Month: March 2014

Just wondering if anyone attending this plant fair on Saturday.

They tell us in Met Éireann, that it was the wettest February recorded. Am I correct? well I would say that that was my experience here in the sunny South East. As I said Friday was quite good and I got about half of the lawn mown. The only reason that I didn’t finish it was the time factor. To day I was on the Meals on Wheels and came to the place where I would get some nitrogen for the lawn. I bought a 50 kg bag of CAN and in the afternoon spread the stuff on the part of the lawn that was mown. When the rain comes again it will wash in. The temperature was up again so growth should be good. I also opened the vent in the greenhouse as it was very warm inside. The Rhubarb is doing well. I had given it compost and nitrogen late in the year. Well to day was the day for the pancakes and I bought five of them in what was up to recently, Superquinn, now SuperValu. Instead of buying a plastic lemon, I decided to use the real thing, lemons I had grown. So I removed the lemons which were quite ripe from the lemon tree.( Scrubber quoted some time ago the words of the song where it says: the fruit of the lemon is impossible to eat.) Well it was not as bad as that, very little juice in the lemons and at the same time not so sour.

Can anyone tell me is it too early to spray weed killer? I am itching to get spraying on the areas I dug over and sprayed in the autumn but is it too early and cold yet to give it a second dose? I know lots of weeds seem to be growing at the moment such as hairy bittercress and daisys. The original problem was scutch grass which I couldnt control, it was growing up through everything so I salvaged what I could into pots, I will have to wash the roots of all these and remove the scutch roots before replanting.  

I pop in on a regular basis and keep up to date with lots of the journals, so I see how busy everyone is becoming with seed sowing ,potting on etc. I am getting excited when I see everything coming into growth so rapidly now and with a stretch in the evenings I just cant wait for my soil to dry a bit more so I can get stuck in. I have some things on the go all ready  (Tomatoes, annual Dahlias, Rhodochiton, Viola, and others) but because of our recent storms my glass house is missing about 15 panes of glass so I cant use that and my space indoors is limited. I am calling to Martin Begley in the morning for glass so hopefully by tomorrow evening my glass house will be useable again. (Fran will I give him your regards?) Also in the storms we had a flying trampoling which made clean sugar of our solid wood swing set, broke gutters and tiles in 3 parts of roof, went over house and landed out the front, it broke the three main branches of my Forest Pansy which alas will only ever be a bush now and not the tree I imagined it would be

 I cant seem to load photos so I have just included a few from last year just to cheer myself up!

Primrose Bank has NO primroses planted into it any more. Instead they were transplanted into the area behind the retaining wall at the Upper Pond. So Primrose Bank it is no more. More like Spring Bank, with things like Cyclamen coum, hederifolum, low-growing Salvia, Leucojum, Sedums, Narcissus ‘tete-a-tete’s’, Myosotis, to mention but a few.

This bank is looking lovely at the moment. The spoil from the latest pond was literally just thrown up on top of existing soil so it’s quite a mound at this stage. But it’s beginning to slide down onto the pathway that runs down the length of the garden. The soil needs a barrier to prevent it disappearing altogether. A job for tomorrow, hail, rain or snow!

Over the last few weeks while I was off work, I started tackling the job of sorting old photos, moving them onto memory stick monthly files etc.

It is a slow process, but very enjoyably at the same time.

I really liked this photo of Rosa Iceberg and a white Antirrhinum.

Today we decided to go for a walk to Glendalough …we have done this walk plenty times before but I have had Flu/ Shingles/Bad back all since Christmas so no walking for me , so I was delighted it was a great day for it …..we took 4 and half hours to do the full circle ….and we went the opposite way we had done it last time as it is all up 630 steps which are made of Railway sleepers up to the first view area…..1 photo. 

Am a little stiff but it is a great start to what we intend to walk plenty more areas.

Some time ago I was worried because I feared my frogs had forsaken me.  Last year I was away in March and April and I did  not see frog spawn so I hoped this year I would, so I was delighted to see some recently, but then I was disappointed as I had hoped to see moe I wonder did the herons eat all the frogs, or did cleaning the pond get rid of them.  But I was assured the latter would not have happened.  Maybe I will have loads of frogs this year and they will happily eat all my slugs.

I include photos of camellias, as I like them at this time of the year.

While digging around the North-facing border today, this big fella suddenly jumped out of nowhere. We were nearly having Frogs Legs for dinner instead of pancakes. The spade nearly spliced through him. Frightened the Bejaysus out of me. But heck, look at the size of him/her!

Happy pancake Tuesday!

Saturday afternoon,after overindulging myself at the orchid fair,we stopped off at Dawns Nurseries between cheltenham and Stroud.I found myself drawn to the greenhouse where my eyes nearly popped out when i came across this Srelitizia and my heart nearly popped out when i saw the price £125!!!

Wasn’t free for the garden until about 2.30 today. Still in the process of shifting things around in the North-facing border. But it’s definitely beginning to take shape. I still don’t have any climbers in situ to cover the brick wall. But that’s actually not bothering me right now.

Didn’t get to plant the Cotoneaster ‘Coral Beauty’ as I had intended yesterday. But it does look like the weather is beginning to settle a bit so no hurry. I moved a few more things down to the wall of the Upper Pond. I transplanted the last of my galanthus (bar the baby ‘Spindlestone Surprise’). This one is staying in the retaining bed behind the Upper Pond so I can monitor its growth over the next year or two, and hopefully I’ll see it bulking up. Until then, it stays where it is.

I also transplanted another fern. Don’t know its name. But it’s quite like one I had transplanted earlier ‘Blechnum magellanicum’, only it has much shorter, and more squat leaves. I have to be careful to leave a bit of space for the lighthouse that has been taken into Steve’s job for a ‘make-over’ during any free time he may have. I’m hoping I have given these plants enough growing space.

Watching and thinking i have been,about the goodness of some colour in the garden.As i walk around the garden and look down at some bear shrubs,all begins to change now.Tiny buds appear to bring a new year.The first tiny yellow flower was noticed on one of the daffodils as i walked by them during the dinner hour.

Some of the Salix willow shrubs look a little wind effected but they will be called to.Tiny buds appear by the dozens with them and in a few months as the leaf stalks grow down like an umberella and match the other shrubs in their own way,the garden year will be at its best.

Tiny leaves have began on the fuschia i dug from my neighbours lawn (2013) as it was unwanted.Watching for the new growth i have done from the very day i moved it.I know nothing appears over winter but still not a day went buy without a look in at it.Will it or wont it i would often say to myself.

Thats all past now as the answer most wanted has began,a tiny growth on the branch.

The Potatoes are a member of that family and as the seed Potatoes prepare well on trays,i hope to start a ground visit for some in the tunnel.The same family (Solan) have other members such as Tomatous,Auber,Pepp,and another member can be the Rhubarb family.

I hope to stick to all plans with crop rotation and to always make sure to dig up all Potatoes when the time comes.Reason being,that any missed known as volunteer Potatoes and left over winter take in Potato Blight ((Phy Infest) and pass this on to outer beds.

Indeed as always i have to say some will be missed and removed the following year when seen,but its all in gardening.Cant have all perfect.Gardeners win some and lose some.If i was to have all growing perfect in the veg garden without one thing going wrong,then thats a first.The year of the bad frost and up to six diseases making their marks,that hope for better days in the veg garden would always remain.

I was out in the garden today, of course, as it was a beautiful day here in Dublin.

Ive a lot of tete-a-tete’s up now and I was surprised to see that some of them have 3  heads on them!…one or two have 2 and of course just the usual 1…….is that usual do you think?

Over the weeking and late last night i managed to move on some seedlings.As the Lettuce (Lac) seedling roots can be quite fussy when removed for potting on,i always make sure to sow the seed in single areas for potting on.Roots not been effected further a speedy and more successful job.Not saying it cant be done that is,just makes the job more on the better side.

With the Legumes,some Broad Beans and early Peas are being hardened off.The polytunnel has some extra visitors of seedlings also,but covered at night as frost is still paying a visit.Our worst enemy have began to strike as small slugs have been noticed in the greenhouse etc.The leader in that field is the Milax spp (black slug).Trays etc will be checked underneath where they will wait  until darkness.

Life in the garden never stands still, regardless of the weather. There is always something just peeping into view as well as others nodding a “Farewell”!

At present it is the turn of the snowdrops to exit the stage, but didn’t they give a great performance? Three cheers for those, delicate looking, but very brave and tough little plants that bring hope to us all in the cold of January and February!

Enter, Daffodils to join the Crocuses and Hellebores! Just yet, they enter slowly: minitures and two large ones are all that are taking centre stage here but there are crowds waiting in the wings to give that “Horray” to spring! 

Almost unnoticed, the bergenias are adding softness to the edge of the stage with their gentle pinks and ever-present leaves. Too often we take them for granted without giving them a second thought, but how much poorer we would be without them!

But is there anything entering the show just now that can measure up to the charm of our species Primrose? I doubt it!

I think because of all the wet weather the Pieris shrubs have done very well this year, it is certainly the best year yet for this Pieris Japonica Bonfire, it is giving great colour at the moment.

After a week in the uk ,at the cheltenham orchid fair

The crossing going over was dreadful! The ferry was delayed five hours

I hate travelling and waiting around is a nightmare

IT was choppy coming back also ,i came back on the 2.45am sailing from pembroke ,i tried to get some sleep ,but when i laid down ,the ferry seemed as if it was turning right over!

I had a great week ,but the plants were very expensive

I took a few pics of my garden when i got home

Its good to be back,there is no place like home  😉

Photinia ‘Red Robin’ is looking lovely in morning sun today.

It’s lovely to see new growth on baby plants.

This lot were mostly grown from seed last year and were too small to plant out so they have had to be overwintered.

I did a job on them a few days ago, removing any moss that had grown on the compost surface. It’s a job best done before the plants try to break up through it.

It is nice to go through and remember what I sowed. It has been so long and I saw so little of them last year (because they were babies) that each plant is like a nice surprise, especially if it starts coming up again!

Cautleya spicata, Cordyline indivisa, Lobelia siphilitica and tree peonies, to name a few. Let them grow strong and steady now!

Yesterday was such a lovely day, especially the morning part.  Warm enough to go without a coat.  Cut down to a foot my Clematis Hagley Hybrid and Polish Spirit.  Cut back the butterfly bushes, virtually to the ground!!!  I bought and potted up last Sept Iris reticulata ‘harmony’ as I wasn’t having great success with them in the ground.   To my surprise they came up in 3 different parts of the garden this Spring so hopefully they’ll settle in now!!  The pots I put underneath various shrubs and I’m wondering now, would I replant them in gdn when they are finished or leave them in their pots.  No snow on Croagh Patrick but snow was on the mountains looking towards Connemar!!!    Today it’s miserable and raining!!!

The peril of working at home is that you do get very tempted to drop everything in good weather – which is what I did yesterday, it was just too lovely to spend the day swotting, despite the fact that I have 3 deadlines by the end of next week!

So as everyone had got Lidl bargains I trundled off to Gort. I swear our Lidl doesn’t get half the bargains the Dublin stores do, it was a dead loss. Did better in Aldi where I got 3 Rosa Rugosa, Alchemillas and a box of 40 mini-plugs of lobelia. Then  popped into the garden centre to get some pots of Tete a Tetes for beside the bergenia and crocuses because hey, there’s no time like the present. 

Then I potted up a lot of plants that Alan had got last week and moved others out to the cold frame from their winter quarters in the poly. 

It was getting cloudy and very cold by then so I popped dinner in the oven and did another couple of hours on the books. 

Last night there was definite movement in the pond so I think the frogs are back, and a lot of flirting was going on among the songbirds!