Month: August 2011

Am so proud of this plant, it just keeps growing.  Im looking forward to the flourish of colour in the autumn.  The sweet corn is coming along nicely too; it’s getting taller and a little ear of corn has started to come out of the top.  looking forward to the harvesting.  

To day, I dug the onion bed so they are on the way to be saved. The same area was under potatoes last year and I hope to put strawberries in it in about a months time. I have a bit of ground ready for cabbage plants and they should be planted into that ground to morrow. Roses were de-headed, they don’t look as good as they did earlier on. Members admired the leaves of the roses earlier, free from black spot but Im afraid they are not looking so good now. I sprayed them earlier in the year but should have done it again. The drive shows a lot of weeds. Some of it was sprayed about a week ago, some to day and some more to morrow. Moss is appearing in the lawn, a bit early I would say. It probably needs some fertilizer. Weeds were removed from around concrete slabs in front of the house. Pots at the back of the house were examined to see if they were ok. Now the place is beginning to look a bit better.

Hi ,my name is Robyn and I’m new to this website.I was really inspired to join by my mother and cousin.My mother finds it physically impossible to pass a garden centre without ‘a quick look’ and my cousin Flapjack joined a few weeks ago and tells me its great.I have devoloped an interest in gardening (mostly over this spring and summer).My mother (wellie) also is very into gardening and I guess I picked it up:)I have grown plenty of stuff but mostly just veg.I think I’ll enjoy this website alot and I can see its packed with info!

It was absolutely roasting here in the Myshall area today.Although a bit cloudy it was the perfect day for a trip to Altamount gardens .Of course it was packed to the treetops!The best part was the amazing smell as you walk down the rose walk!Beautiful flowers there as usual,well worth a visit:)It was lovely to see the swans too!Sorry about having no pictures .Im in the library ,my home internet won’t work.:)

I made up a batch of this this evening to feed the Camellias, Magnolia, and Rhodo. I have lots left over. Does anyone know if it is OK to feed to all shrubs, not just acid lovers?

Hi all, well we had as great time in Medjugorje, weather was in mid 30’s some days, nearly too hot at times to go out. Wouln’t mind some of it now though as its raining heavy here now. Some of the flowers I had been waiting on to bloom were in full bloom when we arrived home, but some of them were covered in black fly, so if anyone knows  how to get rid of them I would appreciate it if you would let me know.

 

 

Can anyone tell me how you know when tomatillos are ripe please?

Hi everybody, i have not been here for a while, i’ve found my camera(it was a nintendo ds) and  i would put a picture up but i cant take a picture of my camera with my camera:) my cousin has just joined (maplesyrup). i now have two relations here on garden.ie. (Wellie)(aunt and godmother) and (maplesyrup) (cousin and best friend). i hope i wont fall out of touch  with garden.ie again.

ps thanks elizabeth and everyone who sent me vibes about my camera)

spent a couple of hours in the veg bed yesturday, i was weeding and thinning the carrots, it looks nice and tidy now but for how long? have loads of work to do in the tunnel in the next couple of days plus get more pots washed, been a bit lazy though it has been so hard to get the energy to keep goin. i want to get some cuttings done plus wash pots thats the plan for tomorrow. i want to propagate loads of budleia for inside the front wall. i have two bamboos that i got in lidl a year or so ago, i planted it and now it is tryin to take over, it was a big mistake as it is one of the species that does that, i will put it into big pots that it can grow on .

Ive decided on a project ill be working on soon.At the entrance to my house there are two small flower beds in front of two granite gateposts.I’ve decided to tidy them up( there quite overgrown )and plant shrubs and flowers there ,I’m really excited and cant wait to get our own internet back to post up pictures of them.(I’m in the library again).My mam suggested that i use little conifers that have been in pots for ages and need to be planted out.I’ll plant some annuals around them too! Can’t wait to begin:-)!!

I probably won’t be back on the internet until next Tuesday:-(We can only make it to the library on the late  evevnings (tuesday and thursday).But the good news is we applied for a new internet connection !They said they will have us set up with the net in the next 2-6 weeks.(fingers crossed it will be 2)and im itching to post up photos.(sorry i keep saying that):- ):- )!

Not a gardening issue, just thought you might enjoy this.

We have a civil wedding today of a very good friend. There was a blessing in the church last evening. We arrived as everyone was going into the church. As I walked into the porch I spotted the most wonderful old granite trough standing on an even more amazing granite base.

I pointed it out to Maria, she said ”yeah, it’s nice and look it’s on wheels”.

Sure enough, it was standing on a heavy metal with castors. I had visions of myself pushing it from Cabinteely to Shankill and wodering would anyone notice.

Temptation should not come from within the doors of a church ;-))

I wonder could it be done under the cover of darkness …………..hmmmm

Yes feeling woish this lunch time. Came home yesterday to find the area for my new border had been rotavated. It looks horrid big , well I reckon 20ft long and 5ft wide. The kind man had removed about 200 stones so I squatted down on mother earth and ,,,,,,started to remove another 200 stones plus roots. Then turned the sods grass down as much as possible. Now I don’t know what to do next. Do I cover up the area until it has all died off? Do I wait until Spring when growth really gets going and zap them with Roundup? My strong feeling is to cast grass seed all over and forget the project but hope I will get over that.

Then the Tree surgeon was to come this morning to cost the removal of many small trees and branches. Please note unlike Scrubber who has an Arborist we go in for surgery down this way. Anyway he failed to surge here this am.  And what about the hedge cutter , he was meant to roll in with his machine and top a hedge that is hiding my view of the water.No show.

Then I looked at the meagre supply of plant goodies I have to bring to Rachels and thought if I brought two cakes might I be forgiven by my new friends.!!

In now to have a Coke…….the Cola variety and a ciggie and all will look great again.

Looking forward to tomorrow…fingers crossed for fine day.

Ok so it’s waaaaaaaaaaaay late to do this but just to say that I have some plants that I would be able to bring to Rachels Saturday but was just wondering what people might like I have small plants mostly nothing garden centre size I’m afraid. If you would like I’ll bring some along (I only have a few of each.. except the tetrapanax which I have to dig up and would need to be looked after for a while in the pot)

Tetrapanax (small now but very large plant root hardy in it’s 2nd year)

Chrysosplenum macrophyllum (creeping shade plant)

Primula secundifolia (wet shady ground primula) baby

Sauromatum Venosum (Summer Bulb of the voodoo Lily)

Poa Alpina (small rockery alpine grass)

Euphorbia Mellifera & Cuphea Cyanea (both tender)

Ophnipogon Nigracens (Black japanese sedge/grass)

Leymus arennaris (blue grass) very small bits

I might have a small Aster ‘Lady in Blue’ and Anemone ‘September Charm’ not sure yet..

anyway will bring a selection with me.. 

 

Very last minute I know – I have the following if anyone would like some

Lychnis Coronaria (Pink) – 3

Geranium Endressii – 4 

Yellow grass – 2 name unknown spreads freely

Knautia Macedonica – 3 ( could be pale pink or deep pink )

 

I had planned to travel to North Wexford to meet Rachel and the gang and view Rachel’s beautiful garden. I had seen it a little over a year ago but what it would be to see it this year would be another story. I had met the gang in Johnstown in March  but to meet them again and perhaps some I never met before except on the monitor of the computer – not the same. Met Éireann had given a miserable weather forecast, apparently raining all day long with thunder showers and low temperatures. If it were forecast as it turned out I would be there but there you are, I made the decision to stay at home and maybe do some work in the house. The morning was lovely warm and sunny and also the afternoon up to about 3.30. As Caesar said "The die is cast." I got a lot done at home in the garden. Cabbage plants were planted out and a net put on them to protect them against the pigeons, a whitethorn was pruned giving a bit of topiary, some weeds were removed from heather in front of the house, pelargoniums were slipped and they should be planted in the greenhouse by Monday. Then the rain came for a while and when it ended I got digging a piece of ground at the back. Then the rain came again so I retired from the garden. I am sure the gang enjoyed the afternoon at least from 2 p.m. to 3.30 as it was lovely here and I am sure it was the same in Rachel’s. I had some plants for people I would meet but please God there will be another day.

Despite the forecast we only got a couple of short showers here today so I actually got more done in the garden than I thought I would.  Got the side bed weeded.  Did a major cut-back on the large broom so now I can actually see the weigela and diablo planted behind it.  I have decided that the broom is probably past its best now as it is very woody underneath and am thinking of cutting it back even more and simply planting a rambling rose or climber in its place using the old wood as a frame. 

Have loads of things self-seeding allover the place.  Does any one want any Verbena Bondarensis and Leucanthemum "Mount Everest".   Probably a bit too late for this year but I will take up some of the seedlings and hold them in pots if you do. 

 

 Hi Rachel Norman and family, it was so good to see you all today and your lovely garden. We really enjoyed it . No matter how hard I looked I could not see a single weed !! caps off to you.  

 You have some lovely plants and it was so sad to see all the dead tree ferns. Is nt it soul destroyingto see that after all your hard work.. never mind onwards and upwards we live and learn.

Not to mention the amount of food all gooey and creamy !!! what can I say . A great day .

thank you 

Had a lovely day yesterday in Rachel and although there’ll be lots of journals I just wanted to say thank you Rachel for the lovely day and as always you and your lovely family being so welcoming. I did’nt get to say it yesterday but the garden was looking superb.. those edges.. no weeds thats been some effort I bet and all with trying weather conditions… bet you have you feet up today!! 

And I also bet your glad you only do this once a Year, I’d put up a photo with the journal if I’d taken any (too busy talking and stuffing my face with cake).

Rachel I want to add my thanks to you and your family for a really great day.

It was such a pleasure to see your beautiful garden and meet so many iers . There was so much to see, admire , and add to my’ must have’ list! 

And now I understand the ‘cake trail’, yum yum.

I hope you are taking it easy today.

Your garden looks terrific I enjoyed the photograps very much , please keep them coming!

Thanks Greg for being the ‘leads man’ around the Wicklow roads.  Thanks Clare for being ‘chief road sign reader’.  Left to our own devices, I think we would have ended up in Donegal! 

We have been invited to a Golden Wedding celebration and we would like to give a gift of a plant or tree with the word "golden" or "wedding" or both in the name. I think I would like to give them a small tree or shrub that would grow happily in a pot and would be a bit unusual and interesting.

Has anyone got any bright suggestions? The couple have a lovely neat garden, so it would have to be something not too wild! 

Just back from our annual trek down south when we traumatize my family for 2 weeks!!

Hardly any rain in Donegal while we were away…my poor pots are all suffering. They are bone dry and wilted! 🙁

Not easy !!