Month: January 2012

Happy new year to all my friends and forum members….and to anybody else who got in the back door!…….May you all have a prosperous new year, in spite of the governments efforts to prevent it…..:) 

Feeling excited about Spring and what wonders it will bring. Haven’t done much in the garden recently but am feeling that my hibernation is coming to an end. Can’t wait to get stuck in again.

Hello everyone!  I’ve been following the site for a while now and kept telling myself that I must join.  So here goes … I’ve posted a couple of albums to introduce you to my garden … can’t believe the difference between this new year’s eve and December 2010 in the snow!  Looking forward to getting to know you all and sharing the gardening fun. 

I have recently become a big fan of gardening and of course spring flowers i have plant over 100 spring bulbs but out of everything i am really looking for a certain tullip that i once saw on Garderner’s World. The flower was coloured orangey red or crimson if that sounds better to picture but the stem was more grey than green and i would really love to know what this is and get loads for next year

My other half is a dairy farmer and his dairy maids all came for a visit into my Garden during the Storm last night OMG.  All i could say was thankfully we never got around to reseeding the lawn in the autumn. The ground that was the old lawn is now red??  We have just built a wall to keep the ladies out but never finished the gate. It was done this morning and my daughter told me it will keep them out mam for good this time ( she is 6)  Also i decided with last years weather to wait untill the spring to start planting so no plants lost of damaged.   These cows are one of the reasons why my garden after 10 years is really only starting out.  But these ladies also help pay for the plants etc so shussh…. Might buy a lock for the gate ! Cannot wait for spring hopefully new baby will be settled by then into routine to let me out to Garden.

About reseeding the lawn – i have at the end of the garden near old apple trees an old type septic tank. This is covered with a concrete slab about 5’x3′. Any ideas on how to cover or hide it without drawing attention to it. 

repeat

hi folks i need directions for hubby for sunday, like what exit of motorway and where to find johnstown once we go off the exit.

cant wait to see ye all. have my kris krindle got and all so 4 more sleeps after tonight

i’m in the market for a new lawnmower.

can you recommend any good places that might have a sale on

i’m replacing a toro which was great-i’ve googled and googled and theres a few english sites coming up but if i could get an irish one i’d be happy.

i’m thinking maybe €400 ish

Hello, I have a few roots of the climber Trapaeolum speciosum if anyone going to gathering wants some on Sun?  I got it in Knockpatrick garden in Foynes in Aug and potted it up, it is growing nicely and will look great twining its way through a hedge or trellis in summer and autum. I will prob have 5 or 6 bits of it so anyone who wants to try it is welcome.

 Johnstown;

I have Clerodendron bungeii for Hosta, Bruno , Rachel and Tina.( twigs in a pot!!)

There are Water lilies for Jacinta

Stipa tenuissima for Fran

Did I promise anything else to anybody please?

Hi All,

 I haven’t been on the site for ages and the garden is absolutely sopping so haven’t been out there for ages either but I am looking forward to out get together on Sunday.

I’ve got my Kris Kindle ready and I think it will be a nice present for someone and I will sort out the books I don’t want and some extra seeds I’ve collected before I go.

Also I have the 3 banana plants that I am pretty sure are still alive out in the tunnel. I have a note of those who have baggsed them.

See you all then.

Hello everyone, havent been online in ages or out in the garden much to be honest.  Things very busy at home and my dad was back in hospital all over Christmas.

The wind has been shocking the last few days. I got up this morning to part of my garden fence falling down. Not great news for Benji (my dog) or the poor plants beneath it. Will try add a picture later.

The bulbs out the front are coming up now, finally Spring is near. I didnt have the heart to cut down the sunflowers as the bluetits have been feasting on them over the Winter.

Hope to fence off part of the garden for Isobel this year to let her play in. Thinking of planting a few sunflowers and nasturtiams to have a bit of colour for her. Has anyone any suggestions for some Summer Colour and of course child friendly plants.

Wishing you all health and green fingers in 2012.

We are both down with colds at the moment .. we came back on Tuesday from Roscommon, had intended to stay down there till Friday and get some work done in the garden but we were fit for nothing……   are hoping we will be ok to attend on Sunday … I do not want to pass it on to anyone else….. 

………..someone might like to read the following

1000 Handy Gardening Hints -Consultant editor: Alan Titchmarsh

Irish Gardens by Shirley Lanigan (not her recent one)

I will be bringing the following on Sunday if anyone would like some:

4  Piggy Back Plants

6 Lychnis

2 Concolor Lace Scented Geraniums (small but rooted)

 1 Fireworks Pink Geranium (small, rooted)

2 Abutilon Hybrid Bella Mixed (indoor or conservatory) with crimson flower (grown from seed, small, rooted)

6 Foxgloves (grown from seed0

I was given this book for Christmas by someone who should have known I didnt grow fruit or veg:(

Alan Titchmarsh – The Kitchen Gardener- Grow your own fruit and veg

Gone to Linda!

Hello everyone!

Hope everybody has had good Christmas and new year celebrations. Can’t believe it’s that time of the year again–when writing dates is a disorientating ordeal, new year’s resolutions fail by the second week into January, but most importantly: the most exciting part—planning on what to do for the garden for the coming year.

I must say 2011 has been a slow year for me on the gardening front.

I took an extended month-long holiday to Malaysia in autumn for another wedding reception and honeymoon (the perks of inter-national marriage!), so by the time we came back to Ireland, the garden is in shambles.

A combination of reasons further made me neglect the garden, so now I stop fighting nature and have accepted fate, and have declared my garden theme as ‘natural wildlife’. Ha ha ha. Just as well, as I have spotted several frogs in the garden since we came back.

We have been blessed with mild weather, at least in my part of Cork, I think. I didn’t wrap any of my tender plants at all, so hopefully they’re still ok. One thing I notice though, some of my plants seem to be registering as if it’s spring now—I have rose buds coming up, and some of my usually early spring bulbs are starting to crop up.

Freaky 2012.

I am praying loads that my plants will do ok this year (I didn’t get the chance to prune my beloved lavenders, for example.) And I have lots of plans for my garden–mainly to move things around to a better location or for better spacing.

Well, I plan, but the execution has to be done by A because my little peanut in the oven is due to pop out in May.

Aaaahhh…playing bossy is very nice indeed. *grins*