Month: July 2016

This Fuchsia came from Helen Dillons garden last year and was caught by the same frost as F Boliviana, this one took longer to recover but seems to be doing grand now.

A few of us got cuttings on that day, so I knew I would get a cutting in time if this one failed. I’ll be taking a cutting or two of these just, to be sure to be sure!!

Love seeing this little seed grown Dahlia coming up each year for the last few years. I leave these in the ground and so far, so good. I do tend to prefer the single ones.

It was a last-minute decision to plant Fran’s Solidago beside my tall Knautia macedonica. I think the two look great together. Solidago is something I wouldn’t be without in the garden as it’s such a rich yellow. I like yellow. I like the sun. Let’s hope the overnight rain was enough to avert a drought for our plants.

I was very taken with this Sidalcea ‘Elsie Heugh’ at Blarney in Bloom a few years back and got 3 on a 3-for-2 offer. It took a while to establish but is just getting to be a nice show. The bees love it, always a plus for us. 

It’s a while since I’ve been in Blessington Street Basin (a hidden oasis in the heart of Dublin city) but was there earlier this week and spotted several plants of Albizia julibrissin around the gate lodge.  Most were in raised beds and looking just a little stressed in the heat and drought, not surprising for young plants, though Albizia are supposed to like sunshine and warmth.  The best example was in a pot in the porch of the gate lodge, looking and feeling wonderful with its tactile silky foliage.

It must have flowered quite early as there were already seed pods. 

The first and only time I saw Albizia in flower (Mount Congreve), I was completely smitten but basic research told me it would grow far too big for my garden.  So I’ll be happy to watch the progress of these whenever I’m back in Blessington Street. 

Sorry the second photo is sideways, the usual problem with phone photos on this site. 

Joan kindly gave me three Sunflowers and they are starting to flower now, I’ll have to check the name of the dark one as I think it is totally stunning.

Thanks Joan

These two very different dahlias looking good in the garden at the moment. The first is Dahlia Australis which I grew from seed. This is about the fourth year for this plant which is over 3 ft tall and I really like the simple flower which reminds me of a cosmos. The second is new to the garden this year and I have kept it in a pot (my history with dahlias left in the ground is not great ) this one is called “Karma Choc” Love the flour my only complaint that the foliage is almost the same colour and the flower does not really stand out from the foliage

We all know of Hazel’s love of Clematis. After several attempts I finally go a cutting of C.recta to take and was delighted to pass it on to Hazel yesterday.

This is a herbaceous Clematis, growing to over 2m. The flowers are in big clusters and lightly scented in warm evenings.

One well worth thinking about and only needs staking, other than that it minds itself and bulks quickly into a large sized plant.

Hazel enjoy and I’ve no doubt it will trive under your care.

Eupatorium (Joe Pyeweed) was planted directly in front of the latest pond two years ago. It was put there temporarily to hide the last pond until it had been completed. Thought we had the job finished last year but to our dismay discovered a leak fairly high up on the liner. Neither of us have had great health this year, and Steve is only now seeing a bit of improvement with his back. The pond hasn’t been tackled at all this year but ‘Joe’ is doing his bit well and truly, until we’re both back on track. Shouldn’t be too long now.

So if I don’t want to be depressed waiting for the pond to be finished, I don’t dwell too much on what lies on the far side of the Eupatorium, simple!!! Although this area does get a daily check to see if there’s anything new opening.

Scrubber was very good today. Before he went to play with the mud he strimmed the terraces and the banks and the grass steps and then down into the bottoms and strimmed all around there. Heavy going. That done he treated himself. Got the shovel and crowbar and began to dig out the mud from the rill. Not easy. Then had a brainwave slipped in by Cherub Lute to shift a big rock in the bank so that it would form a bridge. Follow me closely! It went into the mud and Cherub advised me to leave it as it was and dig a channel around it-thus showing off the stone and it also answers to the other stones in what I will call the astilbe garden! Was pleased so went down  a bit further where ther was a stone acting as a bridge-big safe stepping stone but as I manouvered it it sank into the deeper mud down there-theres a picture to come and you can just make out the tip of it! Ill never get it up so I cut my losses and phoned a good young man who previously sold me fine real railway sleepers and he is to get me three five foot lengths and they will act as a bridge over the swamp! I have to wait a month though so Ill be very careful down there. Then I sawed off some big broken branches of willow and opened up a bit of space and did a lot more strimming of the ubiquitous (sister Josephine are you listening?) Himalayan Balsam. After all that I came in for a hot shower and while standing in it realised I could have gone for a dip in the river but forgot! Ill put up some pics but they are not great.

Spotted a fox walking around the garden this morning at about 05.30. I’ve seen him a few times now over the last couple of months. But this is the first time I managed to stop my hands shaking with excitement and get a half decent photo.

Yesterday I took my HelpX Helpers for a little bit of sight-seeing on their last day and one of the places we went was Cahir Castle. Having had a lovely tour of the castle we were just getting back into the car when I spotted an intersting looking footbridge just asking to be explored. 

What a joy!

First thing that caught my eye was a lovely patch of wildflower meadow  and as I explored that I noticed several wonderful sculptures carved out of trees that had obviously been carved more or less where they fell!

Coupled with the great views of the river Suir as it winds around the castle it was a totally unexpected treasure and a great way for my helpers to end their tourist trip!

I’ve put up an album because I couldn’t choose which photo I liked best!

It is call “Inch Field” but i couldn’t find any more information so if any of you from that neck of the woods can enlighten me I’d be delighted!

I took a friend to Kilmacurragh yesterday, a total non gardener so I was interested to see what he would think, he was well impressed and ended up asking lots of questions about plants here and there.

One shrub just stood out altogether, Cornus capitata (China) it was in full bloom and looked fantastic. Sadly for some reason the two photos I took of the full shrub were not up to any decent standard for showing.

Gerry would not believe me when I pointed out Banana plants to him, there was a gardener close by who confirmed what I said, and Gerry believe him when he said he should come back at the end of October to taste the bananas. Gerry wasn’t impressed when I put his mind at ease on the way home. 😉

The garden is so overgrown this year that I thought I had seen the last of my Cautleya spicata. So I was delighted yesterday when I spotted it, and flowering, in the jungle of weeds at the back of the garden. It’s such an exotic looking plant.

On a recent visit to a garden in England I spotted these two beautiful dahlias, but do not know what they are called. The garden is Abbeywood Garden is Cheshire, a really fabulous garden.

Persicaria is not a favourite plant of mine as is can be somewhat invasive, but I think this is just a fantastic planting with this lovely large pot.

Deb asked me to put up a few mirrors in the garden today. Well they are done and I can get back on with gardening

I had guys doing probes in the garden a few weeks ago and some of my Cosmos got trampled, but one wasn’t quite broken so i put in a twiggy stake and splinted it with string and now it’s flowering. Very glad I saved it!

I love Lady’s Mantle and the way it just floats out over the drive 

This is one of the plants I bought at Fota last summer. I’ve been watching and waiting for signs of growth for months now and was almost ready to put the contents of a couple of pots onto the compost. But as I haven’t really had the opportunity to get a proper look at what’s in the greenhouse in the last month I was delira and excira yesterday to see that this hardy Begonia is finally showing some signs of life.

The upper side of the leaf is lovely. The underneath is even nicer, and the red markings on the stems are just as nice. Haven’t seen this one in flower yet (white), so watching this one with great interest.

I’d forgotten all about the Cephalaria, which I received from Keego at Johnstown a few years ago. I like it against the dark green of the Berberis. I thought the Achillea was going to be red, but it turned out white, quite good with the Lychnis, Maltese Cross, especially as those are the Cork colours. The white Delphinium I grew from seed a few years ago, I suppose I should put it in the ground but I’m afraid of it being eaten by slugs or crowded out by other things.

I see I maaged to put up a ‘photo album’of two photos and both the same. Very sorry I will try to get rid of it. Apparently Chrome does not work anymore in putting up albums. Ill try to see if i can squeeze in a few with this apology! The problem is I do have nice pictures just cant print them!

Was away for a weekend and then for a night and the rains came and the grass grew!!! However i did well in Glanbia and next year I shall be rich in clematis blossom!

I’m also going to nip a bit off the Ground at the carraig mor but just to enhance the shape and the stone, nothing too drastic. Paddy’s astilbes are very promising and i put intwo nice ligularia in contrast. The rain was so bad today it drove me indoors!

Been away for a short break and got back at 7 pm last night and as usual the first stop was the garden! I hadn’t even taken the bags out of the car when I had to just take a “quick walk” to see what has happened in 4 days!!!!

I’m turning into a “veggie” this year – the first photo is the first tomato to appear in the greenhouse – they are Cherry Tomatoes and I’m not sure if they need to be trained the same way as the “ordinary” ones? I’ve also put some extra tomato plants in the vegetable garden (there’s posh!) just to see how they will do.

So even if the tomatoes weren’t quite ready for harvesting the Mangetout and the Strawberries were so I came back in with a bowl full of stuff! The cut-and-come-again lettuce is the ideal way to grow lettuce if you have a small family and mine is doing well this year. I also planted out some coriander that I got in the supermarket and it has taken well.

I have a question for all you experienced veg-growers – how do I know when to harvest my onions?

Oh and this Lily had opened while I wasn’t looking too!

I grew really dark Poppies with frilly edges a few years ago and now have a variety of descendants.

I have the laptop out tonight and looking through garden photos I realised that I no longer have certain plants.

Salvia nemorosa ‘Schwellenberg’was a very different salvia and was a perfect colour for what I call my ‘juniper bed’. One that I would like to find again, may have bought it in Mount Venus one time.

Agastache Black Adder and also Heronswood Mist are no longer with me, two which I really liked.

A clematis Princess Diana also didnt come back and it was beautiful 🙁

But…. better to have loved and lost than not to have loved at all!