Month: September 2013

Schizostylis opened for me today. It’s such a delicate shade of pink.

Well, today I finally got around to cutting back the jasmine and honeysuckle somewhat. Steve was to borrow a hedgetrimmer for the job, but unfortunately it already been promised to someone else. So I made a start. I can now just about make out the trellis behind it that Steve made earlier in the summer. I cut the entwining stems at waist level, so the bit above it will be going yukkie brown and dead in the week ahead. That will make sure that Steve won’t sit on his laurels with this major job. 🙂 The honeysuckle has been growing there for the last 10-15 years so you can imagine the thickness of the stems at this stage. I just about managed to cut through them with my trusty secateurs. I will leave the lower stems in the ground as I’m not sure whether or not I want to keep the honeysuckle at this stage. But the jasmine stays.

I took up two climbing roses from a huge pot on the far side of the logia, and they got planted into the ground where the jasmine and honeysuckle were. I’m looking forward now to having some sumptuous yellow flowers growing up this post for next year.

Most of the hostas in this bed have died back quite a bit in the last week, so they got a major tidy-up. Sad to see them retreating for the winter.

My new clematis ‘Crystal Fountain’ got planted into the huge pot as soon as it was vacated. 🙂

Erigeron was planted above the cave, and it looks great with the blue salvia behind it.

I got the grass strimmed, and cut afterwards, which always makes the place seem a lot more ‘loved’ I think. So there was a lot of bags of garden waste. Happy with the bits I got done.

Its official – I’m drowning in Willow!

I tackled the willow fence the other day and generated an unbelievable volume of stuff for shredding. I had left the top growth on it when it got its Spring haircut as I had an idea I might want to do another bit of fencing or something. 

Elizabeth, my usual partner in crime, came down for the day yesterday and we set about a new Willow Project. The morning was spent preparing the willow rods we needed and the afternoon was spent beginning the construction.

I had spent the previous evening browsing the web for ideas for a structure or sculpture and finally settled on the idea of an Arbour.

I’m afraid it doesn’t look much like an arbour yet, but time ran out on us and Elizabeth had a train to catch …..

The first “.ier” garden I visited a few years ago was Headgardners and they had planted up lots of interesting willow structures – any chance of some photos of how they are now Bill?

….Is a quare funny bird. Friday we had swollen painful throat glands and achy limbs. But one sight of the sunshine and we forgot our ailments and got out amongst it. I suspect that Alan is going to pay for the clearing of the second pond bed, but he’s a happy bunny when he’s making a new bed – must be the artist in him! 

I moved the buddleia and temporarily potted up the second, smaller one, which will go in the new bed. Yesterday I picked up 500 ‘Dutch Master’ daffs, 250 snowdrops and 250 bluebells from Gort Garden Centre, so I potted some of the daffs up with wallflowers, forget-me-nots and muscari for spring. That cleared the legume bed, where the wallflowers and buddleia had been growing on, so I weeded it then Alan mulched it with compost and topsoil and I sowed green manure. I’ve had patchy results with it in years past but it seems to work very well in the deep beds. 

I planted out daffodils, muscari , snowdrops and crocus in the first pond bed and cut back the baby hedge where Alan had cleared last week. By then the knees and back were giving out so it’s time for the kettle and a change of job till tomorrow. Here’s hoping the weather holds! 

You may dimly remember earlier on this year I asked for advice for a friend concerning the infestation of greenfly and the sticky black mould that was covering her Birch. Well you all helped and she would like to say thanks because as you see ,this year it is greenfly free- (And she had been told the best thing to do was to take it out!!!. The best advice came from the magazine Erin’s own! It told her that the eggs were the things to get rid of and they sprayed apparently at the right time and lo and behold you see the lovely results

I am itchin’ to get back to gardening But for once am behaving myself. Am resting pulled muscle and just walking around the garden thinking ! Sometimes that is a good thing sometimes not. Anyway there’s no mad rush on to get a whole lot done as its too late to do most things. However I had a very good day in Glanbia recently and there are a good few plants waiting to get in. Some rhododendrons, leucothoes, heathers and a beautiful lacy sort of perennial with pink blossom whose name alludes me. There are also two sambuccas? or is that a drink-the bright yellow ones which should look well down in the scrub.

So when i do get back it will be a question of planting and weeding at the same time. I do feel though that I have got a good deal of landscaping done this year-nothing startling but some good edgeing and rock revealing and maybe next term i can concentrate of filling in the gaps in foliage. There are a few beds up around the house and lower lawn that could be far brighter next year and of course there are veg.-always my weakest point.

Unless I get a load of stone i dont think Ill have too much to do in that direction and am pleased with the bits done-steps in the banks, little style, granite kerbing etc-there are two stones waiting for me in Waterford. One that will fit in exactly where i borrowed one and the other a lovely flat one that will act as a bottom step and allow me to put the one it replaces in higher up! No Jacinta -not until I am 100%! What do you think I am? reckless?

Colours in scrub are so lovely. I think there’s a german saying Even the Autumn has its golden moments and they are just becoming obvious now. Theres an acer that is usually butter cup yellow but this year its a fiery red. Lots to be thankful for.

Moya sent me some seeds earlier in the year of this beautiful plant. Wasn’t sure if I should plant them now as it was getting late but decided to plant a few and see what happens. 

To my surprise they have all thrived and this week the beautiful flowers opened. I hadn’t realised at first that it was a climber so have it now growing up a trellis and it’s lovely. The flowers are so delicate. I’m hoping to have a pergola built next year and I think this will be a lovely  little plant to have growing up it. 

Thanks again Moya 

ps  the white marks on the leaves is not a disease but splashes of plaster from my husband plastering the extension lol. Should wash off with the rain lol. 

These are my two bargain Chrysanthemum plants bought for 50c each last year. No idea what colour they are as yet but lots of blooms about open.

I split a Hosta during the summer, totally the wrong time. But one of the plants has decided to give a last flash of colour.

Beautiful morning, I only have a few hours as we have a wedding this pm. Have a great day whatever your up to.

I took a photo of this earlier in the year so as we were passing it again today I do think it looks stunning..and I just love it .

About a month  ago I divided this plant and got 6  from it and now I have 6 beauties and i think they are very early …am I right  ???

I was out in the garden early this morning, another heavy fog last night here. The plants were bent over all over the garden with the dew/moisture on them from the fog.

There is a strange quitness in the garden when fog is about. My Dad loved going for walks on foggy mornings and evenings at this time of year. I was always willing to join him, while others in the family looked at us with a strange look.

As I worked in the garden this morning I felt a special closeness to him. I really owe this man a great thanks for giving me the love of nature for every season. At the time it went over my head, but this evening Aoife said ”it was weird walking to the Dart this morning, everything seemed so quite”. 

His effect on me lives on.

A few photos to show what I’m talking about.

Thank you all for all the wishes for today, your a great bunch.

i was in the ratoath ladybird garden centre today , and Johns garden is amazing. i so enjoy a strool around this centre, and had a snack in the wildlife cafe. worth a visit if your out Ashbourne way.

What a change in weather from the last few days! Glorious sunshine all day, without the intense heat of mid-summer. It made for very comfortable working conditions. And even though we had few customers (Friday is our worst day), I got lots of neglected jobs done in relative peace and quiet.

Off at 4 o’clock today, and didn’t drop into Dad afterwards. So it was a Godsend getting home with still a good bit of daylight. Didn’t do anything of note, but have made plans for a busy Saturday.

Having been on a really tight budget all year, I decided to splash out today. Bought Clematis ‘Crystal Fountain’ and Erigeron ‘Sea Breeze’, and a 4-pack of carnations reduced from €5.99 to just €2.00.

Tomorrow, I’ll be uprooting my climbing rose ‘Teasing Georgia’ from its pot. It didn’t do great this year. It will be planted in the ‘part-shade’ border (beside my hosta bed) where it will have the freedom to romp away to its hearts content, and the clematis will be planted in place of the rose. Erigeron will be planted in a place with good drainage, and in full sun (over the cave). I hadn’t realized that this was an evergreen plant???

This aconitum  has done so well this year and great to have one that blooms late in the season.

I havent had much time in the past few weeks to get out to the garden as I mind my grandchildren all week.

On a Friday my daughter is on a half day so the children went home early and I took advantage of the good weather and had a look around the garden.

We have lots of Montbretia growing in different areas of the gardenfrom the previous owner. They are lovely to look at when in full bloom, but these ones just flop everywhere. And when they do they take up so much of the flower bed.

So today I decided enough was enough. I got Jimmy out to dig out a huge bunch of them. When he got them out I then got out a sieve and spent ages just sieving through the clay and getting rid of the little bulbs. There were thousands of them. That has given me about 4ft square for some more planting….Ive two more bunches to get rid of…but they will have to wait until some of the other flowers go over!

I then got out the camera and took some photos. I still have a good bit of colour going on…..My Dahlias are still in bloom and some are only just opening.

Last Sunday I paid a visit to Plantagen and they had lots of perennials half price, so I bought some  2 Polmonaria, Micanthus, 2 Geraniums, 2 Carex , Persicaria, Echinea Avalanche and one more which the name escapes me now….but got them all for €40 not bad..

Im putting up a small album of the flowers in bloom in my garden today, hope you like them 🙂

I love this plant since Deborah introduced it to me two years ago.

It is grown for its foliage but aren’t the tiny flowers precious?

Since getting it I’ve had the complete Baader Meinhof experience and have seen it absolutely everywhere . You know that way when you have been recently introduced to something and then afterwards keep coming across it! Helen Dillon grows it too.

I went and lost the one Deborah gave me (very careless really) but thankfully Eilish helped me out at the Xmas get-together so I have it again.

What a great day and I had a little walk around this afternoon after my grandchildren had gone home!.

I love to see the bees and butterflies in the garden and I have to say they are here in an abundance. But today I spotted this butterfly. Ive had a variety of them but Ive never ever seen one like this.

Does anyone know what it might be called?

Finally this planter is completed. It seems as if it’s been going on for ages.

It was a real damp foggy morning, just the kind of morning I love at this time of year. I had a plan, I always do, but like always it went out the door when I started planting.

I had planned on one gravel area, but as soon as this was finished I could see they all had to be planted in this way. Luckily I had enough to finish the job.

As it is a Japanese style I had to be very careful not to over plant.

I think there is enough interest to keep it looking good for most of the year.

Really pleased with my three Tea/Saké drinkers. They were full of comments all morning, but as I’m not fluent I’m hoping everything they said was good.

Now what’s next on the list?

Just putting the washing out and the rising sun was catching the runner beans. They’re really too gorgeous to be in the veggie bed! 

I think this weekend I will have to move the cutting of Buddleia ‘Loch Inch’ that Marie at Woodville gave me. It’s going in the new bed and I’ve been putting it off because the flowers were so lovely. But I want it to get well bedded in before the winter.

Busy weekend ahead, and the big fella is starting a cold so he won’t be doing much strenuous stuff. Still he got a lot of weeding and mowing done on his days off this week so he’s well ahead. 

This little sedum is just shining out at the moment. I’m wondering if it’s the wrong time to take cuttings? I’d like to have it in other places in the garden.

Today I remembered to do the “before” and “after” photo of one of the paths! i wonder do more of you have the problem I have – when my neighbouring farmer cuts his silage the seeds from the grass give me a great crop of grass on the paths  🙂

Took a break from the weeding to do a bit of pruning and dead-heading so the garden is looking nice and neat now!