Archives: journal

 

 

My poor tulips!

 

It’s really snowing out there.

My tomato seeds, in the unheated propagator in the hot press, are not at optimal temperature.

The thermometer says a minimum of 14 and a maximum of 18. I need 18-20 for germination. But maybe it’s actually a bit warmer under the lid of the propagator.

However, there are about 2" of snow outside.

 

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Seeing as we had no snow this morning I got my trusty old bike out and cycled to our local garden centre. Its a fine place for a wonder round. They always have a ‘sale table’ which I am very fond of!!! This is the bargain I got and I planted it straight away. I think with a bit of organic fertiliser later on it will come on fine.

I uploaded more pictures. You can see some interesting places in Vladivostok (fortress, lighthouse) and around the city.

There are also some pictures of plants and animals. Most of plants have medicinal properties.  Eleuterococcus senticosus is close to ginseng.

Nelumbo nucifera (lotus) grows on the lake Khanka near Vladivostok.

I sowed two types of Hollyhock (one white and one black) and perennial Cornpoppy yesterday.

I love the Cornpoppy annual so I’m hoping the perennial will be just as exuberent. Only afterwards did I realise that these seeds take a mammoth 1-3 MONTHS to germinate.

The snow has not let up at all as yet and more on the way, decided to go for a walk for some fresh air, walked to our local shopping centre about 20 mins walk, bought 2 Echinacea Purpurea ‘Magnus’ and a Bleeding Heart Dicentra Spectablis, both have growth so I have potted them up and into the porch. I also walked past a local farm and took a photo of the poor pigs in the field. Also snapped a picture of our long tailed tit, we have about 8 of these in our garden and they are like little furry balls with a long tail.

Looking forward to better weather now so I can have plenty of nice colours in the garden for summer.

 

We got a light fall of snow last night. Today its sunny spells and light snow flurries. I spied the little snowdrops putting up their flowers. I put my homemade manure on this bed most years as it is the only dry patch I have in this damp garden.

Well it really has’nt been a nice month January has it and February is shaping up to be an even nastier one. Other than appearing in the Irish Garden, the highlight of my amateur gardening career!!. If I have’nt been sick (often) it’s been so cold or snowy I have been able to do nothing in the garden. So I am way behind have’nt a clue what to sow when and how, all I know is I hope my motivation and the weather turns very soon.

I have quite a few seeds that need sowing, especially my ricinus which I especially excited about I bought 3 small plants at the rare and unusual plant fair last year and now I have 40 seed!!! Don’t know if i need 40 ricinus plants but I’ll give it a go. Knowing my luck I’ll plant 40 seeds and get 40 plants or plant 40 seeds and get 1 plant!!!

I’ve dug over my veg beds (raised) and added manure thank god but still need to add 3/4 bags of Horticultural sand to the carrot bed. Rotating crops this year but still have to dig out the new potatoe bed which frankly I’m not looking forward to! Having said that I did an awful lot of work on beds last year and I hope to not have to do that again in 2009.

I guess the first year is always the hardest but I hope all my hard work will have paid off in the next couple of years. I still have to sort out 5 trees (RIP) and I also have a serious problem with a steep bank at theback of the house, I’m now thinking of putting in some dogwoods but not sure I’d have the energy to dig the holes!!!

 

 

We have had a good fall of snow here today,and can expect a bad frost later.To look out at the garden all that can be seen is a lovely blanket of white on the ground.Maybe the sun will appear in a short while, later in the year and help the new hardy seedlings grow well.I sowed some broad beans and parsnips yesterday,hope all goes well for them. 

There was a brief spell about a week ago of semi decent weather – actually about two hours one morning, when I was able to have a stab at amending the layout of a badly shaped area.  I got some rope and laid that out until I felt the whole thing looked better, got my crescent edger and cut to the shape.  About 6 inches wide initally extending out to about two feet and then curving back down to just a couple of inches.  Surprising just how much turf that actually was – two completely full barrows.  Stopped for lunch and have not been able to do anymore since due to our weird and wonderful weather.

 Then this last Friday the two men from the local garden centre arrived to dig out the three miserable birches to replace with one multi stemmed specimen.  Took a couple of hours in total and I am delighted with the new arrival.  When the weather allows I shall plant a few bulbs and replace the lavender and verbena bonariensis which I’d lifted in preparation.

The internet has been down since our recent cold spell when a "wire froze".

The good news is that my 5 tomato types have germinated and just this morning the peppers and aubergines popped their heads up. I’m delighted but no flowers yet.

I had been very worried about my seeds since it was really hard to maintain the correct germination temperature either in the hotpress or outside it. This was compounded by the fact that the heating oil then ran out and we had to wait a few days for delivery. The only tray that kept the right temperature was the heated propagator. As heating propagators start at €54, I didn’t really fancy buying any more.

Then I found a great solution – sparked by the husband’s giant African snails! Let me explain. Reptiles and exotic molluscs are often kept at temperature (not for cooking purposes, you understand) with heated mats. I put some of my seeds on top of the snails’ mat, which was on top of their "box". It worked a treat. I have now bought my own "reptile mat" for €24 and intend planting some more seeds this afternoon.

Potted up some roots/tubers too – 2 peonies (one white and one Sarah Bernhardt), 2 white agapanthus and one Glory Lily (gloriosa rothschildiana), which I was overjoyed to find.

I found this flowering in the homemade greenhouse and brought it out to take a photo in the snow. The smell of ‘cloves’ from it is so strong that  I brought it into the kitchen to enjoy.

We went for a walk in Derrycassin forest in the snow over the weekend.  In the middle of the forest are the remains of an old walled garden, now taken over by nature.  It was so still and magical…until a hare darted out of the undergrowth and frightened the life out of me!

Sowed some Monarda, more Hollyhock (Charter’s Double Icicle) and some Aquilegia (Nora Barlow).

This is the easy bit – it’s a killer when they all need potting on at the same time.

 

 

Is spring trying to break through?

It was a beautiful spring day today.

I planted 8 Cistus on the hill at one side of my garden. It is amazing how many plants that hill swallows and yet still shows gaps!

I did loose a few cistus purpurea there – some kind of pest problem as  two consecutive 4ft plants just withered and died. I’m hoping the problem has abated.