Month: January 2013
This chap moved into my garden today and he needs a name, any suggestions?
Despite the cold, rain, wind and everything else the winter is throwing at us, these absolutely beautiful dwarf irises decided to bloom their little socks off in my alpine bed. Aren’t they fantastic! Spring is definitely on the way .. yippee!
I had meant to include this photo of H.argutifolius, the Corsican Hellebore, in my journal yesterday.Also shown are the lovely coloured leaves of R.elizabeth ‘red foliage’. I find it keeps this colour all year, which makes it well worth having and the flowers will be nice as well. I’m heading out now to do some weeding, but I’m afraid I might do a Dorothy on it with the wind thats there. Up, up and away.
Tonight BBC4 at 8pm is the second in a series on Sissinghurst. Sarah Raven and her husband feature in a new documentary. Saw the first one last week and really enjoyed it.
To all mobile phone users, if you receive a call or have a missed call from a number beginning with 00836 xxxxxxxxx,
ignore it and delete.
It is a scam that can take up to €50 a minute of some accounts, or clear whatever credit is there.
The scam has been traced back to central Europe so far.
Thank God… the grey is going and there’s blue between the deluges. I thought I was going to go nuts if I didn’t see a glimpse of proper sky soon. It’s still howling, thundering and raining at intervals but the clouds are fantastic. Any minute now the clouds will part and there it’ll be…. that big yellow ball – what’s it called again? I’ve forgotten!
The poor wee primmies are looking very sad though, ripped to shreds after the battering. And I’m so glad we spent the time and energy staking all the trees or we’d have lost them. What a week!
I have just read Fran’s journal and it explains what this very deep and serious conversation was all about at Johnstown 🙂
I am beginning to think of myself of a real have a go gardener.
I am willing to try different ways of doing things etc.
I was talking to Moya about Rhodochiton at Johnstown a few weeks back. While my seedlings from last year did not do much, they did survive and slowly improved towards the yeas end.
While the main plants are safely in the shed and flowering away, I decided to leave two of the weaker plants in the ground over the winter. If I lost them, so be it.
Well these two plants have come through temps of -3 here recently. I know I am close to the sea, but this is a ‘tender plant’ and should not really be out for the winter.
I am beginning to come to the thinking that maybe to a certain level you can toughen plants up. I think it’s worth trying anyway.
I also left my tree ferns out, these are hardy to -9, so I think my leaving them out to -3 you are hardening them up to deal with our Winters. Of course if prolonged temps of -9 were forecasted they would be in the shed straight away, I’m not that brave or stupid LOL.
This thinking may not work in most parts of the country, but if I can get away with it, I will toughen my plants up, even the Pink ones ;-)))
i need to plant a hedge as a wind breaker as part of my garden is very exposed, what would be a good suggestion, id like it to be ever green and fast growing if possible,
My second and last amaryllis to flower for this year…
So far just one stem in bloom, with four very large lovely flowers. It’s so tall that when the first stem reached its maximum height, the plant started to lean dangerously towards the floor – even though I had planted it in a large pot. The bulb was quite loose in the soil, and I was going to add more soil, but then the second stem started to grow and balanced out the first one. Amazing nature!
what this is ??
The site is very quiet at the moment, I suspect due to not being able to get out in the garden due to the weather.
So for a bit of fun (hopefully) can you guess what this might be? It is garden related and there might even be a prize 🙂
It seems like I have been off sick for ages. But it has only been just over a week. Haven’t had very many opportunities to get out, on account of the hideous weather and injury. Seed-sowing, tending to houseplants have been the extent of my gardening, unfortunately. But I’m so glad I at least have made a start on the seeds.
Had places to be this morning so when I got back, I took the bull by the horns before it started pelting. Started on the front, which has sadly been so neglected. Haven’t done anything out there since about the end of Sept/Oct. But then, it WAS a low-maintenance garden I wanted to create. Mission accomplished.
Cut back all the old flowers on my lovely white hydrangea. Lots of new, healthy shoots. Then I spent about two hours weeding the borders as all the daffs are well on the way. Also got a black bag full of fallen leaves. Did it all from a bending position, which wasn’t a good idea. I should have taken the kneeler out with me. I was afraid to go back in for it just in case I got distracted with something else. I’m feeling it now. But luckily with my mid-week return, it’s only three days to Saturday. Wahoo!
AND THEN IT WILL BE SPRING! Boing! Boing! Boing!
This year I will make a positive attempt at replacing the delapidated fence between us and the neighbour. Might even get Steve to build a wall so the neighbours wild garlic stays in HIS garden.
Why wont my photos show in my journal….They did the first day and since then no matter what photo I want to put up here it doesnt appear. It shows the page where its is trying to load but stays at 0%…anyone else have a problem with this or is it just me?
Went out today and tried to take a few photos…in between the rain and the howling winds!
I have some lovely snowdrops popping up now…..and my lupins are starting to grow! brought them from my old house. They seem to have settled in ok.
The other plant, dont know what its called, but I got it in Lidl in the Summer 2011 and I put them into a basket. Well they just blossomed and havent stopped since. They are just magnificent. Stripey flowers and they are continuous. If anyone has any idea what they are called I would be so grateful……
A little sneak preview for those intending on visiting Altamont this weekend.
I visited today but unfortunately a large portion of the gardens were closed due to bad weather. There was still plenty to see in the main garden which houses the full collection of snowdrops and other Spring bulbs which ate stunning.
The plant centre was also closed but is being restocked tomorrow with a large selection of choice Galanthus Helleborus and other Spring plants which will be available for purchase on Friday so for those travelling your timing is perfect.
Happy hunting !
You will be pleased to hear that the petition to An Post to reverse their decision to no longer allow the posting of plants is now at 215 signatories. That is, in no small part, due to the many enthusiastic plant-lovers on this forum.
As we are all aware this An Post decision will adversely affect small Irish businesses.
It now seems that the prohibition came into place in February 2012 but was not enforced in various post offices until recently.
If you haven’t already signed the petition, I urge you to do so now…
Thanks
I haven’t managed to get outside for more than a few minutes for ages now – beenn budy with indoor non-gardening stuff, including the installation of a wood-burning in the lounge. This big adventure happened yesterday and the poor guys had to get up on the roof to install the flue in that awful stormy weather. I’m sitting here admiring the flames and catching up on the journals. I’m feeling really envious of all the enthusiastic seed planters and hope i can join them in the next few days!
This year I’m giving the spuds, peas, cabbage, beans, onions and tomatoes a miss due to the pathetic results last year! The only edibles I’m contemplating are 1. Carrots in a pot (went well last year) 2. Cut-and-come-again lettuce (actually worked!) and some scallions (which I haven’t tried before.
However, FLOWERS are another matter! I’ve been sorting through my seed packets and checking them in the gardening books so I’m finally ready to get planting …. but …. its very cold out there in the shed …. and it gets dark so early ….
OK – now giving myself a talking-to – Just stop whingeing and get out there and plant up those seeds – they ain’t going to grow themselves – and you have a little propagator for the really early ones. And this time follow all that good advice you keep getting about pinching things out and potting things on ….
Anyway, one of the 5-minute dashes to the garden gave me this pretty picture on my pretty Winter Aconite which is starting to bulk up a little bit this year. All i need is a large dose of patience 🙂
The weather has kept me indoors except to check on the aviary and the remaining hen.
En route I plucked the three bits of colour in the garden and got up close in my ‘play room’
The snowdrop amazed me. The heliborus was a litle tattered with the weather. The heather seems rainproof and just coming into its glory.
The temperature was up further to day. Great news, however the rain has not ceased. Here and there, it tends to clear up, even without the sun. Plenty of wind too. Last night I was to travel to Paulstown with others but we decided to stay away. To day when the rain had cleared, I went for a walk around the garden and noticed that the rise in temperature had given one crocus and a number of Helleborus in bloom. Surely it is a sign that the spring is on the way.
this year i am definatley cutting right back on what i sow. just spent an hour and a half sorting through seeds and just keeping what i need and picked up three packets of seeds this morning at the garden centre PEPPER MINI BELL MIX from thompson and morgan , SWEET N NEAT YELLOW TOMATO from unwins AND TOMATO RAINBOW BLEND from thompson and morgan. this year i will be sowing more veg. i finished the last bag of frozen cabbage yesturday from my own garden it is so great to have your own
while watching the torandes of rain yesturday morning i spotted a line of snow drops that i had forgotten that i had planted they were lovely on a really dreary day.
I have just been out in the garden taking a few photos and just got in before the rain that is cascading down now had started. Shown are a couple of my Hellebores that are flowered, no names I’m afraid. Hellebores are the most delightful of plants and they associate so well with Rhodos. Plenty more have yet to flower.I don’t know is it just me, but I have never managed to get Helleborus niger to succeed despite a few attempts. I presume all of what I have are H.oreintalis hybrids and I just love the simplicity of the flowers on H.niger. Ah well, one of these years. Also shown is the first Camellia flower to open, a bit weather beaten to be sure but a precursor of the many delights to come on the Camellia front.
Always a sign of spring!
Since some people are on about seed sowing i said i’d let ye know about mine which i started over a week ago, I have a lot to do so doing them any free time i have. Last year i did two thing s which were a disaster and was not prepaired or in the know how so hopefully this year will be much better.
What i have sown so far is:
Sunflower “Teddy Bear”
California Poppy “Thai Silk Mix”
Zinnia “California Giant Mix”
Dianthus “Chinensis” “Chianti Double”
Malva “Zebrina” “Malva Sylvestris”
Corn Flower “Frosty Mix”
Poppy “Papaver Somniferum” “Black Peony”
Sunflower “Velvet Queen”
Look at him trying to knock the poor birds out of the tree with his slingshot. Martin & I haven’t done a tap of gardening in the past couple of weeks due to a decorating project in our office. We have literally just finished and I have collapsed in a heap here in front of the computer with a glass of wine. Rachel, this is where you will be hanging out when you come to stay when you are giving your talk to the Limerick Garden Plants Group in March. Hope it is to your satisfaction!
I made a promise to myself to get some February sowing seeds done before Wednesday. So today I did just that. My working day is about to get longer, before the onslaught of impatient and demanding customers. So I probably won’t have the energy to do much after work until I get back into my stride.
So far I’ve sown aquilegia, aster, asclepias, pennisetum, dahlia, delphinium, brugmansia and 4 lots of sweet pea. Happy camper! All in the propagator now. Better re-assemble the growing rack for potting on.
