Month: October 2017

After spending this morning lifting dahlias I am wondering if it is worth it. I have to say it is not my favourite job with all the muck and water that is involved in the task. Paddy had a hard job lifting the tubers as some of them are very large and the ground now is sticky. After giving them a wash we now have them drying off in the garage and will pack them away in peat, hopefully next week. 

The garden looks dreadful now with most herbaceous plants waiting to be cleared away.  This year the autumn colour has been cut short with the storms of the last few weeks but we did manage to clear lots of leaves with the help of the lawnmower. It was a fast and furious fall of leaves. 

During the hurricane we had a Garrya elliptica ‘James Roof’, a twenty five year old plant, toppled over, but otherwise very little damage in the garden. Weeds are flourishing in the mild weather, so plenty of work to keep us busy and I still have tulips to plant into containers. The forecast for the coming week seems to be good for gardening, so hoping to continue with the clearing up before winter bites.

The garden has gone a bit down hill recently because I am a summer weather gardener. Thankfully the dahlias and little chrysanthemums look after themselves. I am still picking loads of little cherry tomatoes that are growing in pots outdoors.

I thought I was sowing medium height Cosmos but they turned out to be over a metre tall. The storms flattened them but but they are still flowering away.

I cut this bunch for the house earlier today.

Life has a habit of running away on  us. I thought once the wedding was out of the way that I would have more time for the garden. Unfortunately that hasn’t happened yet. One thing has led to another and the garden is looking like a total jungle at this stage. The grass is like a meadow and Holly has taken full advantage of me not having time or energy to chase her when she’s doing the business so the place is destroyed. But the grass is finally getting to Steve so I’m hoping he’ll do something about it this coming weekend.

I had made a start on the autumn cut-back but that didn’t last long. Unfortunately Dad has taken priority in my life right now – a few health issues. Plus the work on his house still hasn’t been started, but things are beginning to move now. So basically I’m living just from day to day. 

There are still some bulbs to be planted from my Mr. Middleton warehouse sale, so when I get a chance this evening, I hope to be done with that lot. One small job ticked off the very lengthy list.

Hazel alerted me to her flowering Mahonia the other day. And lo and behold my own one M. ‘Winter Sun’ is taking centre stage at the moment. And to think I nearly missed it. Although Mahonias are good for their long-lasting blooms. Waterlilies are still performing well and it’s almost November. Mother Nature is truly amazing. My Osmunda regalis dies back very nicely with its russet tones. It’s one of my favourite ferns.

So the shredding was completed today and I now have a great supply of stuff to mulch with – if I get round to clearing some borders LOL

Then the leaves were removed to make some more delicious leafmould!

I’m so happy seeing that area so much tidier now – next step requires a chainsaw and that isn’t one of my skills! We’ll have a big “carve up” over the next few weeks and I’ll have timber for about a year!

But before that final solution I may find a use for some of that timber! Much of the decking wasn’t rotten so can easily be reused ….I’m day-dreaming again!

I was so happy coming to the end of the shredding that I celebrated by taking a stroll round the garden concentrating on the things looking good rather than the things battered by the storms!

Cornus Kousa ‘Winter Dream’ is starting to sing its Autumn song.

Mahonia ‘Charity’ is bursting into flower!

So things are slowly getting back to normal ….. 

Just checking from my phone whether I can upload photos as they wouldn’t from my iPad. Very odd. These are probably upsidedown or sideways too.

I spotted this growing by the side of the road here in Tuscany, I’m on a painting holiday here. Very like hederifolium, but the leaves are pointed.

My first choice for favourite plants this year is as Hazel’s, Tetrapanax Rex. Such a stunner. But before doing my homework, it was planted into my greenhouse border, where its leaves become so huge that the sunlight blocks a lot of plants underneath. As the summer progresses, I end up taking away some of the larger leaves. In truth, it was planted in the wrong place. But having been advised that if you disturb the soil around it, chances are that you’ll get loads of seedlings. So for now it’s staying put.

My second choice has definitely got to be Senecio petasitis, which is planted in my mini-Jurassic Border at the end of the garden. I love the velvety feel to the unusual shape leaves, and the newer growth is a lovely sight to behold.

Just something that irritates me is when someone employs a leaf blower to blow every thing from their garden onto the street and leaves (pardon the pun) it there!!!

Why not pop it into a bag!  

Rant over! 

After just reading one of Jacintas journals I decided I would do this one I saw people doing a few weeks back to try get back doing journals. It’s very sad to see the site dying like this but not much we can do about it only hope they do make the changes they “promised”.

1st has to be Alstromeria Indian Summer. Not only is it flowering since April to now but has great foliage and very exotic flower which bulks up very quick and so easily divided to spread around or pot up for friends, a top top plant in my eyes.

2nd is Dahlias in general not jsut the one but all of them. They can flowe from late May right up until first frost and you get very dark to light green foliage. Small, medium and large plants and the diversity in flower types, sizes and colours makes them another must have/top summer plant.

Last is A simple one I have grown from seed for the last two years now is Coleous. Easy from seed and for €2 you can have up to 40 plants to fill in gaps all over my small garden here with fantastic foliage and coloured leaves to bright up even the dullest of corners.

Well, how lucky were we here in Dublin during Ophelia’s visit! I really feel for anyone who had structural damage. The worst that happened for me was that a very large planter with Eleagnus was tipped over, and luckily my untidiness in recent times meant that there was a rubbish bag right beside it and cushioned its fall.The wind was obviously blowing in the right direction. Planter intact thankfully, as it was expensive enough.

At one stage during the night I heard one of my watering cans blowing about. Nowhere to be seen today. 

But my famous Nicotiana survived those ferocious winds. It helped that there are cut-outs in the brickwork, ensuring that the winds were very much lessened. This little Nicotiana definitely deserves to be in the Guinness Book of Records, having been in flower constantly for over two years now.

Look what you did to my garden, Ophelia – and I thought you were a lady!

I wonder could the wrecked arches become some sort of Art Project? 

And this time two of the missing panels of the greenhouse have vanished without trace!!!!

Think its time for a re-think!

But the main thing is that I am OK, the house is OK and Puss came home LOL

The storm must be just about over in Laois because Puss came out of hiding and was looking for grub!

I gave him a treat and he seemed to appreciate it!

Jacinta posted a lovely single dahlia recently that reminds me very much of this one in my garden. It was an impulse buy a few years ago – a tiny bedding plant – but I loved the colour! It got planted almost at rendom where there was a space but it seems to like its location! I never take it in, I only remember to dead-head it occasionally but it is such a generous plant and its light and airy appearance lifts my spirits every time I pass it by. It is also very visible from the house since the new patio went in, so is really cheering me up on a rather dismal and rainy Sunday! – O course, there’s a bit of a cheat as I took the photos yesterday when the sun was shining LOL

I was doing a chop on certain perennials which were recommended before the winter and one was Ligularia.  But the seed heads on this Ligularia Othello were so nice I could bring myself to chop them down yet!!!

Shouted a panicky cherub Cymbals to Cherub Lute. ‘Mr Scrubber is shifting a huge rock-and you know what he did last time-and he said he would reconsider -and he’s going to hurt…..’ Cherub Lute smiled and said soothingly ‘I know I know but relax dear friend. All he actually has to do is to roll out that rock.And it is quite rollable. Then dig out about a foot of earth. And then roll back the rock and perhaps-if he notices- turn it the other way’. There’s no huge effort involved and I know he will be careful and if he remembers to use the crowbar to edge it in it will be all done very easily’. Cherub Cymbals was a little less worried at this and it happened exactly as Cherub Lute suggested. The rock rolled. It was easy to dig out the hole a foot deeper. Then Scrubber realised (or thought he did)-that it would suit far better turned the other way and the crowbar worked a dream. Now the big rock that was a little awkwardly stuck into the grassy slope by the steps, actually contacts with the bottom step and makes a fine turning point towards the path down into the Scrub. Thank you Cherub Lute!

Scrubber also got some strimming done especially around the tree where he planted the box. Speaking of which, he wasnt 100% satisfied with the line of his other box hedge and took out five box plants-great roots after two years and replanted them slightly back and it works. Later this evening he got a good bit of mowing done.

Earlier in the day he thought the rain would spoil today as Donal was coming to work on the drain going into the septic tank. yes believe it or not these mundane things are also in the Scrub! There was a  concrete chamber that led the drains into the actual tank and it was beginning to give trouble. Without going into too much detail it was replaced by a much more efficient and simpler piping system and the ugly block structure was demolished. The good news is that Scrubber can now fill in around the pipe with the excavated clay and the debris and can extend the terrace line into Elizabeth’s corner and it will look 100 times better. Theres a lot of work to be done but ill do it little by little and it was great to have it done before winter set in.

Today was vintage Autumn, damp, not a bit cold, leaves swirling down and a real sense of the beginning of the end of the year. The grass doesnt seem to realise its over though. I feel that years ago one stoppped mowing in late October and didnt start until late february-now its ongoing. And guess what as I moved some leaf litter I saw the crowns of snowdrops peeping up! Theres also a primula florindae out in the bog and thats surely out of season!

These 2 were still going strong today and giving beautiful scent . Thanks to Dicks advice I take Rose cuttings every year now and most do well . These 2 are for some Cuttings tomorrow … before I forget 

The Holly was grown from a little plant I pulled from an old cobbled yard three years ago and is covered in berries already . I bet there’s none left for Christmas though ! 

I have been reading the long article in the new ed. of the Irish Garden.  

It is such a huge family, but anyhow, here is one given to me last year by James Burside, a noted flower arranger.  I have been watching this thing grow and grow all summer, loger and longer, more and more spindly; I staked it at abkut 2 1/2 ft. , and still it grew on and on.  Flower spikes appeared mid August , but the flowers did not open till last week: ie 6 weeks later.  

So, I’ve been having fun with a new tool on iOS 11.0?   and have drawn a red line around  this plant.  Do any of you grow it?  I don’t seem to see it mentioned in the article.  The flowers on the dark-stemmed are larger and have a more prominent yellow centre than Little Carlow.  In fact very similar to a, Mönch.  

Up at the top on this same photo is really good tall robust aster, deep pink that is really well behaved and which I have never had to stake.  I have told you often enough how much strong wind we get, so full marks to this lady.  I hadn’t the enrgy to make my way up to the top of the bank to take a close-up image.  

The next picture is of another so well behaved and very dear to my heart little aster.  I’ve had it since the mid 1960’s in various gardens.  It is only 18” high, and spreads only very slowly.  Great colour as you can see.  Also lovely to have a few sprigs in a glass on the table.    Good one to ”share”

 Any name?  

The yellow calceolaria integrifolia came from Malahide station a very very long time ago.  Same age as the aster beneath it.  

I was at my local gardening club last evening and was speaking to one of the members, who is a keen dahlia grower. He grows a large amount of dahlias as his wife is a flower arranger and uses a lot of homegrown flowers in her arrangements. He was telling me that it was a disasterous year for him with hardly any flowers and foliage like net curtains. He would grow his dahlias in rows, like veg and not in his garden among other plants, so would be able to see which ones were not doing good and be more critical of their performance. For me this year has been a great year for dahlias, as they seem to enjoy the moist warm weather we had and are still going strong apart from the foliage being a little tatty. They had a long season of flower as well, flowering from late May and were huge plants when I planted them out. My favourite dahlia this year was Dahlia ‘ Admiral Rawlings’ , the colour of the flower is sumptuous. Other favourites are Dahlia ‘Bloodstone’, Dahlia ‘Gloire de Noordvgijik’, Dahlia ‘David Howard’and Dahlia ‘Chat Noir’. Did any other members find this a good year for dahlias?

After doing a lot of tidying up on Monday and Tuesday in the garden, getting rid of plants I no longer need, want nor really like!!, I met up with Margie, a new .ier whom we all met at the January get-together and is generally on FB, and we headed to Avoca in Clonee. This was the old Plantagen shop and it has Howbert and Mays in there too. 

Fabulous shop, if on the expensive side. But I did find their plants reasonably priced which was nice. They had a few nice plants and I really wasn’t looking for anything.

Last year I bought Anemone Prinz Heinrich and for the life of me I just cannot find it anywhere!!! But I saw this beautiful dark pink one called A. fantasy Cinderella and I bought that. I also picked up a lovely Heuchera Plum Pudding, a Geranium Ann Folkard and this really dark purple Salvia called Salvia Nachtvlinder………pretty purple flowers which will look great with my other strong pink and red Salvia. 

So after that lot of purchases it was time to have a cuppa and a chat. It was a really relaxed enjoyable day and great to catch up too. I’m looking forward to getting out and planting these beauties up. I’ve so many plants in waiting that I really need to get them sorted before the harsh Winter months arrive. Today looks promising 😉 

These  days I am sure I use the secateurs cutting movement without even knowing it. I wonder do I do it in my sleep!! Well after another few hours with the secateurs I went for a wander.

There is still a lot of colour especially in parts of the hot border. Other parts are now bare earth . Good old Cuphea still going strong and as ever an Oriental poppy has to prove it is there. P.amplexicaulis is good for another few weeks. From the photo with the leaves of a Crocosmia across the front I will  need to go snipping those tomorrow.

Salvia ulignosa is really a wonderful blue. It gets so tall that I have to remind myself to look up. But it is worth raising the eyes.

Well the ex-drive actually has the end in sight. I don’t know how many barrowloads of gravel and topsoil Mr S has shifted, or how many of turf-dust I have, but the soil’s nice for the new plants anyway and we are getting so well-muscled we could enter competitions! It’s been lovely planting the baby trees. The first of the Irish yews to go in today or tomorrow. Now that Alan’s finally fully retired (or as retired as he’s going to get, anyway), it should rocket on. Just as well as the autumn maintenance is piling up!

Last of the broad beans and some blackberries for jam . The Cucumbers are pickled at last 

At lunchtime today we were watching a hen pheasant taking a very keen interest in the beautiful berries of Callicarpa profusion. She spent several minitues jumping up and down trying to knock them to the ground and then gobbled them down as fast as she could. Callicarpa is a lovely shrub at this time of year and will develope a gorgeous leaf colour as the month progresses and not to big, so suitable for a small garden.

This year I haven’t written quite so much. It has been a busy year in the garden. Trees and shrubs grew at a very fast rate and parts of the garden could now be described as overgrown. Trees are meeting at the top and shading more and more ground. I am mowing less grass but if it continues valuable plants and shrubs will be smothered. Hollies have self seeded as has hazel, crocosmia and pampas grass. I have recruited my granddaughter to dig up and pot these fruits of the garden this winter and she will be encouraged to sell them at the local car boot sale in Straffen to earn her pocket money. We will see how that works.

It seems my spraying of the mares tails has worked for this season. Where done properly none of this pervasive weed has recurred. Next season I will see to what extent it has been permanently damaged or killed. No doubt the cynics, or experience gardeners among you are not impressed but we will see.

Just now the colour is stunning. Dahlias are in full flower, nerines, particularly the pinks brighten up lots of corners, verbena provide structure for flower arrangements, cornus kousa has fruited for the first time, houttuynia chameleon and sedum blend perfectly to provide blazing reds, russets and greens in one corner, roses still flower though the blooms are short lived in the frequent rain, cyclamen are spreading and flowering in profusion, holly is laden with berries, phlox flowers still and pampas wave their seed laden heads. And as background to all of this the leaves are starting to turn. It is beautiful this year. We have had a summer of profuse growth and all is so bountiful and fecund. I have lots of pears and apples and would have cherries but the birds got there first.

My son has just finished building his new house next door and we now have the security of that arrangement and also I have another garden to plan and keep. So for another year I don’t need to join a gym to keep fit.

Next Spring I will structure his garden with a basic planting of trees and shrubs and lawn and then take it from there, planning all the while for privicy and interest for three grand daughters. It will primarily be practical.