Month: April 2016
I know I featured this before, but thought I would again just to show you how fabulous the flowers have developed on this wonderful plant.
I thought the flowers were fully opened a few weeks back but now they have opened more to a three sided flower. Just spectacular. And what can I say about the foliage, it speaks for itself. This plant seems to thrive on neglect too so lots of good things to say about it.
Really loving this plant…….would anyone know how I could propagate it? I would love to have a few more.
So thank you Eilish again. You have opened up a whole new world to me and I door plants, well this one anyway.
I discovered a few packs of bulbs that I hadn’t planted so they wern’t planted till after Christmas, so I decided to cram them into a large pot that was free at the time. It’s just coming into full flower just now I am I’m loving it.
Going to be another lovely day, so enjoy if you can.
They little houses on the fairy mound got a bit of a spring clean or face-lift this week…….The grandchildren,Aoife and Luke loved them when they came down to visit at Easter…They fairies had hidden Easter eggs behind the doors for each of them …it was priceless watching them find the eggs,and knowing that they really believed that it was the fairies that left them……. The innocence of children is a wonderful thing ……..ok enough day dreaming back to the real garden work 🙂 Sorry photos are sideways
These three trees are looking good in the garden at present. They have all been planted nearly thirty years ago and have grown into good specimens.
It has been another cloudy, grey day here in Waterford. Did a little gardening and pottering about.
These are looking really good at the moment, once the sun gets to them they’ll fully open. Beautiful morning and one to be enjoyed 😉
Had a nice mooch round the garden with the camera before lunch. It’s lovely to see the borders springing up and showing some colour. All of my granddaughter’s tulip pots are open, she did a good job, I think. I’d employ her again!
The forsythia was planted for my dad. He hated the dark winter days and always said forsythia was like the sun in your garden. We underplanted it with red and yellow tulips and I like the effect, though we should probably have planted them a little further away.
The clematis alpina on the trellis was from LizTai last summer. It’s in a very exposed position but it’s come through the winter like a trooper.
Havign admired it all, I suppose we should go and do some work in it! Enjoy the glorious weekend, lads.
Saw this little butterfly this morning having a great time flying backwards and forwards, hardly stopping long enough for me to get a snap. Then this evening I was sitting out enjoying the sun and the sparrows were doing the flying around, not to mention loads of midges. Hope I won’t be scratching madly later on!
We were at the Alpine Garden Society’s Spring Show in Cabinteely yesterday and we met Myrtle who invited us over to see her garden. Her garden is set in a very lovely location having the perimeter of Cabinteely Park facing her garden and so benefiting from the mature trees. The front is a sight to behold and her talent for colour combinations is evident. She has divided one area, on the right hand side of the front garden with a path and has planted pink flowering plants and bulbs underplanted with purple foliage. She continues the purple foliage to the other side, but changes the flowers to orange. This effect makes a small area seem so much bigger.
On the left hand side of the garden the land rises and a huge Agapanthus is growing here which anchors the planting in the rest of this border. There is a beautiful standard variegated Myrtle underplanted with a Epimedium ‘Lilafee’. Also here is a lovely specimen of an Acer palmatum. On an arch a blue clematis invites you to explore more. Towards the back of the front garden a formal sitting out area with another very mature Acer palmatum and her Schefflera set the scene. This area, according to Mytrle is being replanted at present. However, I don’t think much will have to be done. There are pots of plants around the house placed in ideal positions.
The back garden, which is the children’s playing area, has a nice lawn for them to run and play. Along the back wall large shrubs are planted, one being a large Crinodendron. In a black ceramic pot a most beautiful fern is happily growing.
Thanks Myrtle and Ron for a most enjoyable afternoon and the delicious tea and scones.
I posted a journal two weeks ago of the tulips just before they opened well we have had a great display for the past few weeks as we do the washing up!! The weather has been kind to them this year as well this is the third year for these tulips and they are bulking up nicely.
Sitting watching TV as my adopted county playing in Croke Park but looks like Tyrone might get the honours today
The plants in the bog garden beside the ponds are starting to green up. The cowslip has self seeded here and I am quite happy as I really like this pretty little flower They are primarily yellow but there is the odd red one as well. The Hosta is always the first out of the starting traps for me the rest of the hostas in the garden are just starting to make an appearance this one is well up. And last is the little Euphorbia Myrsinites which I have made several bits of over the years and no matter where I pop it down it does well.
Finally I have put up my album for April.
What a great week I have had in the garden. The weather couldnt have been better for it either. I took my time each day and just stayed about an hour or so, but enough for me to get done what I wanted.
The circles have made a huge difference to the garden now. Im just so thrilled to have them and see them develop over the next few months.
Its amazing how much the garden has grown in just a week. Obviously the warm weather has made a huge difference, but flowers that were buds last week are in flower this week, brilliant!
The weather will get colder this week, according to the Met office, but I dont mind it can only get better as Summer is around the corner!
It cant come quick enough now!
Hope you enjoy the Album
A rea leveryday plant in our gardens. I love everything about it, shape, foliage, flowers and seedheads. One well worth having in the garden.
R.pseudochrysanthum is a rarely seen species Rhododendron that is flowering very well this year, aren’t the flowers delightful.
Something else that is delightful is the latest of my Magnolias to flower, M.loebneri ‘merrill’. I planted this in 2006, the same time as i planted my M.stellata which i featured last week. M.loebneri ‘merrill’ is stronger growing and less compact but is a lovely Magnolia and would grace any garden.
Another Magnolia in flower is M.soulangeana, which is one of the larger Magnolias and always can be relied on to put on a good show.
Flowering today in the bright sunshine are two very nice flowering bulbs. The first is Narcissus triandrus ‘Lemon drops, a very dainty daffodil which likes good drainage and will thrive in a raised bed or trough. The tulip is Tulipa ‘Peppermint Stick’ a beautifully marked tulip. This species is also known by it’s common name The Lady Tulip and it comes back each year and also increases in numbers.
I have over the last year or so started to collect auriculas and Paddy has made me a very crude Auricula Theatre from orange boxes, however running out of space already. I think I will have to have a look in some second hand shops to see if I can get the top half of an old dresser to display them. Possibly by the time I track down the dresser, I will have got fed up of the auriculas.
Is there anything better than knocking a long awaited plant of your list?
That’s what I did at the Annual Alpine show at the weekend. Couldn’t believe my eyes when I picked up a small Hosta and read Hosta Empress Wu, talk about happy days, this is no I’ve wanted for a long time.
Badly in need of potting on I did this on Sunday and will keep it in a pot for this year.
Delighted with this one, as we’ve all said before, aren’t we easily pleased.
I went to a lovely Open garden at Cuskinny, Cobh yesterday and bought an Alstromeria, a Euryops and 2 unknowns. The one with dark purply foliage they said has a yellow flower. The other one needs support and has a pretty blue flower. Thanks in advance!
Hi all, at the Christmas get-together lots of you donated plants for the mental health themed community garden I’m involved in through work. I thought you might like to see its progress. (Bear in mind this was a derelict site full of rubble and litter up until we started clearing it last year.)
A big thank you again to all those who donated plants.
I’ll post more photos when it’s complete.
You’re invited… – Shine
I had two of these plants last year and decided I would divide them up. I got about 7 plants in total. Kept them in the greenhouse over Winter and then about 4 weeks ago I put them outside. To say they are thriving is an understatement.
Thwy have doubled in size and quantity. I’ve never seen so many flowers on one plant. I have them in the middle circle in the garden and they look fantastic there.
Looks like another nice day, sunny now so enjoy it whatever you do 🙂
I have aeonium zwartkop for several years, given to me by Rachel, I have tried to get it to branch by taking the top off and cutting the stem in to a couple of pieces and rooting them. However I have not been very successful as several have rotted, probably had them too wet.
However I have successfully managed to get one to branch now. I took the very top of the rosette off (and you can start this off again as a new plant). Then the old plant sent out several new shoots around what was left of the rosette. Now instead of just one rosette I have at least 5 which will keep on growing and make 5 branches, if I want to keep that many. Im really delighted with the results and will soon have to give this plant a bigger pot. The old leaves will soon dry up and fall off or I will pull them off.
All starting to take off again for another good year hopefully. First photo is of my main ensete plus two new smalller ones. Also two brugmansia Sanguineas, one of which was a gift from Maryjoe and the other I ordered off ebay and just behind them my Cyathea all enjoying the sun yesterday. They still stay in the greenhouse at night.
Second photo is of my T-rex and to show how tall it has got after almost two years, quite impressed with it and hope my three pups come on well this year too.
Lastly is of my main and biggest Dicksonia Antartica (Tree Fern) which is throwing up a fantastic amount of new fronds. I am giving my tree ferns regurlar watering now to give them a good start.
Love the acers coming into bloom.Will try to post some photos . Have created a new album titled ‘ Garden Colour.’Did some work in the garden today,cutting grass and weeding.Typical Irish weather still of sunshine and showers.Small weeds emerging through joints in cobblelock were treated with roundup but not 100%effective.Bought 4 litres of bleach in Lidl for 2.38 euro and mixed with 12 litres water and brushed on cobblelock which is quite extensive around house front and back with a soft brush. This proved effective in combatting weeds and cleaning bricks and at a cheaper price. Suggest doing it on a dry day so there is no run off into garden.
The stepping stones had sunk, tall flowers (that I wasn’t keen on) had taken over, an old school desk that had done the rounds of the house and garden – then we got the chance of free bark……………….. I must say I didn’t have much to do with the heavy work ie moving desk into place, lifting slabs and replacing but definitely had a hand in the planting!!! Previously we had bare earth around the slabs and weeding was non-stop. Now with the bark laid around and between them life should be a breeze……………….. I had sown daffs and tulips in pots last September so they were waiting in the wings to be planted in to the border. Variegated Honesty has seeded in just the right places and lots of seedlings appearing. I have planted lupins (sown from seed last year) plus other perennials. Cosmos sown a few weeks ago are coming on nicely in the greenhouse. Looking forward to more growth in the coming months!!
Keego gave me a piece of Saxifraga rotundifolia last year. I was looking for it in the last few weeks in Angela’s corner and was sure it was gone. But today while feeding the fish I saw this tiny white flower and there it was, right beside the decking and pond.
I then remembered that I chanced my mind on where to plant it and forgot where my final spot was, age and all that I here you say LOL
Isn’t the wee flower just something else? Really loving this one.
Thanks Keego.
It’s not easy trying to plan what to do in the garden when the threat of showers lies overhead.
That was my dilemma yesterday. The front lawn needed to be cut and it was a lovely day, well it was until I took out the lawn mower. No sooner had I cut the grass and was about to tidy the edges when the hailstones battered the place. Honestly they are sore if you get caught out lol.
So I was ducking and diving the showers, sheltering in my little porch way but eventually got it done.
While standing waiting on the showers to pass I noticed some lovely Tulips which I planted last Autumn, but totally forgot about them. No idea of their name but pretty all the same. You don’t get to take much notice of what’s growing in the front when running in and out so it was nice to a have a few moments to take it all in.
Second photo shows my Honesty in full flower
Last photo shows the intensity of those showers and me ‘stranded’. But I did get it all finished in the end. Even if I was soaked when I had finished. All in a day’s work 😉
I was given a few bulbs of this trillium some years ago from my neighbour’s dad who was a great gardener. I am not certain if it is Albidum or not, maybe someone here can identify it for me. No idea why the photo is appearing upside down, have tried turning the photo upside down before uploading it but it’s still coming out upside down, sorry. The variegated tulips are a first for me. I saw them growing in Karl Wrights garden last year and liked them so decided to try them. They are late flowering but I like the foliage. I have some narcissi Avalanche with them. Then on the theme of variegation I include the variegated honesty which I got a few years ago and each year have a few here and there.
What an awful morning here, woke to snow which has now turned to rain. No wonder those tulips are so reluctant to open their flowers!!!! Why would you!
