Month: January 2018
It was bitter so I just rushed out, grabbed the plants and the oilcloth and tools, and rushed back in to get them ready for Saturday. Now I have to put them out again, poor things!
What I have is as follows:
1 x buddlea (V.large flowers) LindaB
2 x buddlea unknown colour
1 x bergenia might be Apple Blossom Joann
1 x zantedeschia (Easter Lily)
1 x vinca minor (dark wine flowers) includes passenger small oxalis yellow.
See you soon
Get-together 2018 – Plant Swap arrangements
Hi Everyone! I hope you are all getting ready for the great Plant Swap on Saturday!
For those who may not have participated before here are a few pointers:
1. Having a list of “what you promised to who”, and “what you asked for from who” is very useful to have with you!
2. Labels on plants are very helpful – even if you don’t have the full title of a plant!
3. To make life easier for yourself put the name of the person you promised the plant to on the label – maybe on the back.
4. Its really nice if people put their OWN name on the label too! I have arrived home from previous gatherings with lovely plants and no idea who they came from!
And since the weather for Saturday is not brilliant try and keep to the timetable! We should all be indoors by 12 o’clock so leave bringing in your Kris Kringle until after that! There is a carefully worked out system that avoids people getting their own gift back, and it takes a little time, so please be patient!
Its been quite a busy few weeks here for us.
So at this stage we all nearly know who is who, but of course there will always be a newbie arriving, hopefully, who would be totallly lost without the good old name tag!
Do you have one?
Do you need one?
For the past couple of years I have been doing these name tags and at this stage you should all have a few!! or at least one! If you do will you please remember to bring one along with you on the day.
If by chance, like me, you cant find one or you need a new one, or your first one, will you let me know on this journal and I will have some sort of name tag for you on the day.
So go on, get digging, in those cupboards I mean and see if you can find your name tag or if not, just let me know!!
Looking forward to seeing you all on Saturday, should be a great day, as usual!
Johnstown – Helpers on the day Please!
As usual I’m looking for helpers to look after stuff on Saturday! It is the same story as for the last few years – about 3 people to look after the Kris Kringles and two people to look after the raffle – and if someone would look after badges too please?
Jackie – Thanks for the offer of help with the nametags!
Mary and Linda for the Raffle
Moya and JoanG for the Kris Kringle
If a third person was willing to help Moy and Joan it would make the job much easier!
Hi everyone. Finally got around to checking what I have to offer and here goes:
Lysimachia Firecracker (6)
London Pride (3) LindaB
Heleborus Niger (in flower) (1) LindaB
Salvia Forsskaolii (2) Jackie, Jemo
Alchemilla Mollis (1)
Verbena Bonariensis (1) Jackie
Heuchera seedling from Palace Purple (2)
Campanula Poscharskyana (2) Moya, Joann
Inula “Hookerii” (3)
All looking for good homes!
Here are a few plants, which I can lift from the garden.
the really good Double Feverfew
Linaria – either mauve or pink or perhaps even white. No guarantee of colour at this time of year.
low Michaelmas Daisy (aster) 8-10”H. Well-behaved and long-lived.
The kids have gone home after a wonderful week playing indoors and outside with them. Now I’m looking around at all the untidiness and gagging to get on clearing and sorting the garden for spring. We sowed some lettuce and beet in the propagator with the kids to use as microgreens, but I’ll start off a few seeds in the new shed, which now has heat and extra light, when I get back from visiting my brother and sister next week.
Meanwhile we’re looking forward to Johnstown! Nothing has been mentioned about possible purchases by Himself, but I have a small list in my mind…. 😉
I need numbers please (including companions and “maybes”)
Get-together 2018 – Details of the day
Venue: Johnstown Garden Centre, Naas Road
Date: 13 January 2018 approx 11 am to 3.30 pm
This event is for all Garden.ie Members and their guests to meet and do what gardeners love to do – chat about plants, exchange ideas and advice and of course swap their surplus plants!
Johnstown have promised to give us the discount which applied during their annual sale – so no doubt there will be some retail therapy going on too!
Timetable for the day:
11 – 12 noon : Arriving at Johnstown – parking in the left side of the car-park this is your opportunity to swap plants with other members and friends.
12 – 1 pm : Moving inside to the Restaurant area (we will have a section cordoned off) where the Kris Kringle gifts can be handed in – wrapped gifts usually vaguely garden related value not more than €10 please!
1 pm – Lunch. Usually Johnstown catering staff give us table service so there is no need to go to the counter. So settle down and enjoy the day!
2 pm (ish) – Kris Kringle and small raffle ( a subscription to the Irish Garden and some Johnstown vouchers)
3 pm – farewells – and time for retail therapy! The early finish is to allow those travelling to leave for home at a reasonable time!
Most of us met online initially but over the years we have become friends – and we are all aware of the recent difficulties with the website that was what brought us together in the first place, but lets make this the best get-together ever!
Happy New Year everyone, I am very excited to be going to Johnstown on Saturday to see you all as I was away in January the last two years!
Bit of a change in the weather today, foggy, dull and wet here at my house.
I have Erigeron Karvinskianus and this Leucanthemum (I think) – it was given to me as a division. It is quite tall so maybe someone could correct me on the name. Let me know if you would like some.
So here is a list of plants that I have if anyone would like some. Just shout out. So looking forward to meeting up with everyone again. Can’t believe another year is here!
Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’
Salvia ‘Royal Bumble’ x 2 Mary Jacinta
Achillea Pink/dark pink x 4
Sambucus Nigra ‘Black Lace’ x 4
Lobelia Queen Vic x 3 Linda Joann Margie
Heuchera Purple Palace x 3
Heuchera Lime Green x 2 Hazel
Persicaria campanulata x 2
Geum orange ….some seedlings
Pelergonium sideoides x 2 Mary JoanG Joann
Amni Majus seedlings x 5 Moya Joann
Anemone Cinderella x 1 Linda
Zantedeschia Easter Lily x 4 Moya Brid
If you see anything there just let me know. Or if I’ve told you I’d give you something g during the year and I’ve forgotten!!! please remind me too.
I have Nerine bowdenii, Agapanthus plants and Crocosmia ‘Severn Sunrise’ to bring to the Johnstown get together. If anyone would like them let me know and I will put your name on the plants.
After feeding Sparrows, Tits and Robins I wondered would a Niger seed feeder attract a different customer. The Goldfinches found them within a few hours. I love their colors. Photos taken through a glass door.
One chap knew he was been watched but the seeds were irrestible, A blackbird then came calling.
Season’s Greeting to all on this site.
I have been very remiss in not being active here. Thruth is …… the weather up here has never ever been so disastrous and depressing. NO gardening whatsoever since early november. The pavements and roads have not dried up since then.
The deep puddles at the roadsides just do not drain away. Driving can be difficult on country roads. Storms seem to happen one after the other.
I won’t go on, but believe me , it has been awful.
So, Welcome 2018. The Get Together. Brighter evenings. And hopefully, back to gardening.
Here are a few pictures of Sunrise at the Big White Bay and on Inishowen Lighthouse. I refer to the ”Shroove Newgrange effect“ as the rising sun’s rays shine right through one of the erstwhile lighthouse keepers’ houses. There are no interior walls from front to back on this right-hand one. When taking the 2nd picture, I selected the foreground to be brighter. The light conditions were actually darker.
Tidying around the garden the other day I notice lots of spring bulbs popping up but more importantlt at the moment my snowdrops. This one is G. Lavinia given to me by Paddy & Mary a couple of years ago. It’s a nice little clump now and delight to see it’s nearly about to flower. It’s now the gardens are waking up and we have a great run of 10 months ahead of us to look forward to.
Get-together 13 January 2018 Johnstown Garden Centre
Happy New Year to all! Well, the turkey is probably well gone by now, and even if there are still a few days before the decorations come down and the children go back to school, the recent bright but cold days recently may have tempted us to think gardens again …..
And it is time to start planning for the Get-together!
I’ll put up a timetable and details of the day over the next week or so – and I’ll be hoping for volunteers to help on the day! I’ll also need to know if you intend to come, as Johnstown will need to have a rough idea of numbers before the event! I know a number of people have already indicated that they plan to attend but I’ll need people to put comments on the Get-together Journals to make sure they get counted!
Rachel has asked me to let you all know that she will be coming to Johnstown so if you have ordered her book “Journal of an Irish Garden” from her, or would like to order it (for the great price of €10) please contact her directly and she will be happy to bring the books to Johnstown for you!
Those who have followed my journals over the years will be familiar with certain views of my garden thst have been posted at different times. I think especially of the pictures taken from the front doorstep especially the sunrises in winter!
Well, this evening I saw my garden from an entirely different angle!
You will all know that I am a great lover of the countryside and nature but there are sometimes when it can be a little trying – like when the cows eat the tops of trees or shrubs or the sheep trespass!
Well I hope there will be no repeat of those trials! I have finally got a new and secure fence put up, at least 2 yards out into the field from the original one. Now I can walk along between the garden and field and get a very different and exciting view of the Lower Garden.
I look forward to showing you some pictures. These are just a few.
Try and get Thalictrum Delavayi, Chinese Meadow Rue, liac & lemon flower plant, as on Minty Don
I’ve not had time to write journals recently but have been trying to put up monthly albums as a record of the seasonal changes in the garden.
Ummm…. I’ve made a little error I’m hoping someone can help me change. I’ve put my July photos in an album called August 15 (doh!). Does anyone know how to change an album title – I’ve not been able to figure it out.
had a fantastic day out with my good friend jacinta yesterday. we took the train to waterfordwhere we were met by paddy and Mary. the rain was pelting downfrom the time we got upuntil the leftback to the station for the 6.30 trainback home.there was nothing that could be done about the rain so we just had to soldier on.What a day we had,even in the rain Waterford looed delightful.We stopped at Tramore to watch the waves breaking over the wall, it was such a sight in the middle of summerjacinta had to get out to photograph the Paddy and Mary soon had us back home tucking into home cooked fayr. After a little chat we went out on a tour of their garden which was a place made in heaven.it was such a well designed and thought garden, it left nothing to be desired.to sum it up it was beautiful.On the train back home we were both fired up about our favourite planting schemes. a great day and a very sinscere thankyou yo Paddyand mary.
I have had the final figure of what was raised for Laois Hospice Foundation on the recent Open Day in my garden. As well as the donations people made when they came we also had a considerable array of plants for sale which added to the overall total.
When I met up with some of you for the Dublin Garden visits I was overwhelmed by your generosity in contributing plants for sale on the day!
Between the donations, the teas and the plant sales we raised a grand total of €1714.00
Isn’t that totally amazing?
I really appreciated my garden.ie friends who made long journeys to support me on the day.
It was a great success – and I am totally humbled at all the help and support I received.
Most of all, it is the Laois Hospice Foundation that is the real winner!
I feel it is totally inadequate, but here it is
“go raibh mile maith agaibh go leir go mor”
Am I the only lunatic sitting out under the stars enjoying the magic of Meteors?
As there was no cloud the view of the stars is magnificent – but as I watch there are little darts of light, mostly out of the corner of my eye – but some seeming almost like faint fireworks!
No point in trying to take photos ….. just sitting hback and enjoying it!
And if you fancy seeing for yourself they say the show goes on for the rest of the week! I tried to see them last night but only saw one big one but today I had good directions where to look – North-East is the way to go!
Dear friends!
I am now in Ireland, will stay here till 29 of August 2015.
I hope to meet you in Botanical gardens in Dublin, date is not fixed yet, but it will be next week, 24-28.08.
I will write here details as soon as I will have them. And you also may always contact me on facebook, https://www.facebook.com/olga.smirnova.2012.
See you soon!
Olga
My garden is divided into three areas all with lawns. One lawn have 8 apple trees, 2 cherry trees and a plum tree. 6 of the apple trees are about 35 years old an am trying to rejuvinate them. The other trees are pretty new (average 4 years). Also keep soft fruit and flower beds including roses. I enjoy the garden since retiring 3 years ago and keeps me busy during the whole year. I installed a green house 2 years ago so that I could do some winter work, seeds and cuttings. I will do some photos soon for the site
No gardening done today as the rain pelted down. It stopped for a short while at about 5.30 but now as I write this journal it has just started off again.The flowers are starting to wane a little nowbut there are still a few remaining ones to flower in my garden anyway. It seems tobe quite cold where I am but better late than never.was going to take some slips today but the weather put pay to that.
Olga (Ternie) visited Ireland from Russia in August 2009. She is now in Ireland again on holiday and would like to meet up with some of garden.ie folk. I know that there are a lot of folk on the site that are new since then, and some folk that she met are away on holiday, but I am meeting her tomorrow morning in the Botanic Gardens and if there is anyone able to be there I am meeting her at the entrance at 11.30.
Hoping the weather will be better than today!
