Month: August 2016

Wet here all day, but in a semi-dry few minutes I went out to do a bit of dead-heading and discovered that the Lavateras were battered and almost touching the ground. Off I went for stakes, hammer and string, (nearly scaring the life out of my neighbour when she saw the hammer!) and did some tying up. I also put a small stake in the window box and tied up a Clarkia, but it was really raining by then so didn’t get a photo! The Lavateras still look bedraggled but hopefully will be ok when they dry off.

Well I could hardly believe it when I spotted a flash of yellow/orange  while passing by at the top of my hill.  For some reason , and there has to be one, the Farmer has planted a huge swathe of Sunflowers at the margin of his field of Maize.  They look fantastic and before yesterday’s rain were all facing in the same direction, south as I went by. Now if Van Gogh were still around……….

I have collected seeds of Aquilegia “green apples” and A. “yellow bonnet”. Mixed I’m afraid and I couldn’t remember which was which. If you’d like some send me a message and I’ll post them on.

You’ve just got to love these beauties, from close up or afar.

Finally, I have gotten around to putting up the garden photos of July 2016. The difference in the borders from early July to late July is amazing plus the fact that everything has grown so high now!

Im delighted with how the garden is transforming. Im hoping the weather will improve for the rest of August because I really dont want this to end!

Hope you enjoy the pictures!

I do love variegated plants and shrubs. It means that you’re not waiting continuously for a flower to open before it grabs your attention. This Escallonia is dual-purposing at the moment and beginning to flower now. It’s been in a planter since the year I bought it. Still looking for its forever home. But hopefully throughout Autumn and Winter, I’ll be fit enough to start moving things around again.

My raised Blueberry Bed planned for last year never came to fruition. But with the help of Steve’s brother again, this will hopefully be done within the next week. That’s top priority in the garden at the moment.

Joan commented on these last year when I said I wasn’t too gone on them. I was sure I had passed them on, evidently not. So Joan they are on the way this time. LOL

I hope everything works out well with Jacky as regards the hydrangeas. My hydrangeas are doing well. All except perhaps one are well rooted. The advice given by PCON was such that  I would find it difficult to add to it. I do however use rooting powder. I started early in June and the one shown on its own is one of those. The temperature was not 24C as forecast. It was generally about 20C.

After seeing Mary’s (Gracedieu) album and journal on their visit to the David Austin Rose Gardens, I thought you might like to see ‘Olivia Rose Austin’, which is only in its second summer here and doing really well so far.  In fact, I’m amazed at its profusion of flowers this year, as normally roses take about four years before they perform this well for me.

It’s a pretty rose with a delicate scent, not as heady as ‘Gertrude Jekyll’ which I also have and smells divine, but very pleasant.  And, dare I say it, no blackspot yet which is a nice surprise as I don’t spray.  Mary, I’m sure you’ll be well pleased with your purchase. 

I was fascinated watching this bee the other day, it worked its way slowly and methodically round this Cornflower. I went off and cut back some Shasta Daisies and it was still at it when I looked again!

Several years ago Rachel gave me a selection of exotic seeds of various kinds and not being the most successful grower of seeds I was very dubious of the outcome. I planted them and they languished on the shelf ifn the greenhouse for ages until one day I was weeding them and I spotted something that wasn’t any of my usual weeds so I took a chance and left them be. They grew about an inch tall (sorry – nearly 3 cm) that year. Time went on and I would occasionally inspect them but there was no further progress that year. They became a semi-permanent fixture in the greenhouse for the next two years still only managing the 3 cm growth but every time I threatened to throuw them out I would find these dainty little bulbs in the pots so I would carefully replant them and give them a reprieve.

This Spring something new happened. Instead of the 3 cm leaves they actually stared to grow! I was amazed! The leaves looked a little like Crocosmia as they grew and I had many moments of doubt (had I mixed up the pots/labels?) but they just continued to grow! Once the weather got  a bit better I moved them outside and unfortunately the slugs seemed to fancy them (so definitely not Crocosmia then!) but they only sampled them rather than devouring the whole of the plants. 

Slowly a long shoot emerged in each of the pots (reduced down to two by now) – up and up – the suspense was killing me – very slowly buds appeared – and finally I could see the results of this long process!

Ta Da! Galtonia Candicans!

Well there I was sitting on top of my current compost heap, as you do,  removing any small sticks that have not broken down and admiring all the red worms wriggling around. I enjoy doing this and no doubt all I have read over the years about making ones own compost has proved to be so true.  So I was a happy camper until I glanced down and saw a small snake looking at me.  Never have I moved so fast and from a safe distance surveyed the scene. No movement from snake and suddenly it began to look somewhat familiar !!! So ever so bravely I reached out and picked it up  ,yes I did.  Now I am sorry not to have a horrific story of bites and anti venom but the truth is it was a little wooden snake I had bought years ago and had on a stone by the pond. No idea how it got to the compost.  But  come on now don’t be too hard on me about the anti climax it does look scary?????

Yes THAT Loftus Hall . The most haunted house in Ireland one . We took a day trip on Monday as the daughter awaiting her results wanted to be occupied ! Hook head light house and then up the road for the scare treatment . Thoroughly enjoyed the tour which had its moments. Afterwards a stroll in the sunshine after the gloom of the house . Done lovely color combinations in a walled garden that could offer so much more but I bet they will keep adding to it . I wasn’t allowed bring any souvenir slips or cuttings home though .. Wonder why ? Duncannon beach on way home and ferry across from Ballyhack to shorten the trip back to Tipp. 

I’ve tried to be better at staking my tall herbaceous plants this year but some of them got away on me. The Japanese anemones that usually need no staking decided to collapse this year and I must say I think they collapsed very prettily!

I also like the way the plants by the stream pool collapsed too.

As shucks! Can’t figure how to add photos from the new phone!

Got it!

With the forecast promising apocalyptic weather, we spent half an hour yesterday evening staking some of the taller plants. I then went to get ready to go out and left Alan having a game of ball with Oscar. Now you’d very seldom hear Alan getting angry, but I could hear him talking very sternly to a shamefaced dog, who had just careered through the sunflower bed and knocked most of the plant clean off – and just after we’d staked it, too.  They’ve made it up now, but there are times when we wonder whether buying that ball and thrower yoke was a good idea….

Even though it was damp and a gale was blowing the Hibiscus had a couple of flowers, I suppose brought on my the warmer weather earlier in the week.

I saw an idea I really liked a couple of years agon in the Delta Gardens in Carlow. They have a wonderful pond there with very attractive planting around it. One thing caught my eye – they had used Virginia Creeper as ground cover which I had never seen before!

I just happened to have Parthenocissus Quinquefolia Engelmannii growing in the Jardiniere by my sheds and it wasn’t looking too happy so I decided to try out the Delta idea. I planted it beside the Stream Pond at the end of the garden and thisyear it is really coming into its own! It is also trying to become an aquatic plant with tendrils creeping into the pond all the time! Because it is in full sun here I have great hopes for its autumn colour too.

I was sitting admiring the creeper when I had an inspiration – I’ve added Iris Japonica Variegata (thank you JoanG) and I think its lovely leaves make a very good contrast which will be even more pronounced when the Virginia Creeper colours up.

Three bees on one dahlia flower.

The black bamboo (Phyllostachys nigra) that I bought in January put out two new culms in early summer which I was delighted to see.  Then, lo and behold, yesterday I spotted two more snouts appearing.  I’m new to growing bamboo so can someone please tell me, is it normal for new shoots to appear this late in summer?

Last Wednesday’s downpour may have something to do with it, though I have kept the plant well watered all summer.

Good evening all, i hope everyone across our Isle had the beautiful weather today, what i am about to tell you, happens with me so much, but today took the biscuit. This morning pottering about the garden, i see some gladioli that are due to flower soon so i neede to stake them,this was 9.30am i headed off to the shed for the bamboo stick & garden string, simple enough, opened the shed, cleaned it out, swept it all, tidyed everything, came across black paint and thought ohh ill paint the patio sleepers, so painted the patio and by gollies it looks so lovely, took my before and after shots, cleaned all patio area and then sat and enjoyed the sunshine and had a smoke, this is now 5.00pm, came inside, made dinner, ate it and headed out to bring in the washed brushes, only then at 7.00pm did i notice i still hadn’t staked my gladioli, my memory is gone to pot i tell ya, a few second job turns out to many hours of a different unplanned job. i just laughed at myself LOL

I thought I’d post a few pictures of my new perennial border which is just filling out. Would you believe I’ve run out of space in it already.

I used the lasagne method on this but didn’t think it worked that well, mainly because I didn’t leave it long enough or put enough mulch on it. It has needed quite a bit of weeding and I think I would do it differently next time.

I’ve been experimenting with colour too – using more hot colours and even putting yellow in it!!!

I pleased with it so far and determined not to let the self seeders take over here.

Bought this last summer and planted out in the main border at the back as it’s quite tall, it was planted with very good drainage as I was told they weren’t that hardy but seems to have come on leaps and bounds this year and has a tonne of flowers on it now. Very happy with it and it’s perfect for the back of my border.

No offical name on this Begonia I got from Deborah of Terra Nova last year, delighted to see it flowering but it’s the foliage on this plant that is the real winner in this case.