Month: March 2014

Followed Rachel’s sowing instructions for Amorphophallus konjac, and sowed these in grit and put them on heat. Sowed them on 5th March. They have germinated already. So, should they stay in the propagator till they are a bit bigger?

Had a great look around the garden today. What a cracker of a day again. I am admiring the emerging foliage of Sanguisorba at the minute. It always reminds me of a miniature Melianthus major.

I did a bit of travelling about today but was unsucessful in getting my hands on some more of that red primrose I bought recently.

On my way back I detoured to Altamont. The Plant Sales had been closed last time I was there. I spotted this lovely Rhododendron ‘Cilipense’, an early flowerer that I had been hoping to find for sale somewhere. It was very good value at €11.50 in full flower. It will be handy for the new rhodo bed I have to plant.

The second photo is from the garden. I am nearly sure this hellebore was one of a pack of seedlings I got in Johnstown, marked Hillier’s Doubles. It’s a nice one, wherever it came from.

these are my favourite 3 at the moment.  what do you choose?

Burren Garden Festival in early July. Looks great.  

Also the view from the study window yesterday. Not a bit conducive to work, but I have to finish a deadline before I go on holliers so needs must. But I was able to finish early and get outside for an hour or so. And had lunch on the bench by the pond in real sunny warmth.  Blissful. 

This was the view from my car yesterday.

Would you look at that sky.

Wonderful!!!!

The white on the sky is not cloud but dirt on the windscreen !!!

We got some tree surgeons to remove all the old shrubs from the garden and to cut back the hedging at the back wall. Also the council took away two huge Laurel trees from the back wall, which is a small green behind our house. 

All this has left us quite exposed at the back as the hedging needs to green up yet. It hadn’t been pruned for years so all the growth was at the top leaving a lot of woody stems. So I’m hoping this will green up. But I’m really toying with the idea of maybe getting rid altogether and doing my own thing on this back wall. Maybe some nice evergreen climbers. Not sure yet, might just give it another year and see how it fares out. 

So because we are so exposed we decided to put up some shiplap panels to compensate. So yesterday  was busy busy busy day for Jimmy getting this done. It was a hard job as it was difficult getting it done, by himself for starters as it’s quite heavy work lifting those panels 16ft long!!!  but also having to go around to the back wall to erect some of the panels where the hedging was in his way. But he persisted and the results are amazing. It gives us back that little bit of privacy we had before but without taking away any light. Very happy with this now. So now I can get to work properly on those beds and plant them up know they won’t be ploughed out of it by himself!!!! 

Another fabulous morning so once the dogs are walked I’m hoping to get out there and have some fun. 

Enjoy your day whatever you are doing. 

Ps light was fading as I took these photos. 

The front garden got its major make-over only two years ago. Must admit I have NEVER regretted this. The idea was to make it as low-maintenance as possible. It really only takes an odd visit to weed, and remove any litter that may have blown in.

And two years later, we still get people stopping to have a look and take the odd photo. The novelty has NOT worn off with me, I frequently get fed-up with the look of things. But not this time. The photos don’t really do it justice. When you’re out there it looks so sunny and cheerful. And finally the crocuses in the kayak have opened.

Didn’t get a chance to get out to the garden yesterday as I was minding the grandchildren instead of Thursday. But I did find time to get a couple of photos before dinner once they had gone. 

This Erysimum Mauve Bowles’ is just coming into flower now and will last right through the Summer and beyond. It’s a great one to have and taking cuttings is easy. I really do love it. 

Gidday all,

                can you remember the days when it was a real bugger to mow the lawns!!

These pair are not requiered but are kept as a reminder of what it used to be like.

                                                                                             regards roofy.

… after just over a week in Barcelona with the amazing granddaughter! It was lovely to come home to such a beautiful day! Arrived home at 3 pm – had a quick cup of coffee with my kind neighbour who was feeding Puss for me, put on the first wash and then couldn’t contain myself any longer – yes, you’ve guessed! Out to the garden! I’ll put up an album of all the flowers that emerged over that week 🙂

And I even did a bit of work too – finally pruned the unfortunate roses and started weeding them too but the light gave out. Have you ever tried weeding in twilight? I’ll check in the morning how successful I’ve been.

fran you may be able to advise me on this. on the pack it says to sterilise the soil before sowing and then when seed is sown cover with cling film but i was thinking if i seal the seedtray inside a food seal bag it will be just as good. is sterilising the soil completely nesacary?

loving these beauties. the dark one i got in lidl and the spotted one i got from roseburke from this site and the third photo is also one from lidl 

had a pretty hectic weekend with two nights out which i am not used to, got two more greenhouses now i definately have enough of them. brought out all my stands and seed trays and plants from the front hall, they were getting grey mould from lack of air so they needed to come out so that they get more light and air. 

got some more plants last wednesday from johnstown ( mostly ferns) for my new area. polystichum herrenhausen, poltstichum munitum, carex everest and papaver orienale royal wedding.  it will still feel japanese with the bamboo and japanese maples but it is slowly also becoming a year round interest with shrubs etc but it will be my twist on it and your garden means what you want it to mean and not it is meant to be in the rule book ( there is a bit of philosophy for ye). expecting a few more bits this week.

fatsia japonica, blechnum spicant. brunnera jack frost. ( can you divide this plant? i have seeds of ferns to sow yet must do this on saturday. have loads to do yet sowing wise but will wait until after kew which is coming up soon . this week is so gorgous would love to be out in it all day but cant, but i will have the long weekend  and the evenings are stretching well so i will get it done 

This white Camelia i have in the garden has finally started to flower. I have no name for it as it was passed onto me by april’s Aunt but i do like it and there is plenty more flowers to come.

I bought this U4BA a couple of years ago, hoping that it would eventually hide the blue liner of the Upper Pond. It’s doing just what it says on the tin already. 

Today was one of those ‘to die for’ days, especially considering it’s only March. Unfortunately I didn’t get out to the garden until about 2.30. So I planted in earnest. Got a lot of plants that I bought in the last few days planted so I’m pretty much on top of my ‘to plant’ plants. 

Put my three new primroses down at the back of the garden, and they look pretty chuffed with themselves already.

I planted a lovely white foxtail lily(Eremurus) that I bought in Ratoath on Friday into my blue/white/pink border at the far end of the greenhouse border, together with Anemone ‘De Caen’ and Achillea ‘Red Velvet’. Lovely to see the foliage of Sanguisorba ‘Rock ‘n Roll’ coming up too.

Planted Bergenia ‘Baby Doll’ down the back with things like tree peony, and a few older hellebores. After having taken out a few plants that I transplanted into the North-facing border, they have plenty of space to spread now.

I planted some Watsonia ‘Red’ and Lysimachia punctata into the ‘hot’ border. Also replanted my Melianthus major that I had dug up and potted for the winter. It should now be ok to leave this in situ in future as I have it about two years now.

Planted Dryopteris sieboldii and a small acer into the North-facing border, and Leptinella squalida ‘Platt’s Black’ into the Bank. It should do well in this area as it is pretty well-drained. Love this plant. 

Isn’t it funny how the names of some plants just stick in your mind.

This is Euphorbia ‘Whistleberry Garnet’, that just sounds so happy and bright and so easy to remember.

Given to me by Krista, it’s doing great, many thanks ;-))

I have now moved from floating pots to floating troughs.

I can up with the idea the the two Belfast sinks could look cool floating (so to speak).

I placed the sinks on the supports last weekend, the more I look at them there, the more I think they will look grand.

Plastering them to make them look like stone troughs will be much easier in this position also. I only need to be 100% sure about their position, as once their plastered and planted up, there will be no moving them, ever. LOL

One of those days when almost the entire garden came alive.Birds were in full tune with ladybirds also noticed.And much,much,more appears.Seedlings grow fast and i even got to move some trays out to the heat of the greenhouse and tunnel.Back inside with them,just after five.

As planned tomorrow evening,i hope to do a quick trim for the lawn areas.Earlier today i passed a house just before two o clock,and the lawn there was having its first trimming.I checked on some shrubs and growth really shows now.Stay with us sunshine

These two daffodils are starting to flower here for me and they are 2 new ones to my collection. The 1st one is Jetfire, i love how the petals go right back against the straight sticking out trumpet. The 2nd is Rip Van Winkle which i absolutley love and delighted to have added it to my collection, even tho it’s small in height i don’t know will it stand up that well the flower seems a bit heavy for the stem but I like it all the same.

Lots of midge around all day with todays sun, and I’m thinking plenty of food for the froggies. I did see a butterfly in the Garden Centre in late November but that doesn’t count. I saw my first of the year today.

While my little granddaughter was asleep I had a quick look around the garden. And to my surprise this beautiful Hellebore which I picked up in Lidl has opened. Its Picotee and its just gorgeous…plus it has another bud on it to open…so very pleased with all the Hellebores, they are all starting to either bud up or open up…..Obviouslly this good weather is lending a helping hand too!