Check out this fabulous Australian palm from Kells Bay.

Xanthorrhea glauca is a Grass Tree and they are quite rare because of the incredibly slow growth rate.

This Grass tree grows at a rate of one meter per 100 years! Now that would require patience.

Although the owner was not present when I was there, it looks like the trees are hardy and were over wintered outdoors.

 

Here is a closer shot of its amazing trunk.

It is one of those plants that is SO completely ugly that it is beautiful. Like gargoyles.

 

And, in best Martin Begley tradition, I have gone closer still.

Isn’t the bark amazing. Just like snake skin!

Unfortunately I didn’t buy one though : (

Lidl are offering these next week.

Phalaenopsis with extra large flowers for just €12.99

Also Bonsai trees in 25cm pots for €15.99

schefflera fengii

schefflera delavai

blechnum chilense

trachycarpus martianus

trachycarpus wagnerianus

woodwardia oreantalis

dicksonia fiborsa

pseudopanex ferox

arbutus unedo rubra

lophosoria quadripinata 

echiveria black prince

 

While I was in Kells Bay, I did treat myself to a few plants. Although I didn’t do as well as Russ and had to consider the kids in the back, I think I did well. I got…

Puya coerulea

Protea subvestita

Echeveria ‘Black Prince’

Although all three plants will have to come indoors for winter, they are small, so it can be managed.

I am particularly pleased with the Puya but am not sure whether to count it among my succulents or my carnivorous plants. Puya chilensis, my Puya’s cousin, has been known to eat sheep. Not a joke! The way this happens is that, in Chile, sheep accidentally get tangled in the spines of this tall, lethally sharp plant. If no farmer finds the trapped sheep and untangles it then it eventually dies of dehydration. The Puya then absorbs the nutrients from the dead animal. Nice!

On the way back in the car,  I warned my kids that they had better behave or the Puya in the boot would eat them : )

I have a few seeds of Lunaria (honesty). Can anyone tell me when is the best time to sow these seeds.

This morning I was cycling to the airport in La Rochelle, now I’m back home,watering and dead-heading again! Lots of flowers were sorry for themselves , but I think they’ll survive. The holiday went great with lots of changes of plan, lots of laughs and great variety. We stayed one night in a wooden cabin in a camp-site , a couple of nights in a beautiful 18th Century hotel and everything in between. Great scenery , wonderful skies and sunsets, and gorgeous flowers both in private gardens and public places. I’ve put up a few more photos in an album.

I didn’t do much today except survey and photograph (see album).

Hubby fed everything in the greenhouse and I think he may even have gotten my Proteas and succulents. That’s what comes from taking the labels off things!

Last night I did a bit of emergency watering – outdoor pots and the bog garden. Today I did the tree ferns and the hose is now on the long border. My Smilacina racimosa is not looking well and some caterpillar defoliated the kale I got from Deborah, Nero di Toscana, so that had to go. Other than that, all is well.

Hopefully I can do a bout of dead heading tomorrow.

Just finished mowing the lawns this evening after watching Down and Kildare. What a nice evening it turned out to be but it’s so cold since we came home, with a touch of Autumn in the air – it was 28c at 11pm in Florence when we were there – maybe that’s a bit too hot! Anyway, when the grass is too long it doesn’t matter what’s in the garden – it looks awful – but after the cutting it came alive again. Yesterday I filled four trays with seedlings that I removed from my gravel driveway. Lots of Verbena Bonariensis – all last year’s  were killed during the winter and even though I left them in situ, none regenerated. I grew more from seed this year and they are just reaching maturity in the borders – hopefully they will survive the winter  and  just in case they don’t, I will protect the seedlings. Mind you, similar seedlings were killed in my greenhouse last winter! There were also young conifer seedlings which I have also potted up – variety unknown – maybe they can be turned into Bonsai – I have three similar ones from last year in little pots. I will have to spray the driveway when weather permits to get rid of less welcome colonisers. White Cosmos is again putting on a great show, but some have grown really large and are toppling over. The Echinacea are magnificent – they really put on great growth when we were away and I’m so pleased, since I grew them from seed last year and they survived the winter! In the orchard ,I was greeted with grass covered with half-eaten, half-ripe apples and masses of hovering crows – so I’ve been making frequent hand-waving and shouting runs into the orchard since – I don’t know if it’s scaring the birds but I fear our neighbours might be getting worried. A scarecrow of sorts is now in place so maybe it might work  if the birds are dumb enough! Hope you like this photo of Tuscan hills – ps- the guy we rented from said they also had hardest winter he could remember, with lots of damage to terracotta pots – it’s very high there and can get quite cold.

Went for a walk this evening in a very rough and stony area close by. Kids were with me and it was a great adventure. Pulled some bits and pieces and am now looking for names. this is one of the first.

Found this in a crack of a rock. Any idea of what it is?

 I did very little in the garden all weekend, except enjoy it. Today I finally planted my long-awaiting Rhodohypoxis into the Alpine Circle. I don’t know why I put it off for so long. Went out to lunch today, and did damn all when we got back home. Entertained then for the rest of the evening. I made the most of my first official weekend off.

getting ready to repair front footpath(pave) & enlarge both beds .. pave  near the door area to make room for my bike coming in and out as i always keep it in hallway when working at 6.30 am ….have the man in place due to start sept 13th…..do you have any paving advice for me …..cosmos which i grew from seed for me the best suprise of the year absolutely lovely and had no idea what to expect….

The weather forecast for the next week is for very sunny days and I would encourage anyone close to Waterford to visit Mount Congreve Gardens. At this time of the year the walled garden is at its best. The garden is open on Thursday only from ten o’clock until five and September is the final month until it is closed for the winter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Puppies have been with us for nearly 2 weeks and up until today they have stayed around the stables. Let them out this morning came back to the house and started into gardening then decided to go and get the large yard barrow puppies must have seen me and followed me back as they suddenly appeared round the corner of basement terrace. Set into removing the dead heads on the Nepeta by the steps trimmed off the lavender deadheaded the purple scabious and then decided to remove the pent flowers on the white budlehia in the south bed in the hope it’ll give a second show does look better for it’s heads being removed. All the while the puppies rampaged around and had to be taught that the flower beds are not for playing in. Removed lots of seed heads along with weeds last job was to cut back all the spent flowers and remove decaying leaves from the stacys in the east gable bed so now the calla lily and begonias are out from under cover had to leave the garden to cook dinner came into the house and there were two puppies creating havoc puudle on the floor shredded newspaper, my wooden door stop chewed to shreds and a pair of puppies on the sofa. Time for some discipline so outside door closed and then two little faces against the glass please let me in , but it was off gor tea and then bed enough mischief done for one day.

The smallest species of orchid in the world has been discovered hidden among the roots of a larger plant in a nature reserve in Ecuador.

The plant is just 2.1mm wide, and instantly supercedes the species Platystele jungermannioides as the world’s smallest orchid. The petals are so thin that they are just one cell thick and transparent.

More information @ …

https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/smallest-orchid-in-the-world-is-found-1831104.html

Now that September is only around the corner,this will still be a busy month out in the veg,garden.Seeds to sow for to have pickings for winter,and also having some started for spring time.What do i go for in any empty spot in the vegetable garden.First the soil can be covered,through either mulch of manure,home made compost,cardboard etc.This will make digging a lot easier when the time comes in spring with the help of worms.They will do much work for us in preparing the ground.The mulch will also help some of the way against heavy rainfalls.Green manure is also another help that way.One thing to remember about the green manure is that it wants to be included in your crop rotation plans.Keep it on the move.

So much to have a bright Monday morning.We need it more that ever now at this time of the year,despite the set backs with the likes of Blight etc.Until the end of  the incoming month [September] all systems will be go on harvesting and storing.[weather permitting]

I will head for the area at the arch for the next few minutes and check on the beds there to see about their next move.Close to them the hedge needs trimming but that will be done another evening The emphasis from about 6 pm will be in the vegetable garden.

Took a late Sunday evening stroll with my old friend alongside the wilderness of grass,wild flowers etc. 

What a morning! Blue sky and bright sunshine! Had a walk along the seafront and took the camera. Sun too bright to get good pictures but putting this one up so that you all can get just a little taste of the beauty that is Donegal Bay. Sounds like we are going to have a lovely week of weather so enjoy it folk and take time to ‘stand and stare’!

 

I have been really pleased with my Echinacea this year which I grew from seed last year and the bees absolutely love them.  I will definately grow more and put them with my Crocosmia Lucifer and Rudbeckia next year, they are lovely strong colours for this time of year.

The wasps are still congregating down at the base of the stem of my ‘Early Russian’ and ‘Tall RUssian’ sunflowers. Curious activity there. So many of them.

But I noticed different insects feasting on the seedhead. They are very ‘wasp-like’, but much more streamlined and their stripes are paler. Don’t know whether this photo will show them up properly until I upload it. Hopefully someone can tell me what they are.

Ok photo not great. Will post an album where it will be clearer. They are also on my Dahlias.

Last night was cold and this morning I could feel autumn’s breath trying to steal the last of the summer form us.

I am still resolved to try and keep the garden going for as long as possible this year.

I did a round of dead-heading and weeding in the West Garden and continued the watering. Everything has been so dry.

Feeling much better today.

Way back in the Spring I sowed rocket and it grew to about an inch and just sat there. So a few weeks ago I transplanted a few seedlings and they have really taken off! So  I decided the compost in the original container must be exhausted so today I emptied it out ,made a mixture of garden compost, soil and a small bit of the old compost and put a layer of multi-purpose compost on top and replanted the seedlings. Hopefully they will soon catch up on their brothers and sisters!

Wasnt well today. So spent my time outside purely observing. It has been a bumper year here for insects of all kinds. Maybe I am more in tune with them this year. There are still wasps feeding on the sunflower stalks, and lots of hoverflies, which I initially thought were wasps all over the place, a never-ending supply of butterflies, bees and ladybirds and pond-skaters.

I noticed that the butterflies were only landing on the yellow flowers ie Rudbeckia, Gazanias, Gaillardia, Sunflowers, Calendula, Dimorphotheca and Arctotis. Lots of other colours around, but for some reason they chose the yellow ones. Strange that.