
I went to a lot of trouble planting and minding 25 Alliums in my lavender bed. I was thinking that they would add height and interest - as you do!!!
Not only did I loose most of my Lavenders during the winter but thanks to my mutt, I was left with one standing Allium.
However, I have the most wonderful display of Chive flowers in the veg bed. You just have to laugh!!! Maybe I should have just planted the chives in the flower bed. They are as tough as old boots - survived the winter and the dog !!!!! :-)
08 June 2010 23:20:11
White Foxglove against the smokebush
have to go to bed soon as I am supervising Junior Cert exams tomorrow. Didn't had much time in the garden over the weekend as we had two birthdays in the house. With the recent downpours everything is flying up (especially the weeds). Except for my hanging baskets. I only put them out the week before during the hot spell but they are new baskets I just bought and they had no drainage holes in them and flooded badly. Will have to wait and see what recovers.
I was delighted to see the cottage garden plants back in fashion at Bloom. One of the biggest sellers on Thursday was the Foxglove - Every second person you saw had big foxgloves in bags. Took some photos of mine this evening!! The white one is beautiful against the Smoke bush. Will have a go at putting some photos up if it doesn;t take all night!!!
Good Luck to all the kids starting their exams tomorrow!!!
03 June 2010 23:16:33
Put up some photos I took today - not all . It took all night. I had put them all up on facebook faster than the first 3 loaded. Hope you enjoy them!!!
03 June 2010 23:10:51
Bloom in the Park 2010
Exhausted !!!!
It was a great day. Some gardens were Oh so beautiful - In the larger gardens there was a huge amount of water and hard landscaping. Very striking if you like that sort of thing but I like a garden to be a garden - not just a water feature that you plant around - some fabulous planting. My two favourites were " The Green Igloo and Beauty and the Bees. I just loved the planting in both these gardens. Then there were some - Oh dear - less said the better. The winner of Super Garden - The duck garden - was lovely and I was very impressed with Russel Shekleton (Russ - from this site) The California Courtyard.
I just adore the Grand Pavilion. All those plants for sale. The only problems are a, How to control your spending and b. Spoilt for choice. WORD OF WARNING TO ANYONE GOING TO BLOOMS AT WEEKEND. Buy your plants early and put them in the creche. Becca and I picked out several plants to go back and buy later and when we did go back, they were all gone!!! Don't leave it too late.
Have fun all !!!!
(p.s. Drinks - food etc expensive - bring something with you. Go early - it is manic by the afternoon)
03 June 2010 20:21:08
Euphorbia
This is just beautiful - Got it, among others at Bloom today!! Will put up photos and journal about it later. Dont have time now and it takes an age to upload photos1!!
01 June 2010 06:14:44
Going to "Bloom" on Thursday with Flitters and No:1 Daughter!!! Can't believe school is out on Wednesday!!! :) :) :)