Month: September 2012

There’s plenty to do in the garden at the moment, especially with the threat of frost on the way.

We are all laid low here with nasty colds though, which is my excuse for feeling somewhat overwhelmed.

Wouldn’t it be grand to miss out on autumn and winter this year and just skip straight to spring?

Our garden looked a right mess from the outside until in 2010 we got rid of the native hedge on the outer boundary.

In autumn 2010 I planted Persicaria affis, all propagated from existing plants, on the ditch there. There were some 300 plants and it was a big job.

And in spring 2010 I planted a hedge of Eleagnus ebbingei on the top. I chose this hedge because the scent always reminds me of summer holidays in France. I lost a few hedge plants but it is looking good and strong after its first proper trim.

So now we no longer lower the tone of the neighbourhood 🙂

Early yellow daffs (Rijnhardt’s Early Sensation) are planted in that grass strip on the road. But, you’ll be pleased to hear, the pink Persicaria is not in flower in February when the yellow daffs show!

Here is my blue Salpiglossus!

Hurray, I managed to flower a ginger.

It is just starting to open. This one is Hedychium greenei and came from Headgardener.

I never imagined it would have such a lovely flower! Cheers, Bill.

Had a great day in great company at the botanical garden learning about ferns and bought a great book called ‘Rare and threatened Bryophytes of Ireland’ It is only 30 euro and is so well worth buying. 

Purple pots!

of this cave/pond project for me is about to happen. Today should see most of the remaining two tons of soil placed over the cave and tomorrow I should be able to get stuck in. I have lots on the list of what will go in, probably way too much. But we’ll see how I get on. Very ordinary plants/shrubs but will no doubt replace some with more unusual plants as time goes on.

Here are some from the list:

Tamarisk

Deadly Nightshade

Fremontodendron (in Spring, or later this year)

Sumac (thanks Fran)

Sedums 

Ajuga reptans

Santolina

Saxifraga fortunei ‘Blackberry & Apple Pie’

Eupatorium (Joe Pyeweed)

Gazillions of Tete-a-tetes

Primroses and primulas

Today I will be ready to add the contents of my compost bin to the topmost soil and work it in well. Just inspecting the compost yesterday and found this weird looking thingy, almost like a very thin cowpat. No sign of insects, or nests, or anything obvious. So I have no idea what it is. It took a bit of effort to break it up. Anyone know what it is???

After the Fern worhshop yesterday morning I had time for a quick walk around the gardens.

It is over 40 years since I was there, so I may as well say it was my first time (from a gardener’s point of view).

Loved them and will be back soon before years end.

The grass beds were stunning, there was a light wind which really added to the effect. The amount of colour still in the beds was great.

I will do a journal later on the Fern wookshop.

I had to have a crown reduction done on my mature beech trees growing on the perimeter of my garden.   Though I was sad at seeing my “giants” reduced this is the result of the chipping and shredding

Had great pleasure with Zoe and wee Davey today. David couldn’t get enough of the garden and he must have been exhausted by the time they went home. He dug, and dug, and dug for Ireland with Steve. But the best thing to see was his obvious love of plants and things of beauty. He spent ages just sniffing everything in the garden.

My first day of my hols was spent cooking a slap up fry for my daughter, Zoe, and grandson, David. After it had been digested David was dying to get out to help Steve digging and throwing soil on top of the cave. Wee Davey needs a lot of practice at throwing. He was watching Steve throwing the bigger stones ‘over the wall’. Steve was delighted with the little bit of ‘male’ company. Can you imagine what they’ll be getting up to when wee Davey is older and stronger????

When Zoe and David went home, work began in earnest. Between us we got about 2 tons of soil shifted on top of the cave. There must be at least another 2 tons to go.

I also managed to get the grass cut, something which had been on hold for the last two weeks, and cut back to make the borders look a lot tidier. The weather was perfect for garden work. 

To morrow, Sunday is usually looked on as the equinox, days and nights being equal. This means unfortunately retiring early from the garden. We have been fortunate having dry weather so far this month and so during the day one can get a fair bit done by day. I noticed that the first sign of frost has been with us so time to lift the tender plants. Mirabilis jalapa 4 of them were lifted as were Fuchsias, so they will be put at the back facing the South and eventually into the greenhouse, at about the same time as the tomatoes are used up. Pelargoniums are looking good and before long they will be lifted and taken to the back too. In their place will go more hardy plants, including Geraniums (don’t get confused). I was at the Country Market yesterday. I sold one Hydrangea, one Aloe vera and one punnet of tomatoes. A friend approached me about a Hydrangea, I sold her and told me that it hadn’t made much progress. Then I realised that it had not been planted out and told her that it was a good time to do this. I lifted one Hydrangea and would you believe, it was pot bound even though it looked great. In the afternoon, I got at the plants I had slipped in June. They all needed potting on so bigger pots were taken out and some compost and soil were added. I always give plants in pots some soil as there is the danger of vine weevils could be a problem. I have 26 pots of Hydrangeas completed re potting on. They should be right for some time. There are also five of the same plant being rooted. Some more of the back garden has been dug and I think that during the coming week days with plenty of rain forecast there may be little done outside. The rain should also help the plants that were potted.

Around midnight last night I noticed that it had dropped to 6 degrees in the greenhouse.

The intermediate orchids were still out there so they all had to be rescued. Just as well too as it went down to 3 degrees later on.

Today I assigned most of the orchids to their winter quarters. There are only a few cold ones still in the greenhouse and I cleaned the leaves with milk to ensure maximum light absorption indoors.

 There is this small patch of ground down the road.

Not sure who owns it. One tenant of an adjoining house did plant a few years ago and grew very tall sunflowers but since she left, it revertrd to weeds and dumping ground for cans and bottles.

As the boss was up early, she helped with weeding. There was some rudebekia, two types of croscosmia, oregano,and sedum needing dividing. And some seedlings that proved too successful. Some bedding for last winter that are still going. some purple loosestrife and a self-seeded verbena.

All now have new homes

The ground wasn’t too bad at all but I added the compost from my potato bins – wouldn’t risk spuds sprouting in my beds next year but as for guerilla-land……..

Either the plants will be pulled out and thrown away by passers-by or maybe just maybe, it may discourage those drinking nearby not to use as a dumping ground for cans and bottles.

Either way, there is a sense of satisfaction – however short lived it may become………

This trees from paper napkins we have made together with my husband Anton for our friends. There was the lottery on the ball, and 4 of our friends got this trees as present 🙂

Seen this Photinia Red Robin Hedge plants on sale in a garden center last friday and at 2.50 each I had to have it, I know it looks crap now but hopefully in time it will look nice. Does anyone know if I should fertilize now or not? The man in the garden center said not to for the first year.

This plant has appeared in my cottage gdn and has been flowering for quite some time..  Another dark pinky/wine one appeared in border across from it.  I’m thinking it’s the annual ‘sweet scabious’ as mentioned in my Reader’s Digest guide to creative gardening’.  Has anyone elso got this? I didn’t sow it that’s for sure but lucky to have it.

Nothing can beat a walk on a beach as the Sun rises.

I needed clear the head for the Fern wookshop in the Bots later this morning. I can only guess at the names that will be fying over my head.

Have a good one.

Look what I found today …. tiny olives on my Olive Tree!!!!!

Has anyone ever got actual edible olives here?

i got these in aldi along time ago and planted them in raised bed hubby made for me, when clearing stuff away i noticed these flowering, must sort out a trelis for next year, i bought them and never used them silly me

I was down in my favourite Glanbia in Kilmeaden, who have the nicest staff  anywhere, and got very fine dahlias at a very fine  (cheap) price. Three cactus ‘red pigmy’. Three Ellen Houston (orange/red) and two Roxy (pink with purple foliage. I hope to get a month or so out of them this year.

I was out in the garden this evening just wandering and stopping and letting it all sink in, the light and the shade, the leaves and the ferns, theold urn, ghostly white on its rock. Gardens can be such busy places unless we sometimes just stop and stare and breathe in! You see things coming together and falling into place (rather than sprawling all over the place!) That isn’t to say that I did think ‘If I took out that fern there and cut into the bank I’d see the urn better and that stone might fit better…’But for the most part I was content to let the garden take over. And it did! September evenings ,with a hint of chill in them and yet so still, good for you!

I have tried very hard to get up three pictures. Ill try once again! Ah good they got up this time!

Starting my weeks holidays from this evening. Just down with the doc. Bad case of bronchitis, and he said I looked quite dehydrated. Hmmmmm,  easily rectified, me thinks!!

These were out of date seeds but I decided to try them anyway and got quite a few plants. This is the first of them to flower, and I notice buds on another that look like being yellow.Ive noticed before that they are late to get going.

The open season is coming to an end at Mount Congreve so Mary and I met Lady Anne Gardener for a walk around the gardens yesterday. 

As Mary and Anne chatted and walked I strayed off for, as I thought, two hours of photography but it did not turn out that way as I met Michael White, the Garden Curator, and we went off to look at some of the trees in the woodland – interesting but not always the most photogenic. Watch out for a lovely Emmenopterys henryi (Michael is standing beside it in the photograph) and a fine specimen of Tetradium daniellii in full flower.

There was plenty of colour in the walled garden and we might get another walk before the end of the month. 

Paddy

i finished the pot washing and also got stuff into the tunnel today. i was like a woman possessed today, i went out with the determination that i was going to finish the pots for once and for all, and to boot i got the pots into the tunnel thanks to hubby and kids. a frost is  forecast so im not taking any chances so pulled in fuchsias and all other tender stuff and exspensive stuff was jamed in to the tunnel including my winter potatoes. that is two things ticked off my to do list now.

i left the red pelargoniums out as i have no more space, they are very easy to raise from seed anyway so i dont mind loosing them

next it is blanching cabbage. which will be tackled over the next couple of days