Month: March 2014

I like to have the odd bit of ‘edibles’ growing even throughout the colder seasons. So I planted up this small window box with lettuce and pak choi in autumn. However, I think the foliage of the pak choi is just too pretty to eat.

But now that the selection of bedding is more available I may just put the pak choi (chinese cabbage) to its proper use today. 

I got his lovely Hellebore x hybridus from Joan at the get-together in January and it’s just starting to bloom now. It’s a beautiful colour and absolutely delighted with it. 

Thank you so much Joan 🙂 

After 20 years the delphiniums have nearly become extinct in my garden so last year I collected some seeds to propagate some new ones, before the one remaining  plant “kicked the bucket”. I sowed seeds last year and the plants put on about 6 inches of growth, before top growth died down as is the case with all herbaceous plants.  They are now beginning to sprout again. I won’t plant them out until they have gotten so big that they can survive slug and snail attacks. Maybe someone could develop genetically modified weeds which would kill slugs or how about genetically modified slugs which would eat weeds? Why do slugs only seem to like eating bedding plants, never weeds!

Image attribution: Trish Steel, Creative Commons by share alike 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Delphiniums_along_the_path,_Bishopstone_-_geograph.org.uk_-_861308.jpg

I took some photos of my tomatoes and other tender plants in the big propagator in the greenhouse. They are my babies  – mostly tomatoes – Black Russian, Black Krim, Sungold, Cristal, Tigerella…and Ipomea, beetroot Alto, dwarf french beans etc. I will be giving away some of them.

I have some sweet peas which have germinated as well although most have not! As well as Mangetout ‘Shiraz’ that are up. Salad leaves are just up so I hope the tunnel is recovered before too long. Having finished clearing it out and am just waiting for “the man” to come.

Meantime, I’ve had my arch fixed, another bit of fencing put up and manure delivered. 

Today was a bit disappointing – I really thought it was going to be dry all day but it started raining pesistently at about 3. Work was cut short on clearing the borders so there is still around the pond to do as well as up by the pergola – quite a lot really. I retreated to the greenhouse, which is my new potting area, to sow some more seeds – Zinnia ‘Purple Prince’, Cosmos ‘Purity’, Nicotiana mutabilis ‘Marshmallow’, Nicotiana sylvestris, Cleome ‘Violet Queen’, Cerinthe as well as Calabrese Marathon and Spring Onion Lilia and Sugarsnap peas ‘Carouby de Maussane’.

Looking forward to Paddy’s weekend to catch up on all the jobs. 

Foxgloves are easy to grow biennials. Seed can be collected on dry days when plants have finished flowering in early summer. Once the ovaries of plants have dried out and split and you can hear seed “rattling” inside when shaken, shake the seed into a paper bag or envelope. You can scatter seed where you intend the plants to flower, but I find it’s better to sow in a tray where everything can be controlled and seedlings don’t get mixed up with weed seedlings in a bed. Seed can be sown in immediately in a tray of moistened and firmed down compost. Don’t cover the small seeds with compost. The tray should be covered with a piece of plastic, plywood or whatever to keep everything dark and prevent the compost drying out. You can also store seeds in a cool dry place until the following spring and  germinate above 18 indoors in a warm room or keep the tray in a hotpress or near a hot water tank. When seed germinates, you can transplant individual seedlings into pots once they have a couple of leaves.  Usually though I sow so many in the tray that I don’t bother transplanting individual seedlings once they germinate, but just pick out clumps and transfer them into a piece of ground which has been dug to a “fine tilth” as they say. Plants can then be thinned out later once they have grown a bit bigger. Grow the plants on, and transplant them to their final flowering positions in autumn or spring.

Oriental poppies are also an easy to grow perennial. Seed can be sown using the techniques above, again don’t cover the seeds with compost. Don’t transplant poppies or other plants in pots out into the ground until they have gotten so large that they can afford to lose some leaves from overnight slug attacks.

Images © Eugbug

Badly in need it is,of a visit with the lawnmower.Yesterday morning i collected plenty of branches etc off the lawn areas,and the grass calls out for a trim.All going well and from the nice weather on the way this week,i hope to do the job on Wednesday evening after five o clock.

Unless of course problems arise in the form of lawn mower troubles.Serviced early in the year,but like the weather it can be good or bad.The new area of the lawn is much greener than the rest,the young and the not so young.

As the grass trimmings are all for the compost heaps,all marked treatments etc are all kept organic.When the grass is trimmed the whole garden begins to look tidy,and not before the time.Once the first cut takes place the grass makes sure to pay a return visit,again,again and lots more.

No gardening done for the weekend. But I had a ball catching up with my two best friends in Co. Meath. As you already know, Greta and I chilled out on Friday in Ratoath Garden Centre, Ashbourne, and bought a few bits. Yesterday I spent the day with another very dear friend whom I met about 31 years ago. We were best friends way back then, and still to this day. Don’t get to talk or meet up very often but we always just pick up where we have left off. 

Met up with Greta again today and we went to Beechmount Garden Centre in Navan and Greta got the ‘plastic’ out yet again. I spent very frugally, buying just one plant here – Primula ‘belarina’ a very pretty creamy yellow double. Lots to keep me busy in the garden tomorrow if the rain stops.

Need to catch up on a lot of  zzzzzzz’s tonight as I have only had about 4hrs sleep since Friday. 🙁 Great weekend, but also great to be home.

One of those days,yes one of those days.On return this evening i payed a quick visit to the greenhouse and tunnel.Growth is moving fast,and as Jackie mentions in her journal,the yellow ball is approaching with some great weather.

In a few months,air to the tunnel and greenhouse will be 247 at vital times especially.Pests and diseases will be watching and waiting for their chance to attack the stronghold of young flowers and vegetables.

Even when they are attacked and provided no diseases have left their mark,then into the compost heaps with remains,after first bringing food to our table.

Fall rain when we need you,and fill the water holders.Dont leave the tiny roots in need.

Rain can be good or !!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

We had a lovely day at the plant fair yesterday, We left Cavan at 9.OO and after stopping in Birr for a late breakfast we got to Shinrone about 12.00. Angela Jupes home and garden is a really lovely setting for this event. There was a good selection of nurseries there and the quality of plants were top class (In my opinion). It was very easy to blow the budget and truth be told I could have spent the same again.

As always there was a representation of garden.ier’s there which was great to see. Bernie (Yellow rose) and Eilish had already been around most of the stalls by the time we got there, Liga Liam and their little lady was there as also was Kirsta with one of her lovely daughters who has beautiful red hair (well I had to mention that).It was great to meet up with Jimi Blake again and I am looking forward to visiting his garden in April to see the tulips  

The crowd was very small which is very disappointing I am sure for the organisers and the nurseries,as it may threaten the future of this event.

The garden was looking really great loads of hellebores which were looking really well, There has been some storm damage but thankfully all of the beautiful walls surrounding the garden were undamaged.

liga and I nearly fell out over a hellebore and I bet you know who won!!!!

We were lucky enough to be staying in Birr for the night so we were able to go and relax and watch the rugby what a result so overall a great day.

The spring bulbs i have planted into the pots are starting to put on a great display, this should look great over the next few weeks as the other bulbs in other pots start to open aswell

First flower of the year on this little plant.

Flowers for ages through out the year. This about to bust into flower as I noticed loads of flower buds forming.

I was about to move or give up on this shrub as it had not been doing well at all.

Surprise, surprise all of a sudden it has more flowers now than for the last three years.

I have been waiting for my Primulas to show their colours , am not suprised at all as I have 4 different ones but out of them all I think this is a beauty  , I love it and will be dividing it as soon as the flowers are gone over ….if they ever as I have one that is flowering since September …

The vine is well advanced .

The sun is shining to day, unlike yesterday and it is enjoyable to be out.  The Ladybirds are abundent, on one geranium plant I noticed two of these friendly little beetles. They seem to like the sun. The vent in the greenhouse was opened this morning as it is quite warm inside. The vine is well advanced. Think of March being so cold last year, now it is making up for it.

Delighted with these two cuttings from a piece given to me by Jimi Blake last year.

LindaB, if you see this, I was worried about your one on the left for a while, but it seems to be coming on grand now.

Yellow mellow brings back memories of flower power,just happen to have a relic of the time.

I think we may be turning a corner with the weather, or at least so the wether forecasters say!!! 

After a dull/cloudy but generally dry day today it’s all to change and from tomorrow we can expect to see sunshine. Yes folks that big yellow ball is coming home lol. It will be very frosty by night but temperatures are to be well up. And we could have FOUR days in a row. Imagine!!! 

So it will be great to finally get out and get some decent gardening done without having to trudge through mud and soggy grass ( well that’s the plan) 

i intend to finally plant up the rest of my plants from Johnstown  and from the .iers…some have been planted already but others not so lucky. 

Ive also lots of seeds that need potting on so will probably be tackling that too. The seeds that Nicola and myself sowed last Sunday are up already!! So they too need attention. 

So really looking forward to a great week. 

Hope you all have a good one whatever you are doing and can get out and about as much as possible. 

Enjoy  and happy gardening 

Finally these Iris have opened. They have been trying their best for the past couple of weeks and surprised me yesterday. 

They are pretty and look lovely beside my Iris ‘purple george’. 

Mellow Yellow  🙂

Gidday all,

              these are where the wood finishes up & the wood box is ready for the cold which is,nt far away.

Some of the parsley tubs have developed well.They were brought into the tunnel over winter.As they will be one of my defence forces with the companion planting,the enemy Lavender can be trouble.

On its favourites side,parsley grows well with lettuce,potatoes,or tomatoes.Not to happy of seedlings if the roots are disturbed at potting on time.I sow in single tiny pots or tiny squared modules.Mint (Mentha) is another disliked companion of the herb group alongside parsley.

Giddday all,

                 Grosse-Lizzie tomatos are,nt liking the temperature variation 12 overnight to around 25 of a day, still getting a few as they show abit of colour off the vine & onto the kitchen window-sil.Those that are,nt showing any colour are running out of time our first frost usually turns up in April.

                                                     regards roofy.