Month: March 2011

Ho ho ho…What a great day yesterday. I think I’ve tanned a bit from working in the front garden despite putting on my SPF 30 (yes, I burn).

Did 5 hours of non-stop work. I even forgot to have lunch!

I’ve always said I’d chronicle everything I do each time I garden. But as all great plans go–this never materialised. I even bought a nice journal a while back for this very task, but it still remains pretty empty. Thought I might as well do it here while I’m typing away.

Cleared up some pots: tidied the pot of agapanthus, lifted and replanted all the self-sown snapdragons in one big pot, buried my prized canna (that so reminds me of home) in the compost bin–this one succumbed to the cold winter this time, despite me putting lots of mulch and wrapped the pot in thick fleece and moved it nearer to the house where I thought it’d be warmer. sob sob ;'(

Lifted and moved my shrubs and perennials: geranium sanguineum album x2, geranium Rozanne, deutzia gracilis, rosemary, aster frikartii Monch, anthemis Buxton EC, astrantia Sunningdale variegated, astrantia Hadspen Blood (still looking for a new location for this), anemone Honorine Jobert (hopefully I can plant this at the back garden today), sidalcea Brilliant, scabiosa perfecta Alba, another scabious with purple flower (I don’t know the name–pot was unlabelled when I bought it last year), eryngium Donard variety, and nerine bowdenii (will plant this in the pot where canna used to reign).

Planted in philadelphus Manteau d’Hermine that I bought last week, and 3 dahlia tubers (more to go in today, hopefully).

Tidied and reshaped the border so now I have very little lawn grass left—more manageable for me to resow with proper grass soon (I think it’s all couch grass there).

Phewww…if this continues for the week, I think I need to check in to a spa at the weekend.

Some more snowdrops were divided to day and I should have the daffodils in bloom this week. Some gladioli were planted but many more not planted yet. i am looking around for a place where I can plant them. Yesterday I sowed one packet of Wildlife garden seeds. I am about to sow some more now. The seeds are described as Butterflies and Bees mix. It reminds me of the song which won the Eurovision contest back in 1970 All kinds of everything.

hi well compared to some of the lovely gardens I have seen here, my garden leaves a lot to be desired. At the moment its dull to say the least but I have very good  intentions to sort it out as soon as I get the time to go shopping for some new plants. It needs a good clean-up first with the powerhose to clean the path and the decking after all the bad weather we had during the winter. also the lovely white walls I had painted last summer are now streaked with green so I need to invest in some paint too. My hanging baskets look pityful at the moment!! Oh well not all doom and gloom I still have one or two little plants that seem to have survived so not all lost.

Spoke to the tree surgeon today and he is coming on Friday. I’m really glad as we need a lot of trees to be cut back as well as the top of the beech hedge, now about 10/12 feet high.

The frogs have started their spring orgy so I will wait until they are finished now before clearing it out….

Pelargoniums – kept them inside all year – put them in the tunnel and now nearly wiped out with the frost on Sunday night -hope they survive.

Must remember that there is still severe frost  and there will be until the end of May!

 

 

Shocked and stunned into total silence, I was. And believe me when I say, it don’t happen often.

Checking on my seeds on the window sill, this evening, I was trilled to see Dahlia x 2 types, and Chard had germinated. Trilled as always I said to you know who, ”look at these” …………….

Shock, Horror ………………….

”Don’t all seeds look the same” ? I’m asked.

Then to top it all……………….

”If you sow them, why get so excited, germinate is what seeds are meant to do”

That’s it, enough is enough,

One uninterested gardeners partner, badly trained garden wise, other than that, 100%, available for swap on 5/3/2011, all offers considered.

I’m tired of not remembering where I plant things – and of trying to describe plants I have but have forgotten their names so I decided to make a record of all my plants.

Being a bit of a computer nerd I set up a database for them – the plant names, common names if I have them, etc. I also record which part of the garden they are planted in.The database needs a bit of tidying up but it is already useful.

I got a delivery from Bakker of some Day Lilies and Crocosmia bulbs. I planted the Day Lilies beside the Pergola and when I came in I immediately entered them in the database. (I still haven’t decided where to plant the Crocosmia) Lets see how long it lasts! I was very surprised to find that I have over 170 different plants, shrubs, bulbs etc. and there are very many more I would like to have!

magnolia in aldi 2 morro coulld anyone tell me which will grow in any type soil and are they very slow ect

If anyone is interested in buying second-hand garden books, then this guy is good. I’ve bought off him before and it was as good as new.

P.S. I’ve NO connection with him; just a very satisfied customer.

https://www.keithscactusbooks.co.uk/

Some of you are into snowdrops. He has a book on Snowdrops at the moment.

i planted some primulas which i bought at a local garden centre, later in the day i was getting a few things in the dig store and seen more or less the same ones for half the price! note to self, research first then buy!.    no pictures up and running yet, but ye know what they look like!.

Does anyone going to the get-togeter on Saturday want…

Jerusalem artichokes (a perennial tuber vegetable)

Abutilon vitifolium, second year seedling (white) – I have for Krista and Cloncaw put aside

Thalictrum delevayi, second year small plant, 1 or 2 available – I have for Myrtle and Hosta put aside

Veronica gentianoides, second year small plant, 2 or 3 available.

Hordeum jubatum, second year small plant, 1 or 2 available – I have one aside for Jacinta 

By the way, if I promised anyone else one of the above then I apologise for the mistake and please remind me now.

I didnt get time to do much until late afternoon, when I put together the plants for all of you who requested them for the Get-together!

Also I divided and potted up some more plants that I hope will make some money for my charity on the plant stall during Open Garden in June. So Im hoping Mr Frosty is kind to them!!!

Called over to Jacinta this evening, dropped a few things to her, and collected a Laburnum that she picked up for me, over 7′ tall, going to be a great addition to the garden, always loved these trees.

I got home at 9.30, put the plans in the back garden. Then I spent 10 minutes, moving the tree here and there, I really think I have gone over the edge this time, great, once you know it, ………………. we really are a breed onto ourselves.

Well I’ve been at this gardening business all of one week.  Really it’s my in-laws garden but we live on the same property so we all enjoy it.

 

A bit tidy was required after the winter abuse so I set to it with gusto a few days ago.  Raking, clipping, shovelling, sweeping etc… Weeding is the bane of my life but has to be done and as you know it’s eternal.  That said it is rewarding 🙂

 

It was great really because as soon as I started my kids and my in-laws joined in and it was lovely to have to company.

 

My father in law built a little 3x6ft box to keep my veggies in so we are filling and planting today.  I have bought 5 Hebe Caledonia’s to make a little hedge at the end of my patio and off I go now to sow.

 

Wonderful weather we are having in the West at the moment so I’m lapping it all up.  Oh I also have to plant pumpkins for my son or I’ll be shot LOL.

 

Happy growing!!! 

Couldn’t resist popping into the Botanical gardens the other day during this fantastic weather. Was lovely to see some lovely bright colours again.
 
Chionodoxa forbesii – Snow Glory
lots of lovely Crocus

The lovely yellow flowers of the Forsythia are in full bloom.

Cant forget (one of my favorites) the snowdrop!

    
An interesting fact is that the little snowdrop has been linked to important medicine that could help in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Galantamine, a medicine used today to treat Alzheimer’s disease, occurs naturally in several members of the amaryllis family (snowdrop; narcissus; daffodil). This important medicine was first discovered in the innocent Snowdrop.

Anyone got any spring favorites?

 

DO NOT FORGET ITS ON AT 7 TONIGHT RTE 1

Well it’s official – I have planted in the earth!!!

 

It’s addictive this planting business.  I have sown 5 Hebe Caledonia shrubs at the edge of my patio and planted the following veg in the patch:

Sturon Onions

Golden Gourmet Shallots

Red Baron Onions

Marco Garlic

Iceberg lettuce

Mixed salad leaves

White Lisbon (scallions) 

Not sure if the frost has left us yet so chitting some earlies for the next little while.  Going to pot chives and parsley and germinate the pumpkin seeds in the morning.

 

Any tips or suggestions are more than welcome.

 

Lovin this growning with all the family involved 😀 

Started quite cold here to day, temperature -1C at about 9 a.m., seemed that it would last all day. Then around mid day the sun came out so it was possible to get at some digging and making seed beds. Yesterday was so different, I fed the roses with 7-6-17 and raked it in. Plenty of digging was done in the back, some wildlife seed (Butterflies and Bees) raked into blank spaces in the front garden. Finished off the painting of the front wall. Great weather for same.

If you go onto Google Maps with street view, you can now look around places like the Botanical Gardens, Dublin Zoo, which the kids would love. So have a look and see.

I have the following plants if anyone wants them on Saturday.  They are small divisions I have made during the recent spring clean up but should come on nicely over the summer.  If anyone wants them I would be delighted to bring them with me.

Actaea racemosa (6)

Bowles Golden Grass (5)

Astrantia major (6)

Campanula Elizabeth (6)

Hemerocallis (4)

Hosta (3)

Arum italicum (4)

Doronicum (5)  not sure which one but it is about 2ft tall

White Anemone (3)

I also have wild garlic if anyone wants it

Our Wexford garden was a one acre field when we bought it in 2001. We only started working on it properly in 2006-07, when we more or less finished the house.  An old ditch and a row of mature Scots pines divides the rectangular garden from the driveway beside the house. The basic plan of the garden follows a design I drew up and then had more or less confirmed by The Irish Garden magazine design desk, back in July 2004. I want a semi-wild garden with a variety of habitats, that we could walk around easily but without TOO much maintenance as we only get down from Dublin every other weekend! Most of the garden is left wild, with wide lawn pathways in two joined circles, like the digit of eight on its side. We have a large pond dug out of the lefthand circle. The righthand circle is divided into a wildflower meadow and an orchard of apples, pears, plums, cherries. I planted the boundaries of the whole garden with native hedgerow trees, and then we went mad and had about 300 semi-mature trees and shrubs planted so after that the field began to look more like a garden. Now in 2011, we have two curving flower beds at the edge of a lawn at the back of the house, and at the front I am developing a cottage-style garden. We had a greenhouse built last year and we are replanting a herb garden around it. Beyond that we have a rhubarb bed, raspberries and six raised beds for vegetables. It’s a lot of work, but we love it!

Gave the grass its first mowing ,planted lettuce and radish seeds and did general tidy up .

Although it seemed to cold earlier today to do anything in the garden, I managed to get one side of the front garden sorted. I was spurred on by the fact that my brown bin is being collected tomorrow and i wanted to fill it !

I weeded and removed old bark from last year. I planted summer bulbs and corns and hope to grow rudebekia from seed in my Argos plastic greenhouse. This was very sucessfull last year.

Cant believe how well the garlic is doing out the back. It must be all the sunlight we’r having.

Need to get ordering tomatoe seeds or plants.

does anyone recommend tomatoe types and where to buy them in ireland.?

Last year we ordered them from Dobbies in the uk but would prefere to buy them here.

 

Thanks

Ruth 

I know that many of us are looking forward to our get-together in Johnstown on Saturday 5th at 1pm. Lets have an absolutely brilliant day!

We will meet in the conservatory, which seats about 26 people and will be reserved for us. It is a separate room opening onto a large deck area, with additional seating to allow people to mingle freely. As we are such a large group, Johnstown have asked us to take lunch in two shifts so as not to completely congest the restaurant

Other reminders :

Park to the left as you enter the car park, to facilitate easy plant exchange.

Bring one gift worth less than euro 10 if you want to take part in the kris kindle. Myrtle will be assigning numbers to packages so you don’t necessarily have to wrap it.

Please wear a tag with your site name for easy identification. If you forget, Bruno will have blank labels.

Linda, please don’t forget the raffle tickets.

Please note that Johnstown are currently stocking the new Irish range of primulas, including ‘Drumliffe’ and ‘Inisfree’. They are also getting a lot of new stock delivered today and tomorrow so our timing is perfect. Check out their on-line catalogue (you will need to copy and paste the address to your browser)…

https://www.johnstowngardencentre.ie/

Got a lot of gardening done yesterday. Cleared a lot from the sloped bank out my bank that is my priorty at the moment. When arranging were I want the plants to go I realised that nearly all of the ones that I bought recently are blue or purple. Will have to get some other colours in there quick.

my garden is on just shy of a 1/4 acre, surrounding my home.

Its really a work in progress after living here for six years in August 2011. It was my first attempt at garden and really at the start I thought you just bought plants and stuck them anyways into a flowerbed, pop in a deck, a bit of paving etc. Not a thought for garden design.

I joined Garden.ie a good while back to really nose at other people’s garden for inspiration, as well as driving by roadside gardens and also visiting garden.

We just had an aerial view of the house/garden taken (august 2010) and so am going to work on that in my photos, diving the albums into projects (inspiration/help for other people). 

 A point to note i read the other day "The best fertilizer for one’s garden is the Gardener’s shadow".