Month: March 2014
My arctotis have survived so well in the garden this winter and have keep buds and this flower is enjoying today’s sunshine. But the breeze didnt help with the photo!
Took a little wander around Woodies to see what they have in stock.
I know it’s early in the year but have to say I was a bit disappointed at their selection.
They have a great bargain at 3 perennials for €20 ot €8.99 each. So that’s a plus. But I was looking for something ‘different’. Nothing much jumped out at me. But I did spot Choisya ternata or Mexican orange blossom. I had this plant in my garden when I first got married all those years ago and I just loved it. But we left that house 20 years ago and moved to our last house but never had the space for it there. But in this house I have. So I was delighted when I spotted it. But other than that it was the same old same old plants.
I find this particular branch of Woodies very mundane in their plant selection. They have basic plants and that’s it. Nothing too exciting even in the height of Summer. It hasn’t stopped me buying though. But after seeing Johnstown I think I might have to visit them again some day. Must mention it to my sister lol
I have two of these plants, planted on either side of the garden at the back wall. I just love them. They have great foliage and keep their colour all year round and look great especially when it has rained on them.
In the picture are the little Meerkats which I picked up in Homebase the other day. Cute or what lol
Lots of tulips coming up in the front garden and of course the little miniature one in the back ‘Johan Strauss’ has been flowering for the last two weeks. But this cute one (medium-sized) is now open – T. kaufmaniana ‘Fashion’. It contrasts nicely in the container with Phormium ‘Platts Black’.
Today was a busy day and I just had time to take a look around the garden and a few photos. Here are three Camellia flowers from the garden. I only know the name of the middle one (Donation). The first one was bought in Woodies a couple of years ago and I didn’t take note of the name and cannot find the label any more 🙁 The third one is “borrowed” from my neighbour as it has been growing through the fence, but I don’t know the name either, will have to ask.
I hope everybody has a great St Patrick’s week-end. We kicked it off by watching the Bray fireworks tonight on the seafront. They were very nice!
Hi Garden.iers
Anyone else getting annoying pop ups on the site? Some of your comments have a link attached and this leads to “free apple ipod” etc etc. Some lead to a “GArden.ie” survey??
I spent most of my lunch today in Dubray Books looking at on gardening book.
Gardening in Miniture by Janit Calvo, to say the least I was totally transfixed by what could be done with a little thought and imagination.
I was going to buy the book but I discovered a mojor printing flaw in the book and it was the only copy they had. Would order one for me if I wanted.
I just checked Amazon, with P&P I would only save €2 so I will give the business to the bookshop.
I have downloaded these few photos to give en example of what is possibly.
Brain is working overtime ;-))
He looked so sad though he tried to be accepting of the fact that all that box in his garden has to go, and there is such a lot of it. I never was that keen on all the areas in his garden enclosed by box but that is me, he created it all from cuttings and must have trimmed it hundreds of times. I really felt for him and even Nigel was not his usual self he must have sensed his guardian was sad. I hope he does not get too ‘down’ about it.
That Box disease seems to be spreading very fast.
In my Bank I have a few blue plants quite close to each other to bump up the colour and retain interest – Chionodoxa, Myosotis, Scilla and Muscari. Unfortunately you can’t see all four in any one photo but believe me, it’s Heavenly. I think the Muscari are stealing the show at the moment, so here’s a couple of photos of same. I think they can only get better and better as time goes on.
I planned to start sowing some of the veg seeds into module trays today so went down to sort out some trays and clear away an area in the tunnel to work in. All pots, trays, garden tools and other bits and pieces had found a home in there for the winter. Once I started to tidy up I got into he swing of it and decided to keep at it. I got most of the pots, trays and other bits out into the shed so then it should have been time to start seed sowing. BUT, then i decided to dig over the big bed in the tunnel and get that ready for sowing. I’m going to have to get seeds sown shortly or else I’ll have everywhere ready and nothing sown! Tomorrow, maybe.
Claire very kindly invited us to her lovely home and garden for “coffee” yesterday. We were still there over three hours later, which says a lot for the warm welcome, friendship and capacity for chat of garden.ier’s!
Claire has created a beautiful, interesting and well planted garden, which in a relatively small area caters for both the needs of a family and the desire of the gardener to have a space that pleases the eye and gives expression to a love of plants. She achieves it splendidly and, though early in the season, there was so much for us to see and enjoy. Clara has already posted photos to give you a taster, so I’ll just add a few to this journal.
Thank you Claire for a lovely visit and to Myrtle and Clare (Clara) for great company.
Aren’t the hellebores wonderful this year. I was tempted to take a few photos, with great difficulty, trying to get the camera under their nodding faces, and here are a few. You won’t even know if they upload upside down or not!
A few more photos ……
You know when you plant your bulbs and you see photos in catalogues or magazines they always just look great obviously for selling or promoting and you then start to imagine will I get that great look or will they just flower at different times or not all come up etc. It was today when i was home the sun was just shining down on my crocus and tete a tete pot and i tought that was just so much better than i ever tought it would be. you really can’t go wroing with putting tete a tete and crocus together, they give such a great display.
Sorry about this but I was putting up some photos of this beautiful garden and am having trouble doing so …I am putting up 3 photos now and then I will put up more again …Thaank you Claire for a lovely morning which went into afternoon ………
Have a look at the album I got some more photos up and had to stop as I thought I might delete them again.
I was at the Country Market to day 10 a.m. to 12 noon.I sold the first of my tomato plants €2 each (4 in all). As regards other plants Hydrangeas, Geraniums, Aloe vera as well as cooking apples, no sale. Meeting 2-3 p.m. and a bit of gardening after that and now I have to depart because I have a meeting at Rathvilly. I called to Woodies and bought some more Promotion packs, Gladioli priscilla (15 corms), Gladioli large flowering mixed(40 corms) and Dutch Irisis mixed (50) all for €9.90. Now to morrow, no meetings, I should get much more done in the garden. Sorry no photos.
Sun has changed its mind and has just appeared. Better late than never I suppose.
This is the 3rd day runningthere hasn,t been a hint of sunshine , it,s like sitting in the doldrums.Just a few more sweet pea seeds to germanateand that will be that for a few dayswhen all will have to be toppedto make them produce 2stems instead of one each.I know these should have been sown in autumn but I have never had great success doing them then.The varieties I,ve sown are Madame Butterfly striped Herloom Juanita bicolour and Statesman Mixed. They all grow 6ft high and have wonderful scents.Next seed sowing is annuals all the usual easy ones to grow that will make a splash.Got all my barerooted plants from Lidl planted up yesterday.trying to get ahead with as much as I canbefore I go into hospital for 2nd hip. I,m on a cancellation list bag is packed so don,t want to be caught napping.
I had two old willow trees either side of the gate, unfortunately one of them fell victim to the wind storms in Feb. The tree split down the centre all the way to the roots. There are a few other willow trees around the garden and all of them have split down the middle. It will be interesting trying to get the stumps out to replace them.
Spent the day gardening. Found a weedy bed but put pay to that!
There will be no mulch this year and me and my garden are really going to miss it.
The grass got its first cut but, unfortunately, the ride-on is on the blink again so it had to be hand done.
There’s nothing like seeing the garden ’emerge’ after the first grass cut.
I think we all have primrose fever at the moment!
Can anyone help with the name of this gorgeous little double yellow primula.
I wasn’t mad about it when I got it first last year but now it’s growing on me and I think it’s just lovely and can’t understand why I wasn’t in love with it last year 😛
It would be nice to get a name.
I noticed lots of native primroses in flower in the hedgerows over the last few days.
It was such a pleasure to visit you yesterday and your camelias gave your garden that wow! factor for such an early season visit, so beautiful to look out at them and then to have a look round the garden at all that is budding up for the new season. I really like the way your garden is designed too.
We all chatted for so long that I hope you werent exhausted and glad to see the back of us! The sun didnt shine and your house was too cosy!
Very many thanks!
No I don’t mean the graveyard. It’s Solanum crispum ‘Glasnevin’
I had this plant in my previous garden and it grew over a pergola. It’s a lovely plant and evergreen. I have it on the new wall and hopefully it will spread. It’s just coming into bud now.
You can see from the first picture what it will/should look like when in flower. I love it.
I have an area down at the back on the left that was once the dumping ground of the previous owner. There was all sorts dumped here over the years. But since last year we have gotten rid of all the junk and tried to make it more presentable. As it received sunlight up until about 12pm during the day it’s not totally in the shade. It’s sits under the Sumach trees and it’s a nice little corner onice the plants survive.
So after being to Lidl yesterday and picking up the Ferns, this was going to be their new home. I didn’t get out to the garden until after 2pm and it had been a very cold and misty morning.
I starting sorting out this bed. I’ve some Hellebores in there. These should give it some green durning those dark winter months. Also have some Pampas grass planted right at the back. When this bulks up it should cover that wall space in the corner. I’ve lots of other bits and pieces eg, Periscaria, Cowslips, tete-a-tetes, snowdrops, Ajuga, Lavendar, Pulmonaria, Anemones, Foxglove and of course the Ferns. I think others but can’t remember now lol
Hopefully everything will bulk up nicely and I can get this area looking right. When I finished I mulched the lot and stood back and admired it.
Hope you all have a fantastic St Patrick weekend.
Happy Gardening 🙂
If lupins never flowered at all, it wouldn’t bother me in the slightest. I just think that the new foliage (and old) is beautiful.
