Month: March 2015
I came across a number of these in the back lawn. I have no recollection of planting them. Would it be Glory of Snow? I found that the temperature was up somewhat to day. We had it as high as 15C. The clock goes forward to night so after this we will have more daylight en the evening.
I think the video says it all…
Good evening all
Quick question for you please, Is there a secret to the primulas as in when i buy they have great big flower heads and flower beautifully but following year they are small, and nothing to look at, i would really appreciate any tips to save what i have. Thank you all in advance
This Primula is running a very close to top spot for me, really is a beauty.
I am hoping someone can ID this plant for me…
Today was the start of the New Year for Donegal Garden Trail!
We all came together at Salthill Garden Shed for the official Launch of the Donegal Garden Trail 2015. It is always a lovely occasion when gardening friends get together, some we may not have met since last year.
An air of excitment was evident as everyone looks forward to a new gardening year and the prospect of welcoming new and repeat visitors to their gardens. This year we have 24 gardens throughout the county. From Kilcar in the west to Greencastle in the east and 22 more in between!!
If any of you are planning a trip to Donegal over the coming weeks or months why not look us up on donegalgardentrail.com and we are on Facebook too! I dont need to tell any of you that there is no better way to spend an afternoon than visiting a garden!
I was bust in the garden yesterday, weeding and dividing.
I have no photo to show for it.
There are lots of pretty things popping up around the garden and in the greenhouse. I just love this time of year 🙂
Looking forward to Gardeners’ World this evening.
So nice to see things really coming on in the garden when you come back from a few days away. I am delighted to see quite a number of tulips in bud and this is the first one to open.
Delphiniums, assorted Lupins and Orange Geum in 6 packs. Very good plants indeed, probably no flowers this year but future looks very good at 3.99 a pack. I got one pack of each and will be able to pot them on to at least 1litre pots immediately so they should be a very good size at the end of the year.
Explore the Garden of Ireland
Voted No. 3 in the Top 10 Gardens of the World by National Geographic
Set in the magnificent Powerscourt Estate at the foothills of the Wicklow mountains, Powerscourt Gardens has something for everyone. With its rich history and culture spanning over 800 years, there is so much to discover and explore!
The extensive gardens are laid out over 47 acres and feature themed gardens including the Italian and Rose Gardens, the Herbaceous Border and Pets’ Cemetery, the Japanese Garden and Tower Valley. Enjoy rambling walks, water features, fine statuary, creative ironwork and hundreds of varieties of trees, plants and flowers.
Explore all the hidden treasures that Powerscourt Gardens has to offer.
I removed and planted out all the ferns from last years group of plants and replanted it with the next batch of baby ferns. Doesn’t look much at the moment but last years ferns relly came on great and did fantastic.
Thanks again Martin you grow great plants, I have only ever lost one.
Let’s see if this one uploads.
Just trying to add the photo in a new post.
I did a masterclass in Helen Dillon’s garden last June and Helen gave us all lots of cuttings in plastic bags to take home.
Some of these cuttings did well for me initially but I lost them when I potted them on. Here is the only survivor – Rosa chinensis ‘Bengal Crimson’ – one of Helen’s favourites. I am looking forward to seeing it growing and eventually flowering.
Mary B has shown an interest in the Fuchsias. I took a photo of them in the catalogue. On the left is Voodoo, centre: seventh Heaven; Right Royal Mosaic.
Today was a windy day… After having bought his vegetable seeds (one of my previous journals), Jonathan spent a good bit of time sowing them on Sunday, putting up the small plastic greenhouse we have and placing the seed trays in there. It never occurred to me to worry about the greenhouse when I heard the wind this morning, until at some point I heard a big noise. It didn’t register at first, but then I remembered the seeds, trays and greenhouse, and sure enough, when I went outside, all was on the ground in a huge mess 🙁
I picked up what I could and was able to rescue some large seeds, but the little ones were impossible to make out in the soil unfortunately. So all needs to be started from scratch again. Jonathan didn’t take it too badly, there are much worse things of course, but I was annoyed at myself for not having thought of telling him to put some weight at the bottom of the greenhouse. Lesson learnt!
The gardens are open from 1st April to 27th September 2015.
Opening hours are from 12 to 6pm, Wed. to Sun. plus Bank Holidays (ROI and N.I.).
Gardens are open for all of the National Heritage Week.
Trains run all day Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays and at 3pm on every Wednesday ,Thursday and Friday.
‘Steam Sunday’ will be on the last Sunday of every month when the ‘Duchess of Difflin’ Steam Engine will run.
Entry Charges:
Adults €6, Children €4, Under 3’s Free.
Train Trips:
Adults €4, Chidren €2, Under 3’s Free.
Family Pass:
€25 (Entry and Train for 2 adults and 2 children)
Group Visits and tours are available by prior arrangement for 10+ people. Group rates available.
Car parking and toilet facilities, with picnic tables & swings available. Partial Disabled Access.
Dogs are permitted if they are kept on a lead and dropping are lifted from lawns and pathways.
During June, July, August & September our vintage tea van will be open at weekends serving light snacks & refreshments. The Van will also be open on Bank Holiday weekends.
For further information & enquiries please telephone 07491 73068 or email ‘gardens@oakfieldpark.com’
Please note that the house is not open to the public at any time.
Sooo excited!
I ordered these plants in January!
New Nepenthes – Why I Bought These Ones & Potting Up – YouTube
Looking great at the moment.
These are the alliums I got for 50cent each last year which I think are globemaster and not gladiator like I first tought. I bought 10 in total and planted two groups of 7 and 3. By looking at the leaves now they are quite big and cannot wait to see the big flowers on these as they come up.
This arrived to day. 3 giant Fuchsias €12.95; 3 Garvinea ‘sweet’ collection €19.95; Citronella candle €3.99; 3 Planters: (free) Weather is much better to day. I got some digging this morning. The soil is in great shape.
Never heard of or seen this one before. But yesterday in Ballyseedy there were lots of them and I was very impressed. Wondering if anybody has grown it? It was quite pricey but if you like a blast of orange at this time of year it must be hard to beat! Oh it is a bulbous plant. /I would be interested to hear what you think of it so please have a Google.
As the title says, i pulled out the power washer and cleaned the fascia’s, soffets, footpaths & patios, man im beat now, had a grand shower myself, when they all dry up they will look lovely, back to the painting of the stones now again. have a lovely day everyone
My poor, poor garden has been sorely neglected due to unforessen circumstances. And Mother Nature certainly takes no prisoners if you neglect her.
I’m looking for some advice about rabbits. They have gone to town on my flowerbeds, digging up any bit of earth they can find – they have also started pawing at the stones on the drive way. Funny enough they aren’t eating the young plants – yet. But it’s definitely rabbits doing the deed – at night time if driving in, I can see a few scurrying across the grass. It’s only something which has started this year.
There are plenty of dandeloins for them to eat (we do like to keep some of the garden in its natural state and have kept all our hedgrows for our native animals and birds to live in). I do like rabbits and we don’t have a dog or outdoor cats to chase them away.
I’ve read that marigods, alliums and fish, bone and blood fertilizer are meant to be good for keeping them away. I see that a string soaked in creosote and put around the beds is also recommended as are thorny bushes.
I was just wondering if anyone has had any success with any of the above methods please? All help gratefully appreciated 😀
So Operation Transformation – Garden 2015 is well underway. The borders are getting a good weeding and digging over, the railway sleeepers are going down and most of them got their first coat of preservative.
The first load of manure is down and we are picking up 2 more over the weekend to mulch the whole garden. In 2 weeks time we are hoping to get our delivery of topsoil to top the whole lot up to near sleeper hight. Then I can finally get planting … hurray.
The seeds are coming up really nicely and I am hoping to purchase some more plants in LIDL to fill all that blank earth sooner rather than later.
And to top my Operation Transformation mission off, I am down nearly half a stone !
