Month: June 2010

I don’t have an out door garden but am into growing gloxinia plants. I do this from starting with a leaf in a small plastic cup with a bit of water in it. It generally takes a good few weeks before it starts rooting then a few months to develop into a small plant. Once this is reached I transfer the small plant into a small potting plant then carefully raise it this is the most difficult period. Once raised I am at times able to split plants as they form a bulb body that makes it possible to get a few plants for a single cultured leaf. I currently grow pink gloxinias and would very much like to grow different colour variants if I were able to find another grower in possession of different colour flowers generous enough to let me have a few leaves

Recently, arising out of a topic started by Fran, we seem to be having a very deep discussion about why do we garden, and how should we garden.  

Do we feel pressurised?  When one reads about how hard others work one  (i.e.  I) feel pressurised.

Like for Fran major decisions are faced –  veg or not? 

At times I get fed up with gardening.  I am very awkward and when I weed I seem to stand on plants and wonder do I do more harm than good.  Will the plants I walked on today recover? Does it matter?

 Anyway yesterday I spent most of the day weeding (well may be two hours, but it felt like the whole day) and I did not get much done.

 This is a lull time, as the spring flowers have gone and the summer ones have not arrived.  But I did see my first rose in the garden and was encouraged.

Going to "Bloom" on Thursday with Flitters and No:1 Daughter!!! Can’t believe school is out on Wednesday!!!   🙂   🙂   🙂

Oh the guilt of it all. Bad night last night with the ears and throat. Not so bad now. And I am thinking of all the work that needs doing coming up to the Bank Holiday weekend. I was only scratching the surface in work for the last 2 days and things were beginning to look ship-shape again. If I ring in sick today, what’s it going to be like when I get back.

Thank God for the rain last night, I was getting tired dragging watering cans to the farthest corners of the garden. The rainwater collecting tank is a huge success, possible to good. I may need a second tank. I’ve almost finished planting the tunnel. So far I have Potatoes, Turnips, Lettuce, Radishes, Beetroot, Carrots, Parsnips, Spinach, Leeks, Onions, Garlic, Beans, Peas, Spring Onions, Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, Cabbage and a selection of herbs. Today I’m trying a couple of varieties of Melon, Honeydew and Cantaloupe. I dug out and planted up a new bed yesterday in the corner garden for my Lupins. It’s south facing and sheltered so they should be fine there. An awful lot of slugs have come to grief in my beer traps while waiting for my Dahlias to arrive but finally they’re here. Here’s hoping for lots more sunshine.

finally finished my bloom garden today, it was a very enjoyable week so far.. wouldnt mind doing it again next year but now the nervous part of waiting to find out what medal i get, ill find out thursday morning..anyone planing on going?

Yum Yum new potatoes for dinner today after a day of planting bedding plants out. only another eight beds to go . We have the Ballinobe gardening club hoping to come this summer to see the garden. John has been helping me in the garden again today ,

Achill Secret Garden

Right by the Atlantic coast, hidden in a small bay on Achill Island, you find our wonderful. Achill is situated on the Atlantic coast in County Mayo, due west of Dublin. The island has inspired many artists with its natural beauty and spectacular skies reflecting the special daylight that comes with the ocean.

The 3 acres of gardens belong to Bleanáskill Lodge which is established around 1870. See also: www.achill-art-garden.com. Bleanáskill Lodge is a peaceful oasis on Achill Island located on the tranquil shores of Achill Sound, along the Atlantic Drive. The house can be found in a quiet hamlet, two miles from Achill Sound. From here you have a view over to the Curraun Peninsula and the waters of the Sound. The garden is situated at the sea.

It is difficult growing anything in coastal gardens with the fierce winds and the salty air present, but through the past decades most owners of the lodge contributed in one way or another to the garden.

It has resulted in a mixture of mature trees and colourful borders, art features and vibrant wildlife.

A haven of tranquillity and peace.

 

 

Was out having a look at my roses and I have noticed that there is one or two leaves that have a touch of blackspot. Really disappointed as I have been spraying they every two weeks for the last 6 weeks. I have been using rose clear and liquid copper fungicide on alternative sprays.

Any advice welcome

Spent the last couple of days clearing and levelling an area that the swings and playthings for the nieces and nephews will go. I’ll cover it with plastic when its level and rolled and then put down chippings. I’ll use lengths of treated timber around the edges to contain the chippings. Lovely weather today and the slight threat of showers never really materialised. Lets hope that they stay away for the Bloom festival.

The removal by pruning of the Santolina yesterday had two effects: 1. I was able to see that there is some alive separate from the main plant. I am happy that it is safe; 2. There was left a big space. I have plenty plants to put into it. Already some geraniums (pelergoniums) have been planted in the front of that bed. I have some dahlias in pots which I put into the bed, they will be planted to morrow. All the plants which are going in are in on a temporary basis, for the next four months. When removed I will decide what to replace them. There is a stump of the santolina left. I will leave it there and see if anything comes from it. Pots in the lawn for some time had geraniums. Petunias were put in to day with the geraniums so there should be good colour after a while. Roses are coming on generally free of black spot as they were sprayed. I have some Begonias not many plus plenty Antirrhinums and Nicotiana. The sunflowers seem to have failed probably old seed in contrast with the time I planted some when I was very young. Philadelphus (mock orange) is about to open, lovely scent off it in warm weather. Onion sets and runner beans are coming on but due to lack of rain rhubarb has not done as well as it did early in the year. Perhaps as a result of the heavy rain things will be different. I hope to have some photos to morrow.

Good day in garden today after rain last night. Planted out some more cabbage plants, beetroot, and leeks, plus moved some weeds or as some gardeners say “a plant that was in the wrong place”, although I don’t know where the right place is for such plants, I moved them to what I thought a suitable place.

In for a cupa have half the weeding done, will have to finish it before I’m off again, I’m not getting much done only fedding and water the weeds are doing much better them me especially after the rain. I have to put up some photos soon of shrubs I need to know what they are.

Happy gardening to all

well our site is a split level so the lawns in the front are sloped and great fun to mow or so my 13 year old thinks.. its about one acre we are living here about 10 years so we have the landscape done but im always trying to improveon it, got most of the cuttings and shrubs off my sister shes really into her gardening!! at the back of our house i convinced my husband to make a vegetable garden three years agoit was the best thing we did as its full of spuds onions beetroot brocolli. we had to put chicken wire around it though, as theres loads of rabbits about cute but also a nuisance.. last year i bought a poly tunnell have tomatoes,courgettes,peppers,scallions,lettuce,beetroot,onions,and carrots and dont forget about the strawberries this year crop was unbelievable lovely and juicy mmmm!!!!

Got the play area levelled and rolled today so got the plastic and began to put that down. Thought i’d have enough in one roll but will have to get a second one. Will hopefully get that done tomorrow and get some stone chippings to put down then. At least things are moving on a bit. Should look well when its finished. Still contemplating whether or not to go to Bloom tomorrow. Could leave it till friday too. Will decide for definate in the morning.

Hi All,

Well I have ordered my polytunnel which is due next week.  I have drawn a plan of where it will go and how I will develop around it.  I will transplant my apple/plum trees in Nov.  My tomatoes are coming on and the carrots are just about needing thinning out. The weather has been great but of course watering is constant. As I am unable to bend due to back surgery, I will have to have tables or shelves in the tunnel.  It is 18  x 25 ft. Any suggestions???

February 13 2010

The winter had quite an effect on my garden. Cordylines, which I planted about 1978, do not look good. The leaves are hanging down and I wonder will they come back again. One of them seemed to be dead after the 1978-79 winter but it came back. Senecio greyi is not looking great but should come back. Hypericum hidcote appears very brown unlike other years but I notice the young grren shoots opening so I am optimistic here. I have pruned the roses, about one hundred of them. I did the pruning immediately after it became mild after the very cold spell in January and they look good. The grass looks poor and has a lot of moss but very soon I will give it fertiliser and ferrous sulphate to kill the moss which comes every yearl late in the year. Hydrangeas look good and the buds are about to open. Very soon when it gets a bit milder I will prune the mopheads. Snowdrops are looking good and crocuses are about to show flowers but the daffodils are slow to make progress surely due to the low temperature. I look forward to feeding the birds, robins, bluetits, sparrows and some bullfinches which I did not see in recent years. I hope these bullfinches will not do much damage to the buds in the fruit trees. I noticed a big rat climbing up to the bird feeder so I have set some poison inside a plastic pipe under a shrub. I hope the birds do not go in. My favourite among the birds is the robin. At this time of year there are two, surely male and female. They come near me when I am working in the garden especially when I am doing some digging. I did not see the rat again. It would seem that the poison worked

 

April has been great, into hospital 30March for hernia operation, out the following day and after that great progress. Two weeks after, got the all clear so generally right through April, got a fair bit of work done. Some shrubs like Hebe, Cordyline and a few more show no apparent life but there is still hope. Tomatoes have done well. Vine is very good , better than last year. I should be pollinating it soon. Blackcurrants, redcurrants, gooseberries, rhubarb all doing well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

February 13 2010

The winter had quite an effect on my garden. Cordylines, which I planted about 1978, do not look good. The leaves are hanging down and I wonder will they come back again. One of them seemed to be dead after the 1978-79 winter but it came back. Senecio greyi is not looking great but should come back. Hypericum hidcote appears very brown unlike other years but I notice the young grren shoots opening so I am optimistic here. I have pruned the roses, about one hundred of them. I did the pruning immediately after it became mild after the very cold spell in January and they look good. The grass looks poor and has a lot of moss but very soon I will give it fertiliser and ferrous sulphate to kill the moss which comes every yearl late in the year. Hydrangeas look good and the buds are about to open. Very soon when it gets a bit milder I will prune the mopheads. Snowdrops are looking good and crocuses are about to show flowers but the daffodils are slow to make progress surely due to the low temperature. I look forward to feeding the birds, robins, bluetits, sparrows and some bullfinches which I did not see in recent years. I hope these bullfinches will not do much damage to the buds in the fruit trees. I noticed a big rat climbing up to the bird feeder so I have set some poison inside a plastic pipe under a shrub. I hope the birds do not go in. My favourite among the birds is the robin. At this time of year there are two, surely male and female. They come near me when I am working in the garden especially when I am doing some digging. I did not see the rat again. It would seem that the poison worked

April has been great, into hospital 30March for hernia operation, out the following day and after that great progress. Two weeks after, got the all clear so generally right through April, got a fair bit of work done. Some shrubs like Hebe, Cordyline and a few more show no apparent life but there is still hope. Tomatoes have done well. Vine is very good , better than last year. I should be pollinating it soon. Blackcurrants, redcurrants, gooseberries, rhubarb all doing well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

My mam got home today in good form, has xray in 3 weeks to make sure pneumonia totally cleared. Also noticed my first iris flowered today :O) will take a picture in a few minutes and put it up.

I halved the bulbs with my dad his are flowering for the past week, there so pretty. 

Stop the lights!

I just flicked the leaves of my tiny Sensitive Plant with my nail and…

they closed : )

Really looking forward to Bloom tomorrow. I didn’t think that I would be able to go but have tickets booked now so am off first thing. I’ve never been but have read so much about it that I’m excited bout it.

My very first home grown strawberry is just turning red. It’s amazing the satisfaction one can get from growing something yourself. Until you do it you really don’t appreciate it. I can’t wait to eat it…mmmmm.

I have no excuse though I could pretend that i was too busy gardening to log on. What have I missed? I’m sure everyone’s gardens are looking fabulous. The great weather makes up for the terrible winter. Sadly I think we all had a few casualties but it has to be admitted, it’s a good reason to go out and find some beautiful replacements.

Does anyone know anything about Physocarpus  opulifolius Diablo? I picked it up last weekend but know nothing about it. All the websites I’ve tried are US based and I don’t think the info is reliable for our climate.

The bed where the sunflowers were planted, failure, there are antirrhinums there now since to day, very well advanced, some about to bloom. Speaking of bloom, I don’t think I will travel as I will be busy on Friday 10.a.m. to 12 and again 7.30 p.m. to 9 p.m. weedin was carried out where the Senecio was growing around a big sycamore tree in the middle of the front garden. The senecio had been pruned and all kings of weed include dock and nettle grew there. To day using hedge clippers they were cut back. Coleus in the greenhouse is making progress nothing like Una. My plan is to have them available as house plants and they will be available in the Country Market. Roses continue to open but it will be some time before I will have a good display. some life in the case of Passiflora, with a few pieces of green at ground level. 

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!!!

I have been trying to get photos of the fox cub that I have spotted in the garden in recent weeks. Was sitting having a cuppa  a little while ago. Out he came from the hedge, yes, camera was right beside me. At last.

Up he came onto the decking, switched camera on, nothing………….battery was recharging……………ahhhhhhh

You just gotta laugh at yourself…………

Have a good day.