Month: May 2016
Temperature was down a bit to day. We had some sun early on and as I mentioned, I discovered fruits on the tomato plants. All of the Tomato plants that were in large pots were fed for the first time. Watering of others was as usual. For a while we had some rain but it cleared. I got at the compost heap and broke it up. The robin was along as usual to see what was alive in it. More compost was brought to the third rose bed, much farther away than the two near the house. By about 8 p.m. the job was complete. I noticed quite a number of buds on the rose bushes and they seemed to be free of black spot. Examening the lilies, I noticed one red beetle so the bug gun was brought along and what was there got the works.
My better half has expressed an interest in going to Bloom !!
Does one need to pre book tickets or are they available on the day ? I though there was a discount for garden.ie members but didn’t see it in the magazine despite Gerry D mentioning a €2 per ticket discount . All or any advice welcome
….being uber-critical, but the site seems to have been developing some irritating quirks lately. Not only are photos appearing the wrong way round, but it’s started giving a little jerk as you try to click on a name, and you get the previous person’s post instead (which you’ve already read). Maybe that’s just our awful slow internet connection, but although I think the site itself is great and we should support it, it does feel lately as if the FB page is the easier option.
What happened to our man Craig? Is he the victim of cutbacks?
Despite the hailstones of the last week The Lane continues to green up and the lovely soft foliage has survived the torrential downpours. I feel the cool temperatures this month has prolonged the flowering of the daffodils. The Spanish bluebells are also out in force and if I had my time back again I would never have planted them. The old chestnut, which dominates The Lane, has it’s flower buds and won’t be long before it is in full bloom. This months plant in The Lane has to be the Acers. I have a number of Acer palmatum var, dissectum dotted through the west facing side and their soft and colourful spring foliage has to be one of the delights of Spring. Another shrub flowering for the last month or so has been the beautiful Stachyurus praecox ‘Issai’. The buds are also on the large Rhododendrons that have been planted there nearly thirty year ago and should look good during May as they come into flower.
Yesterday I had a lovely evening at Lismore Castle attending the lecture by Dan Pearson on the creation last year of his Chelsea garden in association with Chatsworth, where the garden was reconstructed during the autumn. Margaret(Hosta) and Ted K were also there and Margaret has put photos of the gardens at Lismore Castle on FB which were looking beautiful on the cool and sunny evening.
Does anyone lift divide and store their container tulips ? lots of new bulbs forming too . Should I plant these for growing on or store too ?
I sowed loads of Gladioli cormlets and they are all peeping now. This is a two year project I think , pot on for flowers next year ?
Love the new growth on my Mahonia and Fatsia at the moment.
Following on from Frans gorgeous Euphorbia. I thought I would show you the flowers on one of mine that is looking amazing at the moment.
My sister commented on Saturday that if you look at it quickly it resembles a Peacock lol, I did say ‘quickly’ lol
This is Euphorbia amygdaloides Robbiae , now as I said before a ‘traveller’ but beautiful lush green foliage too and gorgeous flowers.
Peter, how could you not just love these. Jacinta and myself will have to convert you. I look forward to their arrival every year.
I bought these Tulipa bakeries ‘ Lilac Wonder’ about thirty years ago when we moved into this house and over the years they have spread underground and can pop up anywhere in this part of the garden. They have foliage all through the winter months and will flower for at least a month. They die off during the summer months and can look a bit unsightly but seeing them this morning opening up to the heat of the morning sun, you would have to forgive the thuggish behaviour.
I discovered this little plant growing in the Spring Border on my return during the week. It’s the only one in the garden and I have no idea what it may be. Can anyone help, please?
I like these two for different reasons, Sango Kaku/Senkaki which has wonderful red stems in winter, and the second palmatum dissectum because I got it as a bargain in Dunnes a few years ago 🙂
Nothing beats a lovely head of red hair 😉
Sedum rubrotinctum, is finally bulking up nicely in this case and this guy may even need atrim by the years end, mind you with a look like that I’m not sure I want to be the one doing it!!! LOL
This is the first Perennial to bloom in my garden. I usually associate this plant with being late flowering . No luck in trying to find a name so have posted in Plant menu_order as well. Seems to spread in a controlled manner. Must collect seeds as it is a useful addition to the early Summer garden. As you know must be very careful handling this plant!!
Good afternoon all, as we down in the south west have another wet day, i tended to my indoor plants which mostly i have is the succulents, I have a good number of them and am running out of space for them, i really need a greenhouse or shed with glass roof & plenty of shelves, Here i have 2 photos of them with flowers, well not sure of the second one which i think is echeveria rosette whether its going to flower or if its a new plant, it has 2 growing out of it, maybe someone could help me on that. On another note, with so many of you here having ponds, my Aunt has one and she lives in Dunmanway, well friday the water was brown across the town, and 29 of her goldfish died, one was the size of a salmon and was there from day one, years upon years old it was, she is devasted over them, the big fella used to eat from her hand and nyone could stroke him, She has been told that tomorrow the investigation will start as to where the sourse of dirty water came from
I had totally forgotten how beautiful this plant is, it was looking splendid in wonderful light today.
Ok, in my dizzy little head I seem to be still in Spain. But I’m home over a week now and failed to even notice my Darmera peltata already in flower. It was only as a result of Fran’s journal the other day that I decided to investigate further. Talk about walking around with blinkers on? But, I’ve also had the excuse that my sister has been up from the country for the weekend. At least I didn’t miss it altogether. I’d really worry about myself if that had happened, LOL.
And in my ‘hot’ border I spotted the first flower open on my Iris confusa ‘Martyn Rix’. I love this shade of baby blue.
Sister is now gone home so I hope get something done tomorrow however small it may be.
Always a thrill when the first wild orchid leaves appear. In the woods and along the road there are Early Purples in bloom, but our first are the Heath Spotted, followed by Bee orchid, Pyramids and Fragrant, with the odd Twayblade thrown in.
We’ll be having our first-ever charity Open Day in a few weeks when the orchids are in full bloom, so I’ll put up a post in a few days when we have the poster designed. It’ll be in aid of Cystic Fibrosis Ireland and Irish SeedSavers, so hope to see some of you there.
I love tulips but tulips dont like me!
I sowed lots in the borders in autumn but they all rottted
I sowed two pots of late ones i got reduced and here is the result
I suppose i should stick to pots from now on
This is always the last Erythronium to open here, but I really like this one. After a wet start today I brightened a little but not enough to encourage the flowers to open fully.
The first two little Aquilegias appeared today. No names for either as I’m sure they’ve crossed with the original ones I bought years ago.
After all the rain of the last three days, these two pot of tulips have stood up to all that was thrown at them. I have used the same tulip in my layered pots, but they are not fully open yet. I doubt if these are perennial and will throw them out when they finished flowering. I bought them in Lidl, so we’re not expensive.
All the petals have now fallen from Caltha palustris in the Greenhouse Pond. But I think it’s just as pretty without the petals as with.
Did too much in the garden yesterday so today is going to be a day of taking stock, and easy priority jobs.
The sun is glorious out there so I reckon it’s time to top up the tan.
Just out putting a few finishing touches on small jobs I did today, and was stopped in my tracks with the sweet, sweet fragrance of my Rowan. I’ve never smelt it before, but maybe it is only produced in the evening times.
This time last year we were in Wales on holiday and visited Bodnant Garden and The Hidden Garden. I went to Crug nurseries and bought my schefflera and a big lily which I lost the label off, so I thought I would find it when I looked back at my journal from last year but……….no journal……… so annoyed as this is my only chance to know the name of the lily! I know it is Cardiocrinum but which one? So annoyed with myself for losing the label too as it is a special plant.
Has anyone else noticed missing journals?
That’s what I had to do yesterday morning to get this photo of Erythronium Snowgoose whice is now fuuly open with this wonderful sunshine, well worth the effort I think.
Looking good already and I have till midday in the garden, bring it on.
Enjoy your day.