Month: February 2012

wow thankfully the weather is picking up, the green house was lovely and cosy today, i worked for a few hours planting tonnes of seeds, all my bulbs have long been planted, im just waiting on the next signs of growth, the snowdrops and crocus look great in my deck planter, tulips and daffs are sticking their heads up, hyacinth not doing too good though,

someone?? overwatered my orchid, and it has lost lots of its flowers 🙁

my peace lily is starting to perk up, and my baby bay tree is taking a stretch again, hard to believe how long since i started it off as a cutting.

my bonsai sits on the counter, now 4 year old lookin cool,

just 4 months after starting to reestablish my walled vegetable garden, it was overgrown beyond belief and i have started to reestablish the vegetable gardens greenhouse too. so i am very happy with that, i have onions tomatoes sweetcorn etc getting ready to grow,, from seeds 🙂

unfortunatly for me i am trying to get so much work done on my own that its taking ages, so my next holiday i will get cracking and get lots done.

the walled flower garden is beginning to take shape, and the grounds are well planted.

the only problem i have at the moment is 4 stray cats…. any solutions?????

Good day here sun actually appeared.  Attacked brambles, ivy etc on wall, then surveyed the quite large area still to do. These are bad areas but the Ugly , two of them, are the area behind the new wall and the latest Rat excavation in the wall. Good were the Daffodils , Primulas and Anenomes by the stile .the Camellia and the mixture of Hellebores and new Snowdrops. Very daunting all there is to do.

It’s been over a week since my last journal and to start the foxglove seeds i started nearly 2 weeks ago are all shooting up, i’m currently in a garden battle with slugs who are trying to wreck every single spring flower coming up but i have finally found the best weapon for them….Beer on a plate and they love the stuff and end up drinking it and can’t get out of the plate afterwards so that is one thing i hope i have sorted. Next we finally got a nice day without any bad weather, sun was shining and i was eager to get out on the garden so i got the grass cut and planted up last years dahlia’s and new ones i have recently bought, also planted begonias and got to dig more of the garden and finally plant the Camelia (Bi-colour) i recently bought so all in all very happy with my progress, not happy with slugs. Another weeks work ahead so here’s hoping for another nice weekend next weekend and look forward to the long bright evenings

A lesson in Weed menu_order is screaming to be learnt on my patch.

anyone interested in getting a doctorate in the subject because my garden needs the examiner.

i am only an undergraduate at this and would welcome a trained eye.

it looks as if carrots ran wild but i dont really now what is which and which is what.

greystones is where you will find me and so send a message if you interested and cups of tea afters.

if a dog owner bring yours, large garden, and no escape.

i am beginning to learn where the light moves in this garden of mine.

mid day the back in the front of back is very much in shade, down the centre of the bungalow you can draw a dividing line, to the left will be in shade and to the right it will be sunny.

up at the top back left is in shade and all back right is sunny.

so it doesnt get a heck of a lot of sun, but it is bright and elevated so its fresh and good.

the grass is growning too much for my liking but its very soft under foot and has not dried out at all certainly not for mowing.

some plants i have id and these are clematis, hellibores, the flame bush donno its correct name.

there is pyracantus or contoneaster but its not doing well at all.

plenty of daffs and plenty of hostas.

a few hygengia sorry again for spelling, dont like these plants for some odd reason and also she grew crysants and not a love r of them either!

the children next door have a trampoline and i have a very large shed which is itching to be converted to outdoor pod.

with the kids bouncing high i sought out a snug on my patch to have lunch and now feel i know where the shed will be placed.

there seems to be a few dogs in these parts.

but its all open and i can see everything going on, well not alot in the other gardens but more so that i am not clamped in and hemmed in.

i love it.

the bird feeders are up, i got a blackbird, a chaffinch and a great tit for starters.

i got the electric screw driver out today and made up the boxed bird table.

so pleased with that.

anyway anyone interested to id my weeds, you very welcome.

ann 

i have undertaken a huge job,in resurrecting the vegetable garden and greenhouse, but after the few hours i put in today i can see the amazing results, im finally winning, ide guestimate that by next week ill be finished inside in the greenhouse and be working out on the vegetable beds, still a huge amount of work to go.

well!  a webpage about WEEDS menu_order has been discovered!

and leaf by leaf and type by type i shall rid em.

yes, some are rather invasive, so guess they all can go, i will not fear nor dread them and neither to pluck by mistake a real plant.

If you do not know, in the sense of menu_order, you cannot weep over.

so with that phillo i am going to set to-tomorrow.  Tonight i shall do a swat on weeds to zap.

 Inquiries have been made regarding two x-batt hens to join me and enquiries on coops and chicken wire and making or cobbling together has been put out on the net etc.  i have asked a friend to keep back two hens in rehab at the moment.

so when they are finished rehab they can come eat weeds here and may enjoy marjuina, i saw that plant by the wayside not a million miles away, an errant i think for it was woebegone and may have been the result of a past and bygone youth’s misdemeanour.  that youth possibly has moved on from here and there so …if the hens find any they will enjoy after being stuck in lunatic for too long.  and i even now conjuring up my design skills to make or complete the hen house a rescued large dogs kennel which will be fine.

add a palette or two and we have a cobbled together again.

who said weeds and half rotten dog houses and plants i dont know and hats and mitts flying as i rod my mobility scooter today, (to be embedded in the neighbourhood hedges and bushes), are not fun?

the woolly hat was rescued by a fit and able young man running down the centre of the road in the estate, after a tumbleweed looking hat rolling on by and away.

he caught that and gave it back.

then later as i was parking said scooter i decided to begin in earnest on the ridding of weeds by the doorstep.

i saw my young rugby-hat-running-man come back in with a shopping bag, well lidl’s best and i told him that he may have rescued the hat but the mitts went too.

So i weeded on.  Then tired i decided to go in.

As i tried to straighten up (oooh my back) i saw my man, the young rugby guy, handsome too, walk diagonally across my front lawn.

speechless i muttered "NO!?"  and yes, i got back my mitts.

Who could want any better than a neighbourhood watch for errant mitts and hats of women on mobility scooters who decide in their wisdom to pluck a chihuahua or two into her lap when the wind was nasty.

ah all is well with my world.

ah i got a cake, a little rose shaped cake, with cream and strawberries for valentine’s day – from a neighbour’s daughter, her mother driving down to give it to me.

A ‘thank you’ card for a special little girl is now needed.

Oh when i was plucking chihuahuas to my lap the neighbour who held my hand when i was horizontal on her grass bounced across to ask how life was…well life is ok really…my van is gone, taking down her trees and a dilemma is in the making but i am ok, nothing like neighbours bouncing out of bushes now is there?

Nor rose and cream for Valentine’s day! 

I’m just in from a busy few hours in my glass house, I have potted on 3 different coloured geranium and 2 types of fuchsia cuttings which I only took on Dec 1st, I put them uncovered on my propagator for 2 or 3 weeks and just let them to their own devices. They seem to have rooted well. I am hoping to do as much as possible for my pots ,baskets and garden for the summer.(and my Ma-in-laws too, must look after her cos she bakes great scones for me!!) We usually spend a fortune on plants every May.

I also sowed lots of seeds today too so they are in my propagator now, Lobelia Cambridge Blue, Petunia Duo mixed, Verbena compact mixed and Mesembryanthemum.  The seeds of Lobelia and Petunia I did a few weeks ago have germinated well though they are a bit leggy. 

I sowed Physalis alkekengi which I just have on the window sill. 

 I sowed Deborahs Arisaema ciliatum and Frans Rhodochiton in the propagator too. 

Finally I did the Giant Himalayian Lily that I got  in Johnstown, Liga gave me the advice on planting them so they were in the fridge till today and are now sown outside under grit.

Will you all say a prayer now that everything germinates for me!!!!!!

At the moment everything above is either on the floor or windowsills of the sunroom, I’m not lucky enough to have heat in my greenhouse so the sunroom which is also the kids playroom will be taken over for a few months, I must cordon off an area for myself or everything might be rolled over by my sons tractors!

All is achanging again! Delightfully I find myself in the position to spend another season in my garden. So delighted I can’t express 🙂 Except now that means there is a huge amount of work to be done as soon as possible. Very little prepared, nothing sown, everything beginning 🙂 Got to go seed buying now. It’s going to be a great year!!

No electricity here all day today, the ESB are working on upgrading the lines in the area. A great time to get out in the garden and start the work that needs to be done. First job was to change the oil in the lawn mower and then start using it. I got all the grass cut and then gave the mower a real good cleaning, so I’m pleased with that. I then started to weed in around the shrubs and got a fair bit done. Now that I’ve started I hope to carry on every day for a few hours untill its back to looking good again.

Got some seeds down today, delighted. Of course all are possible losses but I don’t mind. I guess at this time of year all/any survivers are a bonus! Here’s what I sowed

Watermelons (Crimson Sweet & Sugarbaby)

Melons (Honeydew & Orange Cantaloupe)

Tomatoes (Roma, Rio & Moneymaker (need to buy cherry))

Chilli Peppers (Jalepeno, Cayenne, Capsium)

Sweet Peppers (California Wonder)

Sweetcorn (Miria)

Butternut Squash (Hunter F1)

Courgette (Black Beauty (a favourite of mine))

Pea (Kelvedon Wonder (early variety))

I have more to plant hopefully tomorrow as will be away then until Tuesday. All seeds sown today are in Coir so will need transplanting into compost as soon as they need feeding. All nightshades and Squash in sitting room covered in cling film, hopefully that’ll hold the moisture in until I get back. I really love this time of year, a bit of sun now and all would be just perfect!

today i finally have secured the total completion and restoration of the greenhouse, which was in bits and is now back in full clean state, i also prepared 3 vegetable beds and done hours of cleaning, man im wrecked, ive got loads of veg to plant out over the next few weeks, so im lloking forward to a good fun growing season. i have about7 more veg beds to prepare and a compost heap to establish, i have that many vegetable beds that i might turn some into flower beds, tomorrow i will shape 2 boxus bushes for fun, and might move them to the middle of the beds…., not sure better sleep on it.

I have over wintered the strawb planter i started off last year in the cold greenhouse.  To be honest I have neglected it quite a bit – well almost entirely.  Should I put it outside now and how to do I kick start growth off, should I feed or start watering?

I bought a shed load of alliumn bulbs 4 packs for price of 1 at Hosfords, County Cork always the sucker for a bargain, and am wondering if its too late to put them into the ground – or wait until september.

…………. break a leg.

But the lady did that herself, and one thing for sure she needs no luck at all when giving a talk, well done Deborah (as always)

A quick decision was made yesterday, via text, facebook and garden.ie to attend Deborah’s talk to the Alpine Society last night.

Clare, Racheal and myself attended. Despite her broken leg Deborah gave a great talk, Deborah if you are doing more talks while in that cast, please bring a high stool with you, that leg needs rest, age is not on your side anymore, LOL

It was a lovely finish to what was a hard day in work. A perfect end, you could say. Good to see you both again, short and all as it was. 

One had to buy a few things so I came home with, Primula ‘hose in hose’, P ‘Garryards Guinavere’, Geranium ‘palmatum’ and Lavatera arborea ‘variegata’, pleased with all those.

Of couse some people did better than others, I was nearly sending for a trailer to get Rachels plants back to her car LOL

Thanks for the company Ladies.

One final thing to say, it was great to be at a garden talk where no mobile phones are  ‘going off’ they so disrupt the speaker and the interested listening attendees…….   ;-0

hi all

finally i am back. we got our computer back last nite and still had a few problems but it is fixed now. a completely new mother board had to be installed, i am so glad to be back, missed been on chatting to you all. it will take ages to catch up with you all be i will try.

i started sowing seeds during the week and also got 2 more window sill propagators in lidl on thursday, i have loads more to sow. tommorrow will be spent sieving compost and filling trays.

 The horse manure seems too fresh to put on anything. So I am trying out the method mentioned in my last post. Un-bagged half of it again and piled it up at the very end of the garden and covered it over with several layers of plastic. Leaving it covered for 2 weeks and will then see if it is fermenting and breaking down! That will be the 3rd of March. I will let ye know:)

I also planted more onion bulbs inside and outside, I hope I have enough to get me passed next Christmas this year! Might buy a few more just in case 🙂

Tis dam cold here this evening, suppose to freeze tonight!

P.S….I may not comment on some posts here, but they are mainly about flowers and I do not do manyflowers and have no idea of the latin names, but I do go and read all ye’re posts 😉 

Paddy / Mary a strange question for ye both.

In one of the plants you gave me last year when we visited, I found a piece of strange root. After seeing your garden, and me been me, I potted it up. It was the strangest root I have seen, looks as if it is in sections or links and very serrated. 

It has sent up two shoots, too small to get a photo as yet. Would you have any ideas? I will get a photo when there is something decent to see.

Go on tell me it’s a really rare and wonderous plant …………… :-))) 

after a slow start, a quick trip to garden centre to stock up on vermiculite and a bad start with the computer, had to be brought back in to be checked again as it wouldnt start up, but they fxed it, thought i would have days to wait for it to be back but they sorted it while we waited.

got out after dinner and sieved and filled trays until 5 o clock, managed to do 33 trays, all ready to sow on  tuesday, will finish filling and sieving  the rest of the trays on monday. it was really cosy in the tunnel today 19 degrees in full heat. there is so much seed sowing to be done. this is my favourite time of year. have alot of digging to do yet but the soil is too wet. there is gravel i want to move to the back around the raised beds and front of the tunnel, that will be started once i have the seed sowing done. ITS ALL GREAT FUN 

Interesting couple of days here next week. I have a dry stone bank separating the two main areas of my garden.  It is very old and the stones are built vertically which can be unusual. One side of the wall is beyond repair but the other side is good except for a length of about 5metres.  I managed to contact a dry stone wall site and long story short two men who are expert at restoring are coming next Thursday and Friday to repair the wall. I feel I have to maintain this wall as it is an integral part of the property ( property sound very grand LOL) It will be so interesting to watch how they go about the task which even for a fairly small area will take about 3 ton of stone. Luckily they can use stone I have dug up over the years  or was already here so I don’t have the added expense of providing that.  I will take pictures of before and after.

spent a lovely couple of hours last night watching my dvds of kew that i got a while back. i finally got to the second series, of course alan titchmarsh is narrator so it is even better, i think if it was a stranger or someone that i didnt particularly find interesting narrating it i dont think i would love it so much, it is a lovely box set. sowed seeds of cucumber and melon and lettuce in one of my windowsill propagators on wednesday, these are now germinated which is super quick. 

a day of reading and watching tv on the cards, maybe even a few more episodes of a year at kew on the cards. been going around taking some photos will put up a small album during the week when the seeds are sown in the other propagators  

has anyone EVER seen a show garden for a person with a disability and if so where IS it, is there/are there any still standing so that one can get ideas?

xann 

hi all , im gerry just joined the site. as i want to really get back into gardening this year.as you can see from the pictures i had a nice garden 2 years ago have,nt a clue about gardening, just started with a rockery in a corner before new it i was building a shed then a patio another raised patio a deck i built a barbaque  all the work i did on my own but lost my job and left things go,got a dog totally wreacked the garden on me .but my luck was in this year an got a job so its back into the garden big time as i love it. so as you can see from the pics my garden feb 2012 i have a lot of work, so im looking for ideas and help from every angle please .i done some research and began some work last week friday the 10th i began by aerating the garden with a hollow aerator that drops the core on the lawn ,i then cut the grasss as low as the lawnmower would cut i spread horticultural sand all over the garden ,and began to overseed i then spread compost over the seed and lightly raked . would any one know would i be correct in what iv,e done. all ideas welcome thanks.

So today my seeds arrived, twenty of them.  So half will go to, Bruno, if he wants them so I will have 10 to deal with. What is the best way to get them to germinate? Do I soak them? What about heat? Should I stagger the sowing and leave a few until later in the year? So advice requested from those who have the secret. Thank you

I am thinking of growing some baby beetroot anyone know what is the best type of seed i should get 

A bit of fun inspired by Blarney Castle’s recent journal picking our brains and seeing Kate & Grahams beautiful ‘Forest Lodge’.  I won’t be insulted if I get no comments.

I built this house in ’97/’98 and still havn’t named it.  The boys often tell me ‘we don’t have an address’ how does the postman know where we are (probably a good excuse when Valentine’s day arrives and we don’t get any cards).   I always thought it was sensible on the continent when peoples last names were on the sign on the driveway, however the boys and I have different last names so in case of confusion I’d like a housename.  I have over the years thought of a few names and wonder if anyone could suggest a good name for my house.

These are my considerations:  I live beside a bog commonly know as the ‘foxy bog’.  So any name that would reflect the area in terms of ‘bog’ or ‘marsh’ would be suitable.  However if ever I needed to sell I probably wouldn’t want ‘quagmire’ or ‘swamp’ to put a buyer off.   The foxy bit I like too and even though I designed my home to look like a little hunter’s lodge I’m not a fan of hunting.  I have the hunt frequently surrounding my home and they are considerate (now) and they were here before me so I do my thing and they do theirs.  I like ‘Foxy Lodge’ but that might taunt the hunters who can’t come on my property.  I’ve also thought of ‘Ivy Lodge’ but there’s one not far away and I’m also thinking of ‘Laurel Lodge’. 

So what do ye think?  Any suggestions?