Archives: journal
Feeling a little frustrated today as I can’t go to Bloom til Monday and I don’t know how I’m going to get through the weekend. I feel like I’m walking through a desert with a burgeoning Oasis in sight, but 3 days walk away!!! Well, maybe that is a little over dramatic, but you get the idea!
Not much gardening going on here at the moment as there is so much work to be done indoors – like painting, which I have been doing all week, and will probably be doing for most of Saturday and Sunday. I did manage to replant my strawberry pot with a fresh crop of alpine strawberries that I grew from seed last year. They were very overcrowded so hopefullly they will appreciate their new home and do me proud. I’m also planning to dig up some of the area in front of the house as it is imposible to keep on top of the weeds there and the soil is terrible as it used to be coverd in tarmac. I’m going to put down some gravel and put a bench there as it gets the evening sun.
Looking forward to keeping up with everyone’s reports of Bloom. Enjoy! It looks like it will be a great show with lots and lots of inspiration, and if you’re like me and won’t be going until the last day, I hope you make it through the desert and your horticultural thirst is well and truly quenched on Monday!
Front garden in need of an overhaul – maybe bloom will help to inspire
What a busy day!
I got notification of a closing down sale at a local Garden Centre yesterday. It promised great deals so I just had to head off there this morning before going up to Bloom in Dublin. It was the Garden Centre where I recently got good bargains on large Buxus. Well, I got more good bargains on large Buxus this morning as well as a few other odds and ends.
So, made it to Bloom around 12.30 and had a look around the gardens first. The picture shows my favourite one, The Secluded Water Garden. The plant pavillion was more fun and I was delighted to get my hands on a Sarracenia ‘Juthatip Soper’ and Nepenthes ‘Rebecca Soper’. I nearly had to fight someone to get the last Nepenthes of that colour! I saw fabulous giant Nepenthes there – ones which could digest a mouse. But 50 quid was a bit beyond my means.
Didn’t see anyone at the Irish Garden stand at 2pm but I guess we all had stuff we needed to see. By the way, I would recommend anyone to bring children this year. there was lots for them to do. I had been in two minds about bringing my youngest and didn’t in the end. But it would have been grand to have brought him.
Bloom
Lightly fragrant blue flowers
What can I say; with the weather we have for it what more could you ask for. It was one of the best outings I have had this year. Credit must be given to the organizers of this event.
hi everybody
well what can i say its beeeaauuuttiiful the summer as arrived ?????? (for how long???) been out playing with macey and her new toy today,enjoying my garden.have posted picys.
maceys new toy
Another perfect day today with the weather.The hose was the most wanted item in the garden today.Put down another selection of seed,also some more tomato plants [outside].Grass got a trim and some of the hedge also.Collected any more pots and trays around the garden that were not in use.Washed the exit area with the power hose.The rose bed had a new layer of compost added to it.Had a quick look around for any places that enemies [slugs,snails etc] could be hidden.Time to close up all for the night.The annual cemetery evening mass was being held this evening, so no more time to work after 6 o clock.Covered lots of ground today so all went well.
Alan my young nephew offers some help today.
Just finished sunday dinner, my first taste of new potatoes this year from the garden …..summer has arrived.
arron pilot was the variety, very tasty.
In the city we have almost all spring flowers still in bloom – irises, tulips, muscari, daffodils and primroses (in my album). And summer flowers also start to bloom – petunias, violas and so on.
Splendid iris
Today I planned to go to new garden shop (at last!), but my friend checked it and told me than there’s nothing for me at the moment. The most space of the shop is for shrubs and fruit trees. So I decided to go to another shop recomended to me, besides it’s much more closer.
And I was pleased to find there something new – saxifrage (Saxifraga x poluanglica, I guess), Geranium sanguineum ‘Album’ and Brodiaea (Triteleia) laxa.
I know saxifrage as a outdoor plant, good for rockeries, but I love this plant and want to keep it indoor, in my room. It’s lovely!
Saxifrage
This plant is absolutely new for me, but it caught my eye and I didn’t resist. I planted it in a pot and hope to see its flowers this summer. I will combine it with dwarf irises in container.
Do you have any experience with Brodiaea? It would be interesting to know!
Brodiaea (Triteleia) laxa
At last I sowed seeds of streptocarpus (F1 Dragon Seed from Dibley’s nurcery).
I hope I will have luck with them. Seeds are so small, so soft that I was affraid to do something wrong. Time will show!
Dear Rita, thank you once again for this wonderful gift!
Streptocarpus seeds
Final touches to front bed.Happy as an elf.
Enjoyed the sunshine today with my kids.
Isn’t it fabulous?
I’ve started a new album – June 2009.
Taken by Josh
Back from a lovely week in Portugal, looks like I brought the sun with me! Although I could have just gone to tramore this week and I would have gotten the same weather (although Lisbon was 34o C!!)
My auto watering system had a leak and I nearly lost a lot of my annuals, certainly many of them are stressed by the heat in the greenhouse, I need to put coolglass on my windows probably tomorrow to reduce the heat. I’ve been busy watering and mowing since I got back and the weeds!! well I despair.
I went to bloom on the Sunday and I got there early which was lucky as it was jammers come midday. At one stage I could’nt move in the plant pavillion for 2 minutes as it was so packed. I like the Oliver and Liat Shurmann garden Translucency best, closely followed by the secluded water garden by Frazer McDonagh too but felt it was’nt as original as Translucency. I took lots of pictures and I certainly got lots of ideas but I’m so busy at the minute (and with summer holidays looming) I’m not sure I’ll get to impliment many.
I stopped off for my traditional visit to Johnstown and bought a grass Molinia caerulea subsp arundencea ‘Transparent’ (phew) Carol Kleines garden has it and its been on my wish list for a long while (even if it was €20!!!). I saw more plants here than in bloom that I wanted, I guess it’s best to go on Friday as I feel all the plants are there and good ones go quickly over the weekend.
Jacaranda Tree
Peony flower
at last all photos up now sister phoned an hour at least!!!!!!
Today was an amazing day. The few wispy clouds in the sky were very welcome shelter from the blistering hot sun. Lots of work had to be done to make up for running out of time before going on holidays.
I planted out some brassicas, poppies and I finally planted the box hedge that has been protesting in pots for far too long. I did a bit of weeding too and was gutted to see that the asparagus has failed again this year. I have only one plant producing and there isn’t a meg out of the 10 we planted in the spring.
I have been weeding in the flower borders for most of the day while Bob mowed the grass and cut the meadow. There are a good few adjustments to be made in Sally’s garden. I need to get out the daffs and tulips from the Magnolia so that it gets the space it needs. Centaurea montana Alba is far too dominant and will have to be culled. Some are for Alison. There is so much to be planted in there. Cosmos, nicotiana Sylvestris, sweet peas, Iris "butter and sugar"
I’m going to get rid of the window boxes. i keep forgetting to water them and so they make the place look worse rather than better.
I think I’ll be spending alot of time on my knees over the coming week of dry weather. Factor 30 required!
has arrived at last. went to Bloom yesterday with mum and hubby. left the house at 5.45 for the train, just made it, and arrived at phoenix park around 11 on the shuttle bus, which dropped us right at the entrance. it was really hot and busy, not that easy to get around, and impossible to see everthing, as we had to leave at 5 to catch the train. loved the gardens, and meant to take loads of photos but only took two, and they didnt really come out great. bought 4 lovely hostas and some flowering thyme, really wanted to buy an acer but have nowhere suitable to plant it. was sorry i had to leave before the end, as they were giving away some plants and selling others off cheap. couldnt buy much as we couldnt carry too many bags, but will definitely be back next year with the car, and will buy, buy, buy!
No photos as forgot my camera on Sat. but we had a great day and the weather just perfect. I have been planting up a few of the things I bought a fuschia call Prosperity hope that means it will grow in my heavy clay.
My sister says I have dreadful soil so must get manure, no cows next door in the city! will buy a bag in Woodies. Enjoyed the man from Woodies at the lectures also Gerry Daly and John Cushnie. I’m a fan of Gardeners Question Time on radio on Sunday, if I get lunch over in time.
Great meeting Flitters and her sister.
Abutilon
Gardening was due to begin in earnest today but thankfully violin lessons and an impromtu playdate meant that I didn’t get out there until seven this evening. Way too hot to garden until that time anyway.
More weeding to clear space for some of the cut flowers. Statice – the everlasting flower. I love these flowers as I remember buying some for my mother on Mother’s day when I was only a little girl. She’s passed away a long time now but its funny the things you cling to for memories.
The tomatoes finally went into the ground in the tunnel! Although there wasn’t enough room for the last 6. I was preparing greenhouse border to take the last 6 toms and some basil when I uncovered a load of ants. I "watered them in" but I don’t know if this will work. I left the planting out until tomorrow. I finished off the box hedge because I found a few more pants in the nursery bed. There is still a gap in the hedge but I will try to propogate my own to fill the gap. – no rush.
Pumpkins courgettes and the last few sweetcorn will go outside tomorrow. I’m risking it tonight and have left them outside in their pots. The doors have been left open in the greenhouse for the past couple of nights so I hope it won’t be too much of a shock.
A few boxes ticked today and some more to be ticked tomorrow……..after a cup of coffee with the girls.
Avenue bed – purple and orange
what weather!
i was away for a few days…obviously brought aback the fine weather ha ha.
all i need now is to start weeding…where to begin?
my seedlings didn’t seem to come up at all…i’ve no idea why..gutted
My husband planted up more sugar snap peas and mustard greens. The Choi Pak he planted just recently has started to sprout (thank you, Lorraine).
He dug another two vegetable beds (not in the photo) with the digger, That makes eight although the final two don’t yet have wood to raise them.
I wonder can anone advise on a problem we have encountered with the greenhouse courgettes. Some of the small fruits are rotten at one end. No other sign of disease. I wonder has it to do with not removing the spent flowers quickly enough so they start to rot and that affects the adjacent fruit! Or is it overwatering?
Vegetables
Despite the fact that she starts the Leaving Cert tomorrow, my daughter planted up her flower bed today. She did it in her study breaks.
She grew the flowers from seed herself this spring but the bed was dug with the digger.
As you can see, she had her own little helper, younger brother Joshua, to assist with planting.
Ishtar’s Bed
Well, I am glad to say my fears were unfounded. The seeds are coming up! Lettuce and broccoli, and the very first curly kale looks like it is poking through. Am pleased to make a good start.
I also had a good laugh when I discovered that I managed to get my fruit canes muddled up when I planted them bare rooted. There were three different types in a bag, unlabelled, and I had to kind of guess (not easy when they just look like sticks). I was amused that it has taken me this long to realise that I have a tayberry planted with the currants and vice versa! Guess I will have to wait til autumn to correct that one. One of the children also discovered a strawberry plant in a forgotten corner of the front garden. Not sure how it survived…I planted a few small bits a friend gave me about seven years ago, when the garden was more of a field, and I thought I had lost them. Plants are amazingly resilient at times. Another transfer job for the autumn…
Enjoy the tiny things in life!
