Month: December 2013

Gidday all,hope your weather has improved looked like you were copping some bad stuff.The pidgeon photo is for Pwiseman.

                                                             regards roofy.

I’ve been busy with guests over the weekend but I did notice that a certain orchid decided to open to welcome them.

This one is the clear winner in our little cattleya opening competition as none of the other buds have even started to split yet.

So, although not completely open yet, The King of Taiwan is the winner.

Congratulations Sally, and Hazel too. I will message you separately to see what seeds you would like.

I have just written a long Journal but when I went to save it ….it vanished so here is a short one …sorry I have not been on here as there was no gardening to be done as I was sick for 7 days but TG am now better …

So here is my Amaryllis this morning making an appearance in time for Christmas ….

A nice low-growing evergreen shrub. I have it in a pot for now and it may stay there. I only have it a few months so we’ll see how it grows.

Its foliage is scented and the berries are edible, supposedly tasting like Candy Floss. I must try a few tomorrow before the birds decide to feast on them.

Bad news on the job front just one week before Christmas. A lot to ponder over during the holidays!

If I didn’t know better I’d swear this orchid was bleeding!

I did consider putting the photo up on the orchid forum and watching all the experience growers tie themselves in knots, speculating on what kind of exotic disease this poor orchid has.

In truth, the orchid is not sick and is certainly not bleeding.

It is beetroot on the root, caused by careless salad making 🙂

Slugs, they’re a bit of a problem.
Many gardeners are in a bit of a quandary when it comes to them. They feel slightly guilty about controlling them, especially using poisonous pellets in these environmentally responsible times. But then, they also have a major issue with them eating prized plants. 

We’re told to use the organic and supposedly harmless (to wildlife, pets and people, not slugs and snails) pellets based on iron phosphate. But after recent reading I’m not so sure if they’re anywhere near as safe as we’ve been led to believe.
The poor, confused gardener then feels that their only hope is to resort to using the deterrent method for dealing with the problem.
Try coffee grounds he’s told. So off to Starbucks he goes and grabs a couple of bags to spread liberally around the base of Hosta plants. After a few days the slugs outright ignore the fine mulch and slide right across, presumably having a feeding frenzy while high on caffeine, meaning they can eat twice as much leaf in half the time.
Build up a ring of crushed egg shells around the plant, the books say. I refuse. It might work but I haven’t tried it. I’ve tried composting egg shells but they take an age to break down, then when you spread your compost as mulch there are unsightly flecks of shell all over the surface. I certainly don’t want an ugly ring of broken shell that will detract from the plant that its designed to protect.
Then there is the method of partially sinking a ring of copper in the ground completely encircling the plant, along comes Mr (and Mrs, ‘cos they’re both at the same time) Mollusc, (s)he approaches the succulent Hosta, thinking that the low wall of copper is a an easily surmounted obstacle. ‘Ha, think that will stop me do you? (s)he scoffs, but the gardener has the last laugh as the copper gives the unsuspecting slug a mild electric shock which stops it in its tracks, so off it must go with its slimy tail between its nonexistent legs.
But the now confident gardener has not won yet, those cunning and acrobatic gastropods have another trick up their metaphorical sleeves.

Enter Super Slug.
Super Slug is a wily, nimble, but secretive character, rarely seen and not often spoken of. Like the fabled Loch Ness monster, some photographic evidence does exist but it is often unverified, grainy and poor in quality, much like the snap to your right taken by yours truly.

Super Slug eschews slithering over the ground like mere mortal molluscs.
Not for him(her) is the daily drudge of sliding through mulch, over spiky gravel or across shards of broken egg shell, (s)he will not suffer the pain of electric shocks from your ring of impenetrable copper tape.
(S)he scales a tree and slithers along an overhanging branch, clambers to a porch roof, up your garage wall or some other high vantage point. It then produces a thick and strong slime mix and slowly but surely lowers its leaf munching body down onto the prized plant, bypassing all the high tech security measures that the smug gardener has put in place.

Having witnessed this event last summer the gardener feels that he now has only one option left in his arsenal, garlic spray. But it seems that the resourceful slug is always one step ahead, so it’s likely that they will develop a taste for Hosta and Canna leaf salad with a nice dressing of homemade garlic spray.
The only hope, if they do chew the treated plants, is that any potential mates will be put off any thoughts of amore as their breath will smell so bad, thus ultimately decreasing their numbers.

Well, that’s the plan anyway…..

It seems that the second cattleya to open will be Cattleya forbesii.

This was number three on the list, finishing second to number seven, ‘The King of Taiwan’.

So, well done, Jackie, Mobober and Jurga. But there’s no prize.

Fully open now.

This orchid given to me by Rachel is on the way (2nd time). I am looking forward to seeing it in full bloom in the new year.

This photo was taken in 2009 and to think this Fuschia is still flowering today , it is a hardy for sure ….and Fran just gave it a dirty look on Monday night …

The memories of the past year are mixed! But then that is life! and I will focus on the good ones. Among those are the encouragment from Garden.ie friends.

Although I was able to do very little in my own garden, I enjoyed lovely visits to Rachel’s, Scrubber’s and Fran’s, as well as several open gardens. I was thrilled to be able to be at “Periwinkle” Open Weekend and pretend to help! and see the surprise on her face when Fran, Clare and Rachel arrived:)

Several of you gave me the loan of great gardening books which I really enjoyed over the year and was such a thoughtful and wonderful idea. Of course keeping up with the journals and enjoying your photos on this site was also great. So when I look back there are lots of good memories, like blessings – its good to count them 🙂

This photo was taken by JoanG on a visit to me in the middle of July, it epitomises how I want to remember the year:

A beautiful summer.

Kind gardening friends

Improving health

Being in my garden…..hiding under a hat!

Thank you all and a Very Happy Christmas to you all.

I haven’t got much planned for today apart from lunch with Dad. But after that, I hope to get out and see what, if anything, I may have for giveaways in Johnstown. So, if I have already promised anything to anybody, can you please remind me. Feeling VERY senior since Friday. LOL

I bought this miniture Gunnera in England during the summer.

I don’t think the plant took to well to been stripped of most of it’s soil for transport home. It sulked and was was not looking great for a long time.

Happily, it seems to be happier now and is looking a lot healthier now.

Of course I’d love to have a full size Gunnera in the garden, but you just go with what you can.

Happy Christmas to you all and all the best for your gardens and all the other important parts of your lives for 2014!

Brendan Glennon, husband of our beloved Hazel sadly passed away this morning.

Hazel asked me to post this journal this evening to let you know. I have already texted those of you that I could.

Hazel without saying too much, I am sure you know that all our thoughts are with you at this very sad time.

May he Rest In Peace. 

Wishing everyone on Garden.ie a wonderful Christmas and New Year. 

Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas and a peaceful and healthy New Year.  Before we know it we’ll all be on ‘snowdrop watch’. 

I have two young Dicksonia tree ferns here.

A few months ago I was able to confirm that one of them was double trunked, small and all as it is.

Small and all as the second one is, I am now certain that it is a tripled trunk fern. 

Double is rare, so triple must be even more so.

Watch this space and all going well in twenty years I will have a great display of these ferns.

So he can ho ho ho!

Merry Christmas to all my garden.ie friends out there and a very Happy New Year.

I just want to send you all my best wishes for Christmas and the coming year.

Thank you for allowing me share my wonderful gardening year with you all, whether it was on the site here, or on some of the wonderful garden visits we were lucky enough to share.

Whoever or whatever your God may be, may he never be far from you and your family, and of course your garden ;-))

Happy Christmas

The site is becoming increasingly quieter as the festivities get into full swing.

This year myself and Steve will have a quiet one, having already given pressies to my babies the other day. I’m feeling a bit of ‘Empty Nest’ Syndrome. But fledglings must be given their freedom.

But Steve has already finished up work so there’ll be no mad panic trying to get everything done on time (he’ll have a list of jobs to do, LOL) So it’s time to kick off the boots, and enjoy the final celebration of the year.

Thanks to everyone for putting up with my constant moaning throughout the year. Ya can’t beat a good moan! I feel it in my bones that next year will be a much better year all round. And I hope it’s the same for all of you too. 

So, I’d like to take this opportunity to wish all my buddies a VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS and a PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR! Love ya lots!

I’m writing this tucked up in bed this morning as the wind howls around the house and it’s pitch dark outside. Having a final rest before the madness starts later with the turkey stuffing, ham baking, etc  We will have a full house as usual which I love plus our two gorgeous grandchildren. 

Santa is on his way and I can’t wait. 

Hooe you all have a wonderful Christmas and New Year 

Eat  drink and be merry 🙂 but most of all enjoy and stay safe wherever you are. 

Well it has come and may I wish every one on Garden.ie a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. 

Keep safe and we will see you all in the New Year..

Have a great one 🙂

Wishing a very Happy Christmas to all garden.iers.  Thank you for sharing your gardens, knowledge and advice, friendship and fun throughout the year and I hope you all have a great gardening year in 2014.