Month: April 2013
It is just too cold to do any gardening here – the East wind has been blowing for over three weeks now and growth is stagnent, We did wrap up yesterday after all the eggciting Easter Egg hunts were over and managed to get one of the flower beds mulched but it was freezing. I spent the rest of the time in the tunnell planting out some peas rocket radishes and mange tout. I also set more seed for the cottage garden, Cosmos, Cerinte, Calendula, love in a mist, ammi majis and larkspur- lots of old reliables which will give me loads of colour in the Beautiful Summer that we are going to have this year.
A lot of my daffodils are blind this year – I am putting it down to the weather as many of them were only planted last year so too soon to need to be divided, any body got any other ideas why this happens? Luckily in some parts of the garden they are looking a treat and keeping us all smiling during this tough Spring.
hellebores for the collection. I have picked up a few new ones over the last couple of weeks. Really pleased with the double white one.
As promised here are my photos of my pleione orchids. The colour isnt really true should be more of a purple/pink.
There are 8 flowers this year. I only bought one about 3 years ago!
I bought this really pretty Euphorbia today – ‘Ascott Rainbow’. It sure lives up to its name. This is definitely one that I will try from cuttings later.
Is it just me or is the site very quiet?
Do you think the .iers are having trouble accessing the site again.
Ive noticed that Im not even receiving emails when someone posts on something Ive posted on…..odd……plus my internet is acting up too…
Just a few pics i took today of some daffs in flower at the moment. It is still so cold here impossible to stay out in the cold weather to do anything and even the plants themselves don’t want to grow or even open there flowers. Here’s hoping we get some good weather soon its gone on long enough. Hope everyone had a good easter.
Was it cold today or what?
I really dont think Ive ever experienced cold like today. That wind would cut through you and unfortunately the side of our house is very exposed so you can image the wind howling across the garden wasnt a pleasant feeling……
But on the upside our extension is coming on…..so thats good…
My father-in-law, bless him, came out today and helped Jim put in the patio doors and Velux windows…..Now its taking shape, just one big window to go in and we are watertight!
In the meantime, I tried pottering around the garden, but it was so cold, my feet and hands were numb with the cold.
I planted out my Muscari that I purchased the other day. I also planted out some Poppies, Delphiniums and Digitalis also….I have lots more to plant out but I just couldnt last any longer. Put a lot of my seedlings into the greenhouse and Ive more to start now. So Im hoping tomorrow will be a bright ‘warmer’ day even and I can stay out a bit longer.
I bought Geranium plugs a few weeks back, along with Aster and Petunia…ALL my Asters died and now Ive just 2 Geranium plugs left! disappointed with that, the Petunia are holding on, but for how long I wonder…..
Despite low temperature, flowers appear. Temperature was only about 3 or 4C. Most of the gardening was indoor, potting on tomatoes and watering greenhouse plants. Nevertheless I got a few photos and flowering goes ahead
After much coaxing earlier on, I persuaded Steve that we needed to get out away from the confines of the home. Where to go? Hmmmm! Ended up in Malahide in Plantagen. It’s a long time since I have shopped there and I ended up spending a mere €15. Surprise, surprise. But by God, it was bitingly cold (chili???). And of course Steve didn’t have a proper jacket with him so he was feeling the brunt of it. Headed to Malahide Castle then. We had planned on taking a walk through the gardens. But as there was nobody manning the turnstiles, we weren’t prepared to wait. Steve’s nose was turning bright pink at this stage. But I managed to get a couple of pretty photos from over the railing.
Next, we headed to Kinsealy Pet Shop for another couple of Koi to keep our ‘biggie’ company. We were promptly told that it was still too chilly to introduce baby koi to the great outdoors. We’ll have to wait another couple of weeks.
Just bought 3 plants in Plantagen, and as I’m back to work tomorrow after a long absence, I decided to plant them today. Glad that’s done.
Some of you may have read recently about my exploits in creating Lasagne Beds – a super way to give yourself a new border with no digging. The principal is to layer organic material up and leave it for a year to decompose.
I see Liga is even experimenting with Lasagne Beds this year.
But I need to say that Lasagne Beds are sooo last season!
This year I am working on a Spaghetti Meatball Bed.
With Spaghetti Meatball beds you follow similar principals but you can use a variety of material. You need to shred plastic bags into strips and lay them as the first, and every third, layer. You must shred them otherwise they won’t decompose! Don’t forget to place some large stones at intervals in your bed, as these represent the meatballs!
Good luck!
Last week I was bit busy in garden.Tidy up garden,cutting off last years flower stems,what was left in corners,and cutting off all what didn’t look nice.Fed roses.Divided grases,for my ”bad ” flower bed,from where i will remove all stuf what is growing now,and i’m going to plant grases later.I listen to Hazel’s advice and dug up my pampas grass too,wasn’t easy ,but it done. Had to divide my dasyflower plant ,in 2 years it grown so big,that when it flower last year,it didn’t look very nice.Left less as half in flower bed,so hope it will work.
I made 2 ”Lasagne beds”,,not propery,i don’t have much green stuf what to use now,so i did use my last years compost.Now it covered with black membrane,and will see how it work.I have 2 more compost boxes left,so this work i will continue.
What else…started to feed my pelargoniums un fuchsias.Some of pelargoniums had flower buds,so i pinched them out,bit to early for flowering.
Happy Easter Monday to you all!
It is great to see the extra brightnes in the evenings. We can all make the most the time to catch up on jobs that have been delayed due to the cold.
Lets hope temps improve quickly, I have added a little colour that is showing in the garden on this date.
Sadly back to work today, but can’t complain after such a great gardening weekend.
