Month: October 2015

Yourselves all being the disciplined and organised gardeners that you are, you’ve probably never done this. 

Our friend Martin gave us this rose, Amber Queen, as a housewarming present three years ago, which we put into a large pot (the rose, not Martin). I thought at the time that it would be nice to underplant it with ‘Paperwhite’ narcissi and muscari. And so `twas, but the pot had become very congested. So although it was still in its second flush of bloom, we decided to bite the bullet and take the bulbs out, which involved taking the rose out too. It was replanted with some chionodoxa and fresh soil and given a nice drink.

So then we had a bucket of bulbs, which led to clearing the spent annuals from the front round beds so that we could plant Carlton daffs mixed with Paperwhites.  Then I divided up a few geraniums because I noticed two of the young plants in one bed had died.

What to do with all those muscari next. So we weeded and cut back the  studio bed and small border and planted another spare pot of narcissi (or maybe tulips) and most of the muscari. Then we decided the cherry tree was shading the planting too much and that’s why the autumn perennials hadn’t flowered too well, so Alan got the new pruning saw and we cut back a few branches to open it out. Then I wanted a go with the pruning saw so we pruned a few more trees. 

And then I realised the edge of the border looked mucky so I trimmed it. 

Then it started raining or we’d still have been doing that half-hour job in the dark! 

Overheard at Myrtle’s last week:

Clare  …but you told everyone you were slimming down the garden.

Fran:  Shh, close the boot quick, they’ll never notice.

I haven’t had much luck with Anemones in my garden. I was told that they take over. But mine just disappeared altogether. Think that one was ‘hupahensis’, if my memory serves me correctly. Hazel gave a clump of her lovely pink ones in early summer, but they disappeared too. Not prepared to give up trying just yet, though. So while in Gretta’s for a couple of days this week, I decided to try again. Got myself a nice ‘double’ called Anemone x h. ‘Pamina’. Now…..I dare it to disappear on me!

I don’t know how I persevered with these ” Offerings” all summer. Must start earlier next year , possibly in January ! Love the colors though and almost too good to use . Ha 

I know that the weather over the last few weeks has been very good for the time of year and we seemed to have had more sunny days during September than we had during the summer months. This delphinium has started to flower for the second time and has put up a number of flower spikes in the last few weeks and if the weather holds should be stunning if a few of the spikes flower together. I always mulch when I cut them down after their first flowering and this seems to have paid off this year.

This is a great Pampas Grass for a smaller garden. It only grows to about 4ft, and less in spread. Away for a couple of days this week and it decided to show its plumes in my absence.

Looking good for the seed supply for next year.

I’m delighted with my ‘dark planter’. Looking at it the other day I was amazed to see Eupatorium ‘chocolate’ covered in buds, hopefully with a little more of this mild weather they’ll open.

Have a good day folks, and enjoy all the sport 😉

I have a fairly good-sized Tetrapanax growing in my hot border. Mary had warned me that it was going to grow huge, especially if I were to dig around, or disturb, the soil where it’s planted. I’ve been careful not to do this as I don’t want it to take over. 

But yesterday while weeding, I discovered small leaves coming up near it that I suspect may be baby Tetrapanax. Am I right?

I’ve had a lovely selection of different flower colours from the pack of ‘Sunburst Mix’. Here are the latest two.

Today I decided it was time to pot up my Ensete and put in the greenhouse for the winter. I prob could’ve maybe got another small while leaving it out but we have had some fairly cool nights and with work during the weeks I won’t be taking any risks. It has come on great since I first bought it and the leaves and trunk are getting nice and big so here’s hoping I have it next spring/summer to plant out. Just leaving it in the pot in the greenhouse and will not water and just hope it ticks over for me because I do love it.

This area was FULL of primroses last year. But with the completion of the last pond, most of them were uprooted. I was meant to relocate them elsewhere but most of them dried out and were useless. However a few had been left in situ as I planted up the new border, and are beginning to flower now.

These circular paving slabs had originally been intended for use in the Primrose 5-Steps area, but are now still getting used in the same way. The 5 paving slabs represent the 5-steps, and still give me a pathway up to the ‘over the wall’ area. Just one way that areas can evolve but yet retain some of their former characteristics.

The little sumac is one which Fran gave me years ago and had been in a planter since. Hoping this will really take off and help to give Steve the kind of planting he had been looking for. And we have good autumn colour here too.

Now first of all even tho it’s practicully lying on the ground I am thrilled to see this flowering. I have had nerine’s here since I started gardening and lost them all and never flowered for me. These tho I got in Bloom last year and nothing and this year looked like nothing but to my amazement a gorgeous white flower on one of them with hints of pink on the petals but I do not have a clue of the name if anyone can help.

I remember a couple of years ago getting some seed from Rachel of various plants. 

If im right this was one of them but for the life of me I just can’t remember. This was literally just one seed which germinated and it was left to its own devices. But then it sprouted some minute flowers which are going over now. 

So would anyone have any idea what it might be?  I’ve looked at all my labels etc but can’t seem to find one which relates to this. 

Thanks as always 😉 

I’ve always loved Fuschia. But in the past few years they are not in my top ten anymore. Suppose it’s because I’ve found so many more interesting plants. 

Thing is I still have a few here. And I still see their beauty. This one was just thrown in a pot and was left on the steps behind something else. Then I noticed the beautiful flowers on it and started to look after it a bit better. It has been flowering all Summer long and still going. No idea what it is called. But isn’t it lovely. 

I’m finding a few really interesting looking fungi in the garden this year. Here is the latest one.

Have been busy on transferring some plants from my cottage gdn to the new border we created.  I am putting up two photos to show you the position that it’s in opposite the shed border.  At the same time we are de-cluttering the cottage gdn – getting rid of stuff that was in the wrong place and some of it, plants that I wasn’t really that keen on.  Isn’t the weather beautiful – just perfect for catching up with all those gardening jobs.

Here are this Wednesday’s videos.

The first is a tour of the Botanic Gardens – dahlias and grasses are looking fabulous but there is a scary mealy infestation in the greenhouses…

Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin, October 2015 – YouTube

The second video is about some house plants and the new shelves I got to house them…

New Shelves for House Plants – hippeastrum, cyclamen etc – YouTube

I was away from home all day yesterday arriving home after 6 pm. As I came in from the car I was aware of a distinct drop in temperature and the forecast was for frost!

PANIC! 

With great haste I picked up the fork and headed for the Tropical Garden. First rescue was the Miribilis Jalapa – it was definitely looking unhappy. As I dug it up I was delighted to see the single tuber-type root had multiplied into three!

Next was that unnamed Hedychium. Wow! When I lifted it the whole thing was huge!

By now it was 7 pm and the light was beginning to fade so I rushed back to the greenhouse to get these plants potted up. Since I didn’t have a pot large enough for the giant Hedychium so it had to be divided too. All of this took time, of course. 

The compost had to be sieved, the plants divided, appropriate pots located and the plants safely planted and by now it was almost dark! So I had to give in! Plugged in a lamp so I could continue to work in the dark!

And I am now sure that plant is a Hedychium – the smell of ginger was so pronounced when I divided it!

Does anyone know if the roots of this plant can be dried and used in cooking?

I am addicted to spring bulbs, crocus, snowdrops, daffodils, tulips and any other bulb or tuber that flowers in the spring. Today I potted up my last pot for this year.  I love the thought of the promise of all the colour that these little bulbs will produce. 

I have managed to get a lot of work done in the garden this week, clearing a lot of my borders and most importantly washing my small glasshouse which allows me to move in five large agaves. They are becoming so big that I don’t know what I will do with them over the next few years.  I have also brought in a large fuchsia which is not hardy. I will leave the cannas out until the frost kills off the foliage and any in the borders I will mulch. I have taken cuttings of salvias, so I will leave them take there chance. 

I have this feeling that I am very organised for the time of year, but I know that there will be plenty of gardening to do in the coming weeks. The list of jobs for next week is already getting added to and of course ‘ Leaf Season’ is only starting.

Well Fran was correct and the new Dahlias arrived today ! Seedaholic are just great and they even remind buyers that you can collect your own seed from some of the plants after flowering . I don’t recall many seed packets advertising that fact now mind . 

The flowers on Mums grave needed renewing so some winter color was planted up. Nothing worse than sad looking window boxes . I hope I get a while from these winter offerings . 

After losing my beautiful Alstroemeria from last year, Drumanagh (Ali) came up trumps and very kindly gave me the very same one that she had spare, in late August. I’ve been pampering it and cossetting it since then. It looks like it’s an ‘Indian Summer’ for me in mid October. Thanks a mill, Ali.  Will keep this one under protection for this winter and let it put on some strong growth before planting it next year.

I think this is a cutting that I took a while back. If I got it from someone, I’m sure there would have been a label of some sort in the pot. No idea what it is. Looks like an evergreen leaf, and now has developed a pretty pink flower. Can anyone help, please?

That’s what this little cutting is getting. Fuchsia arboresencens, a cutting from Helen Dillon back in August. Saw this plant if flower at the time and it’s a real beauty. All going well I’ll get it through the winter ok.

I re potted it recently and despite it’s size I was really surprised at the amount of root it had produced so quickly.

I bought Salvia ‘Amistad’ just during the latter half of summer. Took a few cuttings (4 to be exact) on 18th August. I’ve never been great with cuttings but all 4 have taken, and now are producing some flowers. I’ll probably remove these for this year, although I’m quite tempted to have another small bit of colour in the garden. And of course, blue, being my favourite colour.