Month: November 2013

I have mentioned this Rododendron several times since joining the site. It was one that I found at the back of my Dads shed long after he died looking very very sad for itself.

Over the years I have nursed it back to health. After it flowered this year, I removed from it’s pot and fresh compost was added. There were also some heathers mixed in with it, I removed all but one and repotted it all up.

I have never seen it look as good, lots of flower buds so hopefully a good display next year.

Hi All

Does anyone know where I can source Pots for planting up and Propagating in general. I would like to get them Wholesale as buying large quantities retail is simply not on. I have purchased from the UK before but again postage does add up. Surely there must be an Irish Garden Wholesaler somewhere? Help.

I have only logged todat to read this week journals and very interested in this idea of pic of the year. I really thought it would have being easy to pick out three, but I have to say I struggled, but this is my final selection. i picked them because the colour and the light just intersted me

beautiful in its simplicityWhats not to like?A perfect blue

At this time of year the Cotoneaster is great, with both leaves and berries. The leaves will fall eventually and the birds will get the berries so I’ll just enjoy it while it lasts.

Was in woodies today with my mom as she was buying a new Christmas tree as her old one is ready for the bin. I said i would quickly run out to the garden centre to have a little look and found these great bargains. 3 Randam Asters reduced from €3.99 – €0.99. They are mixed so don’t know the colour. I also got 2 Arctotis ‘Holly’ and ‘Red Devil’ reduced from €5.99 – €1.00. So instead of spending €24 i only spent €5, such great value. The bargains in garden centres this time of the year are just fantastic.

just been looking and all the gorgous photos of the year so i have just added mine 

Today is another sunny day here, but instead of gardening we went to the Avoca in Kilmacanogue, which was looking great with the autumn colour.  It is much more enjpyable sitting drinking coffe and relaxing than gardening, or is it?

Anyway I enclose some more photoes from my garden which I took yesterday.  It is good to see the new growth.

I spent a good few hours out in the garden yesterday cutting back, cleaning up leaves etc. Can’t believe how mild it was – no rain, wind or frost. It felt like a spring day – I could even sit out on the patio having my coffee.

My Spiraea Snowbound which is lovely in springtime with its white mass of flowers is even lovelier I find in the Autumn/winter – the leaves display lovely reds.

spiria Snowbound.

For me there are so many special plants. Some I’ve never had before so it’s very hard to choose. But here are three photos that I particularly like. 

Im so looking forward too seeing the end of this year and the new year starting. It gives me goosebumps just thinking about all the new growth. 

I can’t wait. Hopefully I can get out there a bit more than recently. Love my grandchildren to bits but I don’t get much time for the garden during the week. So fingers crossed I will have plenty more time soon. 

These Geraniums were grown from seed this year by Marias dad. He gave me the extra plants he had.

Been slow to throw away perfectly good plants I took them up a few weeks back, tidied them up a put them all in a couple of pots in dryish compost and into the shed they went.

Whatever makes it trough the winter well and good, but just look at them now, they seem to like where they are and are flowering away happily.

have been stuck in hospital since the early hours of tuesday morning. this chap seems to have taken a shine to me. tries to come in the window each day .really huge up close. 

i have been so busy with work lately and overtime on saturdays the last couple of weeks  it has been hard to get anything done garden wise. 

but i am so looking forward to march because hubby is bringing me to london to see kew gardens and wisley. if there are any other gardens around this area please tell me  and also any recomendations on where to stay on a budget as i am not familar with england at all . i am so excited this will be a dream come true as i have the dvds of kew but really want to see it for real. had it in my head to do tatton park but from google maps that is way up in manchester, we will see. would love to see glebe cottage but that is in devon, there is so much to see and not enough time.

my poor garden is so neglected lately this is the worst i have ever seen it, hopefully over christmas hols i will get it done 

Well, as others have said, it’s hard to pick three photos to encapsulate this wonderful year in the garden.  I’m going for one from each season.

Camellia ‘Donation’ always flowers well and throughout the year its glossy leaves and overall presence give good structure in my small garden; with the cold spring it was slow to get going but more than made up for the late start.

For me, this July photo just sums up the bounty of our terrific summer 2013.

And last but not least, I just love acer ‘Orange Dream’ for its changing foliage through the seasons; a reminder of the fantastic autumn leaf colours we all enjoyed over recent weeks. 

For me, gardening is a privilege and a pleasure … and garden friends make it even more special.  Thanks Peter for getting us started on this theme.

Camellia 'Donation', May 2013Garden view in JulyAcer 'Orange Dream' in October

Like every one else I will add 3 photos of my choice ..so here we go .

At this time of year I find that my head is telling me that all sane people are sitting by the fire warming their toes but unlike those sane people gardeners are out at every opportunity trying to put some sort of order on the chaos that decends on our gardens at this time of year!

Being a Gardener rather than a Sane Person I was out today sorting out one of the borders – first removing the mortal remains of the annuals that graced this border through the summer – then adding a serious top-dressing of turf mould to the whole border.

Any of you who have people nearby who harvest and burn their own turf will earn their undying friendship if you offer to take the stuff left after they stack/use their turf. This is usually a problem disposing of the dust left behind, but it is actually a great soil improver!

You may need to remove some small bits of turf – but they come in handy for starting your fire – so nothing is wasted!

I used some of this material on my borders last year and my heavy clay soil has been transformed!

I’ve included a photo of the second lot od seedlings of Cerinthes this year that seem impervious to the recent frosts!

Border wrapped up for WinterBorder in ned of TLCCerinther going crazy

I was trawling through, probably,  hundreds of garden pictures pictures late the other night in an effort to find one suitable to include in 2014 Donegal Garden Trail and found it impossible to choose one! (In the end I left it up to the printer to choose!).

But I have selected these three as the plants or area have given me so much pleasure at different times during the year.

Roses always ‘do it’ for me. When they do well and look health and have a perfume there is nothing to beat them. Shropshire Lad is such a beauty.

I am so pleased with the way my Boundery Border has turned out after only one year and I like the way the grass path leads one on to explore the rest of the Lower Garden.

But I do think that Magnolia seiboldi really has to be my favourite for this year. The flower is SO beautiful that, for me anyway, it is quite breath-taking. It bloomed on and off over the whole season but no big flush of blooms at any one time and in a way, that was part of its charm. I’d go down the garden in the morning and the white bud would be still closed and then in the afternoon I’d go again and there would be this delicate flower in all its pure and simple perfection! Over the summer I had the pleasure of pointing it out to visitors who might not have noticed it and they, too, were wowed by its beauty.

I’m so thankful for the joy and pleasure that I receive from my garden. And I know that I’m privileged beyond measure.

 

A Shropshire LadAlong the garden path!Magnolia seiboldi

As other people said it’s hard to pick three. And well done to Peter for getting us started. Nice to look back on the year.

After my recent purchase of The Irish Garden with printing problems, I had posted a journal here stating what was wrong and if anyone else had this problem. Gerry had got onto me via email and asked for my address to send out a fresh copy to me which i tought was very nice of them as i was just going to bring back the  copy to the shop and swap over. So thank you again and look forward to reading it now over the weekend. And as it’s the weekend i am looking forward to getting out into the garden at some stage to do some more tidying up. You do get cabin fever when you can’t go out in the garden for days on end which happens me in winter. On Rachels article about yellow. I do think by the time Spring is finished i am quite happy to be finished with yellow aswell, obviously i would have a small bit of yellow on for the summer but in spring there is so much with the daffodils especially and not just in your garden but in parks and roadsides everywhere and all yellow so you are inclined to pick all the other colours of the rainbow for summer planting.

 After seeing frans journal i decieded to join in. Its not easy picking just three photos but here goes

new exotic border

As the weather here was good this afternoon, I did some gardening.  I enjoyed being out in the garden.  Even at this time of the year growth is continuing.

Hi everyone. Since the consensus seems to be that we go to Johnstown again this year I contacted Jim there and he sent me this link to a video of the new premises.

  https://bit.ly/18w4Uu8

I also checked and they will be having their usual January Sale finishing on Sunday 12th january.

I suggest we go for the last day of the sale – and Jim assures me that they will also have lots of spring plants in by then.

For people who haven’t attended one of these events before we usually meet in the Restaurant for a bit of lunch – and part of the event is the Kris kindle and free raffle.

Johnstown Garden Centre on the Naas Road is the venue and they make us very welcome. They will also put plants from the sale aside for us for collection on the day.

And of course is it also a great opportunity to bring along all those bits and pieces you promised to other members!

But the best part of this event is catching up with our gardening friends for a good chat.

As usual I will be looking for volunteers to help with the various tbings on the day but more of that later!

Please feel free to suggest any variations to the arrangements!

 

Following on from Pwisemans journal on our best photos for 2013 I’m adding mine.

Aconitum, Euphorbia white swan and unknown EuphorbiaJust loved this viewLillium Beverly Anne

It served us well for 14 years but something with less effort is required. So each quadrant will consist of 74 box hedge cuttings on the periphery and parallel to them 46 lavender Hidcote bought from the UK. Couldn’t source them in Ireland.

In the centre is a small laburnam tree, Altamont Plant Sales, underplanted with 20 alium, Mr. Middleton. The remainder will be planted with dark red carpet roses yet to be sourced.

I’ll still grow a few token veg, peas, carrots and spring onions together with the tomatoes in the tunnel.

 

Soil preparation with planty of gritSpacing the HidcoteFinished job seen from upstairs window

By popular demand…..here are a couple of the guys Movember pics. You can still donate at: 

https://ie.movember.com/mospace/6730789

 

Thanks

Adam

 

group shotJasonSteve

The C. cactus that I put outside in the summer, mainly because I needed the space indoors, is in full bloom the last week or so. The one that stayed in has lots of buds but is much further back. Nice to have them at separate times really. I have a third one, but it , poor thing, is in a very dark spot and doesn’t usually flower at all. There just isn’t room for everything in the light.