Month: December 2014

Just a few words to wish you all a happy and healthy year for 2015!

On this new years eve I would like to thank all on Garden.ie for the friendship, knowledge and entertainment they have give me all year and I would like to wish you all a very happy and healthy 2015. Go mbeirimid beo ar an am seo arís.

This time tomorrow my polytunnel will be history. We are taking it down in the morning, just 5 years after building it. It is a sad time because I loved my tunnel so much and it was the birthplace of tens of thousands of plants. Oh well, time to move on I suppose. But a little bit of sympathy wouldn’t go amiss 😉

The last few months have seen the garden been badly neglected apart from an odd day here and there, but the interest really wasn’t fully there. 

I’m glad to say that Mr. Fran is back and ready to go. Aoife even said to me the other day that the garden was looking a bit of a mess and offered to help with leaves etc. Not sure that will happen as she has bad case of that flu bug that’s doing the rounds.

But come what may, Thursday the garden won’t know what hits it. One monster tidy up, nothing else and no distractions will be allowed.

Bring it on, is all I can say.

 

no doubt to get this note from me. Usually Cherub writes any letters that have to be written but he is training me in and told me you are a kind and gentle man and that I should not be nervous of writing to you. The people in the Scrub just wanted to thank you for giving Mr. Scrubber the advice and incentive he needed this morning to go out rather than turn his hands to tidying the study.

He knew he’d be away for the afternoon  but we knew that he would have been a bit disappointed had he not gone out and done something. After listening carefully to you he decided to go out for an hour and in that hour he managed to finish digging and renovating and broadening the three paths on the main slope and this gave him lots of satisfaction.

Cherub and I were thinking of nudging him to complete this task so that he would be free next day to get rid of a huge load of brushwood and he had already begun on this when the hour was up. I think Mr. Scrubber is lucky to have a friend who gives such good advice. Thank you again.

Yours sincerely,

Cherub Lute.     (Please excuse any spelling mistakes as this s my first letter)

 

Dear Fran ,

Cherub lute asked me to send on the above.

As one can see from the above, Scrubber was busy re- carving out and re- defining the three paths on the Main Slope. Its strange how if one has a slope and then makes paths on it , the slope becomes far more important. It sort of becomes an effect. Its something intended rather than something that just happened to be there. It makes the garden below it ‘Dad’s garden ‘ more obvious and sort of frames it more firmly. This may be Scrubber talking through his hat or it may just be the result of trying to get a lot of work done in one hour flat! My arms and legs are reminding me. The paths were there but had become very undefined and narrow so I dug into the bank and spread that extra clay out thus widening the path area. Half way through I thought it wouldn’t work but with a bit of Cherub guidance the result is quite pleasing and makes a big difference. Now do I plant something else on the slope????? Can’t as yet put up pics unfortunately but will do so when it is possible. Oh yes and thanks Fran!

Salix gracilistyla Melanostachys  aka Black Pussywillow.  I have wanted this for some time and spotted that Johnstown have it so in went an order. I would love to hear if any of you grow this. Not everyones choice I imagine but looks interesting. No picture at present.

Remember I was on about all the caterpillars eating everything in the garden, well yesterday I got out for about  2hours in the garden which was great and while over by my the fennel I noticed a caterpillar on it so straight away grabbed and killed. But on closer inspection of the plant didn’t i find them all over it hidden away the little buggers, i mean they were everywhere so I cut all the fennel right back to the ground and put the whole lot in a bag caterpillars and all. A few had made a run for it while cutting back so made quick work of them too so hopefully that’s something sorted. While I was at it I sprinkled slug pellets around to sort some of the slugs and snails too. Cut back some more stuff and planted a couple of things. Mild today so might get some more stuff done.

also starting Friday at 9.00 on bbc2 is The Big Allotment Challenge, I really enjoyed this last year so def worth checking out

Getting serious withdrawal symptoms from the lack of gardening now. The ground is totally unworkable, and everything in pots is just like concrete. Spotting lots of Great Tits and Wrens in the garden. And even if we could post photos here, they are just too quick for me to focus the camera on. Even the Robin is just flitting here and there and quite difficult to capture.

This must be the longest spell of our site here having problems. Hopefully the teccies will have had a lovely Christmas and are back raring to go once New Year is out of the way. Guys, we miss you all. Happy New Year.

with being sick and the weather i have not been out and dont intend to for a while yet, see i am getting sense in me old age.

i am totally restless i dont know what to go at. christopher my son got me CREATIVE SHRUB GARDEN book it is brilliant as it is giving me great ideas

you tube is giving me hours of garden programs how to be a gardener with alan T and love your garden with alan T and then i sit and watch garden for all seasons although i dont really like the presenters i love alan and matt james and chris bearshaw i am also watching geoff hamilton. the ideas are bursting out of me, i would love a pond but i am not sure whether to sink a wooden barrel or a plastic container especailly for water features but that could change again i would like to put in a bog garden beside the pond if i wrote down all the ideas i would easily fill a refill copy. it keeps me going…………….oh the possiblities, 

i want to get some more bareroot trees 2 more sorbus aucuparia and 2 white beam. the mountain ash are for the woodland area and the whitebeams are for the area beside it. alot of planning to be done. 

hope you are all have a good safe christmas 

Cross my heart and hope to…..

Scrubber USED be very good at tidying up  the Study and could do it well within a day but at present it just seems like a task that has been going on and not well for the last few WEEKS! And yet if he has a corner outsidein the garden to tidy up he is out in a flash and can happily spend the whole day doing so, Its not that he don’t love his study and the books and the letters and the papers and the distractions-it just seems to take ages.

So to give himself a break he decided to go out for ten minutes. He didn’t change except for his boots and then began to examine the paths edged into the main slope which overlooks where he intends to plant the new six crab apples. He wondered if he dug a little more could he broaden them (the paths!). So he tentatively sliced  into the bank and raked out the clay and tramped it in and it did seem to work. Of course he stopped then as he only meant to spend ten minutes and he was already forty minutes at it.

Then he raked a few leaves (To see how the path would look)- then did a slow walkabout and was pleased to note the floods had given him a layer of mud in the boggy bottoms which gave him an idea on how to extend the ground there-involving massive heaps of debris and leaves (Coincidentally he just happens to have a huge mound of twigs and branches and when he removes them it will allow the wall behind them, a series of big rocks to re- emerge and that will finish off the crab apple area which has always been known as ‘dad’s garden’.(Scrubber’s dad, who was a lovely quiet  gentle  soul). So one thing leads imperceptibly into the next and then at the end you see a wonderful plan emerging. (Scrubber often wonders will it be like that when we pass on that we will see how all our lives were a series of links that eventually brought us to fulfillment)

In his walk around there was huge promise of snowdrops and even some leucojums, slipped in last year and forgotten about. And Lily of the valley have promised they will come back again in greater numbers this year. (Thanks Paddy). Daffs are out-well about six of them! But many more are promised and hisson is going to help him collect the crab apples-Yellow Hornet and John Dobie which will go in as an ending to 2014 or a beginning to 2015.

This is probably his last entry for 2014-unless he gets to plant those trees! So from Scrubber and all the Scrub Denizens we wish you all a peaceful joyous fulfilled and floriferous NEW YEAR! —   ‘-ifrus –ew- ear!!!’ Hope to see you on the 11^th where Scrubber shall be modeling a serious Christmas Hat!

(P>S> Photos still not coming up?)

I am a creature of habit. I thrive on routine. Itching to get the decorations put away now, but I’ll hang on just a bit more. Maybe New Year’s Day!!! I can NEVER last until 6th January!

Great Christmas, but sometimes peaceful can mean boring. Didn’t get to see my daughters and grandson on Christmas day this year unfortunately. So lots of time to be made up for still. 

I had been looking forward to seeing my Brugmansia open its flower buds before Christmas. But I was out in the greenhouse yesterday and both buds have fallen. 🙁 

Let’s hope that we won’t have such a cold night as last night. Must have been the coldest one yet. The garden never thawed out all day as it is full shade during the winter months, and the birds had to rely on me for fresh food and water. 

It’s like a missing limb not being able to post photos.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Wishing everybody a healthy and happy 2015.

 Like Peter I am suffering from gardening deprivation so had a look to see what goodies were coming up on TV.  There are loads of garden programmes scheduled for 2015 so I just picked a couple that were coming up soon.

 A new three-part series called Britain‘s Best Gardens begins on 6 January at 8pm on ITV1, with Alan Titchmarsh presenting.

 Sky TV is going into gardening television with Show Me Your Garden, a six-part series on Sky 1 from 2 January 2015. This is the programme in which our own Bruno takes part in episode 5, I think.

I was hoping that the site would have been up and running properly by now, so that I  could   let you see the wonderful sunrises we have blessed with, these last few days.

The sunshine is so very welcome and yesterday was a really bright day, so that I got out and made a dent in the clearing of leaves and debris that had not been tackled, as I had been more concerned about getting lots of pots planted out in the ground. You have really no idea of the amount of rain we have had this month. We were living in the clouds and not a square inch of dry concrete was visible all month.  

On the other hand, in Shroove, there has been practically no frost, and certainly not in my sheltered garden. The lowest has been -0.5C.  Half a mile away would be different. The problem here overwintering plants is the strong cold winds on sodden plants And ground.  Cloches are a necessity. 

However, every region has its advantages, and I am so, so very happy to have all the beauty and advantages of this area, which I would love to share with you all. 

Until I can greet you here in person, I wish you all a very Happy 2015 with lots of rewarding days with your plants and letting your imagination run away with you! 

 

I’d say it has been weeks since i have done any gardening. The cold weather and the wet weather is just putting a stop to everything. I am dreaming of better days to come. Thank god for youtube as i’m watching as much gardeing programmes as i can. I get a voucher from work every year at christmas so that is slowly and carefully being spent on plants which hopefully will add to the plan in my garden over time. Hope everyone had a nice christmas and I am looking forward to seeing everyone at Johnstown as I am only bursting to talk gardening.

Its been bitterly cold nights here these past few nights. 

My son has left for the airport with his dad and it’s now -4C!! He goes back to London today :(. What a great week we have had though. But hate to see him go again!! 

Yesterday morning was very cold but as the sun shone and the day progressed it wasnt too bad  I went out to the garden and pottered about for about 2 hours  it was pure bliss once I stayed in the sunshine  I cleared up some more debris and leaves etc  I cut a few plants here and there to tidy them up  I also filled the bird feeders and the place was swarming with little beauties just itching to be fed.  Once the sun went down the temperatures plummeted and it was time to go in  but boy did I enjoy that day  

Today I have my two little granddaughters coming to stay for two nights  that will be a full time job.  But so looking forward to it..

I want to wish you all a very happy, healthy and peaceful New Year  I look forward to meeting you at the get together if you can make it.. Let’s hope 2015 brings you all that you want and all that you wish for too  

take are and have a good one !! 🙂 

 

Just wondering if any of you got any gardening gifts for Christmas.

I like Fran’s cross-over pressie 🙂

Pity the site is still awaiting upgrade as I’d have liked to upload a photo.

I got a weather station to replace my old one. Now I can worry about the plants in the greenhouse from the comfort of my kitchen!

And I got some Barnhaven primula seeds – Hose-in-Hose, Jack-in-the-Green selection – sowed them on Stephen’s Day. And I got a little fairy door.

So, not doing too badly here in Wexford.

Looks like a cold one tonight!

to all my friends on this site,I hope you all had a great Christmas & the coming New Year is kind to you.

                      best wishes roofy.

bordeom has set in so i decided to look back on old journals, wow what a load of gobbledy goock. i hope have such boring journals as some of them were. 

it was fun to see how the garden has developed and the range of stuff i have in the tunnel and what i like have changed. love looking at 0ld photos and how the garden used to look and the mad projects i took on.

i looked back all the way to 2009 boy has things changed for the better. 

i have got crazier about garden over the years but most of all the memories would not have been so easy to access if i didnt have them stored on this site and computer

a fantastic bunch of friends and a brilliant site 

 

thanks all

 

 

 

 

A brother in law had me for a kris kindle and I think he came up trumps with this idea. A Flowerpot Bread making kit.

The box contains your bread mix, four small Terracotta pots and full mixing and baking instructions.

He knows I love my garden and enjoy cooking so he hit the nail on the head with this one. After the baking is done I have four Terracotta pots to use, happy days.

Hope your all well and enjoying the break.

A friend of mine manages to have his own daffodils on the table every Christmas! Grown outdoors I need to know is this possible as for years I believed he was winding me up!! He’s NOT a gardener and swears these grow in his back yard. I was trying to upload a photo but there appears to be a problem still , 

We’ve never had a dog who loves Christmas as much as Oscar. He gets very excited when the presents go round the tree, and he’s beside himself when he gets his presents to open. He was having so much fun with his new toy from the lads in Glasgow that we almost couldn’t get him out for a walk. 

It was too nice to be indoors, really, so I managed to have a quick whistle along the nepeta hedge clipping back the dead foliage while the tukey was finishing off! 

And I had a lovely Christmas present from my artistic hubby of 5 terracotta pots. 

Hope you all had as nice and peaceful a day as we did.