Month: August 2014

Some of you may have read about my efforts to grow proteas from seed this year.

Well, it seems I have fallen victim of my own success.

What happened was that I sowed six seeds in each small pot and a good proportion came up, in some cases all six.

But proteas hate root disturbance and soon I realised that I was facing a problem as it is impossible to separate seedlings without at least some root disturbance. This problem has been nagging at me for months now.

However, with the certain knowledge that the bigger the plants got, the more the roots and the problem would be compunded, I went into action yesterday.

I decided to separate half of the seedlings, keeping a back-up pot of each type. Gingerly was the order of the day and with heart in mouth! And then there was the whole dilemma of how much to water them after repotting as they don’t like too much water either.

When I woke up this morning I rushed out to the greenhouse to see if the proteas were still standing and I took this photo. It is looking good so far!

When we were at Kylemore gdns, I noticed a flower that was just going over – a lovely pink petal hanging on.  It looked for all the world to be a geranium.  The Head Gardener informed us that it was Callirhoe involucrata and that they had grown it from seed – took 2 years from seed to flower!!!  I’ve googled it and it seems that it’s easy to grow from seed.  Anyone out there growing this in their garden?   Picture is from internet.

I had to laugh today when I saw this on my trip around the garden.

See what has happened to the knitted socks on the crab apple trees!

Nature always has her way in the end 🙂

I bought a few new dahlias this year, mostly from the UK National Collection.

This is ‘Jomanda’.

Last week I noticed these little cyclamens where, before, there was only what seemed bare earth beneath a large philadelphus! They always take one by surprise!

To day, was great, good temperature and sunshine. I decided to give some fertilizer to the lawn. The conditions were ideal as there is now plenty water around the roots. I dead headed the roses and while they were affected by the rain, they will be back. I was looking at the Musa(banana plant) and Ginger. They have improved. The dry weather was not the best and one could see the improvement with the rain.

A few weeks ago I bought 5 plants from Dealz. Potted them up immediately, watered them, and after a while gave them a small bit of feed as they were looking a bit under the weather.

All looking good today, except for just one (Penstemon ‘Pina Colada Pink’), the one in the front, and one that you could normally count on to do well.

The others that are looking hopeful are Macleaya cordata (Plume Poppy), Helenium ‘Helena Red’, Rodgersia ‘aesculifolia’ and Centaurea macrocephala (Giant Knapweed). Not bad for €7.45.

Last Thursday, last day of July, I went off with a fellow Gdn Trail friend – we both were celebrating birthdays in the last week of July – To Kylemore.  Have put up a small album of photos.  In photo No 1 you can see a novel way of planting Sedums (should have taken a close-up) in a circle.  I also liked the planting of Persicaria in the curvy border.   There’s something nice about Kylemore………………

Got this little fuchsia in SuperValu in early summer. It’s looking great after all the rain. Must take a few cuttings later. I’d like this in the garden for next year, and as long as possible. No name on the pot.

I got out to deadhead the dahlias today, between the showers, and tended the orchids.

I also deadheaded Calendula ‘Candyman Orange’. This is a brilliant annual (in all senses) and the only one of the 300 odd annuals that I grew from seed this year that is earning its keep. The nicotiana and callistephus haven’t peaked yet but generally I think I will sow fewer annuals next year.

Tetrapanax is really looking well at the moment, as is Amicia zygomeris and the trumpet lily ‘Pink Perfection’ as seen in this photo.

The naming of names, by Anna Pavord

This is Alstroemeria ‘Indian Summer’.

We saw it at Wisley last year and Kristina sourced and sorted it.

Thank you, Kristina.

Besides the obviously lovely flower colour, the great thing about it is the dark foliage.

This is not a picture of one of the most lovely cats in the world, it is a picture of some gardening books. 

I bought this from Deborah at Fota in April and it is just starting to flower.  Really pleased with it, love the colour and the markings on it.

Speaking of roscoea, this one has bulked up nicely in the garden.

It is Roscoea purpurea ‘Brown Peakcock’.

I love the red stems.

To day, despite the rain, I went into not so much a vineyard but a small greenhouse. I noticed several bunches of grapes. Here is one. They are really sweet and bigger than before. The yield of grapes is better than other years.

On a recent visit to Carmel Duignan’s garden I was given some very good advice which I am doing my best to follow.

Carmel said that whenever she sees something for sale that she really wants, she is never hindered by considerations of where she will put it in her garden.

So, with this in mind, I came home from Kerry with one or two new plants…

I took this photos yesterday, today the heads are hanging low 🙁 But just like ourselves sometimes bad tasting medicine is good for us 🙂