Month: May 2013
I bought this Heuchera at the January Get-together in Johnstown, it really jumps out from the front of the flower bed so will look forward to dividing it to have a few more, sorry I did not buy more at €3.20 each!!
Great to see the sunshine and have some heat, everything is now rocketing in the garden.
I have added some more photos to my April/May album if your interested!
We call it the Rogue Bed… a crack where concrete joins tarmac where all the seeds from window boxes and pots self-set. I occasionally weed out the more pernicious ones like sowthistle but otherwise leave them be.
I spend a lot of time critically scrutinising the front border – very much a work in progress – noting where the gaps are and how I want to change it and am always saying, ‘In five years it’ll be perfect’. But sometimes I just have to stop and say, ‘Actually, it looks pretty good right now!’
Yesterday evening was the first proper evening sitting out on the patio. Steve, even though his back is giving him jip, got the grass cut while I was at work. And our visitors were an excuse for me to be able to remove the netting from in front of the Lower Pond. I hate looking at the net, but where needs must. The garden was looking ok, despite all the nasty corners to it at the moment.
Had a great evening with Kate & Graham. So relaxing to while away the time with friends. It was a pleasure to see them again.
Martin pulled out this photo that he took last spring and it reminded me how different things are this year! This time last year just as I thought that I was recovering from a broken ankle, I was diagnosed with a life threatening DVT. Wafarin clinics became second nature to me. And yet here I am, a year on and I’m fit as a fiddle. I’ve even ‘nearly’ forgiven the “broken ankle bed” at the bottom of the garden!
Now this is a beauty, a bulb i got last winter well 3 of them and they are all coming into flower now. I love the way the flowers hang down to kind of look like an umbrella and they are full hardy so very happy with it. Will hopefully get a picture at its best when i am back from Dublin in a few days.
I took some pictures early on Sunday morning and i noticed this plant flowering well in the garden here It is called Rhodendron,i think,but what is its full name please,thanks.I added some pictures of it.
Spotted this plant in one of the gardens in Enniskerry at the weekend and really liked the structure and the way it grows in Layers. I really want to introduce a few more conifers into the garden so if anyone knows the name of this that would be great
Wasn’t sure how the weather was going to fare off this morning so I took a photo of this poppy – just in case!
Happy to say the day turned out to be magic. And the poppy looked great this evening.
I have very little Orange coloured flowers in the garden.
A lovely orange poppy from Conrad which will be open in a day or two and this Geum Princess Juliana.
It is a great strong colour, flowers are small but the strength of colour makes up for that.
Any suggestions of orange flowers would be appreciated.
In the top picture,that was taken back in late 2009 when the first area of cement was taking place at the old removed shed.Plans then,were for some type of chippings or p gravel etc to be used,and then tubs into place there,but like everything else,left on the long finger.Last Saturday finished that job off finally.Some of the large tubs are back in place,and now to plant in that area.Thought has crossed my mind about starting some more winter veg now.I know indeed we only approach summer but we have to think ahead.
Only found out last evening this plant is a Lysimachia.
I planted it in Angela’s corner last year. I was a little unsure if it was too shaded, so I was watching it carefully.
But it seems to be doing well and I even took some up and replanted it in another spot.
It is a rampant plant but easy to keep in check.
Love the way it is working it’s way down over the rocks.
This is how the veg beds etc are watered here and especially the likes of Tomatoes,Potatoes,etc that hate wet leaves.The tip of the plastic water pipe is held into 2 litre milk containers and into gravel filled flower pots.The veg water wand i call it,is made up of an old on-off washing machine in-let water valve.The usual water connections from the hardware shop and the piece of plumbing pipe that can be to any length,and some plumbers tape does the job.Its just basic,but does the watering with no damage.In areas where only misting etc can be done then the usual type with different settings we all use is for there.All under app 8-9 euro.
Yes just a plain old white aquilegia but isn’t it nice, really like these plants.
The thing I don’t like about some Rhododendrons is that when their flowers start to go over they look awful.
Some of them go all wishy-washy pink and remind me of the plastic flowers people put on graves – you know the ones that fade badly in the sun.
Just sharing a thought :))
Anyway, this rhodo is a nice one so I’m not complaining about it at all đŸ™‚
I’ve uploaded today’s photos, if anyone wants a look…
People who like things orderly and symmetrical who definitely hate this, but I like the way the plants grow in and out of each other. I do have to act as referee now and again and restrain the thugs to give the others a chance. These include Centaurea, Geranium, Sweet William, Spurge, Aquilegia and perennial Candytuft.
Last year I set about planting part of a bed under a cherry tree that never really looked right Bits and pieces had been planted in over the years but I was never happy with it. I decided that I was going to try and make a proper job of it this time. I browsed catelogues for Woodland plants and these along with Plants that I already had were what I used to plant up this area. You can not see all the plants in the picture but what is included is Uvularia, Chrysosplenium Davidanum, Shuttlecock Fern, Geranium Phaeum, Tiarella cordifolia Moorgruen, Peltoboykinia and Hellebores. It has come along nicely and over the next couple of years hopefully I will divide and fill in the blanks
And for those who ask what I am going to all this trouble to grow, here is the answer.
They are Sarracenia – carnivorous, North American plants, which really should be grown more! They have a long season of interest and are relatively easy to grow once a few initial set-ups have been followed.
My plants are now at their flowering stage. But once the flowers fade they will produce tall pitchers, with intricate pink, yellow and green markings. The plants have evolved to grow pitchers only after they have been pollinated, as they don’t want to eat their pollinators!
I have written more about Sarracenia and setting up the Bog Planters in my column in the July Irish Garden.
I will put a few more photos in the May album shortly.
Well what do you think folks will it be a runner – I am quite impressed
After recently running out of stone, I suddenly remember another stash I had in the garden and it was exactly enough to finish off the second Bog Planter. How lucky was that!
So I finished building the second wall, mixed my sand and peat and filled the first planter. Guess what? I’m out of sand and peat now! But at least I had enough to complete one Bog Planter and get the plants in!
It’s so wonderful to see it coming together after planning and talking about this for so long!
I have this in a pot for some time and only noticed it when the lovely leaves started to show …I realy thought it was a small Acer of some kind and this morning I was mooving it as there was a bigger pot in its way and this is what I saw ….would love to find the name of it and the person who gave it to me …maybe Jurgita…Howeys…
Well i did learned so much in the past few years.. real names of the plants, conditions they like or don’t like…. but this is unusual one….
just selfseeded in the Artichoke bed…
happy gardening to you. i do promise to be on site tomorrow and read all your juornals. missing out a lot.
Bought a 4 pack of this plant today in work. However, tried googling it and not much came up except it’s another name for Nepalese knotweed. I really love its foliage. It reminds me a bit of Persicaria ‘ Red Dragon’. And such a cute little pink pompom-like flower. I’d appreciate it if anyone could supply me with some information on growing this please.
i was looking at this coming into flower at the weekend in Blacks Garden centre in County
Meath, as the sign says its not for sale at 71 years old its quite unusual, its not the most
pleasent cactus to most ladies, could you live with this plant as a present, or is it a step
too far for you?
At times you don’t need flowers to add interest to the garden,
and what’s better is,
you don’t have to look to far to find interest,
in different forms.
Relax guys, there’s no frost anywhere.
It’s the name of a new Sedum bought from Terra Nova at Russborough a few weeks back.
Love it’s leaves and looks even better surrounded by darker plants.
