Month: March 2010
My begonia is Begonia semperflorens – half hardy perennial but grown as half hardy annual beddings. I have had odd plants come up the following year, but only in mild winters does this happen……. Rachel, the begonia tuberous group and Rex & rhizomatous group would be the ones that produce the corms, which would definitely be frost tender. I have taken some photos which hopefully I’ll put on this evening. Gorgeous sunny frosty morning here, with Croagh Patrick looking magical, its north face covered in snow!
while planting yesterday noticed that Jack Frost helped himself to 4 lavender, only went in last year so just couldnt cope.
was worried about the lupins cos they went in last year aswell. well thank god they survived, little sprigs of green poking through the mulch.
its a lovely warm day down here in north cork, so gonna take the doggies for a nice long walk. they were kinda neglected yesterday. anyway my backs in agony from all the digging etc so could do with a day off.
threw some pics up of the garden before and after, cant find ones last year when the "lawn" was in, but i’ll keep hunting
Today was such a beautiful day I decided its time I went outside to the garden as I have’nt done much in a long time because of the weather. I started washing the windows and then washed all the walls because they had green mould on them from the winter. After that I potted some seeds THEN I decided to have a look at the flowers and see what is left after the frost. Not as bad as I thought. Lost a few things but could be worse. They are easily replaced. Some flowers looked dead but when I examined them closely I could see new growth so I cut away all the dead bits so here’s hoping. I was so good to be outside at last!!!! I still have an awful lot more to do but tomorrow is another day.
I have been keeping weeding and clearing. We both tackled some overgrown shrubs at the weekend and have acquired more planting space.
I have also been busy with preparations for the Hillsborough Horticulural Society Show which is on the 27th March iun the Village Centre in Hillsborough. It is open to the public from 2.00pm and there will be a plant stall and teas.The Show will host the Amateur Daffodil Society of Ireland award.
This week on Wednesday Jekka Mc Vicker will be giving the Horticulural Lecture of the year in the Island Centre in Lisburn.
Saturday we have a National Trust Ulster Gardens Scheme lunch in Mount Stewart.
In between all these activities I will be gardening as much as I can. We have a local small gartden centre about 5 minutes from where we live. Temptation is great. I wa sin today for bird food and spied a lot of new plants in so I think there will be a return visit this week. I bought the really dark blue poppies from him 2 years ago and they flowered really well last year. Hope they have survived this winter. If they do I will split them this year and start some more.
I haven’t sown any seeds yet but will be doing so soon. We are about to purchase raised beds from B and Q for our strawberry plants. I managed to get nearly 40 plants from some seeds which the birds had dropped.
I think it is to be a good day tomorrow so more weeding!
good news on the green roof for the barna shed.
got onto the manufacturer today and they actually have a few with green roofs so they gave the go ahead.
sourced the sedum matting, little expensive but its a one time job (hopefully) although might go for the "raised bed" look and plant it up every year or do half and half. Oh the decisions!!!!!
totally unproductive day today due to the piercing ache in my back from yesterday, might do up a few seed trays for the front garden, under the cherry tree and around the Magnolia
Got home from work, and went to move the seeds off the table for dinner. Put them there this morning, to get the best light available. There was nothing showing at all, this evening some sunflowers are up, about 1/4 inch since 8 this morning. Tiny spots of green showing in the poppy cells. Take it there is a grin from ear to ear, hope the toms show soon, then I will be really happy.
the birds sang , the sun shone , and i planted — perfect day …. got one hamamelis in , but out came a cherry blossom which hasn’t been doing its job:( been thinking of removing it for a couple of years but kept giving it another chance — no more . of course never thought about those extra chances meaning roots getting stronger and stronger !! quite a brut but got there in the end — back is sure to be aching tomorrow! however leaves a nice space for magnolia i might have to buy in aldi on thurs ! every cloud !! speaking of which hope theres some tonight so frost stays away!
Finally the funding has come through from what we spent last year.
and guess who’s in charge of plants etc (god help us)
have all the bedding plants ordered (discount for being so early)
polytunnel priced, site to be organised
water tank and pump for under polytunnel, to collect rainwater, priced
shrubs, priced
sedum matting arranged, to cover unsightly spots coming into village
more trees organised, planted 100 last year
who ever said its boring being out of work, just get up off your butt and volunteer,
then the catalogue arrived from Kernock Park Plants and threw it all into disarray. its sickening the markup on plants in garden centers, still suppose they have to make a profit too.
going on a field trip tomorrow to The Secret Garden near Kanturk in North Cork. should be a good day out.
Last autumn I sowed several trays of seeds and left them in the greenhouse to overwinter.
They were all seeds that required, or would tolerate, stratification – Sarracenia, Astrantia, Verbascum, Aquilegia.
I note the definition of botanical stratification – simulating winter conditions to promote germination by chilling to ideally +1° to +3°C – not freezing.
Given the abominable winter we have had, with temperatures of -10, I had given up on my seeds in the greenhouse for lost. However, yesterday I decided to take a little look at them.
No sign of life in most trays but the Astratia tray did have one seedling peeping up. I decided it was probably a weed and left it. But today I went back to check again and have found several similar seedlings peeping up in the same tray.
So, for anyone who may have inadvertently collected a few Astrantia seeds in Belvedere at the Garden.ie get-together last year, GO check your seeds!
Had an afternoon off today – in the sunshine – and started the spring clean. A good deal of chopping and piling up of twiggy stuff from a couple of herbaceous beds. An odd wander about to see what was coming up – trilliums and fritillaries look happy; purple crocus have opened to the sun; a rather bedraggled hellebore is in flower but needs some attention.
Still – back to the spring cleaning. I didn’t manage to finish all the cutting back of dead stuff but then I decided that the next few nights might be a bit of a shock so I piled the twigs back on top of the plants to act as a duvet.
I wonder if I will be up early enough (before I head to work) to rake the twigs off and let the sunlight in. I doubt it. I’m a last minute man.
Cornflowers and cosmos and californian poppies and opium poppies are on the cards this year. I think I might sow some candytuft, too.
Must check on the dahlias I saved – and forget about the ones I didn’t.
The Canna’s are coming on quite well in the bathroom at the moment. I see lots of new shoots appearing as mentioned in an earlier journal.
One of my friends suggested I split them again as one or two will need bigger pots. Would this be okay to do as I split them already in October. I know they grow fast and form clumps so this sounds like a good idea in theory but will I damage them ????
Yesterday was such a nice day, so once I got home from work, did the homework with the kids and fed them all, I headed to the Garden.
I managed to cut the grass, and it makes such a difference now the lawn is tidy, no more leaves. Must give it a feed and treat it for moss as there is a good bit of that this year.
Because of the extra buying in Aldi, Lidl and the pound shop last week, I have ran out of space for all my purchases, I decided to put in a new shrub and flower bed. Marked it all out and made a start on digging, even though it was nearly dark and I could not see what I was doing, but just had to get it started. Hope to get more done this evening.
Raddish, Lettuce, Cosmos, Brocolli, Cauliflower have all germinated in the greenhouse, as I never got around to bringing them in. Got some sunflower seeds at the weekend, so plant to sow them this evening. Used a dwarf variety last year and they were really pretty, but this year Lauren wanted the Giant variety, so not sure where they will go yet, but the kids already talking about the contest of whos will grow the biggest.
This is the second time I am typing this – hope it goes in this time!
My garden has suffered a lot as we had builders in but I now have a bigger kitchen diner with loads of space – I have ended up "living" in the kitchen much more and so benefit from the view and better access to the garden – see pictures! Now I just have to get out there and tidy up after the builders, and get some colour and form into it. Im off work this week – seems like a good time to start!
The allotment is coming on well and today I’m focusing on the other areas of the community garden, planting some wildflower seeds for the start of our wild flower meadow – have to do it a bit at a time as there is so much space. My son was home from college last week and strimmed and raked for me so I just have to get there now before the weeds!
On top of all that the residents association is going out on Sunday en masse to create a path through a "difficult" area. Our volunteer mowers, god bless them, neearly tip over the mower every time they are in that area so we are levelling it and leaving the areas on both sides au naturel!
Thats enough for now I think!
My garden has suffered this year (2009) as I’m very busy in the allotment – see journal – however I’m very surprised that my Agapanthus is still blooming – As far as I remember it usually only blooms in July give or take a week or two – I have had a full 10 weeks so far this year! I also have brambles and God knows what else is lurking in the undergrowth!
Spring 2010
I have had builders in – so now have lots of tidy-up to do! – see journal
Time is really flying-it’s hard to believe that we’re into March already. Am raring to get out and get some gardening done but have been working flat out for the last few weeks and haven’t had a chance. However, working from home today and tipped out earlier as I noticed that the rose bushes were looking kind of strange. The tops of some of the stems were brown (frost damage?) and the leaves (presumably last years?) were looking kind of dead. So, secateurs in hand and feeling a little daunted, out I headed but I’m not sure if I cut them back enough. I just took off the dead wood on the stems, pulled off a few of the dead leaves and left it at that. Can anyone help I wonder? I’m just not sure if I cut off enough or too much. There are lots of new buds on the older rose bush and the other three I planted to grow up an ugly wall are looking less lively. Is it time to head up the road to the riding stables for a few bags of manure? Any help appreciated as I am determined to make a go of the flowery part of the garden this year.
Fran – tried to put a comment on to your ‘Rambling Rose’ journal, but getting a weird message on it – won’t post for me, so doing it this way!!
Firstly, HG I had two montanas, tetrarose’ rampant grower early spring and the other, ‘wilsonii’ (scented) another rampant grower which flowered early summer. Both are lovely, but in the right place! I’d say mine grew to 40ft. They would swamp the rose. I agree with HG about planting clematis deeper than it is in the pot, even going down 6 inches. I used to grow loads of clematis in the UK – they were an obsession with me!!! Here we live on an exposed site and clematis don’t like gales!! I’m persevering with ‘Hagley Hybrid’ which is going up the side of my shed. I also have a Montana ‘Elizabeth’ which is scented, going along a concrete high retaining wall. Fran, Viticella type clematis (lots to choose from) should be cut right down in Feb as it flowers on the new growth and it’s trouble free. Get yourself a good clematis book – I’m sure you could get one from the library, or go on-line. You could probably google ‘clematis and rose combinations’ to see what comes up!!! Your renovated area looks great.
Today was a little cold to be in the garden so I spent the afternoon sewing seeds. I never had much look with seeds but this year they are doing really well. I sewed a lot of sweet pea because I bought a free standing trellis in Lidl and want to grow them in pots to stand under it at the oil tank. I will have to secure the trellis somehow because if a strong wind comes it would knock it over. I also took a few cutting from a neighbours garden and used rooting powder for them. I bought a lot of plants in Aldi and they have to be planted also. Dont know where I’m going to put them all. Bulbs are all up and doing really well.
Just want to take this opportunity to wish John (johnplotman) a speedy recovery and hope to see him home very soon.
Ingredients: 2 bulbs of Garlic and water. [1] Crush the garlic and steam or boil in 2 pints of water for 3or 4 minutes until blanched. [2] Strain the mixture and make it up to 2 pints. [3] Leave it to cool.
When ready to use, mix 1 tablespoonful into a gallon of water. Sprinkle it onto leaves of plants in the late afternoon (in dry weather). Reapply every two weeks. The mixture will dry onto the leaves making them unappetising to slugs and snails. I haven’t tried it myself as yet but will do so this year if my Hostas recover from the heavy frosts. I picked up this recipe on the BBC Gardeners World website last year.
how hard can it be to dig a hole 3ftx3ft.? Very hard!!! I think every boulder in Mayo is in this hole, never mind, the hole is dug ready for the bin,We found a nice black half bin which will be perfect. will have to take some photos as we go.
Its very frustating to see all this lovely dry crisp weather and not be able to do any work in the garden however I am feeling better now and it wont be much longer before I am back in action on the new steps.
I googled the above and ‘clematis and rose companions’ came up. Loads of info and lots of sites for you Fran. Krista – if you get a montana I’d recommend the montana ‘wilsonii’ which flowers later than the early montana. sweetly scented – you’d love it, a pale creamy yellowy. Still having problems with my ‘comments’ box so will have to get in touch with those who know about these things at Gdn.ie!!
Glad to hear you are much better now. It doesn:t seem to have stopped your gardening progress.Sowed some sweet peas and thungbergia seeds today.its a start.I have to get some pots tomorrow, left all that stuff behind me. Conservatory all plastered just electrisity and radiators to be connected. have to wait till it dries oyt before it can painted or tiled.hope to have camera soon . will then hopefully have some photos.
This is my first time growing seeds in about ( shhh 40 odd years ) don’t think those have trilled me as much as what has happened in the last 24 hours.
Cannot get over the speed the sunflowers are growing at.
The poppy seedlings are tiny, tiny, tiny. Great thinking what they will grow into.
Some of the toms are pushing up as well.
My crocuses, I am now convinced have disappeared completely. Vanished.
Lastly, the Amaryllis are still messing with me. The second one will flower next week. The third one popped a shoot up about three weeks ago, 2 inches or so, and has totally stopped. All three were potted at the same time, treated the same way, and in the same position. Doing my head in, at this stage.
i planted all my fruit trees and set first earlies potatoes under cover also planted 3 common hazel and one Turkish hazel trees about 3 foot high saplings over the weekend.
evening y’all
any tips or advice on growing strawberries, was gonna put them in the plastic hut this year.
read to pick out all the blossoms to strengthen the plant for next year. was hoping for a crop this year.
