Month: January 2010
It is reported that an outbreak of Cabin Fever is widespread throughout the country and gardeners are particularly vulnerable to this debilitating affliction!The outbreak has occurred due to persistant frost and snow over a prolonged period necessitating gardeners remaining out of thier usual habitat for an exceptionally long time!
Symptoms of this condition are:
(1) An uncharacteristic interest in housework that was previously deemed unnecessary, such as hoovering and dusting. In extreme cases this can even extend to dusting skirting-boards! (2) The re-arranging of pictures and ornaments! (3) A sudden dissatisfaction with interior design that previously was quite pleasing! (4) In most cases there is a tendancy to read all instructions for planting of plants that have not yet arrived from the nursery – this would previously be left until after planting was completed!.
Remedies:
Remedies for this condition are few. But it is recommended that the patient apply a warm coat, scarf, and hat and studded boots and, taking a strong walking pole and considerable care, he/she should endeavour to walk as far as conditions allow. This remedy should be carried out daily and if the length of the walk can be increased there is some hope of recovery. Returning with a ‘green leaf plucked off’ is no guarentee of improvement and and the resulting disappointment may hasten the patient’s demise. The chances of recover are greatly increased if, while on the walk, the patient takes note of the exceptional beauty in the scenery around him and considers the less fortunate farmer in the field nearby who struggles to feed his sheep, noting, at the same time, that the sheep are limping from cuts and sores on their tiny feet.
For those of more delicate constitutions it may be necessary to take more extreme measures to deal wth this disease that has inflicted so many. In these cases the only effective relief is to obtain, without delay, a one-way ticket to warmer climes !!
Fortunately, we are assured that the conditions causing this outbreak of cabin fever have never before persisted without end!!!!!!!!!!!
Just to let you know that I found several small black flies around one of my Lidl Amaryllis– I presume they came in the compost.
I planted some red and white cyclamen for some Christmas colour. They looked great, then the frost came and as we all know is still with us. What i did notice was that the white plants suffered first, with flower showing frost burn and then flowers and leaves drooping completely. The red plants followed a few days later.
I had a quick look at the plants this evening, there are signs of new flower buds coming through, the leaves are looking a bit livelier also. It is great to see a plant that can deal with this weather so well. One last time I noticed was that the plants that are planted in the ground seemed to suffer less than the plants that are in the pots at the door.
Any of you who follow garden.ie on facebook will already know this – Johnstown Garden Centre has a range of vegetable seeds for the urban grower.
Follow this link or go directly from Facebook.
Leek Lancelot looks tempting!
the sooner the long days come the better. i have become restless and anxious to get going. and being one of many i have put on 12lbs over the past few months. i am looking forward to the exercise and a detox from cloncaw lovely puddings and cake. so i hope to be out in the garden with fork in hand in the month ahead for the preparation for what i hope will be a year of heavy cropping
A question, does anyone have them, ever used them? any recommendations? Have found some from Harrod Horticultural which seem to be highly recommended, but have also found full spectrum LED Blue Red which seem to have good recommendations too, any thoughts please????
The most enjoyable thing that I did yesterday was to choose and order some new roses from David Austin Roses! The roses I ordered are: Claire Austin a white shrub rose, a climber called ‘A shropshire Lad’ – pink, Malvern Hills -a yellow rambler, Wild Edric- a deep pink recomended for wilder areas of the garden(!) and Darcey Bussell for Myrtle! The Shropshire Lad I plan to plant at the new fence beside the gatepost and if I can make a hole big enough I will put Malvern Hills by the other gatepost. Wild Edric will go beside the boundary fence in the area that I refere to as the wilderness and I have not decided where to put Claire Austin yet! I cant wait to get planting!
Isn’t it great to be in the warmth of the livingroom looking out at the snow, while drinking hot spiced fruit punch and planning the planting of roses?!
No walk today as I’m nursing a headcold!
I am like a trapped greyhound in the stall after the hare has passed. I want out, well Thats not actually what I mean. After my little collision my vehicle is gone to see a nice man who will knock all the dents out of it with a hammer. Because I have no vehicle I can-t work so I had to take holidays. Due to the weather I can-t do anything, can-t dig for the ground is to hard and can-t plant seeds as the greenhouse is to cold. I am looking at a frozen landscape. I have enough reading catalogues and wishing, I WANT TO GARDEN. I want to dig soil, sow and watch as new growth burst forth.
I JUST WANT TO GET OUT THERE AND DO SOME GARDENING
Make a list of all your garden needs for the year ahead. Canes, twine, seeds, labels, pens and so on. When your list is made head off and gets them now while garden centres are heaving stocked. I think this is a must do as anyone who as tried to buy long 8ft runner bean canes in May will find that everybody else has bought theirs. You will end up navigating around the country’s garden centres looking for your goods. And still coming back with seven rather poor specimens, and wondering why you didn’t go earlier in the year.
My seeds arrived today so delighted I started to read the packet information. In the end, I set up an excel spreadsheet and set out the relevant information. You see, I have to plan. My glasshouse is small so in order to get the best use out of it, I have to plan what will be sown in what month, in various quantities.
There are approximately 124 seeds in the pea packet, which can be sown in February and planted out in March, right up to June. So, if I plant one tray of 24 in February, plant it out when ready for planting and then wash out the tray and re-fill, I should have a continous supply of peas plants of 24 every 3 weeks and equally a continous supply of peas for eating. Furthermore, the land up behind the in-laws will not be ready until mid-April so the first lot can be grown here in my own garden in a container.
The cucumber has 15 seeds in the packet – to be sown in March and the pumpkin has 15 seeds in it to be sown in April so the same tray can be used for them.
The sweetcorn has 50 seeds so 2 seed trays will be needed but in May.
Based on this plan, the month of May could put the glasshouse under pressure because the frosts will not be over so the summer flowers will be in there too.
Can’t believe it. After fencing off, using pepper, Catapult spray and any number of other things to try and keep the dog out of the beds, it turns out that she is terrifed of…………….
Balloons!!!!!
The day after my daughter’s birthday (29th December) when I was heading out the side, the breeze brought a couple of party remnants from the kitchen.
Two balloons drifting about in the side garden had the dog cowering terrified in the corner, and when I caught them and brought them toward her she shirked away even further, if that is possible.
I can only assume that one burst on her as a pup, as we got her from the local pound when she was about six months old.
Anyway some string and the rest of the party balloons later and the beds were, hopefully, protected. I was so desperate that I would try anything. I left a small rough bed which is fallow until the spring unballooned as a control.
A week later and the ballon sentries are still working, although a little deflated and cold.
Here’s hoping!!
Got home early from work due to weather, snow, hail, thunder, lighting in Dublin city centre today, but and I will say it again, sod the weather, did anyone notice what was happening at 4.40 pm this evening, ……….. go on did you notice ………. it was still bright…… no matter what the weather is doing …. nature is going the gardeners way.
I braved a very icy path to the shed to check on my plants, a lot of very sad looking plants. I had 7 lupin seedlings – I now have 2. Liga your two little slips are now black, should have had them in the house but no space for them. But what I have learned is that I took cutting too late in the summer and they havnt got time to get established before the cold winter, so next summer I will start at the end of July or before, this year it was more like the end of August. Ah well there is always this New Year!
Take great care everybody while these icy conditions last. My daughter’s father-in-law slipped on the ice this morning and broke his ankle. She spent seven hours in casualty with him and he has to have two steel plates fitted to-morrow.
There is freezing fog here at the moment with temp. down to -4 and feels alot colder so again take care.
this is the worst christmas with ice,snow, and fog, and no end in sight.
Has anyone ordered seeds from them, did you order from web or from Mr Middleton? I’m very tempted to get some perennials although I havnt got a propagator or greenhouse, but I have been looking at some on the web and am tempted to try! So any advice would be appreciated.
ok so i sound like an ‘ol wan but isn’t this weather scary…roads are ice rinks…yet i was overtaken by an eejit in a 4×4 this morning on way into work-yes thats right not every school was closed-he/she put the heart crossways in me. the car was hitting the road in spots…i mean do these people not listen to the news
apologies to any ‘ol wans reading this
apologies to any 4×4 drivers
double apologies to any ‘ol wans who drive 4×4’s
(this would be a good place to insert a smiley!!!)
When we were kids, a copy of Old Moore’s Almanack was bought every year. I can still see its green cover, with no pictures either on the cover or inside – from a child’s point of view, a very boring book.
I was listening to the radio today and guess what? Paraphrasing, Old Moore’s Almanack gives the following weather forecast:
January – Snow – not the messy, gluey stuff but the real snow.
June & July – Glorious weather – we may not have money but who needs money when we are spending glorious days at the beach.
August – everything ripens as it should.
One correction mark to the author for getting January right. Will the overall mark be 12 / 12 i.e. 100%?
The snow is falling down on my garden.
I have done:
1 teracota pot with a bright pink primrose in it.
I Have picked all of my brussle sprouts.
Don’t forget water as well as food for the birds. I’ve been putting out water every day but somehow today they went mad for it, both drinking and bathing in it. One sparrow kept hopping in and out before deciding to have a bath–just like someone working up courage to go in swimming! By the way I saw 3 redwings today and also a greenfinch which I hadn’t seen for a few weeks.
Oh dear Friends ,,,my poor garden is buried in deep deep snow and all I can see is the footprints of tiny birds ..but amid the snow ..there grows one perfect pink Rosebud …..Is it a sign from the Lord ,,that all is not lost and soon spring will fight its way through ..I LIVE IN HOPE !!
I dont know about were you are, but here the postman has been out every morning during this icy weather! And believe me the country roads here are no joke! Every day he faithfully brings the post and also checks to see if I need anything! Takes letters back to the Post Office to post and always with a cheery word and smile. Now I think that sort of service deserves a salute, dont you?
I have just put up some pics. that I took yesterday. I think they show the importance of evergreens in the garden.
I just had a little giggle when I was looking at the "What to do now section of garden.ie I hope there is an opportunity, I’d love to give the mower a run.
Lawn
If there is a dry spell during this month, take the opportunity to give the lawn a run of the lawn-mower.
Another little giggle is that we have a "Cold Snap" according to the BBC they have a "Big Freeze"
Just reading Rachel’s journal about her greenhouse rescue. I started thinking, and at times when I think I often come up with strange thoughts, this time maybe not.
The snow sitting on a glass house roof, will act as a layer of insulation. So as the temperature inside drops, that temperature is held with the insulation on the roof. The snow on the roof will also reduce the amount of heat from the little sunshine that we do have, hence preventing extra heat building up in the house.
I don’t have a green house, so maybe I am wrong, but might be worth clearing snow off, and seeing what happens the temperature.
I spotted what may be very rare in these recessionary times–a 10 C reg car!
