Month: July 2011

I was under the impression that these were the seedlings that Clare gave me. But looking at Frans one that opened today, I’m not so sure now. Maybe they can produce different colour flowers? Can anyone enlighten me?

Really like this one, bought it recently in the ‘bargain bed’ so it has no name — label just says orphan — glad I gave it a home 🙂

Like Disneys seven Dwarves I went at it ‘with a shovel and a pick and a walking sti- well a brandnew c.bar! First job today to unearth the one you see. The thought it might be nice beside Frans rock. Rolled it up slope and across to fern Corner but then decided it was too much and left it. Was soon back and thought if i rolled it up onto one ledge-no go. The realised if I rolled it in at the back there was a sort of flight of stones and so eventually manouvered it up those and over. Dug out a hole beside Fran’s Rock and Bob’s your uncle.

Then went and wed around lantern of light under the low Juniper baranches which was proper gardening. Evening taken up with funeral of a neighbour’s son. So didnt return until late. Went down to reassure myself that rock looked well and it seemed to be getting on very well with Fran’s rock!

I also noticed today that my green primrose has flowered again this year! I have two photos of it in the album. Got it from Lorna Mc Mahon who got it from a lady who got it from a roundabout in Canada! Oh there was a poppy in  the bed that wasnt a bit like the others so I waited to see. And today it came out. Photo doesnt do it justice. Its white with purple markings inside and Im going to try for seed.

So there you have it Scrubber Rockman, Scrubber Weeder and Scrubber Propogator!

While looking around our garden this time of year, I find it short of colour in comparison with some members gardens featured lately. I think there is a lot to be done to improve the garden as regards having flowers spread more evenly throughout the year and not just May and June which is the prime Rhodo flowering season and thus my best time. I have put up a photo album of some shrubs etc that are flowering at the minute. I suppose I can console myself that all gardens are works in progress.

During the week, we went to see Woodville walled garden, near Loughrea, Co. Galway.  Those of you who get ‘Irish Garden’ by subscription would have got details of this garden on the same page as your name and address.

From the moment we arrived, I knew this garden is a gem.  It is a walled garden, containing 1.5 acres.  As you enter the garden, the first thing that is evident is the array of colours – the wow factor.  This garden is maintained to a very high standard.  If there are weeds, they are hard to find! The pair took off as there were sweet peas growing and they went off to smell them.  Then, they took the camera off me and they took all the photos (see album).  Strangely, there was no fighting – they came up with a system of taking 4 each and then handing the camera over.  

Not only does it have flower beds,  it has fruit trees – apples, pears, raspberries and possibly other berry bushes.  There is a strawberry bed and a rhubarb bed.  My son insisted that we take a photo of the rhubarb bed so we can do exactly that in the half acre behind Nanny’s for our rhubarb plants.  Currently, ours are in containers in our back but they are moving up later when the potatoes are lifted.  There are also vegetable beds with onions, cabbage, potatoes and a variety of small vegetables which are only beginning to grow.  Of course, there is a row of sunflowers, peas, runner beans and courgettes.  We were given some peas to eat and they were delicious.  In the pumpkin bed, nasturtiums are planted with the pumpkins so the bed is a riot of colours.  

There is a green area where we all played a game of croquet, even without knowing the rules!  Animal-wise, there are white tailed doves living in a building within the garden and two little kittens.  In the central water feature, there are supposed to be fish but we didn’t see them.  

When we were leaving, we were given some cut sweet peas for the car and a packet of Oberzyna ‘Golden Eggs’ Solanum melongena by one of the staff members.  I bought Targetes seeds but sadly, I couldn’t buy any plants because the boot was full.  

An absolutely fabulous garden.  A garden not to be missed if you are anywhere near the area.

As some of you know I converted the bed at the back of the house earlier this year from a vegetable garden to a cottage garden – has not turned out exactly as I Imagined ( I had visions of a chocolate box english cottage garden – well we can all dream!!) but this is what it looks like today – I decided to have a palate of colours of pinks purples and White – all going well until I planted in a mix of annual seeds most of which turned out to be Yellow!!

Kate gave me cuttings of a carnation a few months back. Just out there now and was delighted that it has finally decided to show its colour. It’s a gorgeous banana yellow. Thanks Kate.

You are cordially invited to ….

 

Garden.iers’ Cork Garden Crawl

Date: Sat 27th August

2PM: Tour of Bruno’s Garden. (Refreshments and light lunch provided.)

4PM: Tour of Hosta’s (Margaret’s) Garden. 

Directions: PM us for address and contact number.

 

Cant wait!!!!! 😀

I love white flowers. They bring out they colours of their neighbours and never look out of place. This Galega or Goats Rue is one of my faves as it also has nice foliage. It propogates easily from division.

www.arignagardener.wordpress.com

i had no space for anymore plants, but she just stole my heart and room was made for this pretty one!

Didn’t accomplish much in the garden today. My mind is on other things so I decided to just potter about, tieing in things, dead-heading, watering etc. Even the weather was lazy today, it couldn’t muster up the energy to rain properly. Managed to plant just two things, my ‘Jolly Bee’ geranium, and my new gentian into the Alpine Circle after thinning out bits and pieces from that area. Took a lot of foliage from tomato plants and tied them in. Grapes are reddening up nicely. Had a sneaky taste, and are very sweet. Has anybody noticed that there seem to be far less slugs and snails this year? Normally I have to pick my grapes prematurely so they won’t get them before me. And as a result, they are way too sour.

Apart from just a few things, I am happy with the planting positions of most things in my garden this year. I am no longer planting haphazardly, believe it or not! There was a time, not so long ago, when I changed the position of practically everything in order to get heights and colour combinations just right. Positioned my gypsophila beside Thalictrum to see the effect. Very happy with this combination. And it has fulfilled my urge for ‘airy’ plants outside the greenhouse.

My aim now is to concentrate on winter foliage in ‘the wilderness tamed’.

Just thought I better take a photo of my Begonias before they were battered with the rain.

It was a very depressing day with no sun at all and now it is raining am playing cards with my Grandaughter or teaching her at the same time.

We went to The Glenview Hotel for lunch and what a lovely view from there over across the mountains , the gardens and the walks in the hotel are so nice but it is better earlier in the year with all the Rhodos.

Back to cards now,   hopefully tomorrow will pick up and enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Got the label wrong when planting my ‘african queen’ lilies. However, the ‘other’ ones rewarded me  by flowering before tomorrow. They are just as gorgeous as ‘african queen’. I can’t believe the size of these flowers. They are more than 6 inches long. A bit of google research reveals that they (Montego Bay) are a cross between an oriental and trumpet lily (orienpet). They can reach 3-4ft in their first year. Mine are already at least 5ft. By year 2, they can shoot up to 6ft and within 3 yrs these can reach as high as 6-8ft, with masses of flowers. The surge in height of these lilies is owed to their ability to produce multiple stems from a single bulb. But the weird thing is, the flower that is lowest (down in amongst other foliage) has flowered first.

Now, where did I plant my ‘African Queens’?

Am putting a few photos of this plant up for you now.

Happy with this combo. I have Salvia ‘hot lips’ planted at the back of this border and it has really taken off since planting it out. I also have lobelia speciosum ‘Fan Scarlet’ and today, to join the trio, Knautia macedonica ‘Red Knight’ has decided to open. Just lovin’ it!

little mixture from my wheelbarrow planter.

Sorry I did not paint this up prior to planting, time did not allow. Will be done over the winter, for spring planting

This day lily opened today.

I was really dying to see how this one would look.

It is supposed to be Hemerocallis ‘Darla Anita’ and pink. This is definitely red.

I think I have been given the wrong one 🙁

I bought this half price at Ratoath Garden Centre last year. It stayed in the greenhouse all winter and now it is flowering.

This is a picture of ‘Darla Anita’ from the web.

Is it the same as what I have??

What do you think?

I got a lovely surprise today when weeding.

My fig tree lost so many branches last winter and had to be cut back to almost nothing. I did not hold out much hope for it.

But, wow, look at it now.

That makes me very happy 🙂

By the way, I put up a few last photos in my July album if you would like to look.

To remove any temptation while Zoe is watering the greenhouse I picked my only edible-sized peach today. 2 smaller ones, and ripening rapidly. But very small.

Hello to all!

  Was busy all week,bit work ,home ,my little and big people,and garden take rest of my free time.While i can’t give to garden that time what i ususaly did.with this nice sunny and rainy days,it is ower grown with weeds,so hopeful tomorow will be dry and i could do bit weeding.

  There is my Gentiana tibetica , this is 3th season with me,and it atlast is flowering.And flowers open only in sun.

  Full photo in july album.

Another rare case of getting the combo right.

 

Great haul of tomatoes this evening. Took off some foilage today and pinched out the tops, I reckon they have gone high enough, but not sure if I did right or wrong. The way I look at it, is if all the fruit on the plants ripen, I will have loads,