Month: March 2014

Was looking at the new shoots on this plant today and noticed it had a lovely bunch of flowers on it, had not seen these before on it or else hadn’t noticed but aren’t they nice. The new shoots are equally as impressive tho.

I have always said that prep work carried out in early winter saves hard work in spring. I always try to dig over the veg garden in early winter, turning it up into high riddges. While I sit at the fire in the depths of winter, the wind rain, frosts and snow break down the mounds of earth and when I dig it over in spring it crumbles under the fork and it is easy to dig.this method also means that only a few weeds grow and it is easier to mantain the plot. It also prevents the need to have to hire a rotavator.

However this year I only got to dig over half the garden before the weather broke. It rained a lot and the garden did its usual thing and flooded, but I cannot complain as it was only outside the water was, not like a lot of properties down the country. However one side of the garden is bare clay while the other is a carpet of weed. It is a nightmare to dig over compared to the side done during the winter.

I have started to dig it over last week and hope to finish it in the next day or two. A few curses have passed my lips and a few muscles ache, but sure the exercise will only benefit. I have noticed while digging that the clay is very wet but there is plenty of worms in it. It is always a worry where water has lain on soil for a long time that the worm is drowned in the soil or abandons it as it is too wet. Two thirds of the garden this year will be planted with the humble spud and I have adde a little bit extra into the veg garden

Another new one here that i purchased on ebay from a guy in england. I love the way the yellow of the trumpet goes back onto the petals.

Lovely wrought iron hanging baskets were lining either side of the avenue leading up to the Kilashee House Hotel and dotted around randomly. I want them. Or at least ONE!!

This is new to me this year and i have to say there is no Daffodil/Narcissus at the moment i like more. It has really given me the wow factor when i saw it today. So many daffs opening at the moment my favourite part of spring.

It flowered well this spring but ever couple of years some individuals die so it has a few gaps. But I rooted some at the start of autumn last and they have come on well. Should I let them grow bigger before I plant them out?

Had the pleasure of spending the last twenty four hours with my three sisters as it’s probably the only opportunity we were to get to be together for a long, long time. One sister was home from Canada, and another one up from Tralee. So we seized this chance and headed down to the Kilashee House Hotel in Kildare, for an overnight stay yesterday. 

This morning after breakfast, I did a very quick trip around the Jack & Jill Foundation garden which is situated in the hotels grounds. Didn’t have much time to do a full tour as we were anxious to hit the road home asap. And none of my sisters are really interested in gardens.

The Jack & Jill Childrens Foundation provides direct funding to families of children under the age of 4 with brain damage, who suffer severe intellectual and physical development delay. The Foundation enables them to purchase home respite care. The Government provides less than 18% of their budget so rely on fundraising campaigns to reach their target. 

I’ve put up a small album of the gardens, which don’t seem to be of much botanical interest. But it’s a childrens charity. And to my mind, it’s got to be worth a mention. It may be worth re-visiting these gardens in a couple of months when the gardening season really takes off.

I think that I never had this cactus in bloom like this in March before. There should be several more flowers on it before long.

I said a while ago that our Anemone Blanda were a freebie from Heritage Bulbs. Actually I think it was the Narsissi ‘Classic Gold’  which were the freebie. Not a bad freebie if you ask me. When the rockery and stream/waterfall into the pond is constructed I think I’ll move them as they’re a bit lost in the big border. 

There is nothing so wonderful as living in the countryside in spring! 

(Ok, it has its drawbacks but just now I can’t think of any!)

I caught this visitor enjoying breakfast at the back of the house this morning! They are such fun to watch in this the “mad hare” season!

I’m not a very patient person as I like things to be done now!! 

Which of course is a pain when you are in the garden and things naturally take their time and come out when good and ready. So the first picture is from last year when that back border looked drab. I was wishing it would ever hurry up and bulk up. 

Here we are a year later. The hedging at the back has been pruned back hard and the border, well it seems to have expanded slightly lol. But it’s starting to look more like a ‘proper’ flower bed now. Which is what I was aiming for.

So you see patience is valuable in the garden. And the results you want will come………eventually 🙂 

Well yesterday was a lovely relaxing day. And it was the first day in ages that I had all my children together in the one house. 

My son lives in London so he was home for the weekend and it was lovely to have him here. He went back last night though :(. Also my three daughters were here plus my two granddaughters.  So it was lovely. 

Didntt get anything done in the garden. It was a very cloudy day here but mild and there seems to be a lot of rain forecast for the beginning of April too. I did go out for a little while to open the greenhouses and inspect my seedlings and make sure everything was happy. Seemed to be!  I’m hoping to spend a while out in the garden today. Need to put up some netting so that my Clematis have something to hold onto. Plus pot on some more seedlings. 

One  of my daughters bought me this lovely plant and another the planter. So will try and sort that out today too. 

Hooe you all had a great day.

Hopefully  we will see a change now in the weather, for the better, now that April is here tomorrow. 

Gidday all,

               the miniture roses have decided to get in the act too.

                                                                                        regards roofy.

Yesterday we made a fleeting visit to the Botanic Gardens but even in the hour that we were there I could see many changes since last month. My priorities were to see the Alpine House, Orchids and proteas, all of which I did. I have put an album up.

Today was Mothers’ Day so I was busy being pampered, as I’m sure were many of you. I took a few photos between the showers and the pampering.

Douentza, March 2014

Got this awhile back and planted it out in the front garden by the front of the house as it’s quite shady but it looks like it is doing really well. Hopefully it does well over the years and spreads out. I have the white grow from bulbs but no flowers yet. What a great plant for a semi shaded area. Photos not the greatest as i was taking them in the rain. It’s raining here non-stop for the last few days it’s miserable and i can’t do a thing in the garden. But on the brighter sides of things is seeing things pop up and open.

I planted these three side by side, at different times:

First the mini primula ‘Kinlough Beauty’ which I got for free from Barnhaven last year. I thought it had died as it completely disappeared under the ground during the winter, but here is it again…

Then Primula Avondale bought at the beginning of January. It was full of blooms when I bought and planted it, then the flowers died, I dead-headed it and there is now a new flush of lovely flowers.

Finally the purple primula is “Myrtle’s primula”, which quite a few garden.ie members have I think and which looks lovely and is covered in flowers. Planted it today.

The three together look really well. Unfortunately I could not get a photo nice enough to show this so you’ll have to take my word for it 🙂

Spent all weekend in the garden. I didn’t get a whole lot done but then I have to accept that I am not the fastest worker what with having arthritis and being perennially tired so I just do the best I can….

I weeded one of my perennial borders and it looks good for the moment. Found a lot of New Zealand flatworms under the slates that edge the bed.

Today I potted on some Achillea ‘Cerise Queen’ and Rubeckia ‘Cherry Brandy’ and then got stuck into the start of a bigger project – developing a new shrub border. It’s quite a big border but I have learnt from experience that shrubs need lots of space. The plan is to put cardboard over the whole area topped with compost and then dig holes for the plants. (We got part of this done today.) Finally it will be covered with weedblock and mulch as it has a lot of ground elder in part of it. It is inclined to be a dry area and I have been toying with the idea of diverting the grey water from the kitchen to the area but I will need to get a plumber and I don’t know if it’s worth it.

I planted an Abutilon vitifolium given to me by a .ier a few years ago that I have been growing on – I hope it can cope with the conditions here. Finally, I moved the Clematis armandii from the sun room where it wasn’t doing well and planted it at the new arbour.

Photos show the new border, the “animals” as Jacinta calls them – aka Ricinus – just germinated and pots of white tulips waiting to be planted out – not sure where…..

for the great birthday pressie.  here is the first of the raised beds. the others wont be as short.  i am definatley not putting the bamboos in the beds, i am still haunted from the front wall project. i will split them and make more and they can go on the patio and aroung 

i really did have a brilliant mothers day,and what weather we had here in galway it was fab, the sun was lovely and warm.i spent the day taking most of the stuff out of the tunnel and getting ready for seedsowing it is fairly empty now but it wont be long filling up again. 

mom gave me money for my birthday so i went and got myself two crinodendron, always wanted this plant, i have seeds sown but it will take a long time for them to come to flowering stage. so i can enjoy those for now. all of my acidic plants are going in pots as my soil is limey. 

i told hubby that i want half the line taken out as it will ruin the whole look and he said OK but i wont have as much drying space but i can wash smaller loads more often. at least that war is won to be honest i thought it would be harder to get around him. thanks hubby.

he made the first box yesturday so fingers crossed he might have another one ready tomorrow and i can fill it with compost and soil and get planting by the weekend, now that will be bliss.

Just finished the all-new damp garden. So far it’s planted up with alchemilla next to the pond, Siberian irises and a bergenia, plus the pansies and hellebores we’d already put under the weeping birch. The logs are to provide shelter and hibernation spots for pond animals and bugs, and we’ll be adding bugle, astilbes, hostas and royal ferns. Rather nice I think! 

Can be invasive,but i like it growing on the banks at the back of the house

I am really delighted to see the first of these blooming in my garden today

The wind Tatterised them last year,before they had a chance!