Month: July 2014

I have just uploaded some photos of the garden this evening.

We had a very heavy shower about an hour ago and the place looks so refreshed now that the sun is starting to come out again.

Did a bit of weeding and tidying up today in the garden. I havent been out there for a couple of days as I was tied up with the grandchildren.

So I took advantage of the good day earlier and did some potting on and cutting of slips etc. I love that part of the gardening, aswell as the usual stuff. I love deadheading too but there is something about sowing seeds, slips and potting on that brings me to a whole new world….I can spend ages just doing that and then when you see the results its just so amazing.

Hope you all had a great day whatever you did…..

Enjoy the photos 🙂

Im sure the garden is kept well under control for me when Charlie the dog keeps an eye on things while im away.His coat is turning golden brown.A brush to his coat needs a visit,and not before the time.

What are these called please.Have them around the garden,thanks.

I have waited a good few years now to see a flower on this.When i looked down the garden i first spotted the lovely white colour.Would be great to have its full name.Never saw it flower before.

Travelling from Limerick to Wexford yesterday we experienced some dreadful downpours but when we arrived at Rachel’s garden the sun was out to greet us. The garden was looking beautiful in the summer sun and I am sure benifited from the rain showers of the last few days.

On entering the garden, the beech hedge has come on so much in the last few years and it shows off beautifully the white trunks of the birch trees. On the right hand-side of the drive is the West Garden which is filled with scent from the roses, lillies and philadelphus which are growing there. A huge brugmansia towers over this garden adding to the overall effect.

On the left-hand side of the drive you enter the garden through one of three arches which are covered with roses and clematis. This area now divides up into several different gardens with well tended grass paths to take you along on your journey. You will pass flower beds that are full of grasses, lillies and summer flowering perennials. As you head up to the top of the garden you come to Rachel’s hardy orchid bed and carnivorous plants. The glasshouse is full of all sorts of orchid, pelargonium, and now her collection of protea, which are growing from seed. Pelargonium plants are displayed around the garden in large and small groupings. The flower bed in front of the glasshouse is packed with colour and here massive echiums are thriving

We met Hazel soon after we arrived and Rachel gave us so much of her time as she brought us around, naming plants and answering our many questions. There were lots of visitors and I am sure she was wrecked by the time the day was over. If you are thinking of visiting next week, you will not be dissappointed. Many thanks Rachel for you kindness during our visit.

On the way home from Rachels this afternoon I diverted to that lovely Lutyens Garden at Heywood. 

This is very close to where I live and I love visiting it. This was where I first spotted the little Clematis Luxurians romping away through the herbaceous planting and this started me on a wuest to acquire this dainty plant with its unusual flowers white tinged with green. I spotted the same little Clematis doing well planted near the sales area in Mount Venus and persuaded them to propagate one for me (and one for my sister Elixabeth) which we hope to acquire next week.

I mentioned this garden to someone recently and they commented that it was a shame to see how it was gone to wrack and ruin in the care of the OPW. I’ve put up an album that may dispel this myth. The gardens are lovingly maintained and the planting seems to be to the original plan – and what’s more there is no admission charge for this treasure!

I always think the emerging flowers on Crocosmia look like rattle snakes heads!!!

A new addition to the garden is this evergreen rockery plant with these lovely blue flowers.  It’s Wulfenia x schwarzii.  A keeper I think.

I know there are lots of varieties of every plant, but there is in my opinion something very special about these plants. This is one of my favorite ones.

Such a pity perennial sweet pea are not scented.

Hi all, just back a few days ago from a lovely couple of weeks in Portugal so thought I would share an album of most of what’s in bloom in the garden at the moment. There are a lot of Hydrangeas with a good few more to come and the Eucrypia is looking great. My star of a Dad kept the grass in order so it’s only serious weeding I have to do. A big obrigado to him.  I’m looking forward to going over the journal entries I have missed over the last while.

Hello guys – I know that I have disappeared off the garden.ie radar for a couple of years – I may explain why at a later date – suffice to say that the garden ‘designer’ who was working on my parents’ garden at the time managed to suck all the joys out of gardening for us so I didn’t feel like seeing everyone else’s gardening joys when ours had become such a gardening nightmare (how an experienced gardening professional can make you hate gardening seems absurd – suffice to say that I wouldn’t be recommending the guy).

But that’s not why I’m writing here. This may have been mentioned by some other garden.ie club members a couple of weeks ago – I’m not going to trawl through the archives to find out – but it would appear that Sky are making a new gardening TV Show and are looking for applicants in the UK & Ireland.

A couple of Saturdays ago I went to the annual Mallow Home & Garden Show. About halfway through the day I was rifling through the Caherhurley Nursery stall with my mum (for the second time that day…) when we were approached by this young Englishman. He asked me if I was a keen gardener – I said I was. I guess the fact that I was oohing and aahing over what was essentially a green, leafy plant devoid of flowers – a rodgersia if you guys must know – must have twigged to him that I was more than your average ‘hanging basket & bedding plant’ gardener. He asked me if I had a nice garden – I said ‘not really’ which is true for several reasons. Firstly, I plant in my parents’ garden so it isn’t strictly mine. Secondly, much of the garden was only planted last autumn – without the help of the garden designer – who hasn’t been near the garden in 18 months so I’ll be damned if the garden is filmed and he takes some sort of credit for it. Thirdly, as I only finished planting last October and the lawn only went down on November 1^st – there’s still some debris and mess around that we haven’t removed – suffice to say that the garden won’t be nice and tidy for at least a year. Besides which I am the kind of person who much prefers to be behind a camera instead of in front of one.

The guy seemed disappointed by my answer but I told him that I know a few gardeners who do have nice gardens. He then explained that he was doing research for a production company (Outline Productions – who also did ‘The Great British Garden Revival’) who had been commissioned by Sky to make a new gardening show. I asked him ‘Why Ireland?’ – because as we all know the British in particular are mad about gardening & they could very easily source all the contestants from the UK. He intimated that this was because Sky had a loyal Irish viewership (he’s not wrong – Sky have worked on Irish-based TV shows for precisely that reason – the delightful ‘Moone Boy’ springs to mind).

Anyway I asked for his details so that I could get in contact with him and give him a few names. He gave me his email address & a flyer explaining what the show was about. I told him I’d email him with some names that night – but to be honest I was wrecked & I’ve been pretty busy with work, and besides which I didn’t want to give him any names without first seeking their permission. Which is where you guys come in. I know that some of you would leap at the opportunity to show more people just how amazing your gardens are. Terra Nova Gardens stood out in particular in my mind – but I don’t know if Deborah & Martin would be up for it.

Here’s what the flyer said:

_______________________________________________________________

HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?

Are you a passionate gardening enthusiast? Is your garden your pride & joy? Want to prove you’ve got the best garden in town?

The makers of ‘The Great British Garden Revival’ are looking for green fingered fanatics to take part and compete in a brand new prime time TV series.

We want to showcase some of the most stunning, imaginative & unique gardens in the country.

Do you own a National Collection? Is your garden a pristine tranquil retreat? Perhaps it’s a totally tropical paradise? Or does it boast a winning veg patch?

If you’d like the chance to show off  your garden, no matter what style, shape, or size, and you’ve got what it takes to give your honest opinion of others’ gardens too, we’d love to hear from you.

Please email us at garden@outlineproductions.co.uk

or call 0044 (0)207 424 7645 with your contact details ASAP.

_________________________________________________________________

I also have Adam, the researcher’s number and email so if anyone wants to send me a private message I can give them those if they want. I do hope this interests some of you – it would be great to have a Garden.ie Club member on British TV!

Cleared some of the bottom garden yesterday – so overgrown – chain saw on the end of a rope and swinging it around one’s head – soon cleared everything.

Seriously the trees are all huge – precludes sunlight so have to delete some of them.

So many seeds from that shrimp plant thingy – they grow madly here. Love the purple and green colours though.

Piccie taken at Lake Ontario Toronto in March this year  – glad I don’t have to garden in this weather.

A new plant for me here is Acanthus mollis, or Bear’s Breeches. It’s opening nicely but definitely in the wrong place. I’ll wait until it has finished doing its thing though. Whoever gave me this, thanks a million.

A final notice to anyone planning to come to tomorrow’s Open Day.

I will be giving a guided tour at Douentza at 11ish and Philip Hollwey is giving one at his garden at 2:30ish.

Philip will be at my talk in the morning so if you plan on taking in both gardens you may wish to follow him home!

Of course you don’t have to turn up so early. I am open 11-6pm.

See you tomorrow!

PS There will be signs from the Carnew/Bunclody road.

JoanG gave me a cutting of a lovely Buddleia in January this year. Can’t remember which one, so would appreciate if Joan could confirm, please. It has started to flower. Happy Days!

Bought these bulbs at Bloom last year. They had opened fully by 9th August. However, I’m thinking that they may have been a ‘once only’ bloom. Not a dickie bird out them so far this year.

…………… for this year! Joan, Peter and Keego!

 You are right, I am left with all the “Vancouver” s and I dont see a sign of the white any where 🙂 My labelling is definitely not to to be trusted.  But I will try again and maybe some one will give me a bit of white back:)

This is last years photo of Vancouver, they are only in bud this year yet.

Hi all, 

I had such a lovely day today at the Claregalway garden festival,  it was cold at times but the rain stayed off most of the day,  and of course I had to make a few purchase. I spent 35 euro on this lot.

2 red astilbe

1 bamboo

1 geranium

1 acer

1 sidalcea brilliant

1 hosta ventricasa

1 thalicturum rochebrunianum

I know I should know this one but I just can’t remember what it is. I thought it was Coleus at first but the leaves aren’t as velvety as that plant. 

Have it down in my little woodland area and it’s coming up in lots of different places 

Any idea please ? 

A nice wet morn, up early today the Waterman arrived at 8.00am to put in our borehole pump and filltering tank.we are looking forward to having our own water supply. the garden is nice and wet we havent had that ,much rain yet!!!. The tubs are filling out these petunias are full of flowers and scent.its nice to find a petunia that dose`nt suffer from the wet.