Month: May 2014

There is a huge population of slugs this year and hostas are the first indicator of an attack 

 its my new craze ,i got these alpines in aldi a couple of weeks ago. i planted up these two pots with them with plenty of drainage i still have more to do plus i got some lovely ones from teri shoes when she visited with alan, i will do up more of these pots for along one side of the back of the house

In a previous post I discussed geraniums.  Now I have submitted a file with five different ones. For each I have submitted two photos, one emphasizing the leaf and one the flowers.  The photos are in pairs, thus the first two photos correspond to “Geranium 1 “, and the last two to “Geranium 5”.

 I am only sure of two of these, so I would appreciate names of the others.  Usually if one suggests a name I remember if it corresponds to one I bought years ago.

Sorry for asking for help, and thanks for all replies, including ones I have already received.

Fran, is this a shuttlecock fern? It’s a few years old but is looking very distinctive and handsome this year. I think we got it at Mallow Garden Festival. 

Gidday,

           another good start to the day& it,s been pretty good all day,trust it is kind to you all more so those of you going to Bloom safe trip people.

                                                                                 regards roofy.

Was feeling a bit lethatgic this morning so I had a bit of a lie-in but then couldn’t resist the sun so had to get up.

Before breakfast I shecked my email – and yet again my modem had disconnected. So I contacted Eircom – I was left with NO connection. Grr! And it needs to be “escalated” to a technician who might fix it before next weekend. Grr again!

Finally figured out how to use the mobile phone as a modem but I have no idea how much it will cost as I don’t have a big data allowance but at least I’m back online! Not going to bu uploading any albums till I see how it goes but it is a much faster connection …..

So anyway, after all that excitement it was time to venture outside. You know when you have a really messy day and can’t settle to any task …. well, got out the little kiddies fishing net I got a while ago and decided to clean out the Stream Pond as it was full of Algae and Jacinta has given me some new oxygenator for it. The little net works a treat and I had pulled out loads of y uk when I got a big shock – something in the net was moving …. flapping about ….. a FISH!!!!! I got such a fright that I just tipped the little blighter back into the pond where he obviously went down as deep as he could! Now how did that happen? I never put fish in my pond ….. did he fly in? Did some friendly Heron give me a present?

So this little fish I glimpsed so briefly was about 2 or maybe 3 inches long, had a kind of fat body and shone pure silver when the light caught him. Did I take his picture? Never thought of the camera sitting in my pocket! Anyway I was much too scared! I’m not cut out for all these wild animals ….

Looking on the internet he might be a Shubunkin …. maybe ….. or a KILLER SHARK

Oh Dear!

A journal during the week mentioned a rose that I was gifted by my very lovely next-door neighbour who moved to Wexford over 10yrs ago. It happily grows and flourishes in my garden to this day. But October two years ago I decided to take my first ever rose cuttings (of that very same rose). I think it deserves a ‘permanent home’ in the ground.

It flowered today. Reason to be cheerful!

Yesterday, on a warm sunny day, Clew Bay Garden Trail with 12 open gardens was launched.  Senator Marie Louise O’Donnell came down to ‘do the honours’.   We will be opening ours for the first time on Tuesday 24th June 11-4pm.  Information on all the gardens is in the Open Gardens booklet that came with The Irish Garden Magazine last April.   

CBGT were also given great publicity with a 4-page spread in the Irish Country Magazine June/July edition.  They have a stand at Bloom so if you pick up a copy there you’ll see articles and photos on some of the gardens including OURS!!!!   Mairead Lavery Managing Editor of the magazine came down last month to talk to us and then a week later, John Kelly, award winning photographer came down to take lots of pictures!!!  We were quite overwhelmed by it all………………….

Can anyone give me a name for this little plant. I did think at first it was some kind of geranium but now looking at the leaves I’m not so sure. It has little buds appearing on it now. Any idea? 

I got this slip from Damo? ( if I recall correctly) At the get together in January. 

I thought it just sparkled after the awful rain we had here yesterday. 

The first of my sarracenia are opening now.

These are temperate, carnivorous plants that I have growing in three specifically-designed bogs.

Hopefully more photos will follow.

Just wondered who is off to Bloom and when. Maybe we might catch up with one or two when we are there. 

Im going early on Saturday morning. I like to get there early before the big crowds arrive. Saturday is supposed to be a beautiful day weather wise. Nothing will put me off though. 

Whenever you are going hope you have a fab time and maybe we might even bump into one another 😉 

Enjoy!!!

Another one for acid soil, just coming into flower now.

Love the fresh growth on this Blechnum magellanicum.

A few weeks ago I posted that I’d killed my lemon verbena by over-pruning it. I was going to ditch it and re-plant the pot but didn’t get round to it. But now look! Am I glad I didn’t throw it away. I won’t be pruning it again in a hurry, that’s for sure….

The new growth on this fern is great, it slowely changes to green that you can see in the background.

Looking good out there, so enjoy and make the most of it.

……. to remove the seed heads of this Carex pendula before it seeds all over the borders. It IS very pretty though.

I have found in the last week that the din the Starlings are making is quite unbearable in the garden. Not one for giving out about nature and what it produces, I don’t know why they have been annoying me recently. The parents are up to their oxters, frantically trying to keep their young fed.

My cat, Holly, is an outdoor cat and the Starlings seem to be getting more of her food than poor Holly. However, c’est la vie!

But something which I had never noticed before, between the Blackbirds and the Starlings, the blue berries on my Mahonia have almost been stripped bare. I hadn’t realised that they obviously regard the berries as a delicacy.