Month: November 2013

Yesterday it was my turn to pick a walk as we go walking most days and I picked  The Dodder Walk ….and yes I was not dissapointed .but I knew it would be so full of colours at this time of the year..Greg used to cycle here as a child/teenager as he is from Rathmines and knows every part of it ….so happy I decided on this beautiful park/walk .

I am putting up an Album in time .

As promised, I took this picture of my Magnolia Stellata this morning. It has turned a beautiful buttery colour and has lots of flower buds, promising a good show next spring! I bought this one as a very small plant just a few years ago and it has really grown!

I will add some more pictures to my November Album.

Looking back at last year’s journals I see that by the end of October we had decided two things –

Firstly, we were having a get-together in January 2013

Secondly we had decided on a venue.

Since I volunteered to do the honours this year – unless anyone else wants the job?

So I’m taking as read that we want to have a get-together in January 2014.

For people who have come on board during the year, the annual Get-Together is an opportunity for members to meet up face-to-face usually for lunch with some fun events – a Kris kindle and a raffle  and we also take advantage of the get-together to bring along plants promised to members from far and wide!

Regarding a venue – some members have expressed a wish that the venue might move to other locations to accommodate people who find Johnstown too far to travel to.

Several alternatives have been suggested such as Arboretum Leighlinstown Co Carlow, Fernhill near Athlone, Ratoath Garden Centre or people may prefer to return to Johnstown Garden Centre near Naas.

If anyone has any other suggestions please let me know asap – I’ll be checking out if the ones mentioned have a cafe as this is essential for the event.

This little clump of Alstromaria selina is doing it’s best to try and continue on flowering. Not it will make it with this cold spell coming in, but it’s great to plants trying to do their best even at this late stage of the year.

The insulation for the greenhouse has arrived, in the form of large bubble bubblewrap.

Now, if only the clips come today, I can get started.

Today we decided to go and get bubblewrap for my glasshouse it is 8Ft x6Ft . Greg got on to the comp. and found a supplier just down the road in Newtown Mt Kennedy so we headed down and got enough for 2 as is was the best value at €18.55 ….it was done before lunch ….I got very strong string from the shed and put it all across from front to back and we cut the bubblewrap in strips that went from floor all the way up to the top and down the sides no ties or no tape as it will be easy to take down and use again …

First time doing this lets hope it works .

Ahoy there Westerners and Northerners etc.!

During the year a number of people expressed the opinion that they would like the Annual get-together to change venue to somewhere more convenient to them.

Can anyone with an alternative venue suggestion please get in touch as I really need to get going on the organisation if we are to meet in January.

Maybe the delights of Johnstown outweigh the attractions of other locations?

Either way – please contact me here or by private message this weekend so i can get the wheels in motion.

Just back from a few days in the midlands. We were very fortunate with the weather although cold we managed a little walk each day. I like this photo taken on a walk at Lough Ree, we had to abandon the walk as it was just too muddy for shoes!

I liked the way ivy was holding these old walls together!

Believe it or not, but this strawberry is growing OUTSmenu_orderE. And it has almost ripened, even with the recent freezing temperatures. Nature never ceases to amaze me!

I was walking up Mercer Street at the back of Stephens Green today when I spotted this Vine growing at the back of a block of flats. As I was taking the photo an elderly man came along and I got talking to him.

The vine is over ten years old and has produced a few bunches of grapes over the years. This year was his best, ten big bunches of lovely big grapes.

Lots of compost once a year, heavy pruning every two year and lots of water.

All I could say to him was a big well done. The smile on his face said it all as I walked away.

I have a few good evergreen shrubs (albeit small ones) that provide great winter interest. One of those is Loropetalum. In a pot, and perfectly hardy.

Following on from NoelFitz’s recent journal about leaving dead or dying plants to let nature take its course, I am glad now that I haven’t cut back my Cynara cardunculus (Globe Artichoke). Don’t know whether or not it will be beneficial to birds over the winter months, but it’s sure looking good right now.

On Thursday last Paddy and myself headed off down to Wexford to visit Johnstown Castle Gardens. It had been many years since we had last visited. The castle is still in good repair but does not seem to be in use, which is a pity.

The gardens were looking beautiful with the brilliant autumn colour that is being enjoyed all over the country this year. The walled garden was closed, which was a disappointment to us. We will have to try and visit again during the summer.

Later on in the day we went down to Rosslare Strand which is not far away and I managed to take a few photos of a hotel garden which backs on to the beach. The pampas grasses and echiums that are growing throughout the garden seems to fit in so well with their surroundings.

On our way back we passed a garden which we used to visit many years ago in Shortalstown, but has changed ownership and now looks as if it is no longer cared for. This garden had many tender plants thriving in the mild climate it enjoyed. The house and garden had been in the same family for a very long time and it is sad to see it now. 

Hoping for flowes on this next year, but autumn colour like this I can’t complain.

We went for our walk to Powerscourt on Thursday and I was so luckey with the weather a beautiful bright sunny day again for this time of the year …..We parked the car in the village of Enniskerry as you are not allowed to park the car to take photos on the avenue …there were 5 photographers and there tripods just waiting on the grass verge for someone or something as they were near the hotel…which has changed hands it is now called the Powerscourt Hotel which was the Ritz..must be someone very special arriving …but I just took my photos as I could while we walked …I will put up an Album of the gardens soon but here are some roses that are in ffull bloom at the moment.

Can’t believe this day next month is Christmas Eve!!!!   Oops, am I STILL not allowed to mention that word. 🙂

Where has that year gone!

There are a few hardy geraniums that go wild in this garden (and probably in everyone else’s as well!) and as you know control is not my strong point.

Today I steeled myself and started pulling out great wads of Geranium phaeum and G. macrorrhizum and then I thought that maybe some friends on Garden.ie might like some of the G. phaeum album. I potted up about 7 plants, so let me know if you want any and I can bring to Johnstown or our get together this year.

I haven’t got any photos of it in my garden (I find it a bit straggly) so here’s an internet photo of it- it looks quite good in it.

Clare I know you told me the name of this Primula and I even said it was an easy one to remember,

evidently, not as easy as I thought ;-)))))

I have just uploaded some photos from this beautiful garden …it was a fantastic day with the sun shining and not many people in the gardens .

The best part was a look around the shop and of course a wonderful lunch…as I was 2 hours walking and taking photos so was hungry….hope you like them.

I was waiting for a bright day to photograph these, but it doesn’t look as if we’re going to get one. I sowed these wallflowers in June 2012, most flowered last spring 2013, all except 2, which are now covered in buds and look set to flower for weeks. Mad or what – though they’re very welcome! Tidied up this bed at the end of last week and even managed to edge it. We’re currently waiting delivery of the rest of the mixed native hedging so that will be all the hedges in. 

Had a very welcome parcel of Japanese Anemone roots from Heather (Fraoch). I’d found a couple of pink ones in the local garden centre, Heather’s are white so I’m looking forward to seeing them all coming up. What a great idea Garden.ie is!!

Hey, what do you think of the bottom drawer of my fridge?

It’s full of pleiones.

I received eight more types in the post today so the drawer is quite full now.

Any more and I’ll need my own fridge.

These new Pleione bulbs include some new varieties by a private breeder.

Roll on spring!

….. why I have this lovely willow in my garden!

the Rhodochiton that i brought in earlier on seems to have died so last week before the frost set in I decided I’d better protect the only other one I have plus an Eccremocarpus grown from seed donated by another kind person. So I put a thick layer of compost round the roots and wrapped them up in fleece and am keeping my fingers crossed.

Just to quash some rumours that are going around (I can’t imagine why) that I don’t like yellow, here is a photo of a lovely yellow flower I have at the moment.

Honestly, I don’t know where these notions come from! 😀

Continued on tidying up and cutting back last weekend.

Saturday was a cool, dull but very calm day, just perfect for this kind of work. Once again spotted all kinds of signs of another season about to start. No idea why, but seeing the pinkish shoots of Dicentra pushing up through the soil always brings a smile to my face.

Is it just me or does anyone else find it satisfying clearing and cutting back borders at this time of year. Looking at the cleared border, seeing where another plant or two could be squeezed in, spotting what can be divided and shared.

Hoping to get a bit more done Thursday,

slowly getting there..  ;-))