Month: May 2014

I’m just loving the way every day at this time of year a new flower greets me during the days, whether they are dull or sunny. Campanula ‘Elizabeth’ is one I’ve been anxiously awaiting for a while now. The flowers seem to have taken an age to open once I spotted them. But they’re now here. Someone told me this campanula becomes quite invasive? I still like it though. And the good thing about a small garden is these invasive plants are easily kept in check.

Doing the Chelsea Chop.

I was watching Carol Klien on the Chelsea yesterday about this famous chop.

I am totally undecided about it.

I know all the facts etc. etc. but am I brave enough, that is the qustion?

Would love to know what are ye all doing on this subject?

 even on a wet and misty  and unlikely sort of day like today. For the past few weeks everything seemed in chaos, weeds overcoming every bed, goose grass and bindweed strangling rose stems, things you planted earlier on getting lost in the sea of grasses, debris of faded leaves and spent daffodil stalks. Everything conspiring in fact to convince scrubber that he was losing the plot -literally!

And then today, out of the blue, or perhaps green! A reassurance, a little  encouragement, a sign. Scrubber had taken out all the stuff in the little bed  under the circle of Walnuts in the front and replanted it with pale blue pansies.Also put some around the granite quern in the lower lawn. Theres a little square bed that contrasts with the circular form of the quern. The rain came and the only place he could work was under the beech trees, clearing the bottom of the circular beech hedge he had put in three years ago. On hands and knees, he pulled out tufts of grass, dandelions, wild mallow and spent daffodil leaves. Finally the rain came so badly that he had to go in.

When it cleared he came out again and it happened. The hedge had suddenly  taken on a new aspect. It was clearer, better defined, stronger looking. The grass path between the lines of hedging had become that-a real grass path and now the surrounding area all began to look better in relation to this more defined feature-hedge, path, circle…

Once again the garden had played an old trick on him. Let him think everything is  just at tipping point and then shock him with a surprise. Later as we were in kilkenny we called into Flowerpower. I wanted white pansies to go with the blue pansies in the two small beds. None to be had so scrubber resigned himself to thinking lobelia (white) or arabis. Then out of the corner of his eye he saw them. Coeleus? Those heart shaped almost furry plants-pure foliage. They were in shades of zingy lime green and deep purple reds! As far removed from white as you could get-and yet and yet….

So tomorrow four little trays of them will be planted among the pale blue pansies and the path between the beech hedges will be edged and Scrubber will take a break and enjoy looking at them for a little while before going on to empty some of last years veg bed and weed some of the long border and feel just that little bit lighter of heart as a result.

Today I collected some seed pods I left on some Daffs. Normally I just let them all wither awaybut following some .iers advice I deadheaded most this year. These seed pods looked too inviting to discard. Low and behold they contain some nice looking seed.

Different forums tell me to either sow them immediately in a cold frame or to wait until sept/oct.

I usually wrap any collected seed in tissue paper and put into storage until the Spring. Advice from anyone who has tried this before would be welcomed. I know you dont get blooms for ages but hey, I love an experiment.

Should I remove the seed from Pods before storage or leave them in the pods until sowing??

Having managed to do a good bit of weeding, today by the time I got out to the garden it was clouding over and as i got my bits together in the greenhouse I heard the patter of raindrops …..

So it was time for a bit of potting on – solanums pricked out – about 20 plantlets – then moved on a load of stuff to larger pots. Some geraniums were quite pot-bound and the compost was pretty dry even though I was watering them regularly.Left them soaking overnight to see if that improves the matter.

Then there are all those Escalonias ….. I had the idea last year that I’d like to have a hedge of Escalonia along that path where the new Clematis Walk will be. There are about 40 of these little plants and they ALL needed moving on to larger pots! I’m toying with various ideas for my Escalonia Hedge. I’m going to try placing the plants in various places to see how they’ll work but at least they can continue to grow now they are repotted!

My Fuchsias from last year that I didn’t lift are really struggling so they are now in the greenhouse for a bit of TLC. 

All in all, considering the weather it was quite a productive day!

I’ll have to ease up on the potting on until I make more space in the greenhouse 🙂

I like this photo.

My Pelargonium has gone mad with flowers as soon as its finished flowering i will pot it on into a bigger pot and hopefuly it will flower again in the summer. Our little wagtails did not last long the Sparrow hawk came through the garden and took out the male :(.

This is a gorgeous pelargonium.

It is called ‘Lord Bute’.

I just love it.

Geum Princes Juliana and Dianthus Sooty. While the Dianthus has not opened yet, it’s foliage looks great against the Geum.

I’m hoping it will work even better when both flowers are open.

I was home just before six after a busy day in work. It was a quick change and I was out into the garden, it really is great to be able to get 3 hours work out there at the end of a day. The evening was even on my side as it just improved and improved weather wise.

Most of the Crug plants are now planted, I spent a lot of time over the last few days placing them here, moving them there, checking google to be sure they were in the right place.

Some other bits and pieces, along with the on going weeding.

I am continuing my plan of softening all the hard landscaping where ever I can. Really pleased with the results.

Glass of Vino and it’s ‘cheers’ from me 😉

For those of us condemned to garden in limey soil, who’s hearts long for beautiful  Azaleas and Rhododendrons …..

Here she is …..

Rhododendren Kokardia Inkarho

Went to Rachels garden this morning and she has all in such great order,   every time I see this garden I do not know how herself and Norman do it ….it is full of unusual plants and trees I do not even know it rained a little but it was tea time so after we came out and I cannot believe it after 8 photographs my camera just died …..I forgot to charge it ..

Thank you Rachel and Norman for a lovely Monday morning visit which lasted into afternoon …..

Thank you Fran again you are such a great driver ……..and great company as usual.

I will put up an album another day ..

This is a great shrub, with really beautiful foliage. It literally lights up the area where it’s planted, with its bright yellow/green leaves. Because we don’t have that much space we keep it small by pruning it every year, but I would say that if it was allowed to grow to its full size it would be even more beautiful… It is deciduous so goes bare in winter, but I always look forward to seeing the new leaves appear. Quite hardy from what I can see, the very cold winters of 2009 and 2010 did not affect it at all.

I bought this last year in Plantagen on their half price shelf!! 

Nothing  much was happening, until this past week when all of a sudden the foliage is starting to appear. Obviously it’s loving all this wet weather and thriving. At least something is!!!!  Look forward to it getting bigger and stronger too. 

Watching the coverage of Chelsea one plant really caught my eye, Begonia escargo. Talking with Rachel yesterday it turned the plant was sitting in the next room and before I knew it I was handed two leaves and now I’m off to see what will come of these poor leaves under these Surgeon’s hands LOL

Rachel many thanks, I will keep you posted over time.

Yesterday when Fran and Clare were looking around, Clare spotted my epiphyllum.

Well, I can tell you I was dead grumpy with that plant. Grown from a 2008 cutting, the plant had never flowered.

This year I was sure it was going to be ‘the year’. I’d potted them on (I have two) and fed them well and they’d had buckets of sunshine. Then I saw the  usually new growth on leaves and NO flowers yet AGAIN.

I was so disgusted I hooshed the plants out of the greenhouse and put them with the others to endure the torrential rain of the last few days!

Wasn’t it just my bad luck – the hatiora I had also grown from 2008 cuttings has long since flowered and I only kept one hatiora but TWO epiphyllums and they have never flowered.

So, imagine my complete and utter delight to see flower buds on the epiphyllums when I looked at them with Clare and Fran. Oh, happy, happy days 🙂

I have this little shrub a while now, and up until now it’s been in a pot.

Today I weeded the Acid Triangle ‘proper’ and made space for this shrub. I love its butter colour on the tips of the leaves. Not sure how tender it is, but hopefully it will survive a good few years.

What a gem of a day!

I don’t remember ever planting this, but I’m not going to complain about it, I love its colour!

The only thing is, it’s a little lonely on its own, so as I have a few irises in another area of the garden, I’ll try and move them together for next year 🙂

I bought this shrub last year and moved it when all the work was being done in the garden. It’s now down the garden in my sunny border. After a hard pruning it’s coming into its own now. I do love the colour of the foliage and in another few weeks I should see the lovely pink flowers forming on it. 

At the moment I have Geum ‘Lady Stratheden’ growing around it and some have even mingled with the black foliage which I think is quite a nice combination 🙂 

This beauty caught my eye at work yesterday, growing from small container but managing to produce huge blooms. Anyone recognize it ?

I’m still learning about this wonderful plant.

I had two total failing of seeds earlier in the year.

A few weeks after losing two of last years plants for the strangest of reasons, they both died within a week of been repotted into new compost, I decided to try my last few seeds.

I had also found a slow down or even total halt in growth after germination. This last lot of seeds germinated two weeks ago. No slowdown in growth what so ever, I repotted them yesterday and the root system was stronger than anything I had seen before. I also think I had 100% germination, something I had never had before.

So possibly, these are one seed that should be sown a little later in the year.

Getting a bit p’ed off with all the starlings at this stage. I was down weeding the Primrose 5 Steps area today and got pooped on, all down my back TWICE. They’re probably calling me a ‘Party Pooper’. LOL

I have just uploaded May’s album. Where did this year go? its flying by!!!

What a glorious day today again. Two days in a row….wow!

I did spend a little time outside as I had other stuff to do. But I cut the grass and weeded a small bit and then took some photos. But it was such a beautiful day I sat down and just enjoyed the view.

Hope you do too 😉

I was home briefly today as we headed up to Dublin this evening for Bloom and spotted my Oriental Poppy ‘Central Park’ opened. Extremely happy with this one and just looked fantastic fully open in the sun with no rain in sight to ruin it. 😀

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!!!