Month: December 2011

What a lovely photo to be able to post at the end of what was another great gardening year. Ups and downs of course, but isn’t that life in a nutshell. Heres wishing you and yours a happiness filled new year.

The rest of today is going to be very busy so while I still have a few minutes to myself and access to the computer, a small message to wish all garden.iers a lot of happiness and good health for 2012, and lots of fun in the garden!!!

This rose is from my parents garden in Brittany, France – photo taken last week – , and since so far I have none in mine, this is one of my garden resolutions for 2012, introduce roses in my own garden 🙂

Best wishes to you all for 2012. Hope it’s a good one both in the garden and in every other way too. I think my white Petunia will make it!

And by its end may we all have achieved a little of what we dream and something of what we hope for and have become  that bit more wise, that bit more understanding and that bit more touched by happiness as we share our hopes , fears, friendships  and gardens with one another.

Now Scrubber get down from the pulpit and recount the day’s doings. He thought at one stage he would have to retire from the fray! Its funny but with Cherub’s help boulders and rocks are shifted and then just shoveling clay into the wheelbarrow today a slight twist and a perceptible stab! However despite Anna’s very good advice he continued until five o clock and now after a bath has decided the twinge is temporary!

The day began well with a HOMAGE to paddy and mary and anne. There’s a word for you! I finally decided on a spiral around  the cornus variegate in the lawn. I had only a 100 bulbs (red tulips Toronto) so it will  not be spectacular but I hope it will be nice.

Then back to Mucky Corner. Oh no before that a very funny thing. There was an elder (tree!) in the Scrub and I have been dithering a long time whether to get rid of it as it was fairly shook. Cherub whispered ‘give it a little shove’ and giggled. I put my hand to it, gave a little shove and ‘swear to God down it went as if it had been shot! The root was quite rotten! I have cut it up and cleared and put in a cornus florida Rainbow that I got for a tenner on a bargain bench yesterday! I also put it a parrotia persica that I got for 3 Euro! Reduced from 40E! Because the leader had been smashed and it was now cut down to about a foot! They will grow again in the benign atmosphere of the scrub.

Back to mucky corner. Quite hard work trying to clean the dumpings of decades. Its going to take about a fortnight before I get it right but it has lots of promise. The back didn’t help. And I found another huge triangular rock. Cherub loves springing these surprises on me just when Im ready to finish. This one was special though and with Crowbar managed to lever it down to lower level and got it to fit in.. As I say it will take ages but I think it will be ready for christening early in January.

Snowdrops are peeping their noses through every where. I feel that there will be a big rush soon and we will all be swept off our feet at the sight.

Put some primulas into two pots and took out Bergenia from one of them and replanted it by the waterfall (don’t ask). The Primulas were old stock that I was given but I think they will come on in new soil.

Well that’s it. 2011done and dusted, some great joys some great sadnesses, that’s the way of the world. Bless you all and all your families,partners and friends among whom I am honoured perhaps to be numbered? As you see Ive gone back into the pulpit. Sr Josephine shrieks as loudly as she can in the church GET DOWN OUTA DAT YOU BOLD THING OR YOULL NEVER MAKE YOUR FIRST COMMUNION! But I did!

We took a walk around Altamont Garden this afternoon. It was great for blowing away the cobwebs and trying out the new camera.

We played ‘I Spy’ and when it was my turn to choose I chose the letter R.

Quick as a flash my son, Joshua, replied ‘Rhododendron‘. We all stood there with our mouths open at him and he was very pleased with himself.

There were Rhododendron in flower, hellebores, Cyclamen and the snowdrops are beginning. Daphne mezereum and Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Dawn’ were also just coming into flower. No sign of the Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’ that usually causes such a stir in snowdrop week. Perhaps they lost it last winter, as others have.

Happy New Year to everyone.

Decided to get just ‘finger-food’ for dinner tonight. Didn’t need to be wasting time peeling veg as I had lots of Child’s Play making up badges for next Sunday’s Get-together. Can’t wait until wee Davey can play with the PVA Glue without sniffing it! He was dying to help!

Crockery cleared away now and a few bevvies on the cards for the evening. Happy New Year to all my chums! See you on the 8th. 

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year with lots of time to spend in the garden where all your plans, ideas, and hard work will bring a smile to your face. Looking forward to Johnstown.

I have been glancing through a book which one of my visitors took off the book shelf this evening. I seem to read a book when I get it and then it can sit on the shelf for a long time without me lifting it! So it was with real pleasure that I dipped again into a book by Anna Pavord called "The Border Book".  Its one I would recommend.

But I realised that most of her interesting comments were just reinforcing some of the lessons learnt from friends on Garden.ie this year!

I tease Rachel for calling my garden "Outrageously Pretty" ! I know she meant it as a complement and it made me think. I love colour but you can overdose! Shape and form and texture are just as important and I am beginning to see the benifits of foliage as shown on Fran’s photo of Scruber’s garden in a recent journal.

I have also learnt that I need some shrubs or evergreens to give a form or skeleton on which to put the fancy frock of flowers! And because I have a small garden to resist the urge to buy new plants when it only results in over crowding, or convincing myself that because its a small plant I will find space somewhere 🙂

I have also learnt to enjoy trees in other gardens, even though I know I cant have them myself. Up until now, I have just enjoyed them as part of the landscape but not bothered much with their detail. Photos on this site of bark and leaves have awakened a new interest, although as yet I have not tried to remember names! Only so much my little brain can cope with!

So thank you all for a wonderful year of gardening pleasure and learning! and I am looking forward to enjoying 2012 with you all! Happy New Year!

wishing you all a very happy new year and all the best for 2012

 touch your new year with happiness.