Month: July 2016

don’t you just love that feeling of going around the garden after being away on holidays. It’s been almost 2 weeks since I have seen the garden and always love the difference you see in that small space of time. So much coming into flower now and the garden has really just taken off while I was away and even better I came back to a very nice hot and sunny day to enjoy it.

Put up a small album of photos I took today

For once this planting combination was done deliberately. I think they look well together – Sanguisorba ‘Rock ‘n Roll’, and Knautia macedonica is on its way to join it.

I was very lucky to visit two beautiful gardens this weekend!! Periwinkle at Sea View and Rachel at Douentza.

This was my first time at Sea View and as always you have to be there to really appreciate it all, the fragrances and the beauty!! The garden is very wet under foot but it is incredible what Dorothy can grew!! I loved it and thank you Dorothy for your warm hospitality!!! 

Rachel’s garden gets better and better each time I visit and I always see things which I missed like this stunning Robinia ‘Twisty Baby’, it was like a giant bonsai!  Rachel what is the name of the purple plant in the last photo – is it a salvia? Loved it!!! Thanks again Rachel!!

This must be one of the best years with me for roses. I’m afraid I have not got the names. No rain so far to day so some gardening will be carried out. Grass is growing rapidly as I gave it nitrogen the time the weather broke.

It must be high summer when the clematis are flowering their socks off. Despite the windy and rainy weather over that last three weeks the clematis are performing well and with the nice sunny weather today the colour of the flowers is so intense.

The walls of most of my cottage/farmhouse are mud and stone, quite scary when you actually see what they are made from!  There is lime wash so not possible to grow anything on the wall .  It needs a new paint job but what with new windows that is not on for this year. So how to cover some of the shabby part and also enclose my hot area on all sides. Off to Done Deal and find someone who will make planters to your own specs. Turns out he is a retired gent and I was at school with his sisters, what a small world. So I ordered two with a 6ft trellis attached. They are 14” deep and 3′ long quite hefty chaps; lined and with 6 drainage holes. He brought them down and assembled them here and about two weeks ago I piled in the  compost , some my own and some bought. Then came the plants which you will see. Next year I hope to plant Clematis in them to cover the trellis. Hope you like them!

Yes I will bombard ye with Dahlias for awhile but I just love them and one of the best performing plants in the garden here.

1st is Dahlia Pooh which is just a must for the garden here, it’s colour is stunning on a collarette type flower is perfect.

2nd is Dahlia Sylvia which is my second year growing this and is a terrific pom pom type dahlia and works well with purples/lilacs etc and a nice tall dahlia for a tropical border.

3rd is Dahlia Bishop of York which is the real Bishop of York much better than what I tought I was gorwing the last few years. It wasn’t until I saw it in Margartet’s last year that I realised my bishop of york ws not as it had said years ago so I bought another tuber of it in spring and this is def the right one and love it.

Enjoyed a nice day in the garden today and got the grass cut and some deadheading done. Two super days since arriving back from holidays so can’t complain.

Yes, the grass (it’s no longer a lawn) is growing like wildfire. Steve still hasn’t got his back sorted out. I can see the cogs going around in his brain every day when he’s looking out the window. At this stage it’s getting a bit dangerous with me even walking around the garden on the crutches. Constant trip hazard, and as all I’m doing is a small bit of weeding and cutting back, I’m just throwing the rubbish down onto the grass as it’s not feasible to be lugging a big black around with me. So the piles are building up.

But it looks like we’re now going to have to pay someone to cut the grass. Can’t wait for miracles to happen. At least then I’ll have something back that resembles a garden – until it grows back!!!!   So frustrating for both of us.

Today I cut back loads of stems from the vine in the greenhouse that were beginning to take over, and gave my fennel at the greenhouse door a severe chop back. Some really ridiculously heavy showers today, the worst one being when I had to hobble down to the local shop. We really do take our cars for granted. Had to strip every item of clothing off me as soon as I got home.

Lesson for the week: ‘Be incapacitated only when there is an able-bodied person around who can take over.’  LOL

I have galega alba in my back garden and and because its in the back it rarely gets a mention but I decided Id take a couple of photos today and give it a place of honour!

It grows fairly tall so needs to be at the back of the border, may need a little support but it really is a very sturdy plant. Being white it will fit in to any colour scheme and it has a long flowering period and If you dead head it will bloom all summer. The foliage is very nice too.

There is nothing to dislike about this plant – Galega Alba!

Did a bit more weeding today. And with very little persuasion, Steve’s brother came over and hacked away at the grass with the industrial strimmer, followed by the first mowing. Still looking a bit raw, but hopefully will get an even mow tomorrow, weather permitting. I felt like a bit of a cad with the two of us looking out at Derek working hard, while we sat at the dining table. Very obliging fellow, and I’m very fond of him. I refuse to put up a ‘before’ photo as I’d be mortified. But this is how it looks for now. More tomorrow.

Delighted to see my first tomato almost ready for my plate. Peaches are ripening nicely too, but are much smaller than most years as I didn’t get to thin them out.

Can’t believe I didn’t remove the clothes line before the photo, and one of the black bags. But, c’est la vie! Life is good again!

I’m not all that mad about orange flowers and they can be hard to place in the garden but my sister likes the colour so we have a few.  These lilies are in pots which are popped into the back border when the tulips there have died back.  They certainly add some zing right now.  Sorry I don’t have a name for them. 

My poor old garden doesn’t know what is happen it, despite my now working from home now the most I’ve done in the garden is had coffee breaks of lunch in it. So today I decided to take the camera on a walk about.

Even with my neglect there are some great shows of colour around about.

This journal is in response to Jacinta’s journal and all the remarks regarding Galega. 

These are three pictures, taken last year in Shropshire , at Wollerton Old Hall Gardens, where the planting is abosolutely delightful. The colours are so well placed and enhance each other. 

I thought you might like to see how lovely it is in that garden. On the last picture, is the tall dark red a Salvia?

I do not have galega. I must look out for it. 

I think Jacinta may have posted a while ago about this tree sculpture on the corner of St Anne’s Park by the causeway.  I drive past it regularly and today stopped for a closer look.  It’s a mighty artwork, sculpted all round.  Some of the creatures spotted were a large swan on top with wings outstretched, a gannet, another seabird (guillemot?), 7 owls, 3 badgers, 3 seals, dolphin, another big fish, a lobster, wading bird, 3 turtles, 3 foxes, 2 hares, 2 bunny rabbits, a bird of prey, starfish … and tucked into the centre, a hurley.  There was probably more. 

The sculptor came over from England and completed the work in stages after the tree had to be cut back last year. 

Well it’s been raining every day for the past 10 days. Afternoon showers or heavy afternoon rains, so we can get some things done in the AM.

I had ordered some pots for the bonsai so I to a ride over a pick them up. Also bought a few different shapes. We have at least a half a dozen pottery makers within a 1 km radius so it is not difficult to find what you are looking for, and the prices are reasonable. The larger pots I used in the bonsai cost me about $2.00 each.

Then we were off to get some plants. Villia a nearby small town is know for it plants. The entire grounds surroung the mid 18th centurey church are covered with plants for sale. I should have brought my camera. Well next time.

We finally found some intresting plants to pot. Six nice palnts for bonsai and a hanging basket. Cost about $15.00. Very reasonable.

You can see the results in my most recent photo album. The rocks came from our yard.

Hope you enjoy the pix.

Today was a very good day for the new bee colony judging by the activity. Funnily enough last night I fed the bees (on advice) as the weather so far has been hit and miss.

Today I got some close ups of the Bees returning from Pollen collection and you can see them struggle to make a landing when laden down with the baskets full. Two different types of pollen appear to be under collection, a bright yellow and a more grey type. Variety makes for a nicer honey Iam assured.  Others who appear to have no pollen most likely have been water collecting or nectar sipping. Each has their own specific task and these are now in the final few weeks work as each Bee only lives nine week approx.

Before they become foragers they spend time doing house keeping and then sentry duty. Facinating lives and so very ordered.

Hope all are well and busy gardening ( I still manage to get some gardening in)

I can’t believe we are in July. It doesn’t feel it when you look out that window. At the minute the wind is very high and strong so I will need to check those hanging baskets, again!!! and put them on the ground. This is very disappointing weather. Yes it’s mild but some prolonged sunshine would be such a treat. 

But apart from that the garden isn’t looking too bad I suppose. I havent had much time to go out with our new little granddaughter’s arrival, as I’m the designated driver for my daughter for another couple of weeks. So the garden really needs a bit of TLC. But the colour is there. Some doing better than others. Some need staking and some need cutting back. As I have a 6th birthday party to attend today, my eldest granddaughter Cara, where did those years go??!, it won’t be today. And the weather looks bleak for the weekend. Ah well life goes on. 

Here are one or two looking good. 

Oh the last one is really growing now 😉 

While back at my old home place today i met my aunt Mary and she was asking is there much colour in the garden at the minute and at first i answered that it’s all foliage at the minute as the Rhodos, Camellias and Magnolias etc have finished flowering and then i remembered the Hydrangeas and thought to myself how could i have overlooked them. She then asked do i grow Roses and there it was, another mea culpa moment. another bad case of overlooking.

I suppose that can happen with plants that need little care bar the odd pruning and deadheading and isn’t it a shame as they add so much to the summer garden. Hydrangeas do great here and are predominantly shades of blue and purple in colour. What wonderful shrubs they are. I haven’t names for any of them, the first two are from cuttings from my Mams garden in Fedamore and the third is from my grandmother Bridgets garden, also in Fedamore, my uncle Joe gave it to me. I was very close to my grandmother and it is lovely to have a part of her garden in mine.

I have various jobs to do in the garden but seem to lack the energy for getting around to them, perhaps it’s the heavy though windy weather.  So instead I’m enjoying just pottering, deadheading, tidying up the roses, watering pots etc and appreciating the plants in flower right now.  

Penstemon ‘Evelyn’ has lovely dainty flowers in a glowing shade of pink.  In its second year it’s doing well in the front garden and I’ll be taking cuttings soon.  Persicaria affine, an often underrated planted, is one I’ve always liked and good at the edge of a border. And my favourite small hardy geranium, Geranium sanguineum striatum, always brings a smile when I see it; the camera doesn’t get the colour right. 

Yes Windy is an understatement………………….its blowing a hurricane outside for the past two days, but its very warm. Im hoping that after this evening that will be the end of it, because everything is just being battered to bits here!

This morning I noticed one of my lovely Poppies, Lilac Pom Pom has just opened so ran out quickly to get a snap of it before the wind has blown it apart. 

Then I took a few more photos of a couple of more which opened overnight!

First one is the poppy, second photos is some Pink Mallow which I grew from seed and they are lovely. About 5 foot tall this plant, so imagine how they are doing in the wind

Last photo is my Monarda. Just about to flower too. I bought this in Dealz about 2 years ago for €1.49 and still going strong!

Perovskia (Russian Sage) is doing its best, together with Lysimachia punctata, to brighten up my North-facing, and very untidy border.

Not a day for gardening here.

Hello all, after a wet & windy weekend, well down in west Cork anyway, it was nice to see it dry today, i see my wildflowers are just starting to open up now every day, for a few years now i have been buying the Lidl wildflower seeds, and i end up with mostly the cornflowers & corncockle and very few different flowers, so i think ill not bother with them anymore and get packets myself and mix them up and plant up. the 2 single flower pictures are the corn flowers, the others are so pretty, i wish there was more of them. Have a nice week people, enjoy

Video of garden taken in the rain.

I haven’t been here for a while and then two come along.

I was in Tibet during May and did some travelling there. It is a surprising country and if you go do not underestimate the power of low humidity to dehydrate you it is very pleasant with lots of interest. Drink plenty of water and remember the humidity can be in the low teens. That is desert conditions and it will dry you out. I have added a picture of a plant which is ubiquitious in the Tibetan countryside and I am not able to identify it. Can anybody put a name to it.

There is a lot of tillage farming with barley and wheat grown extensively. Surprisingly potatoes are also grown. All of this farming is possible because of extensive irrigation from the rivers. Vegetables are grown under glass and oil seed rape is another popular crop with the straw used for house heating in Winter. Yak cattle and sheep are also kept for meat. Both yaks and horses are still used to pull farm implements. Horses and also bred for the many horse racing festivals held every year.

Because of the farming system the diet is surprisingly easy for us Irish to enjoy. Fried potatoes with a little chopped onion; yak steak which is almost the same as beef steak; chicken; mutton; eggs both fried and in omlettes; and selections of vegetable, mostly pulsars. And lots of fruit.

The altitude is not for everybody. We lived and travelled for five, almost six days at between 13,000 and 17,000 feet. You learn to pace yourself. You do not run up the stairs, and when out walking, particularly on uphill stretches, you break frequently for large lungfuls of air. After the first day, this routine becomes habit and then you will enjoy all the activity. Even monastery visits can be strenuous. For instance, Drepung Monastery once housed 10,000 monks. A small town, it stretches up the side of a steep hill so that in walking from the entrance to the higher areas you climb just about two hundred metres. And then you walk back down again. Do not visit it on the first day.

An interesting and exotic destination which proved to have much that we found familiar. The infrastructure is good with good roads and a growing railway network. Mobile phones and their masts are all over the place and the growing chinese population are extending the towns with modern homes, offices and hotels. The Intercontinental in Lhasa is a sight to behold with its soaring glass roof. If you want to see traditional Tibetan life go soon. It will change and some may be nostalgic for an older Tibet.

What a spring it has been. Growth is irrepressible and it will have to be controlled this year.  Hedges have grown much taller and tress have spread out so that there is less to mow but overhanging branches could sweep you off the lawnmower. Earlier the daffodills were magnificent, the bluebells thickened considerable, the tulips need replenishing and we have much fewer alliums than we started with. Then the lilies arrived. They added immediate and satisfying colour to the garden. Then the geraniums and the roses opened and still flower with a pink geranium in particular catching the eye. Clematis flowered along hedges and up an old thorn tree where it has climbed to the very top.  The cornus kousa has been opening its flowers all spring and now it is a profusion with the flowers turning from cream to pink from the top down. Eremurus have opened and their pale orange colour look fabulous against the deep orange of some lilies.

And then the rosa Felipe Kiftsgate opened in such profusion all over the Killeen. It is every bit as beautiful as I had hoped. I mixed a purple clematis into it and it provides the colour contrast at the moment.

For the future the crocosmia are starting to open and they will last until late autumn, as will the dahlias. The very first of those opened just two days ago. Late irises have just flowered and some new gladioli will come shortly. And all in such profusion.