Archives: journal

The forecast was for rain today, and it took a while to come, but now it’s turned out to be one of these late spring wet evenings where there garden is looking really green and lush…and soaked and cold!

I’m glad that yesterday we got the grass cut and the hedge trimmed – after dinner -, as it looks like we might not be able to get near them for a few days, between the rain and a very very busy week-end ahead!

I have quite a few things to do in the garden next week, including staking a small tree (I can’t remember the name of it, I need to look for it), that is getting dangerously unbalanced and might fall completely one of these days if I don’t do anything about it…

John and I have been planting out our bedding plants for the last two days. to date we have planted over 700 bedding plants, with another 800 or more to go.Are we mad or eccentric !!!!. We had a fright this morning when we found the big pond was emptying out, thinking there was a hole in the liner, but luckily we found the new fillter had clogged and the water was coming out over the top. Panick over. 

The timber arrived on tuesday morning. It took ages to get myself set up properly because of the lack of space and because of the amount of unnecessary tools i removed from the shed!! I completed one raised bed and planted out cabbage, kale, calabrese and cauliflower. I’m not expecting much from my poor brassicas this year however as the soil is probably not firm enough for them. Next year they’ll be planted where the peas and french beans have been and the ground will have settled from its autumn dig for 3 or 4 months before they go in so that should produce better results.

Rain stopped play for a time today so instead of continuing with the raised beds and the possibility of electrocuting myself with the circular saw or the drill, I decided to clear the ground where the compost bin will go. Whatever the weather I can at least start that tomorrow. 

In fairness the lack of space is really only a problem when you’re trying to do something big, like insert three raised beds! Or when you’re trying to hide your mistakes!! Any movements of soil have to be planned so that they don’t interfere with the next stage of work or at least that you can get a few things done and only then have to move it to it’s final position. 

I’ll post step by step pictures as the place starts to come together anyway!!

Yesterday our baby great tits were born – three babies.

This big event did not keep us indoors however. We got stuck into our 2009 project which was to clean off a huge rock. All the old wood has bee thrown up on this rock over the years. it has become covered with ivy and looks quite nice but alas brambles and nettles are pushing their way up through the mass of stuff. So nothing for it but to strip all off and begin again. (see the photos if you are bothered). We are about half way through the job. The weather looks a bit iffy this morning so not sure if we can continue,

Sowed Rachel’s seeds  yesterday – Yes I know it is VERY late but "better late etc….."

Our Community garden Group’s stuff is thriving and I was able to take some home for my own garden. 

I visited the Rare and Special Plant fair in St Anne Park last sunday, the weather was beautiful and I brought the whole family. We had a great day out and as usual my three chose there plants. Ben went for a pink Dianthus, Sam for a Yellow Trollis (Globeflower) and Faith went for a Silene (Red Campion) which funnily I’d seen in someones journal recently.

I put up pictures of some of the booty, funnily my wife managed to spend twice as much as I did (and was horrified). I of course being a control freek arrived with my wish list, at this stage the plant would want to be pretty rare and special for me to buy it! Funnily however some other common plants have been harder to come by probably because they come into garden centres in flower later in the year. 

I also found plenty of small plants that will need a couple of years to develop for €2-€4 each, rather than the €8+ average that some HP are being charged. There is a risk that whatever I bought will end up as Rabbit food, most recent vicitims have been our granite trough, and 3 out of my four rogersia, a astrantia and a eupatorium all from my shady bed which has made it very imbalance. The Grazer has’nt worked on many of these as it systemic through leaves but if the rabbits eat the leaves before you can spray your in difficulty!!

Looking forward to bloom have still not decided if I’m going on the Sun or the Monday but may leave it right up to the end.

 I recently placed some of my bonsai trees around the bird bath to give the smaller birds observation perches from which to approach the bird bath safely.

I have a bonsai oak tree and a bonsai edible chestnut tree on opposite sides of the birdbath. Between them I have placed two bonsai silver birch tree, again one on either side of the birdbath so that it is enclosed by the trees.

The bonsai oak tree I collected as a sapling while the Bonsai edible chestnut and sillver birch trees I grew from seed. I also have a bonsai horse chestnut tree growing nearby. All of these trees are growing in shallow containers to maintain their bonsai state.  

The photo of the ‘Bird bath & Bonsai trees’ can be seen to better effect on my photos page.   

John was up and out planting Sweet corn in the garden before 7am . The rain came just as we were finishing planting the road wall bed with godetia. Our Strawberries are showing lots of flower, I have put some more photos on line. 

Although today was mainly damp, I managed to do two important things;

1. Capture one of the three wild cats in our garden and get him neutered and,

2. start and finish the compost bin

Well 2. is a bit of a fib because I still have to put the pvc cover on it but it’s essentially complete!!

I should really give some background re; the cats. When my partner bought the house there was a black mammy cat (Jess) and her two kittens (Tex and Sheila).

When we moved in the kittens weren’t really kittens anymore (being three months old) and all three were very wild. Then in march,the mammy cat had three more kittens, two of whom died and we said now is the time.

During the winter, due to study etc., time was never set aside to trap them. But since we took the surviving kitten from the mammy we can commence trapping. We caught one this morning and he (Tex) is in the shed recovering from his operation. Hopefully tomorrow we’ll trap the others however…..we suspect that Sheila is now pregnant….So until we find the kittens and we wean them we can’t get her spayed.

Anyway, the kitten (bumble) is due to go to her new home on saturday morning. Tex will be released tomorrw morning, and the trap will be set for Jess. Once Jess has been spayed we can try to locate Sheila’s kittens. 

So back to work tomorrow. Hopefully the weather will be more friendly next week!!

 

 

This is our third year on the Hydro farm allotments in Blarney Co Cork. What a difference this year, when we started there were 20 plots and over half of them unoccupied!Last year most of them were taken up but this year due to demand Zwena has added more and then more until now there are 42 plots.Lots of new people and a lot of young couples growing for the first time which is great to see.There is fantastic comaraderie some of the more experienced plotters are a fund of advice and help the newer people but they share their enthusiasim which is infectious!

The range of produce growing is fantasic, from herbs to the usual potatoes ,one man has 9 varieties on his plot to see which he likes and which prove blight resistant. Asparagus is shooting up from some of the older plots and globe artichokes.Garlic, onions, leeks and brassicas of all description, beans and peas and even a mushroom growing experiment!

Our open day this year is on 20th June and as successful as it was last year, this year will be a great day for everyone.We all work different days or evenings on our plots so the open day is a chance to meet everyone at leisure to talk about their plots.

The hens are in residence since last week and are settling into their new home, they will be out around the field soon to forage and hopefully cut down some of the slug population!

 

Had to photograph something to lift this dull day. So went out. in the rain and here is the ‘loud pink’ Azalea. The lush leaves in the front belong to Allium ‘Molly’ they are bright yellow~~~~~~what a clash~~~~!

I spent the morning planting out a lot of my greenhouse bedding. There had better be no frost otherwise there will be such an enormous shriek from Wexford that it will be heard all over the country!

Since I was last on here I have done a number of jobs…

a) Covered the newly extended "Path" Border with membrane and planted it up with rhododendrons, Magnolia Stellata, Paeony etc (see album). I need about another two large rhododendrons

b) Dug (with the digger) and raked the new Greenhouse Border (see album)

c) Painted the outside window sills and steps

d) Sprayed the roses (definitely a first for me)

e) Bought a stone circle (4 mtr) so the area we have dug must be enlarged

There is an issue however that I am struggling with.

Every year House Martins build their nest in the eve over the front door. It is very messy and the result is bird poo all over the front step. Don’t get me wrong, I have no objection to them having the other eves in our house but the front door is a big problem.

I thought I had found the ideal solution this year and got the husband to hang up used CD’s near the eves to frighten the birds away. They are, however, not paying the discs a blind bit of notice. Does anyone have a solution for this problem as I really can’t face another pooey summer!

Bought two new plants at Johnstown Garden Centre the above which I have tried take a photo to show all the different shades on one plant, hope it will grow for me. also bought Sidalcea Bianco which has only green leaves at the moment. If anyone has advice about planting these that would be good, too wet to go out today.

Well I underestimated how sick I was. I spent 2 days in hospital but thankfully I am well on the way to recovery. I actually got out in the garden for a while this afternoon.

I’m not going to get as much done as I had hoped but I’ll keep going and get as much as I can done.  I’ve done a lot of potting on but had to fish around the garden for pots.  Verbascums – I’ll never buy verbascum plants again. They’re so easy to grow from seed.

A pane of glass shattered in the greenhouse today – while I was in it – It seems the lawnmower kicked up a stone and hit the greenhouse. Luckily my back was to the shattered pane.  Luckier still we had enough polycarbonate to do a repair job.