Month: November 2009

Today the swans left Lough Corrib and headed for shelter, probably Kinvara for the moment. They are great indicators of cold weather to come. It lashed rain here today anyway, so in the evening i read Gardening books again. I came across a page from the Country Living about growing Pineapple Lily, it looks really beautiful, its a bulb planted in Spring, you probably know all about it, is it that easy and beautiful, i’m really taken with it along with a thousand more. Oh to win the Lotto

Thinking about Jacinta’s computer going ‘on the blink’ I thought you all might like to read the following:

The CD/DVD player on my computer went ‘on the blink’ recently and when I accessed Device Manager I was given Error Code 39. So, I Googled the error code and a list of websites appeared. I clicked on the one, "Your CD Drive or DVD Drive is missing or is not recognised by…" because it had a Microsoft .com web address.

Then I clicked on ‘Fix it for me’ and scrolled down to the blue man with the spanner in his hand and clicked on ‘Fix this problem’. When the next page appeared "Your CD or DVD drive cannot read or write media" I clicked on the ‘Run Now’ sign.

This instals Fix it-Microsoft ATS on your computer, with a short cut on your Desktop.

Not only did it fix my CD/DVD drive but it also fixed a long-standing problem I had with a Network Adapter. Now whenever I have a problem I call on Fix it – Microsoft ATS.

You don’t have to have an error to download this tool. It will check out your system and fix any errors.

Ps. If you haven’t read my journal dated 6th November the best way to obtain the Fix it tool is by using this website https://support.microsoft.com/gp/mats  

Picked up a prize in September from Dundalk Town Council back in September for 2nd best vegetable plot. Pleasantly surprised and the €50.00 went straight back into seeds for next year. Here’s to home growing and eating!

Tried sprouts this year and I have to say that they tasted wonderful.

Anyone any suggestions for next year?  

Had a good day today in the garden. I got a compost bin built out of pallets that paving slabs were delivered on earlier on in the year. I also got a wire cage made to hold the leaves that I collected, so I was happy with that. I then started looking everywhere for dead summer bedding to start filling the bin and anything else I could find. I forget you put the compost bin on their journal some months ago made from pallets, but thanks anyway it worked out great. Thanks!!!!             There was only one heavy shower that lasted for about 20 minutes so not two bad, although a bit cold.

Got a lot of the leaves done the other day and then cut down the sweet pea and thought that it hadn’t flowered very well this year even tho I fed it quite a bit. Any ideas where I might have gone wrong? It usually does well.

seeing the lousy weather we’re having,i reckon a few words of praise are due to the mahonia x media charity.Its impervious to rain and wind and on a day like today is a most cheering sight with its clusters of yellow flowers and a lovely scent as a bonus.I,for one,reckon its a marvellous shrub.

Reading comments on Snails and Slugs in journals recently, brought back memories from my childhood. My mother had a really big bed of Michaelmas Daisies These plants were a great hiding place for Snails, they never did damage to the daisies, but ravaged other plants. Mam would send us out to collect the snails, and sometimes we would collect them and divide them evenly up between us. We would then sit on the edge of the footpath and roll a snail out one at a time. You could not roll your next one untill the first one was mashed by the passing cars. Whoever got rid of their snails first was the winner.  All that can be said is,  it kept us occupied for hours, and no birds were hurt in this method of pest control.      

During the summer, I noticed little brown blotches all over the leaves and fruit of my apple tree that I have about 3yrs now. The crop was never great on this, I cant remember which variety it is, I lost the label. Apple scab is caused by a fungus (Venturia ineaqualis) that survives the winter on previously infected leaves and twigs. The disease is caused usually by cold, wet weather.

 The symptoms of this disease are olive-green or brown blotches on the leaves. The blotches turn browner as time progresses. Then brown patches on the fruit. The diseased leaves will fall early and the fruit will become increasingly covered in scabs – eventually the fruit skins will crack. If the skin is peeled before eating, the fruits will taste the same. This afternoon I was off work early as I had to attend a parent/teacher meeting. So that gave me plenty of time to walk the garden and observe. I made up a solution of Bordeaux mixture and sprayed the tree thoroughly. It’s only a small tree and planted in a pot and I only got 2 apples on it this year. I also sprayed the soil, just in case. And any fallen leaves should be either burned or discarded in household rubbish. Not in the compost bin.

I had initially made up the mixture to spray on my 4 peach trees in the greenhouse. The 3 new ones I bought at the end of summer had a touch of Peach-leaf Curl. So now that the leaves are beginning to fall, this is the time to spray them. But luckily there was plenty of mixture left over for the apple tree.

I also took this opportunity to bring in my 2 big pots of Acidentheras to the greenhouse after Rachel reminded me that they needed winter protection. I also filled up all my bird-feeders.

 

 

€12.95 Mr. Middleton, picked up a plant today. The assistant said they do much better in acid soil or if growing in pots a peat based compost. I also picked up a catalogue, reading it on the way home, they have a paragraph on Goji, the picture of the berries is red, the berries on the plant lable are blue. I will contact them to see what the story is. Also getting ready for 2010, I picked up Chillie Pepper seeds, Krakatoa. Watch out Chillipepper, I think not. Planting Garlic, seeds for 2010, so a new diversion in gardening begins. Can’t wait to see my own Garlic and Chillies hanging in kitchen, ready for use.                                                                                 

Did some cutting back and shredding today. Started with phygelius; I have it in the corner just inside the gate but it doesn’t want to stay there. It moves up towards the house and tries to get out the gate. So I actually had to pull lots of it up rather than just cutting it . Then there were bits with buds that I left on in the hopes. Did some cotoneaster but left the berries for the birds. So I didn’t really do that much. Got it all shredded without the shredder jamming which is a plus. Then I noticed that a hollyhock is showing a tiny bit of colour. They got badly eaten early on which set them back I think. Any chance it will get to flower this late? are they hardy or will the frost kill them? This is the first time I’ve grown them.

ain’t it mad ,, few daffs poking through already ! also some bulbs i planted a few weeks back , can’t remember which ones – i really should label my pots so i remember what i’ve planted!  The poor things are probably in shock now the cold weather has hit . The seasons are getting very confused.

Unfortunately, due to my commuting I get home long after dark weekdays and this limits my actiities Monday to Friday. However, just spent a most pleasant couple of hours in the shed sorting dried seed heads and pods.

I now have buckets (not really, they are brown wage envelopes) filled with loads of; Sweetpea, Foxglove, Sunflower, Nasturtium, Cornflower, Cosmos, Busy Lizzie, Cornflower and a number of Stock varieties that I bought in Morocco last year. I know that you are not supposed to import seeds as I did,but I couldn’t resist! We were on holiday and I found a garden centre in Agadir and brought home loads of seeds. The leeks and onions were a particular success, beetroot less so and the melons and pmpkins just OK.

anyway, very soothing to sit and crush dried seed heads and filter the seeds knowing that next year I will have saved some money. the only problem is that I have more seed packets than I know wat to do with.

Two weeks ago I donated about thirty packets to my daughter’s school for their Harvest Fair and they were snapped up very quickly, along with the boxes of vegetables supplied.

Question is what do I do with the rest? Does anyone else collect seed for the following year and is there anywhere to arrange a swap?

"Plant your own garden and decorate your own soul…. instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers".  

I saw this little quote today and thought it was very fitting for the week everyone seems to have and where out thoughts have been. I guess we all have our troubles outside our friendship on garden.ie. Also I am really looking forward to the fruits of my labours and seeing all the bulbs come up in the Spring and give us fresh hope. 

Havent done much in garden all week been busy with family and work. Hope to catch up at weekend. put the last of my hyacinth bulbs on jars this evening in the window and watered the herbs that are coming up nicely.

Benji on the other hand has been very busy :O( he is out of sorts since halloween and decided to take it out on the pond. he has taken out the solar light, rubber duck and my oxygenating plant. Bad bad dog but you still got to love him, he normally never does harm but the fireworks have him not himself. A good walk this weekend and some "Benji Time" should have him back to himself. 

 

Interested in growing your own food?

First Meeting of GIY Monaghan

 

From 7.30pm sharp on Monday 30th November 2009 in the "The Market House" in Monaghan town will be the venue for the inaugural meeting of GIY (Grow it Yourself) Monaghan. 

 

GIY networks aim to take the ”self” out of ”self-sufficiency” by getting back-garden growers together on a regular basis to talk, learn from each other and exchange tips, produce and war-stories!  The meetings are free and open to people interested in food growing at all levels, i.e. from growing a few herbs on the balcony to complete self-sufficiency, from beginners to old hands. 

 

Hundreds of people are involved in existing GIY groups around Ireland and activities include talks on specific food-growing topics, garden visits, seed swaps, produce bartering, mentor panels and the return of the meitheal (where growers get together in one another’s gardens to carry out some growing related task).  For more information please email giymonaghan@gmail.com.  Or visit  https://www.giyireland.com/

every autumn i put down some black plastic in a corner of my veg garden about 4ft by 4ft, i then gather up as many cutting as possible and try to remember where i seen shrubs or any plant that grows from cuttings that i liked earlier in the year, i then push them through the plastic and leave them for about 18 months i then plant some and give away the rest. so far i have planted cuttings from old roses that u can get a lovely smell from.

i am hoping to harvest the rest of my potatoes at the weekend if their not washed away in this terrible weather.   

the garlic is planted! some in the soil, but i had no decomposed manure some in window boxes so will patiently wait to see what happens. The daffodil bulbs are still in the bag in my hall!

 

If timing is everything,  then I have nothing.  The week off work and I had the highest of hopes to do the divil an all outside.   Not to be.  I’ve been living here 10 years now and this is the worst flooding I’ve seen in that time. There was a real threat of Gismo’s ark being called into action. We are just lucky to be on a hill.

The only good thing is I managed to clear a path from the back door of the garage right through to the roller doors. Now I can walk right through without having to climb over or move things.  An I got to see the goldfinches make their first appearance at the feeders. Too much time sitting in the conservatory watching the wildlife.

 

Ah well,   it could be worse.   🙂

 

I had to laugh when i opened the post today to get 2 water bills, 45e and 75e and it lashing rain, all they have to do is pump it. the fields, are puddles, the pond overflowed and ask for the lawn……….

I was messing around on the computer when I came across a more direct way to download the Fix it – Microsoft ATS tool; the direct website address is https://support,microsoft.com/gp/mats

Sorry if I put you all to a lot of bother with my previous convoluted way of getting the Fix it tool. 

Friday evening sitting in the shed just musing….

What will the weather be like over the weekend? Can I get out and about? Will the dog stop digging up the broccoli?

Wondering whether I should place a lot of stripped copper cable that I have around the edges of the beds as I have read that gastropods do not like copper.

I have pansies and violas everywhere, ven between cracks in the paving slabs. Started my own from seed a couple of years ago instead of buying in as I find it much more satisfying and was wondering how you go about collecting the seeds?

Lobelia fascinates me as an experiment too as any I have raised from seed has thrivedmuch better than bought in plugs.

Any ideas anyone?

many thanks for the nice welcome and the comments.I hope to upload some photos soon,once i consult my technical advisor.Just noticed today that my viburnum bodnantense dawn has flowered with its heavenly scent.I am big fan of scented plants and love trying out different ones.I,’ve devoted my most sheltered corner to some of these and patience will be required for some to get to flowering stage but the anticipation is great as well.Theres a rhodo loderi King George which will only be fabulous,a r.lady Alice Fitzwilliam,an edgeworthia chrysantha and a chimonanthus.Reading the diaries in the Irish Garden down the years i noted that at one stage Rae Mcintyre had a chimonanthus for 15 years without a trace of a flower,i wonder has it flowered for her since?’Heaven comes to those who wait’ is the motto of the day.I’d love to hear other peoples experiences.

So I finally got round to washing the tunnel.  After yanking out all the tomato plants, pulling up the bottomless pots they were in and the water bottles used to water and feed them, I decided I could ignore the task no longer.  Try as I might to put it off, the time was nigh to clean the tunnel.  You have to do it when the tunnel is empty; there’s no other way, really.  And this is the only time of year that it is ever empty.  Summer stuff if either finished or annoyingly sad looking; overwintering stuff is still in baby stage, probably just being sown (like the peas and broad beans) or in modules.  So I sucked it up last weekend and did it.

Can you tell I hate doing it?

Got a soft-ish brush, washing up liquid and a drop of Dettol (probably not organic, but this washing business is done once a year and is serious business…).  The inside was easy.  I washed and even dried the bit I could reach.  Did I mention that my tunnel is kind of tall?  It has straight sides and just seems taller than the average tunnel that I have visited.  And I am, by no means, the tallest person in the world.  So, inside was a doddle.

Outside was not a doddle and, in fact, were you to visit me today you would see a lovely, shiny, new-looking tunnel except for the 3-foot band of mildewy, mouldy, manky looking plastic running along the top bar of the tunnel from front to back.  No matter how hard I tried, I just could not reach the very top of the outside of the tunnel.  I tried a step-ladder.  Forget it, I barely made it to the rounded part and the stupid legs kept sinking into the ground.  So I got a bigger ladder and positioned it at each rounded bit of arch.  Then I had to put boards under the legs so the ladder wouldn’t sink.  I then (very carefully, of course) leaned on the arch and tried to reach the top.  A little better, but not perfect.  That 3-foot band of scummy filth is undeniable.

So now, when I enter the tunnel, I look around happily at the clean edifice — I just don’t look up. 

Hi All

 My garden is approx. three quarters of an acre-mountain land.

Because we are high up gardening can be challenging (putting it mildly).

Am thinking of getting some Amelanchier Canadensis (Snowy Mespilus) has anyone got these?

Wish it would stop raining.

well i just wondering…. is it too late to put the lawn seeds donw??? i have few patches cleared and want a grass. will i wait for spring???

thanks to all

leaving the country for a while. dont know when il b back. bye