Month: June 2013

When I met Hazel and Jacinta in the Botanic Gardenens back in March, Hazel very kindly gave me this Lysimachia. It really took off and it has some really lovely yellows flowers on it. It’s just outside our new patio doors and looks great. 

Also in the picture is a red Geum which I bought in a pack of six in Lidl. They are just amazing and flowering profusely. Really good value for €3.99. 

I like this combination of colours and while one was planned the other come about without any intervention from me.

The first is a blue geranium one the bed by the road and the hieracium decided to plonk itself in the middle of it.

The other is one of the planters at the front gate and contains an orange begonia, a blue salvia with a cerinthe yet to flower.

Bought this beautiful campanula rubiflora last year and nearly lost it to the snails, this year my patients has been rewarded 🙂  and the old blue ones in the background don’t look too bad either!

This is a shot of one of the Gazanias i got as plug plants in Aldi earlier in the year. I potted them all on and must have at least 12 if not more of these plants. REally like them and def worth buying plug plants if your willing to pot on and look after them unitl they are ready. I will be planting out tomorrow hopefully.

Got this little dote last year. Happy to say it has settled in nicely here.

I decided to let the Mad Pink Poppies do their thing in the soil over the cave, as there isn’t much else planted there.

This clump has at least 60 flowers on the way to opening. Pity they didn’t all come out together. There are other clumps dotted around, but smaller than this one.

The detail in the centre of this Poppy is simply stunning.

This is the first dahlia to open fully although most of them have flower buds. It is Arabian Night but not as dark as the photo on the packet. It’s still a lovely rich red, the photo doesn’t do it justice.

I cut back Geranium Mourning Widow 10 dars ago.

Just look at the amount of growth on it. I’m sure to geat a second flush of flowers this year ;-))

Another flower from the mixed shake and rake and it is blue and white, prob a small bit bigger than a buttercup but gorgeous all the same a nice surprise today, love it. Also another small white one there, no names for any.

Can anyone please tell me the name of this lovely weeping tree seen in the walled garden at Altamont this week?  I’m assuming it is a conifer. Many of the trees in Altamont are labelled but not this one.

If it doesn’t grow too big, I have it in mind for our front garden revamp which will be done with a bit of luck next year!

I had planned  for some time to get to Altamont. I got there to day. Every day this week  up to now something got in the way. To day which seemed to be contrary to forecast with rain in the morning and temperature low, nevertheless it all changed. Temperature was up a bit around mid-day although no sign of the sun. I left the house about 2 p.m. and set off for Altamont. How pleased I was, beautiful weather and scenery. I was hoping that I might meet some members of the Club, but no. I went down to the lake but unlike other occasions no sign of the swans. I took a number of photos in particular the trees. and a few of the lake. The peacock which Angie had shown some time ago, no sign. The jacket I was wearing together with the tie were taken off and eventually put into the car. I moved to the cafe and no, no sign of  iers but met two from Carlow. Next I had a look at the roses. They were all €10 each. I bought one Rhapsody in Blue, a rose Dermot O’Neill had mentioned in a book I got last year from Conrad. Then into the car and back to Carlow arriving back at 5 p.m. I really enjoyed the day out although it would have been great if I got to meet somebody from the Club. The temperature was great 23 or 24 degrees being recorded on the way home. The tree shown is Sequoiadendron giganteum, also known as Wellingtonia. I had thought that it was Californian Redwood but have found that it is different. It is the oldest tree alive older than the Redwood.

Elderflower cordial and strawberries – not to be consumed together.

Paddy

the place is beginning to shape up again. What we forget ,I think, each year is the abundance and the colour that floods the garden in june and July. One minute we are saying goodbye to bluebells and then wham bang and thank you maam (Mother nature) all the fireworks come out.

Another thought-two is a bit much for scrubber but he notices that if he is doing something arty farty or rock involving, he can go on for hours quite happily- but if its basic weeding or sowing or maintenance he needs copious cups of tea and tea breaks!!! This afternoon he happily spent two to three hours twiddlifying the circle in front. Digging around all the box and trees and the square in the centre and planting his red geraniums which didnt clash mercifully with the one already there and then edging part of the circle-all tedious in their own way but there was an end in view nd it wasnt scrubber’s! I was delighted and dont mind having to continue the edging next monday-then its back to weeding i promise.

Will try to get a picture up. No sign of Shoosh and many thanks for all of you who were so encouraging. Perhaps she may yet wake us again at six some morning doing a fair impression of Moonlight from Cats!

Nearly there, Fran. 

Paddy

Codonopsis clematidea

Just open today

Paddy

Hi guys, would anyone know the name of this plant please , I am thinking geranium?? 

photo taken today is there anyone else who’s daffodils are still in flower?

Looking very poor it is.Placed this in a flower pot earlier in the week after collecting it.Not the best of a picture.Any ideas,thanks.

With this plant i can see similar to legume pods on it.Have just the 1 type here.Any ideas again,please.

The picture of this plant was taken yesterday evening.Quite windy at the time so not the best of a picture.Any ideas pleane.

To Rachel, who gave me a second chance at having Geranium ‘Rita D’ here. It flowered during the week, and even caught the eye of the non gardener here ;-))

To Periwinkle, for the lovely Irises I got at you open day, fantastic.

Finally to JoanG, for Ipomoea ‘Star of Yelta’ just opening now, a great pity the flowers last such a short time.

Thanks to Moya also who passed these seeds around, I never got to sow mine this year. The garden here will have to get used to this plant as it’s a real ‘keeper’.

Thank you one and all ;-))

Herons get to know the regular movements of dwellers, like the likely time that one heads off to work, and when they are due home etc – believe it or not.

But I’ll bet this one wasn’t expecting me to come running through the patio doors this morning at 4.30 like a lunatic waving her arms in the air. 

“Ooer, I’m not sticking around HERE with THAT one on the loose. I’ll come back when she’s gone to work.”

john took this picture today in the back garden two charming little fellas

Have just about recovered from garden open day last Sunday. Thank you to all G.iers for attending, It was lovely to meet you. Just for once the weather was reasonable.

Monday I had to visit Dublin Airport twice, so I reckon I was suffering from jet lag by proxy.

Ive been trying to find out name of black and white bearded iris, am waiting for reply from Cayeux Iris in France, where I got them from.

Sorry Rachel cant tell you which one that Cornus is, I got it before I was interested in names.