Month: December 2011

R. valentianum isn’t the hardiest of shrubs and my one was fair shook after last winter, but thankfully has recovered well and I just love the red buds and the hairy leaves. It hasn’t flowered yet for me, but here’s hoping.

It’s the time of the year for admiring flower buds and anticipating the treats in store for us, if all goes well. Shown are the buds of Chimonanthus praecox ‘luteus’, which open out to wonderfully scented flowers. It can be very slow to flower, but mine has flowered for the last few years since I got it. On a totally unrelated subject, I know that most of us who love our gardens also love wildlife and really love to see the different type of birds that take up residence in our gardens as they mature, but I have to say that blackbirds are right demons for rooting up the mulch around recently treated plants. Everyday is the same story. I have to say that Carlos the Jackal wouldn’t hold a candle to them.

There was an amazing sky this morning as you saw in Clara’s photos. I saw it and went for the camera, snapped this one and battery died, I always have the spare one charged and ready to go……………well nearly always have it charged and ready to go.

So instead I watched the display change and fade away.

It was quite frosty this morning for the second time so far this winter. It’s been a good innings!

I was out and about today but as soon as I got home I set to putting straw and fleece over my tender plants in the garden.

First I ran out of plastic pegs but them remembered my trusty tent pegs. There’s going to be hell to pay one day when we use that tent and unpack it somewhere like France to find the tent pegs missing!

Then I kept going until I ran out of straw. Wouldn’t you think I’d have been a bit more prepared? It’s not like we didn’t know winter was coming!

Plants cut down, strawed and fleeced were : Lobelia tupa, Galtonia candicans, Crinum, hardy Gerbera, Hedychyium forrestii, Myosotidium hortensia, Tetrapanax papyrifera, Isoplexis canariansis and the base of Meianthus major (which I didn’t cut back).

There’s a few more I’d have liked to protect so I’ll have to see how that goes. A good tip I got from Coolaught Gardens was to pile cooled ash from the fire over tenders (provided you haven’t been using coal). They found it didn’t negatively affect the soil ph. I did this last year with my Penstemon and some Fuchsia.

So now I have odd looking white mounds around my garden!

I received an orchid I had bought in the post today. It is a Disa orchid, which originates in South Africa.

There are many, many types of orchids out there as the Orchid Family is one of the Earth’s two largest families of flowering plants.

Some orchids hardy, most are not. Some are epiphyte and some are terrestrial, growing in soil. And among that great number of plants there are even some that require conditions which are the opposite of those we associate with orchids.

When we think of orchids we remember that these plants are prone to die from overwatering. Well, the Disa orchid is different. It is a bog plant and will die if it dries out.

In fact, by a bizarre coincidence, although separated by geography, Disa orchids and Sarracenia (pitcher plants) require very similar growing conditions. They both want a bog-like terrain with zero alkalinity. They both require purity of water. For this reason they are often companion plants.

So, the plan is that, if I manage to source some more Disa, I will plant them with my Sarracenia next year in the newly created bog. Better get digging!

Im sitting here looking out at the rain, the rain, the rain! Im wondering should i have used fran’s bark and started on building an Arc and Im starting to collect animals, two by two. The only consolation was Deborahs last journal. That gave me some hope. 

You see Scrubber was ssooo greeedy buying so many bulbs that he has packets an’ packets yet to be sown. mostly tulips. And a BIG sack of Daffs which still feel firm, an’ he has to dig a trench for his hedge and the placing of same is causing headaches. And he has to buy them yet and he has pots of (very cheap) Hostas-thanks to Elizabeth and he has to divide up forget me nots and, and, and, and, and where is he going to get the time to do it when it rains and rains and rains. Cherub is wearing an aqualung theses days Oh and that reminds me ,that the other two cherubs have to be cemented in. Cemented cemented and Scrubber’s demented. Am so glad I got those cornus in a few days ago. Where will it all end?. Poor michael d is nearly waterlogged.

Should I start collecting the plants two by two as well I wonder? 

Called to Woodies having read about the bargains mentioned by Jacinta. I got the four packets for €5 which I consider great value. In toto 18 tulips and 80 alliums.

I had so many plans for today. Rain was due at lunchtime, not an issue as it would not take long to do what I wanted to get done.

Will I ever learn? The front garden is a small area, but the entire time I had was taken up here and nothing else was done. Despite that it was a dead calm day, cold, but I was well wrapped up so all was well.

Where does the time go when you are enjoying yourself? I must say one of my better ideas to date was the fern bed. I know it has a long way to go yet, but I am well pleased with the progress to date.

I know self praise is meant to be no praise, but sod that idea, when you are really pleased with something. Working for the weekend, so I hope you will all get some time to get some things done, Enjoy. 

Gosh, apart from a couple of brief visits to the garden during the week, it’s been three whole weeks since I have done a bit of gardening of any description) probably the longest non-gardening spell for me).  Looking forward to getting out there tomorrow – hail, rain or snow (hopefully NOT snow). I intend attacking it with great gusto.

Was gob-smacked this morning, while driving to work, with the glorious sunrise. So much so, that I just had to pull in and take a couple of snaps. Pity that there are just buildings around though. I would have liked the photos to be taken by the sea or mountains. But, c’est la vie. Sunrises have been stunning all week. 

Cyperus involucratus – I put up a journal on this a few weeks ago. Where I had managed to get roots growing on a cutting from Rachel by having it up side down in a glass of water.

I discovered yesterday that not only were the roots growing down from the top of the cutting but a shoot is growing up. This means that in fact a shoot it growing down from the top of the original cutting! Very confusing! But here is a photo taken after I have now potted it up (or down!)

7 meter by 10 meter by 3 meter high polytunnel for sale. Cost €1900 without ends. Will sell for €1000. Must be dismantled by buyer.

Is it really a year since I watched the flower buds show on my first ever Hellbore in the garden. Hard to believe the time has gone so fast.

This is another plan that I have changed my mind on. I always thought they were dull and boring plants. Another example of how a little learning can change you mind, even the leaves add interest to an area as everything has died down. 

If anyone has holidayed in the Canaries, they will be familiar with lots of palm trees lining Motorways and main roads. Maybe they’re Phoenix canariensis, or maybe something else – I suppose that’s not really important. 

But while in Lanzarote recently, I spotted lots of newly-planted palms along a new stretch of Motorway. ANd the trunks were all wrapped with a type of bamboo screen. Curiosity is getting the better of me here. The bamboo screens are very similar to the ones we find in our local garden centres and are pretty flexible, and could almost be described as not being too durable.

Initially I had thought that the bamboo was to give them extra protection until they ‘establish’ themselves, and also to avoid wind-rock ( Lanzarote is reknowned for its strong winds). But I don’t think that’s the case here. If anyone can throw any light on this matter, it would be greatly appreciated. 

Clearer photos in album posted. 

I’ve just been out in the garden tying some new solar lights onto a tree near the escallonia hedge in the front garden.  Amazingly there are still some flowers hanging onto the hedge, even though a lot of leaves have fallen again this year with blight affect.  

More amazingly was the buzz of a bumble bee behind me, happily flitting from flower to flower in the late afternoon sun – just had to go get my camera!  Isn’t it a bit late for bumble bees in early December?  

myself, hubby and the kids went in on the park and ride to town, its great value @2euro and no need to worry about parking and you can spend all day in town for that.there were alot of markets there but the one i was only interested was the plant stand.

i got a lovely basket of bulbs for a 10 er and then 3 extra bags for a fiver tulip apricot parrot, tulip salmon parrot, tulip greigii red torch, tulip trumpet cheers,tete a tete daffs, narcisus trumpet las vegas and anemone de caen. these were in the basket and then, three packets of crinum, there is only one in the pack but they were gorgeous

I went out and took lots of photos of the various mushrooms growing in our garden… this is an unusal one where they are all growing in a circle – I wonder what causes that to happen?

I wish I knew which were edible or not as we would have a bumper crop and we love mushrooms.  I remember going out into the fields very early in the morning with my Dad as a youngster picking mushrooms – great memories for me, but me picking now is not worth the risk unfortunately. 

Hi folks,

What a great day it was here. The weather was quite balmy which gave me the opportunity to get stuck into a bit of garden tidying.

My garden is overrun with caterpillars at the moment. The aphids and ladybirds ruled the summer, the spiders and hoverflies governed the autumn, so I guess it’s only fair the caterpillars get their turn. 

I gave some of the plants in this area (see photo) a hair cut. They had started to intermingle and hide the surrounding clay and stones. I like seeing the clay and stones amongst the silver foliaged plants. I find it evocative of arid landscapes.

Anyway…before I throw the bits and pieces on the compost heap, I was wondering if any of you who are coming to Johnstown would like me to try prop any of them for you? Can’t promise anything though. All are great for covering dry banks.

Zauschneria californica ‘Dublin’ (Californian Fuschia)

Stachys byzantina (Lamb’s ear)

Cerastium tomentosum (Snow-in-Summer)

Erigeron karvinskianus (Mexican Daisy/ Fleabane)

 

with all the rain that we have had the river is fairly up, luckily we are on a height so it would take alot to come near us. that river should normally be 2 big fields away. i would rather a bit of frost because a beautiful day follows, when i say frost i mean nothing below -2 degrees, and definately not like last december. its actually amazing what a bit of sunshine can do for the mind

the christmas catcus is still flowering its socks off.

I woke this morning and there was sun!Couldnt believe my luck. So I have been out all day. By the way has anyone advice for a sore heel. Mne has been hurting me for about six weeks to two months-nothing tortuous and i can garden but Id like a emedyif theres one. Ive tried heel pads in my shoe.

Anyway to more important issues. I went out and planted all 25K of my daffodil sack! Dutch master. I did three big sweeps of them so hopefully Spring will se lots of colour. I also put in the eight Hostas and a double swamp buttercup is it calthus? and a strange garden Iris with a Japanese name Yuri Hari or somethingthats supposed to be very hardy.

I also got most ofthe remaining drifts of leaves into the tarpaulin and down to the Scrub oh and planted a sarcococca. In doing so I realised the leaves had covered up a nice stone so that was retrieved-not moved just cleared of leaf debris.

Anna had a brilliant idea this morning. She suggested i toss my gardening clothes into the tumble dryer for ten minutes so when i put them on I was as snug as a bug in a rug! Great idea!

Then came in and had a deep hot bath and am now teetotally exhausted. Should’ve had a shower! Now only bulbs to be done and cherubs will be cemented on Wednesday hopefully. Im not as you all advised ,worrying about the hedge until later. Bit by bit……

Someone said to me today ‘well thats that for the garden until Spring!!! ‘ Might be the case with some folk but with hellebores coming into flower, aconites around the corner and then snowdrops….I dont think we get a break nor do i want one. Periwinkle has a lovely journal on all the browns. Makes one revalue the season!

I see in her book A year in an irish garden that Ruth Isabel Ross was countering the december blues by giving  two parties in the one weekend for thirty people each! My Lord what energy!!!!! She’s nearly as good as rachel for organization! 

 

I 

 

 

I have had, what can only be described as, a ‘Bad Orchid Day’. I upturned three orchids, at different times in the day and in different locations and spilt them everywhere. I can’t blame anyone else, it was me!

Then I thought I was loosing it completely because I went into the sitting room to find bits of compost all over the floor. My son soon confessed to sending the Eucharis flying and thinking he had cleaned it up!

But, on a more positive note, I wanted to mention how I made one good decision this year. It was to build a shady bed under the cherry tree. The idea came to me with a lovely white Hydrangea paniculata from Scrubber!

The cherry tree had stood on its own, with a ‘Rambling Rector’ running up it, for a few years but this year, in best Ladygardener style, I created a bed at its base by removing grass and just digging holes for the plants that go in.

I have three white Hydrangea there now but the really good thing about this bed is its location. It is close to the greenhouse so every time I visit the greenhouse, I come for a goo.

The result is that the bed gets weeded lots, which is just as well since it backs on to a native hedge. And what a delight it has been to watch orange cow slips and blue Corydalis flowering in it all autumn.

I know this bed doesn’t look great in the photo but it is December! Now the excitement revolves around numerous Iris reticulata that are poking up. WCO

Wasted a lot of daylight time today shopping and breakfasting with Zoe this morning. So I didn’t get a lot done in the garden after all my great plans. But it was good to be out there in the sharp wind. Lovely bright brisk day.

Just before my holidays I spent a long time dead-heading by asters in the hope of more blooms. Sadly, that didn’t occur. They are now totally blackened. So they got cut down today with lots of other stuff. Was surprised to still see flowers emerging, like Arctotis, Kaffir Lilies, Osteospermum, Knautia, Brunnera that Paddy gave me, plus lots more. Although, the now flowers are pretty much smaller than when they were in full swing during the summer.

It’s not so apparent during my working week as it is only to be expected, but darkness fell really early today. I guess I’ll have to do my shopping at night time in future – at least until the shortest day, which is just around the corner. 

Made a big stew, and now sitting in front of a grand open fire, and having a few ‘bacs’. Hopefully tomorrow will be more productive. 

Another one to go with Scrubber’s Daffs!

here are all my babies enjoying their lap of luxuary.