Month: September 2012

This Dahlia “Vancover” came from Myrtle, now I know why she said she didnt have room for it!:)

It has such large flowers! I cant describe them as pretty but it certainly makes a statement!

………. and they,

eat me out of house and home.

Noticed yesterday that my lupin is re-flowering and i know most of ye prob know this but i didn’t and was delighted to see this

St Fiacre in case you don’t know is the patron saint of gardeners.

I have named this guy Friacre.

He likes his his hair and his new resting place. (he told me so)

Thanks Clara, once I’m outside, I’ll see him first and last thing each day.

I was out in the garden yesterday just potting up more spring bulbs ready to be planted when i noticed this robin hanging around on the bird house as they do and went and got the camera and went quite close and he didn’t budge. I have had many birds in and out of the bird house but can’t recall a robin so was great to see

Well, I must say Steve certainly has made the most of his week off, and luckily the weather has been on his side for once. He has made great inroads on the latest project. And this evening, we both managed to lift the cave up over plants in the Island in the greenhouse pond (without wrecking anything) and now have the cave in situ. Tomorrow will entail lots of tweaking, making sure the shape of the pond will match the shape of the cave. 

But the best part is that Steve got the grass cut (it hasn’t been done in three whole weeks so it’s looking a bit rough). But I hope to do another cut on Saturday to even it up a bit. And I now have my Clothes Line back. Sad, or what?  LOL

Just went out to the kitchen and this is like a dream……

i went out for my usual stroll to see what else was out in flower, and noticed something has been sitting in the middle of my sedum i am really annoyed about it as it can break so easily and it is just started to colour up.i divided asters in spring and dying to see them all in flower now 

here is three plants i spotted today

i swore i would’nt buy anymore bulbs but that failed badly, i just couldnt resist them in lidl and horkans and dunnes, they are hidden in the bottom of the wardrobe until i am ready to plant them. 

i had only planned on getting a blueberry bush which i did pick up and planted it as soon as i got home and watered it with rain water.

At this time of year my Zingy bed is a real eye catcher, although this year there wasnt  much sun and the trees outside my garden prevented it getting some too.

But there are a few gentle colours that are worth having too, it is nice to actually have to look for these plants in your garden rather than jumping out and hitting the eye “Look at me” types 🙂

Had a bad fall last week so no gardening done but having a look at what I have and have to do .

I need to move a few things as all are in the wrong place , as some are getting bigger than I thought so I am taking down what I have to move and to where , great weather for gardening from a distance but nearly there and will be ready soon with the help of Hubby who has been great …. but no Fran he will not be a Gardener.

Happy  gardening in this lovely weather.

Just starting to put on it’s show at this time of year, a little later than normal.

A good tall plant, with flower heads at eye level, hope to divide it this year and spread it to another area of the garden.

Another fantastic day, enjoy if you can.

We got  gift of a rhodo in March. it flowered soon after.

When out watering last evening, I noticed that it is starting to flower again.

Is tis normal?

Is this official recognition that the summer was actually winter?

Clematis ‘Miss Bateman’ has returned for her final fling!

When taking photos yesterday I saw a gigantic caterpillar, it was the scariest one I have ever seen, it was about 4inches long and looked really wierd, has anyone else ever seen one like him???

~The only good thing about him was that he was munching on weeds so I thought maybe he is a good guy

Another recent purchase is this oak leaf hydrangea.  Has good autum colour so should be a nice addition to one of the borders.

Picked this up recently at the Co-op stores in Mallow.  Will take a long time to reach any size I think, so I got a nice pot to keep it in for a while.  I think there is a very nice specimen of this in Altamont unless I’m mistaken.  I like the steel blue colour on it.

With all that has been going on recently I had completely forgotten about this pretty Hollyhock! I bought it in Johnstown at the Christmas get-together – Alcea sounded familiar but I couldn’t remember what it was! I really need to work on my plant recognition 🙂 

But now I am rewarded – and I’m so pleased that so far it has escaped the rust that usually blights these lovely stately plants!

While Steve spent the day underground, I flitted about with my daughter and grandson enjoying myself. But when I got back, I did a lot of tidying up in the garden, cutting back Escallonia and Honeysuckle that I had allowed to grow a bit mad.  Filled 2 big black sacks so that has made a major difference in the look of the place.

Biddy gave me this lovely variegated Honeysuckle, that she grew from cuttings, when we are at Kate & Graham’s Open Day. It opened today. The flowers are a bit smaller than your average Honeysuckle, it’s very pretty.

Thanks, Biddy.

Just messing about with the camera.

I think a lot of folk forget their gardens once darkness falls.

Just before it got dark I was watching bats flying around, lovely mild evening, time well spent.

This weather is to last till the weekend, so

enjoy, enjoy, enjoy ;-))

Except for the fact that the reclaiming of the rockery may turn out to be a lifetimes work! Especially as one  rather stupidly decides that a stone her or there might look better!

My good friend Jim came and cut the hedges for me today as they are a bit beyond me at present and the transformation was amazing. Theres a good chance that the berberis will revive after those two bad winters. There’s lots of new growth there.

While Jim cut hedges I tried to find the rockery again. A friend recently gave me a present of a lovely hellebore and I placed it where I will see it every day. Hellebore on a rockery you ask. Yes but  its in a pocket of good earth and one looks down on it and the leaves are really lovely and theres a red tinge in the centre, and it does say sun or shade on well drained soil! Hazel if it wilts it will be out of there like a flash! 

Later I cut the grass all round and this was Id say the first time this year I cut dry grass and the difference was unimaginable. It was really enjoyable! I had strimmed and trimmed edges beforehand so all I had to do was run along after the mower! You can cut it in half the time when its dry.

Im going to try to put up a picture of a Hartstongue fern I noticed in the rockery. Its really curious and it would be nice if I got some more from it! I think Ill name it fantasticus! But then you may all have strange hartstongue ferns in your gardens.

Am very pleased with the cementing. Theres something permanent about sticking two stones together that satisfies me no end. Simple pleasures for simple minds!

I posted a photo of this a few weeks back, an did not get an answer, some suggestions alright.

So if anyone can help now as the flower buds are appearing, I would be very thankful.

i went in to the local garden centre yesturday to see what i could afford to put with violas in baskets as i had decieded todo them, a display of violas planted on their own caught my eye and thought “they look so pretty on their own”.so i just picked up some more violas. 

as soon as i got home out i went and happily filled baskets and pots, it was a lovely relaxed afternoon, when they fill out they should look nice, even now they look so cute.

for the first time this year i had to spray the cabbage and also sprayed the bamboo and other bits at the front wall.

so that is two things marked off my long list.

next is to wash down the tunnel inside and disinfect it, hoping to do this at the weekend

In spite of the poor summer with its low light and above average rainfall i have an abundant crop of rose hips this year. They are the size of small tomatoes. They really stand out in the sunlight (when it happens)

Hydrangea ‘Vanille Fraise’ bought in Johnstown in Jan, Keego (Mary) told me it was a good one on Jimi Blakes recommendation so I trusted her even though it was my first time meeting her, I am glad I did trust her, it has a lovely white head which apparently changes to deep red with age which I am looking forward to seeing!!  The plant is only small yet but has lots of promise…………..