Month: August 2018

I have just taken this Pleione indoors. It was getting too wet . It flowered just after I got it in the spring. What do I do next? Little leaves are growing out of some of the non flowering bulbs and tiny bulbs are forming at the base of these leaves. Are these next years bulbs? I’ve looked for information on line but can’t find the answer to these questions. Rachael has a good video on utube but I am still a bit puzzled.

I have two Musa (banana) plants. One was brought to the front of the house recently. It is the tender type so while the cold weather is with us it has to be given the tender loving care. Both are doing very well. Temperature is a bit low here compared with earlier times but no problem with Musa. We are getting plenty rain at the moment so no need to water the outdoor plants. All plants in the greenhouse are doing very well including the tomatoes. Antirrhinums which were self seeded from last year are now showing blooms. Pelargoniums which were grown from cuttings are sound as a bell now. Grass in the lawn is well improved. It seemed burnt up during the drought.

I like to take a wander around the garden in the evening time, just to see if I have missed anything! And sometimes its nice to just sit and relax, instead of being on the go all the time. So with that in mind here are a few that took my eye yesterday!

Hope you enjoy them.

It’s definitely the simple things in life that give me the most pleasure. I was out in the garden today contemplating cutting stuff back, actually deciding which I’ll be starting with. It was quite a showery day, and some of them were really heavy. When I head towards the house for cover during one of those showers, I spotted something ‘different’ out of the corner of my eye. I have this lovely Yucca gloriosa ‘variegata’ planted in the greenhouse border – it’s been there about 7 or 8 years. And lo and behold it’s beginning to flower. How exotic it looks. And like I said earlier ‘it’s the simple things in life’. Even in its unopened stage it’s gorgeous.

I recently got 10 white Pelargoniums for 2.25, 5 Begonias for 1 euro, aPelargonium grandiflora for 1 euro and aDiascia maybe for 2. I have a bargain Dianthus from last year and a self seeded Antirhinum and Viola from seed. Some in window box and others in plant stand below. They’re really starting to perform well now.

Hi Everyone, especially Scrubber whose recent comments prompt me to write. No, I haven’t left the site, nor do I plan to do so. And I still visit from time to time, though not as often as I used to do.

News from my garden is ‘green and growthful’. Luxurient is a word to describe it. Fuchsias are mostly the best ever – and so far little sign of either vine weevils or of Fuchsia rust.

Yes, I did lose a few during the harsh weather, both snow and heatwave, but there’s still plenty left. Another rampant grower this year has been Lychnis – both cerise and white. Buddleas are going mad, clematis is aiming to take over next door.

I am a bit anxious about my birch tree which grows in the peat bed. I think it will be next year before I know if it will survive. I’d hate to lose it. Nearly forty years ago, it planted itself almost exactly in the middle of the south boundary wall,

Over the years I have ‘espaliered’ it so it casts dappled shade, and waves its weeping branches when there’s wind. But I’m saving basins of water, and it gets watered almost every day.

So that’s about it – As I said at the start, I’m not going anywhere, and as long as the site is here, I will be checking in from time to time. Hoping to be at Mountrath  September 2nd, and see you there.

I haven’t been doing much gardening lately … just deadheading and trying to keep the pots watered!  We have had negligible rain here so I’m hoping for a few decent showers on Wednesday.

Guess how many redd lily Beatles I picked off four plants and I do them every day? 50!!!.it’s quite disheartening.but I shall keep at it. Also a  bit disheartening to go on writing long  Journals and getting  very little response.those one does get are lovely of course but we seem to have lost 75% of our usual suspects. Of course it may be that I am a boring old codger always going on about rocks and stuff instead of proper gardening. Or it may be the site is too awkward for many to bother. Just a thought

Today all went so well..I got all the grass cut and got the bog and lots of other places strimmed.that took me from 10 until six with two swims included. But I’m now ready for a rainy Wednesday. Oh I have to rake some paths for grass seed but will do that tomorrow.

When I first joined the old garden.ie site I had a visit to my work place by a past member called Jack. He was an elderly man and so full of enthusiasm for his and other people’s gardens. Sadly, I think he may no longer be with us. But his memory lives on here in my garden. He paid me a visit to my workplace years ago with what he called ‘lilies’. They were very welcome in my garden but I never actually got them to flower. They were planted as soon as he gave them to me. They did nothing, and two or three years later I dug them up and placed them in pots so I could keep a proper eye on them.

Well, lo and behold, this year they have decided to flower. And I now know that they are Crinums, as my own Crinum powellii has just come into flower too.

Jack, if you’re reading this, thank you so much.

This morning was misty so I decided to put in the four conical variegated buxus that I got for a very good price recently. To do this I had to take out four groups of three-that I was going to train as balls. I was able to continue a line of box in the scrub with these.

Then I put in two variegated wall flower into Elizabethe corner. One will cover the waste pipe in time.

Of course I readjusted a rock or two while I was at it . Then went for a swim.amazingly there happened to be a nice rock on riverbank.  I wonder how it got there! A wheelbarrow appeared and it was whisked up and fitted exactly where it was needed in Elizabeth’s corner. The rock not the wheelbarrow!and now except for new plants which I will continue to add- I have four broom in pots.

I was lucky enough to visit Paddy and Mary’s garden this week and though the drought had left its mark on the hostas pointed out by Paddy there was so much else to wonder at that it didn’t make a difference. What gardeners these two are! And exceeding generous. I’m so looking forward to planting the bag no sack of goodies put into my boot as I left.

It’s really raining tonight but this afternoon I was in new ross seconditions hand book shop and got ‘ the rose’ by Jennifer Potter. Pristine condition for  5euro! My cup runneth over!!

The bottom picture is of my poor lillies which were SWAMPED with those red lily beetles when I went down to examine them yesterday. Can anyone suggest how to get rid of them wI thought actually killing them?

I was watching the RTE weather forecast the other day and the lady mentioned an ‘Autumnal Feel’ to the weather this week!!! Im thinking ‘WHAT???’ Its Summer as far as I am concerned. The garden still has plenty of colour, albeit,  lots of oranges and yellows, but nothing ‘Autumnal’ about it at all. In fact the weather here has been really nice. Yesterday I had some visitors and we sat out in the garden and it was so sunny and warm. I might even add a bit hot at times.

No rain for a while now and the garden is suffering a bit too. As we walked around I noticed lots of brown foliage at the bottom of plants that wouldn’t normally be like that just yet. Lots of plants that usually have a bit of new growth, a second flush so to speak, are not putting out this year due to lack of moisture Im sure.

But Im very happy with the garden overall. The new Dahlia border is looking amazing now with all the different varieties. These were Dahlia I took up last Winter and kept them in the shed. I let them dry out and put a small bit of dry compost over them. They flourished and are flowering away now. The few I left in the ground, did survive but a lot slower to flower and smaller too. But they survived that snow, so happy about that.

Still some colour going on here and there, but you can see some tired plants now….they have had it really and looking forward to some rain….which I think we are promised overnight tonight…lets see!

So here are a few photos from the garden…..hope you enjoy them.

Well it’s honey extraction time . After a really dry summer the crop was good but not exceptional . I’ve roughly twice as much honey as this time last year . I started the process yesterday putting on clearer boards under the honey boxes on the hives . This allows the bees to go down and out but not back up in the Supers as we call the honey boxes . These are left in 24 hours and you generally find the Supers clear of bees when you return . Some stragglers might still be home . The sudden reduction in hive size causes some confusion and congestion initially but they soon re organise themselves . I’ve also given them a liquid feed to help them adjust. This they will store downstairs over the winter. Next step will be to treat for the deadly bloodsucking Varoa Mite after  the syrup has been drawn down. The crop has now been extracted and double filtered into air tight food containers and will be bottled up in 2 Days time once it settles . I will further filter some that I may enter in the Clonmel Honey show in September . It’s a lovely way to end the season . Must get back to my garden soon too ! It gets neglected this time of year . The Melons and Tomatoes are doing well .

Night all

close up during the day, and open again in the evening with a scent. So far I have a few white and one pink.

So instead of bemoaning all the plants can I’ve lost to drought I’m thinking of the fun I’ll have replacing them! I’ve been ads busy as a bevy of bees  on Elizabeth’s corner. While swimming the other day Cherub lute (don’t ask me how he got into the water!) Suggested I take out all the bits of concrete blocks  that I used to rebuild the terraces with my lovely  river stones. Quite mad but  that’s what I did.

Much ducking and divintage and carrying . But eventually no concrete block bits! And I also did a bit more edging with the surplus. There was a small clay bank at the bottom and Cherub lute suggested edging it with some straight boughs to give it definition and strength. Where does he get the ideas? I had to do it twice before  it looked well but it does make a difference.

I redid some rocks and organised rough steps so I can get at it and keep it up to Elizabeth’s standards. Then as a start I put in four cistus four dianthus and lots and lots of gold edged primula that I got as a bargain lot. More to come!

So another section cleaned and refurbished and a friendship saved!!!!!!!

I put in some tagetes recently cheap but definitely cheerful.