Month: June 2011

I grew some Oriental Poppies 2 years ago from seeds I got from Dave ( Chilipepper) and this year I had a marvellous crop of Poppies from seeds gathered from last years flowers. I have some photos of them in my photo album. This year I got an even better crop despite or maybe because of the very harsh wintry weather we had last December & January. 

I am of the opinion that there is very little growth. The tomatoes in the greenhouse are not drinking water as they should be, and veg such as cabbage, peas and cauliflowers are not growing as well as they should be. Even new seedlings in the greenhouse are not on as well as they should be. I think the weather is still to cold for proper growth. I see farmers around me feeding silage to cattle in the fields as there is a shortage of grass. We need some heat to put a bit of spurt into things. We need sunshine and heat

I have justed finished printing out my ticket for Bloom. I have managed to get the day of work and I am going on Saturday. For a few minutes i thought I would not be going. The computer was trying to scuttle the plans and I nearly gave up. earlier today I tried to ring the ticket line. I am one of these people who prefer to talk to a person, who assures me all is well and I have a ticket. No joy as very hard to get through on the phone. So this eaving i resorted to booking online. never done this before and it certainly was an experience.

First of all it would not accept the code given in The Irish garden magazine and after some begging and grovelling, it did. Then it would nt accept the mastercard and then there was something about a phone number. Sorted that out and then a clock started to run down on the screen next to me, telling me if I had a certain amount of time to complete the transaction. Trying to follow instructions and keeping one eye on the clock was nerve wrecking. managed to print the receipt.

back to my e-mail account to print the ticket, and the first sentence I read, was what to do if the ticket did not print. Here i lost my sanity as i knew it would happen to me and i threatened the computer with the hammer. nothing like scaring the fecking thing, I now sit here, exhausted with a ticket. I feel like Charlie after winning the ticket to Mr Wonka’s chocolate factory.

yep, we all set up for Friday, twin and i organised down to the last T.

we taking a taxi this time and a scooter plus a manual wheelchair as twin’s scooter is in storage right now.

i am off to see LOADS of ideas hopefully, will be looking at low  maintenance plants, raised beds, garden design and easy to..tools plus bargains, cheap ways and wonderful ways!

some nice ideas for gardens seemingly by the blurbs, looking forward to the uncultured type and done by Focus Ireland, the Lusk mental health group and the Horticultural therapist with dublin city council i think.

also will be scooting for books, but best keep that down a bit, and loads loads more, made on nature so i want to see how to get it into a garden and how to make a nature friendly abode.

plus outdoor buildings if any at blooms as part of a design for self home etc.

anyone around on Friday to meet up for a cuppa there?  xxfor now. bet you all flying to Blooms.

they say its going to be hot over the next few days and i say OH PLEASE keep the sun LOW, dont ‘do’ sun, at all at all!

some will be pleased some not so!!

helo to all attending bloom over the next few days, hope to meet up with some of you. looking forward to sat, have a great time . to those who cant make it, hope the sun shines for you too. . .

Looking forward to Bloom today, I will be one of the bloomers wandering around in a navy t-shirt and cap with Bloom written on it so please say hello.. we are there to "help" should be fun …

I am exhausted!! but I had a great day ..and what about that weather you could not get it any better……. it really did not feel like I was working. Met loads of lovely people and hopefully helped lots of people as well …. I met "Keego" Mary and her hubby … My son Garry and his wife Maire were at the show and we all had lunch together ..it really is a super show this year,some really beautiful gardens especially the "Alice in wonderland garden" I am there again on Saturday until 2pm so I will have time to recover tomorrow…

What a change after May being so much below normal. I had a lot of free time so  it was a case of being in the garden as long as possible. Almost all of the bedding plants were taken to the front of the house where they were in a place to be planted out. Pelargoniums are almost planted out. Campanula in pots and trays all brought to front and some planted in the rockery. Plenty weeding done and the front looks much better now. No pruning of Hypericum done to day, too warm, leave that for a cooler day. Onions weeded, well not fully. More room left in the greenhouse now. Gooseberries almost ready to be picked, hard to believe, roses opening all the time. Thank God the summer is really here now. Think of last year when May was so sunny and warm, this time we had to wait until June, plenty work to be done yet. It would have been a good day for the seaside or visiting a garden or Bloom but my own garden came first.

Dying to hear all about it so please tell!

We had a graduation cermony in Christ Church Cathedral last night, and it was really lovely .. Had a few drinks to celebrate ….

See  https://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTGnEzRRyg4o  to view our garden which we have been working on since 1992 .We do all our own work.We have made it so that our son who has Special Needs can access all areas of the garden.Photos are all by ourselves and videos.

Biodiversity Gardens Awards 2008:

The Corrin Hill Ice Cream Biodiversity Garden Awards were set up to find and recognise Ireland’s best biodiversity gardens and gardeners. The awards are run in association with BirdWatch Ireland and are Ireland’s first awards to promote gardening for wildlife and biodiversity. Many householders understand and enjoy the major contribution their gardensmake to the environment and are now making simple changes so that they garden for biodiversity.This is the first year of the awards, which were announced yesterday for the best suburban, rural, community and school gardens around the county.

 Special Award – Best Biodiversity Garden Designed for Accessibility – Sean and Mary Ryan, Ennis Road, Limerick This garden is exceptional because it is a family garden designed as an accessible garden for their 12 year old son Darragh who has special needs. The garden is designed on the principles of sustainability and maximising biodiversity underpins everything.  It also has accessibility built into every aspect of it so that Darragh can move around on a frame, enjoy different areas and it is educational and therapeutic for him.  It is very pleasant and is laid out in several compartments.  It has all the key features from a biodiversity and sustainability aspect – great range of planting, with layers of native trees and shrubs, lots of berries, lots of hedges for nesting.  They have a pond, water butts, a log pile, composting areas, bird feeding areas, vegetables, fruit and berries and the garden is especially good to sit in and relax.

https://www.corrinhill.ie/s26.html

To see Photos from the Mallow International Garden Festival in 2000 ,see https://www.youtube.com/user/tippryan#p/u/45/uGjBNJ24jng

June in Our Garden. 3/6/2011.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/tippryan/sets/72157626750553447/

My wife and I visited ‘Bloom’ today. It really was magnificent. The gardens this year seemed to concentrate on ferns, grasses, acers and hostas. Green and blue seemed to be popular colours, and there seemed to me to be few red flowers.

The gardens that impressed me most were those of Oliver Schurmann (Mount Venus) and Billy Alexander (Kells Bay). Oliver gave a talk recently to our garden club (Foxrock), which was inspiring.

I have submitted some photos; one of Oliver’s and one of Billy’s gardens, two rhododendrons and a clematis from my garden, and three views of my garden, taken this evening.

Looks like it will be another scorcher.. I am (Volunteering) at Bloom again today … hope I meet some of you there ……..Enjoy

Maisie my cat found the Nepeta.

It WAS a lovely plant.

Hi,Montrose here I,m not too hot on computor yet but love gardening.

Am in co. roscommon and have a good size garden it,s on a slope and

fairly exposed to wind. Like everyone at the moment money in short

supply, so looking for ideas . I,v got lawn and a few gooseberrys plus 2

apple trees. Most of my plants are in pots at moment.

Okay, I came third in a gardening competition on facebook and won free tickets to Bloom.

As I already had tickets, they were no good to me.

These free tickets (to be collected at the Show) will go to whoever of my friends, who doesn’t already have tickets, and replies first. 

Ready, steady, go…

Hi,  my name is linda and i don’t have green fingers, but would love to learn about gardening and am doing my best give it a go.

Hi,  my name is linda and i don’t have green fingers, but would love to learn about gardening and am doing my best to give it a go.

I went to Bloom on saturday, the youngest lad decided that he would travel with me, which suprised me as he really has never shown an interest in the garden.

I arrived early at Bloom and was amazed at the crowds there so early in the morning. I am not a great person for the crowds, more liking to stroll around, rather than being pushed around by the multitude of people. This was the first garden show I was ever at, so did not know what to expect. I loved it all, there was something there for everybody. Yes there was show gardens competing and everyone will have their opinion on whether they were great or not. To me they were a perception of what the designer would like a garden to be, but I think in reality these gardens are created to inspire us lay gardeners what we can do if we think outside the box. If you were to ask me my favourite garden of the show, I will surprise you all by saying it was none of the competing gardens. It was not that I did not like them, some were even brilliant, but to me the best garden was the walled garden.

It was a pleasure to see such a fine garden and it was pure heaven to sit in on a hot day, eating icecream and listening to the wonderful music being broadcast by Frank Mcnamara. Im love these old walled gardens and I think that they should be treasured as I cannot see them being ever built again, only restored.

I think Bloom to me was brilliant, as it suited everybody. It raised questions among the professionals of why one show garden was better than another. It allowed hobby gardens to see different planting schemes and how others idea of a space could be utilised for gardening. For those who had a passing interest in gardening it was there to inspire them to get up of their bums and do a bit more with their garden. To those with no garden it was a lovely day out in the sunshine admiring the flowers.

However the winning garden overall to me was the Phoenix Park herself. Was-nt it lovely to see the crowds that graced it, people admiring gardens, others lying on the lawns enjoying picnics and icecream, others enjoying each others company and the sun smiling down on us. What a beautiful day and a well spent day.

Oh the highlight for my young lad, he got to go on a double decker bus and the luas. everything after that did-nt really matter to him.

In April 2011 the sun was shining and I had this urge to get outside. The decision was easy – transform the upper garden.

We bought a greenhouse on donedeal for 600 euro and started digging – & digging – & digging. After 4 weeks we had fruit trees, a greenhouse, shed for the tools & a veg garden with a fence & wee gate.

I started planting not having a clue – still don’t. I just put 6 cucumber plants in Gh, close together – too close & too many I have been told.

Now you cant get me out of the little heaven we have created. When not in heaven i am in the books, or www or cooking. Housework has been banished to evenings. Its brill!!!!

I would appreciate any advice going. Thank you. Mary

Sort of mixed between gardening and watching French tennis finals.

Much walking up and down by the area I am thinking of making new border and wondering am I mad there is so much to do already. Then back to  mortar mixing to do some more work on the wall.  Next attack very bad corner of garden. It too is wall to wall primroses but now consists of  leaves mixed with the most horrid of weeds. So decided to dig up lots of primroses and plant them elsewhere. Only got about 100 done there is 5 times that left to move. It will be a bit by bit project as it is very heavy digging work. Some every day perhaps. Then I will put down membrane and if I can find some broken pavement slabs at the council site do a sort of crazy paving in that area. It is where the coal bunker is and the refuse bin and I could store planted pots not ready for the garden. At least it would look tidy , dreadful now. Gee that is really thinking out loud !!  So, conclusion, must finish that before taking on new border.

with pen and paper my twin and i went for a much needed lunch at the local pub, who are beginning to know us.

after the meal of turkey aka christmas dinner style we got down to the drawing skills, and all was well with our worlds.

my twin began to reconfigure (great word in the HSE agenda!) her home for her needs and i did a drawing to make my garden disability friendly.

i did quite an impressive sketch which included a formal pond, wild garden area, gravel garden and seating areas.

(the two chickens go in the front), the back is smaller and the grass, a lot of it, needs to be controlled so i decided on the above elements, the front garden, massive will have to be reconstructed (no reconfiguring mentioned, but whats the difference i do not know), this has already been far more developed and is more interesting, it seems used as the quiet area and i will too.

i will have a few veggies, but generally so little i can eat of them anyway it will be few indeed!  I want to produce a haven for myself, a place of utter peace indeed.

my twin’s house is a few paces away, and this is great.  both of us plan to upcycle, (great new-fangled words are hanging around our lexicon dont you think?) we are thinking of pergolas using…screens using…and paving using…i am sure you can figure that all out!

so the day will be soon as we cast off the toils and traumas of yesteryears home, on my part, and the twino begins her life in Ireland in her own bed for the first time in three years.

altogether it will be a glorious third age.  or is that last decade?

anyway which way it shall be glorious.

recycling for our upcycling would be gratefully received, one man’s poison may be these wo-mens’ meat!

thank you for listening….

Yep, who said that last phrase? in a past life i seem to have heard it?  the church? donno.

oh on that note off to a hermitage for a week on tuesday, yep 

We bought our site about 5 years ago built house but only got around to doing gardens about 1.5 years ago. This year after successfully not killing the lawn we decided we would try some small veg etc.

After recieving a home made clotch from my fater we planted lettuce (butterhead from plants and Mixed leaves from seads). All went well. Salads every day!!!

We have then planted potatoes,turnips,onions,peas also a few lettuce plants outside in newly cultivated veg area…  however we were visited by not only our lovely friendly slugs and snail butalso by lots of leater jackets. which we only found when lettuce outside and peas did not move.. not an inch… dug up lettuce to find leather jackets feasting on roots.

Anyway got over this bought Neomotodes from Quickcrop.ie and they seemed to have worked.

so hopefully we will have salad and veg filled summer and winter!!!

 We brought our house about a year ago, it came with a large plot of land ( 2 acres ) Half an acre is the garden and the rest is rough ground over grown with rushes and weeds backing on to an estry.

We have no experience at all with gardening but we thought with all this ground we best do something. So far we have done,

 Planted a mixture of fruit trees on the rough ground, next year we will plant more.

Made a small raised bed and planted in it, Carrots, Sweeds, Onions and spinage. This is a very poor atempt at a raised bed the wood was to thin the stakes that were put in to hold it in place were not deep enough and the soil used was full of weed seeds. Next year we`ll do it properly.

We are growing tomatoes in a small geenhouse ( 4 feet by 2 ft by 5ft 6 )  these seem to be doing very well.

We have peppers and chilies in pots we are not really sure what to do with these.

Cucumber and butternut squash but we are not sure which one is which as we didnt label them.

we also have pumpkins.

And last of all we`ve planted a three foot wide boarder either side of the garden with flowers.

 With it all written out like that you would expect to see something really impressive, beleieve me its not, but it is only our first year and we steamed into it with no clue as to what we are doing. Since then we`ve been doing alot of reading and learning, and we hope that next year will beable to make a real go of it. we are planing on getting a polytunnel and planting some spuds, which in hind sight we should have done this year.