Month: November 2011

Crinken was not a happy camper covered in snow. 364 days later total different conditions in the garden and Crinken is still not happy.

But I was very happy to be able to get so much do today, unlike last year.

Does yas remember or wha? 

;-)) 

Hope this works:

Bruno’s Garden – 2011

Enjoy!

This is the Euphorbia that I have, Rachel. It has vivid green flowers/bracts or whatever in June and is very hardy for me. If you don’t have one and would like one I can bring one to Johnstown.

Today was cold but bright and sunny. Got another bit of tidying up done – all the annuals in the new Cottage garden were cleared away and the perennials cut back. All the Summer pots were emptied and any plants that could be salvaged put away in the tunnell. I cut off the leaves off my two gunneras and put them over the crowns and planted in the last couple of pots that were in waiting ( a bit late and the soil was cold ) but hopefully they will do ok. I planted grasses that I got from Rachel (Thanks again ) A black iris & a Centranthus.

This evening following some instructions received on our course I planted some spores of ferns that I had collected last Sunday – this is very experimental but interesting to see if anything comes from them I was wondering if anyone has had any success growing ferns from spores.

Delighted to have these paperwhites flowering for the last few weeks in my porch such pretty flowers Sorry the picture is a bit blurry

Some of you may recall that I allowed myself to be persuaded to plant up a bed in place of a simple bit of grass earlier in the year. Well, I was really happy with how it looks and it was definitely a good idea …. or so I thought until today!

Next time I’m creating a bed I shall measure the width of it very carefully …. this bed is way beyond  the possible width that one not-very-tall gardener can reach on her knees doing a bit of weeding. We have some horses in the field next door at the moment and they were very interested in my techniques to reach the pesky weeds – first position kneeler about 2 feet into the border making sure no little plants are flattened in the process – then down on the knees and lean forward on all fours – careful now, don’t lose your balance – remove the offending weed – then back off carefully and repeat all the way down the bed. 

Next bed will be MUCH easier to weed ……wait a minute …. that Sedum bed is even worse …. Oops! Back to the drawing board 🙂 

This ginormously monstorous lily bulb!

I’ve been digging up a few things as part of a plant shuffle around the garden so many things are on the move at the moment. 

This is a bulb of one of the Orienpet hybrid Lilies ‘Holland Beauty’ (Flowers can be seen in my August journal). I know they have hybrid vigour hence the six foot tall stems and large flowers but I was amazed when I uneartherhed three of these monsters.

Just back from hols during the early hours of the morning, and now looking out to get some idea of what might need doing. It was a wise decision taking today off, we hadn’t expected such long delays with technical faults and bad weather delaying our flight. The garden looks a total mess now that it is daylight. But not brave enough yet to get out there for a proper inspection. It’s ‘oh, so cold’. Today will be a day for acclimatizing, and catching up on what I have missed here. Good to be back.

Its a grey November day with a strong breeze blowing! The threat of rain is never far away and I must keep an eye on the clothesline!! However, its quite mild and Im hoping to get some gardening done in the afternoon!

This time last year was so very different, just thought I’d put up a reminder to keep us all from complaining! Make the most of it!!

This is the second of my Camellias to open a flower this early. No complaints from me.

I have three of my very best ‘tulips’ flowering today as there 9 years old and had there great party on saturday at a play centre.  I was just saying to Gabriel that now we have them half way through childhood we should celebrate a little 🙂

Nothing much to report on really the Andrew Wilson lecture was thought provoking at very least so lots to mull over there. I’m still plugging on with the course and am now on my fifth assignment and hoping to get it and one more done before Christmas kicks in.

I finally tackled my compost heap and shifted all three bays of it to make a new bay ready to recieve stuff cut back from now till the spring. I was doing my Christmas list and was looking at the Mr. Middleton big circular rotary garden sieve as I have lots of sticks in my compost and was ondering if it was any good? I always look at these things and think could I make one myself but  I have’nt quite made up my mind yet if I’d use it that much to justify getting one.

As lots of others have commented I see this year theres been no blanket of snow 🙂 

while watering my pots today i noticed this little mushroom growing where my hosta seeds should be. in all my years sowing seeds have i ever seen this. the compost is growwise compost. these seeds are in the heated propagators

Lots of celebrating this weekend.. Graham was 60 on Friday, we went to Liverpool to celebrate with his mum and family .. we are still recovering:) I am also allowed now to make another announcement .. we are going to be first time  Grandparents in May please god all going well ..  so lots of excitment  in the house this week and very little gardening.

Picked up this unusual plant in Lanzarote. It’s also called the Resurrection Plant. 

According to Christian tradition, when Mary, Mother of Jesus, fled through the desert from Judea to Egypt, she was introduced to the magnificent qualities of the Rose of Jericho. Mary blessed the plant she saw in the desert and ever since, the Christians tend to keep a Rose of Jericho in their homes as a talisman for health, fertility, and success in farming and other endeavours.

I bought it as a dried up clump of what looked like dead grass. Hard to decipher from the picture on the box. This plant should be immersed in a bowl of water and within a short time will open up revealing very fern-like foliage. I bought this one purely out of curiosity rather than its’ beauty.  

It can be dried out whenever wished, and re-soaked time and time again. 

this is what it looks like after adding water at 2.00 today. When I get fed up with it, which I probably will, I can just dry it out and put away until I’m ready to go again. The foliage is showing some nice red veins throughout.

Going back to our bungalow in Lanzarote at 4.30am on Saturday (great pubs there that don’t ever seem to close) and found these great big seeds at the base of what I think was either Phoenix canariensis, or robellini. And of course I couldn’t resist the call of nature (not what some people might think I am referring to) but I stashed these in my bag. I hope to put them into the electric propagator at the weekend and see what happens.

Did no gardening today as my fingernails were still in ‘holiday mode’. It’s not too often my colleagues see my hands like that. I guess ten minutes after working outside in the garden centre tomorrow that will all change. Must root out my thermals!!!

This gorgeous little bird joined us for cocktails on the seafront during the week. He was smaller than a sparrow, although with similar markings, but I suspect he was more closely-related to a canary. 

I got the back garden finished yesterday, all tidied up an pots and planters moved. As part of my ongoing learning, there will be less pots in this area in the future. What potted plants will be there will be feature plants (Moya I’m relying on you) ;-))

Pleased with what was done, there will be some more leaf clearing but most are now down, so that won’t be to big a problem.

I treated myself to a Tree Ferm, a small one but it looks great in the pot, and it will be a few plants like this that will be in this area from next Spring. 

It’s a small one but I like it in this pot. It will be moved into the shed as the frosts increase.

The two baby ferns Martin gave me are still doing well, but I reckon are about two years behind this one. 

done!!

I got out to the garden in the afternoon today and made a start on the shrub border. As it is free-draining ,(being planted on a bank), it is dry enough to work on even after the recent rain. Cleared fallen leaves and the dead stems and leaves of hostas etc. and dug out or pulled up any weeds as I came to them. Also dug up and divided a clump of drumstick primula and planted half of them along the edge of the path through my "Woodland" garden.

But before I could do any more the rain came on and I had to ‘call it a day’, but was just pleased to get something done!

PS> this is a picture of the part of the shrub border that I can see from the living-room window. It still looks quite good, I think. There is a lot to be said for a mixed shrub border. 

It was my birthday yesterday and I can say with my hand on my heart, I was spoiled.  The pair asked to be taken to Woodies on Friday evening, picked out what they wanted and wrapped them up on Saturday.  My son picked out the bulbs and my daughter picked out 2 packets of seeds and an orchid.   Sooo impressed with their choices.  

It never ceases to amaze me when I see plants like Poinsettias used as hedges in Lanzarote. Most of them, at this stage have been cut down to almost bare stems, but lots of emerging growth. Hibiscus used in the same way. Crotons, Coleus and Schefflera are regular choices for gardens. This Schefflera (Umbrella Plant) is taller than Steve. But Steve was camera-shy!!!

 

Our Christmas tree and decorations are due to go up this weekend.

But here’s the usual problem!

What on earth am I going to do with the Brugmansia, Citrus and Tetrapanax that are currently in its place?

I’m looking forward to seeds from a Canadian site and one Disa orchid in the post to me. But, other than that, I’m firmly ensconced indoors and plan on staying here.

WWO WIO

Anyone interested in Brugmansias, Daturas, and Iochromas? I’m getting back into Brugmansia big time. Can’t wait!

Brugmansia Growers International is a great group to join for info, swaps, freebies, seed/pollen banks, new hybrids and much more. Membership is $15 and a trial is $5. If I get 7 friends to sign-up I win the Plant Propagator’s Bible by Miranda Smith, and various propagation materials.

If any of you sign-up let me know. Click here to Join now!

This Bougainvillea, while on holiday, was spectacular with its multi shades of pink.

Friday night saw the Christmas Lights switched on in Cork so met my women over town for the big switch and a trip to English Market that was open for the evening and then onto the Grand Parade market. Having come directly from work, I did not have sufficient layers which came back to bite me.

The queue for the Santa Park in Bishop Lucey Park was something else – glad we were able to persuade her nibs that we would call on Saturday night when less busy. We went late on Saturday and she enjoyed but not as good as previous years.

Saturday morning had arrived – cold but dry. Grass got cut front and rear. Managed to plant up nearly all the remaining bulbs and a second variety of garlic- hopefully they will survive the winter.

The compost container was filling up so I emptied some from the bottom and spread in some of the beds – hopefully will have dual effect of providing some nourishment and some protection. It definitely succeeded in improving the look of the beds – really tidied up those areas lucky enough to get coated.

Methinks I might need a second container to capitalize on such a free resource – a thought for the winter if it can be accommodated. Never did I think I’d be welcoming muck like this.

Managed to tidy up the pots but deferred the washing and cleaning of them – had already done enough after Friday Night Lights to secure the onset of headcold (aka man-flu) but that resulted in providing an excuse to (over)indulge in hot whisky (can never remember if Irish or Scotch has the ‘e’ so just guessed).

When emptying the composter, was up the back and moving about some of the bits and pieces, it hammered home that I really need to start (and then finish) that last piece of the back garden. Ever one to prefer easier tasks over those hanging around for a long time, I just need to stop procrastinating and dithering.

If I delay any longer, I will have excuse of ground too hard; too slippery; too cold; dark too early; etc; etc

Hopefully this journal will embarrass me into getting that area sorted – putting myself forward for (semi) public shame and all that. After all I’m sure it got mentioned months ago in an earlier journal.

Time to EAT THAT FROG