An Irish country garden

An Irish Country Garden(in the making)

Welcome to my new site where I will tell you all about the move I made to Cobh, Co. Cork and the challenge to make a new garden.

On July 12th 2004 I moved from Dublin to Cobh. Here I am living in a 200 year old cottage with about half an acre of land. You will note I say 'land' because with the exception of a small front garden the rest consists of two large grass areas divided by a dry stone wall. The name of my new home is Ash Cottage and yes indeed there are many ash trees on the property. One was really close to the house and needed to be removed while all the others required extensive pruning to allow more light on the situation. Tree cutting day was most exciting but tinged with some sadness as I hate to see any healthy tree cut down but safety is a priority.

Here we see the stone wall and three ash trees before they get their hair cut.

This picture is taken after the hair cut and from the far side of the wall. They look rather bare but it had to be done, honestly.

The remains of the dangerous tree with the JCB about to move in and remove it completely. This is where I will be having a sunroom built.

Well the sunroom was finished and you can see the grand big window which allows me great views of the garden and countryside. The small building is the new pump house for the well. In the foreground is the crater dug for a pond; behind it is the pile of soil removed in the process.

Finally just a general view of tree cutting day.
So the trees were down and it was time to put some garden design plans into action. I had spent hours before the move sketching plans of where borders etc would go but it is true that the best laid plans do often go astray!! When I first put a fork in the grass area behind the house I knew I had trouble, this came in the form of stones BIG ones and thick roots. Apparently this area had been the farmyard and stones from this plus those from outbuildings which had been demolished lurked beneath some topsoil and grass.

Here you may get some idea of the stones and these are present to quite a depth.
So back to the drawing board and I decided to investigate the large grassed area on the far side of the stone wall. I had much better luck here and was able to dig up the sod and make a couple of beds in which I could temporarily plant out some plants brought with me from Dublin.

Not very inspiring I agree but better than keeping the plants in pots. Note the large pile of wood chippings in the background from the felled trees and branches. These were to prove most useful
Meanwhile back in the rocky area I started to dig planting holes using a pick axe and removing loads of stones. Here I put down some shrubs and also made some raised beds which I surrounded with the stones. I needed to have some bit of colour to look at. I hope to make quite a big wildlife pond in this area as flower beds other than raised ones are not feasible. However the dry stone wall provides an ideal location for planting sedums, aubretia and other rock garden type plants. I have also planted many daffodil bulbs and there are lots of primroses growing wild on the ditches which is wonderful. The front garden is rather nice. A Fuchsia hedge screens it from the road...a rather quiet country road.... When I came the area was very overgrown as can be seen in this photograph.

It took quite a bit of work to cut back the hedge and clean up the whole area but it is looking much better now and I will show a picture of it soon.In fact here it comes now.

Above you see my first attempt at making a dry stone wall. Actually it looks a bit better in real life, honest, and I still have to finish it. Problem is that despite this place being full of stones there are few really suitable for the wall; this means anytime on my travels I happen to spot a good stone I tend to "borrow" it. NO, not from private property!

You cannot fail to notice the gas tank. There have been several attempts to screen this but so far none have worked. I now have a large wood panel which helpful brother(HB) is going to erect. I will then grow some plants up this and hopefully all will be well. You can also see a heap of soil which will turn into a rock garden in the near future.

Well the gas tank has been screened and a good job it is too. HB whose name I shall now reveal to be Ted , did well!! Pity he remains reluctant to do garden type things like digging holes though in fairness gravel laying, hedge cutting and other jobs that don't entail contact with earth are acceptable. I am lucky to have his input here or the garden would be a lot longer, if ever, being developed. ( Hope those words ensure assistance with the pond liner)

Progress has also been made with the rock garden though the rocks will be minimum. This year I am going to use it to plant many of the hardy geraniums I brought with me. I have started moving them as you can see in the next picture.

There are lots of wild primrose here and one bank is particularily lovely at this time of year.

Here you get some idea of it.

I hope the pond will be lined this week and then I get on with other tasks in the surrounding area.

Well the pond is now lined and some planting has taken place. The lining operation went quite smoothly although I was dreading it. HB and HSIL helped and between the three of us mission was complete in about half an hour. Then came a nail biting time as we started to fill the pond; as I have a shallow well I had thoughts of running it dry and loads of grit getting in the filter. Thankfully all went well, no not a deliberate pun! The following pictures show the progress of operation POND.

This is stage two with the liner cut to size and some boulders put in at the back ; subsequently my JCB friend decided that we needed more large stones so he went off searching for suitable candidates. The next pic will show his success. Meanwhile the garden was yelling at me that I should put a little terraced area in, to be in harmony with the several hedgerows one can see behind ,so you can see where the slope was " cut into" . This will be faced with stone.

So here is next phase with more boulders in and the terraced area stone walled. You can also see the path to the right edged with tree branches. The ghastly area in the centre shows where the JCB has been to visit. This is due to be rotovated and a circular stone raised bed installed, these will hopefully be the next pictures to view.

More progress to report; note the patio area , the work of HB who is now dropping hints that he should be elevated to VHB.

Next came the circular stone bed which can be glimpsed to the right of the next picture. I ran out of suitable stones before it was completed and while waiting to find some more became quite attached to the structure as it was. It is now called my falling down Martello tower ( there are many of these towers in the area though on a rather larger scale!!) and I have planted grasses and some wild flowers in it. You can also see the new step coming from the patio area. However most noticable is the added planting and the growth apparent in those already planted.

I don't think I mentioned the planting scheme I have for the area on one side of the pond, ie that nearest in the pictures. I have put in about six different ornamental grasses and with them several varieties of Crocosmia. I think these will look lovely in late Summer but we shall wait and see. Meanwhile a large delivery of stones has arrived and I am making another , smaller, round bed in the gravel area in front of the house. Be it right or wrong I feel the garden should be brought closer to the house as the gravel area there is about the same size as the 'garden' area.

The next big job will be to make a stream running from the bank at the left of the little pump house down into the pond. Choosing a suitable pump and getting the 'electrics' organised will be a bit of a bother but hopefully it will be done.

It is now July and tomorrow I will be one year at Ash Cottage and a very happy time it has been. So this seems the right time to show a very up to date picture of the garden as it is now.

So today is August the 1st and it is difficult to accept we are heading towards Autumn. I have dug out the stream course and am in the process of getting a pump suitable for the project. Not an easy task to establish exactly what type of pump is required but hopefully I will get it sorted out soon. It has been a joy to see the plants grow and flower in their new garden . Another thrill is to go and pick some fresh peas and beans or pull a lettuce, though I have much to learn about growing veggies. The following picture sums up what I feel about my new home.

Ash Cottage is indeed the pot of gold to me at the end of the Rainbow.

One day a few weeks ago as the sun was setting it lit up a Fuchsia bush on a bank in the garden and a lovely sight it was as you will see in the next picture.

I am now going to indulge myself with some thoughts on progress in the garden;this is a record I had in mind originally, how some ideas had to be adapted, and how plans are working out sofar.
As I have said earlier any plans I had of making borders had to be forgotten to a large degree due to the abundance of stones and roots in the ground. Therefore it was necessary to make raised beds whenever possible by adding soil and manure.This fact pointed me towards building the stone walls which was not on the original agenda. However I loved and love doing it so that was no problem. What was most important was not to block the view of the sea ( looks more like a river as it is the back of the Island) particularily from the sun room. This meant I had to check the height of shrubs etc planted in the line of view. It also presented the problem of being unable to plant a wind screen in areas that could benefit from one as the winds here can be rather strong.But there is no way I am losing that view even if I am blown away. I was also bearing in mind that as years go by I want to ensure that I have easy access to various areas of the garden . This garden will always need a lot of work to keep the briars and weeds at bay. I think if you left it for a week in Summer nature would take over in a big way. Talking of which I have tried to keep the planting in sympathy with the sorrounding countryside, nothing too formal.

So now it is the end of August and I have some more pictures and news of progress to report.

Here is a view of what I call the 'lower field'. The trees and bushes I planted here have made good growth. I have also been the proud owner of some rather good Scarlet runner beans

This is a view of the pond and again the plants have made good progress.

My plan of growing Crocosmia and grasses looks promising. I did forget that the former depending on species are not going to flower at the same time so there will be some moving to do in a month or so.

Shown here , with the red dahlia is a bed that needs work. The soil is dreadful so I will have to add a lot more compost.

Now for the big news! Since last Friday the stream has been flowing.
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Cosmos is a great 'filler'at this time of year and so easy to grow from seed.

The bed behind the patio where Verbena bonariensis is flourishing.

Weird, a picture of the path on either side of which are Lavender , and there I am reflected in the window of the sunroom much to my surprise.The ,primarily, geranium bed is also thriving.

In an attempt to bring the garden closer to the house in the gravel area I built another bed, not sure about it yet. I put some Pelargoniums in it for this year but feel it is not really in keeping with the planting in the rest of the garden.

>September 15th 2005

Some more pictures of the garden.

,This interesting succulent is almost black during the warm days but in Winter, when I put it in shelter it reverts to green.

Cosmos is a great annual to grow as a 'filler' for late in the season.

Dicentra spectabilis, usually grown as a climber but I decided to allow it clamber over the logs bordering this bed. It is not a plant one sees very often which is a pity as I think it is well worth having.

One of my favourite plants Verbena bonariensis , gives height and colour and yet one can see through it to other plants in the garden, or indeed the distant view.

Another close up picture of the Cosmos.

A different view of the bed built in the gravel area.

Here is the Geranium bed , I have just planted some species Tulips and small daffodils for a Spring show.

This shows the Lavender path .

I have been asked to show a picture of my garden helpers so on the right is Taj or Mighty Moggie and on the left is Moto or Mini Moggie.

This Poppy looks pretty growing on the patio.

Autumn comes to Ash Cottage with some lovely autumn colours.

Time for another muse as it is a rainy November day. There is still a lot of colour in the garden . I am particularily pleased with the grass area. As I knew would happen I needed to move some of the grasses and indeed the Crocosmia so they will be seen to better advantage. Kaffir lilies which flower late in the year have been a great addition to the area. So the Crocosmia are followed by the Kaffir giving a continuity that seems to work very well, the grasses providing a lovely foil for both. At the back of the grass area I recently planted a cluster of Cornus alba 'Siberica' with their wonderful red stems. These provide good Winter interest and also blend well into the countryside behind. Of course the mistakes are coming to light as growth progresses. I have planted some shrubs too close to one another and will have to do a bit of replanting. I shall own up to some other errors next time!! JANUARY 2006 Well big event to report. I may have mentioned how much I yearn for a bog oak sculpture in the garden. Via the internetI tracked down a craftsman in Galway ; having viewed his work I fell in love with one called Oakbird. In Novemeber it arrived and was installed and I just love it. It is a humbling feeling to stroke the wood and realise it is more than 4000 years old.Below please meet Oakbird.

There has been little activity of late; at present I am wheelbarrowing loads of compost and manure to the beds as they need to be raised.This is not my favourite job!! It is good to see all the Primroses on the banks and there are more than last year. One of the best parts of the year for me is to see them in bloom, wonderful sight.

Spring comes to Ash Cottage;

The following pictures are very special to me for these reasons; About 6 years ago I started on the hunt for a Pulsatilla, also know as the Pasque flower, called Buda Pest. Eventually a kind gardener, one of the few who grew it, sent me some seeds. These I grew and got several seedlings. Then at an Alpine show I met another gardener who had a lovely example on show. He very kindly brought me a seedling the following year. One of the forme seedlings survived and both plants seemed to flourish. I could determine a slight difference in the foliage and was dying to compare flowers. Sadly not to be as one plant died.Now comes where I hang my head in shame; I found the labels had suffered from rain etc and were indecipherable so I had no idea which plant remained. Fast forward to the move here clutching the precious plant.Last Spring it just sat there but THIS SPRING it has produced 6 buds. Due to the horrid weather it does not look its best but to me it is a wonder!!

While the battle to get this variety of Pulsatilla was in progress over the years other varieties were readily available. In the picture below is an example of three which I bought recently in B&Q !

Oh dear I must admit I am having second thoughts about the Buda Pest!! It is not as blue as I would expect the genuine article to be. I have sent pictures to an expert and await comment.

Meanwhile a few more pictures;

For Spring viewing I planted Wallflowers with the Astilia and they look rather well.

Next is a Pleione, a member of the orchid family. I keep it under cover during the Winter and then put it out at this time of year. Though the bulbs tend to be expensive they seem to increase and multiply quickly.
As I have mentioned,at the bottom of the garden is a stile which connects to the surrounding field;in the distance is the water.To sort of link with the water I want to try and have a blue theme in the stile area. Forgetmenots do this very well in the Spring.

I have planted Nigella ie Love in the mist , to see how it works for Summertime.
Recently I have further developed the 'Fernery ' ( sounds very grand!) near the stream. Planted ,yes ferns, and Primula denticulata, plus some grey leaved plants like Brunnera 'Jack Frost' and a Lamnium. I feel this spot could turn out to be my favourite place in the garden.

May 19th,and despite the very windy wet weather there is a lot of colour in the garden. The following grouping of Geranium palmatum, Aquilegia and Geranium lividum majus looks very pretty and is a quite accidental occurence.

Next we see Iris Holden Clough ; this plant is special to me because of its donor so I am glad it is doing well.

Finally, for now , the tiny Lilac with a lovely scent. I got this Lilac over 10 years ago. There is a lesson to be learned in that if I wanted to see if it could grow larger it would mean breaking the pot; try to look ahead before choosing a pot!!

Now June 22nd and time for a report and more pictures.
The Foxgloves are nearly over but they put on a great show and were scattered throughout the garden.

This is the first Dierama to flower.

It was followed by this lovely pale pink one.

A Geranium palmatum decided to seed in the border behind the pond and made a good display.

At present Antirrhinums are making a great display, these ones over wintered so flowered early.

I think Alliums are amazing and these are presently in flower. Only problem is the stalks are rather bare and need some plant growing at the base.

Rose 'Rambling Rector' though only planted last Summer has made huge progress.

Oh dear how could I forget to mention that HB has been at it again.In truth he has been enjoying a long absence from garden duties and needed to have his joints oiled. So, enter a new paved area and very well it looks.

And furthermore once he starts there is no stopping him as today he fixed up the new pump. Now originally there had been a pump over the well but it was removed at some time. I saw the one below in a catalogue and as it is very like the original decided to invest.

finally one of my favourite plants, here a dish of Rhodohypoxis.

The end of July and the Crocosmias are starting to bloom. 'Lucifer' in the foreground is the first to make an appearance.

August 11th; 'Lucifer' has finished but all the other Crocosmias are flowering. They look good with the Grasses but some more moving around needs to be done next month. The next picture shows the bed minus 'Lucifer'.

The next project I want to do is rather scary. I have mentioned that a huge field surrounds my house on three sides. A small section of it belongs to my property. Because I had so much to do it was easiest to allow the Farmer continue to use it. This year there is Barley growing and it was very pretty. However we need to mark out the boundary of my piece and this is due to happen within the next couple of weeks. The area which I own is approx. 30 feet square but as I live on a hill this land is , at it's highest point , about 6ft above the level of my present garden. Basically , I intend to terrace it and conect it to my front garden. If this sounds complicated , it is!! The following pictures may help to explain the project.

The first one is a view up the side of the cottage. Obviously I have not done any work here! The field referred to is on the left and note elevation. The Geraniums are included in the pictures as a scource of reference.

The next one is looking up the field.

Now we have a view down .the weedy pathway and below a picture showing the first phase of the very great improvement.

I have an idea what I want to do but it is one of these situations that all could change as the JCB takes the first bites out of the ground. All will be revealed at a later date.

Time has passed and much has been done....much remains to be done!! The JCB arrived and the excavation commenced ; before long it became apparent that my original plan had to be abandoned. Why I hear you ask? Well just not enough space to dump all the soil. As it was a huge bank of earth was being piled up at one side while my excellent JCB driver also made a separate pile of top soil for future use. Four hours later it began to take shape and finally on a repeat visit the boundary bank was formed. Then came the rains and more rains. Outcome was lots of mini lakes and the disintegration of the newly formed banks. But nothing daunted and thanks to above mentioned JCB driver a few large shovels of stone arrived and thus began the building of retaining walls.
Below three pictures of the excavation in it's present state. It has added a lot of space and light to the side of the house. The gravel is a good bright limestone. You can also see the large pile of stone from which I am building the retaining walls.Also note the huge earth pile; I have planted various bits and pieces here but feel that eventually I will have to conceal it by planting small trees.Here is a repeat of a picture shown before to show the improvement in the area
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.Below is the path going from the 'new' garden , behind my original boundary and linking with the'old' garden where the stream starts its journey to the pond.

To finish for the time being a couple of photos of the Autumn garden.

It is November 5th and there have been a couple of very cold nights but Geranium Rozanne seems to thrive at this time of year.

FEBRUARY 5th 2007.
I can hardly believe that so much time has passed by since the last update. The reason for this is that very little work has been done. This lack of activity is due to a lot of very wet and windy weather and as I think I have mentioned the winds here are rather fierce. Also I have to confess that I will need to get help with moving the very heavy stones and gravel in the area I am developing at the side of the house; despite this I have done some planting out there. My idea is to mass plant the different areas with plants such as Bergenia, Euphorbia and grasses. Some of this work has been done. I have also divided a big clump of Pulmonaria and put about 12 divisions in part of the bank. Meanwhile back in the more established area the Camellias are starting to bloom; I say again, I love these plants. Daffodils are also starting to flower and I can hardly wait for the Primroses to appear.

February 24th;

Good progress with the new area. I got help with moving the gravel to the areas where the membrane was in place. I was then able to start building more stone walls. I still have to decide on some of the planting but should get going on that when the ground gets drier and winds lessen.

March 16th; Well at last some fine days and even a little sun. This was enough to have me starting the Spring attack on the garden.All the Daffodils are blooming and the Primrose bank should be at it's best in a week or so. I went to view my vegetable plot to find large clumps of grass and every variety of weed had taken up residence. So a few hours was spent making inroads on that scene. Then planting a few large shrubs in the hope they will provide some sort of wind break.

Off to the local garden shop to buy grass feed as I am still, and will always , be trying to tame that area of grass in the garden proper. Discoverd Celandine has invaded the grass so another few hours spot treating this with weed killer. This is a lovely plant like a very large Buttercup but SO invasive. Time will tell if I have had any luck.

March 26th

There have been a few lovely days so much work was done and pictures taken. The 'new garden' at the side is coming along well.

This is a photo taken from the top terraced part. Sister in law Mary and I discussing plans while HB yields the camera.

Another taken from ground level.

Now a few pictures of plants in flower , Tulips ,Forsythia and the wonderful Primrose bank.

April 14th.
We have had some wonderful weather recently, really warm days. I have been doing a lot of work in the new garden now known by the rather grand title as the Mediterranean garden.
A good deal of this toil involved mixing concrete( HB does get it for me and provides a delivery service) and doing my best to secure the big stones and prevent any landslides. There was also some mountain climbing up the rather steep and insecure bank while yielding a weedkiller spray. I don't like using this but it is essential to curtail the perennial weeds . I will have to think of some better way for control as at my tender years it is daft to be clambering along that bank. I have brought out some of my Aeoniums from their Winter shelter and the whole area is looking rather good now. It is a real sun trap and I forsee many hours sitting there.
Work has also been continuing on the rest of the garden. I sprayed around the root area of all the young trees and shrubs as they were in fierce combat for nutrients with the surrounding grass. Peas and Beans were planted and of course Sweet pea. Pond was cleaned of the worst debris. Much weeding continues so there is never a dull moment. Naturally a few more plants have been purchased including a Trachycarpus fortuneii . I fear I will have to keep this in a pot as the Winter winds may be too much .

April 18th.

The fabulous weather continues. So hot has it been that HB went on Safari in the garden. Now I am really not one for having loads of ornaments in the garden,or so I thought, but here are some examples of what was found. I think the garden should be fun for children and my small visitors love to see how many animals they can find. I hope they are all placed in unobtrusive situations and sort of blend in!!

Finally the Cherub who guards the Pump house.

May 8th 2007.

The fine weather continued up to the last few days. Today we have a little rain nothing much so far just the misty variety. There has been a burst of growth both from the invited and uninvited plants ; I have never seen so many weeds, all varieties and finally the Bindweed has found me. The new garden , now casually called the Med garden ( what grandeur] is coming on well and has become the favourite sitting spot. More wall have been built and plants like potted Lilies and Canna have emerged from the shelter and taken their place in the scheme. This year will be trial and error to find best spots for various plants. I have to mention that HB has been officially elevated to VHB following his latest contribution. I refer to the original cottage gate. The posts of this had rotted and collapsed; I did think of just filling the gap with stone as the gate is never used but this idea was short lived as the gate is an integral part of the Cottage amd should be retained. Enter HB who voluntered to get the wood , remove and replace the old hinges etc and put all to rights. Because I have rather small paws I did help with a little drilling out of rotten wood and removal of same. Anyway the gate was completed yesterday and all I have to do is get paint for the new posts. Having read this I am sure he who is now VHB will be forced to undertake the painting!!

June 9th. The gate is finished and painted!! There are many plants flowering at present and it is amazing the growth that has taken place. The new garden has come on very well. This year is trial and error with the Lilies , Dahlias etc. They are still in pots until I decide where to plant them. The big bank still presents a problem as it is the weed hot spot especially the dreaded Convolvulus which even Roundup fails to kill. Where I have Osteospermums planted is working reasonably well so I will probably put in more cuttings later in the year. The orange Wallflower in the bed behind the patio is a scource of amusement to me; I smile when I see it. In a way it looks very out of place with the other plants and yet it stands out with a sort of boldness as if daring anybody to criticise it. I can understand some folk thinking ' why did she put that there?' In answer I say ' just because it is different'. Dicentra scandens has been trained up the arch and is about to flower. Perennial Sweet pea has indeed returned and is sprawling on the ground as well as climbing; I like it this way. This too is about to bloom. My Sweet pea have not done well this year and there are not many of them. On the other hand I have enough Runner beans to feed the nation if they all produce . Also I have been harvesting Strawberries for two weeks; I get enough most days for a bowl full and they do taste very good. Raspberries are nearly ready and there are many more than the 5 I got last year. My bird proofing is not great, just a net thrown over them so no doubt I will be sharing whatever ripens.
I nearly forgot to mention the Stipa gigantea both of which are doing well and look beautiful in the sun. Also Stipa tenuissima in the geranium bed is wonderful.

June 24th; Back from a week away and due to lots of rain and warmth the weeds have to be seen to be believed. I was pleased to see the pale pink Dierama in bloom; it is such a pale shade that it appears as white in any photos taken. The picture below shows what I mean. In the foreground are the leaves of a Crocosmia while in the background Geranium palmatum is in full flower.A glimpse of Oakbird is also visible.

July 7th

It seems we had Summer back in April. The weather is now pretty rotten and last night there was a gale that did a lot of damage to the garden. Ash boughs came tumbling down, Hollyhocks were uprooted, the arch with Dicentra scandens is broken in several places and lies on the ground and of course every pot is overturned. I was rather fed up and decided to ..........do nothing. Yes tis true I watched Wimbledon and allowed the garden fend for itself. I did feed the fish and birds. I may get enthusiastic tomorrow and start clearing the debris. I did notice that Crocosmia ' Lucifer ' is flowering and looks really well with Stipa gigantea behind it. Some of the other Crocosmias are in bud , seems they are early this year. The Diermia behind the pond is also blooming, quite large flowers compared to the others and a good shade of purple.

July 12th.
Three years here today and what a good time it has been.
Despite the passage of years I continue to learn lots and make mistakes. My latest faux pas took place a couple of days ago. I decided to spray THE bank in the new garden as weeds had really taken off. So off I went to climb the bank, not easy, very unstable and slippy...the bank not me. I dug foot holds and started spraying; one hour later I ran out of spray and went to refill the bottle. IT was then I realised I had been using Rose clear instead of weed killer. You can see the area of the bank in the picture below.

I also show a picture of Crocosmia 'Lucifer' taken through the stems of the Restio , Chondropetalum ,with Stipa gigantea behind it, such a pretty combination.

Below is Taj enjoying a little sun

July 24th
A few more pictures.
Below is Francoa; this plant given to me as a small division has gone mad this year. I think it must have a virus. Many stems were so wide they just bent over and broke. The rest have grown in a very unorganised way; nonetheless it makes a good show.

Behind are some Hollyhocks.
Libertia peregrinans is one of my favourite plants. The copper colour with the sun shining through is wonderful. Marigolds or any orange hued flowers look really well when combined with it. Libertia spreads very quickly which is another good reason to grow it.

August 8th

Still waiting for Summer; we have had a couple of good sunny days but far too few. A lot of growth as ususal both weeds, grass and cultivated plants. The grasses/ Crocosmia area is looking very good and is actually working out as I had envisaged. On the other hand the border beds are far from good. One problem is that they are not getting much sun, what with one facing north and then the shelter from the trees. A re-think on the planting there is called for. The new garden is coming on well and producing quite a lot of colour. The big bank continues to be a problem ; I am trying to cover small areas by cementing slate on to the soil. It will take ages but may work. Also I have been thinking of the other small boundary banks where it is not possible to control grass and weeds. I will plant a lot of Daffodils and also some of the wild Monbretia to have some interest in Spring and Autumn; not sure what I could use for Summer interest.

AUGUST 20TH

Some pictures taken today. First in row is a view across the pond towards the house.

Next is a view taken from the 'Fernery' down the garden with the sea in the distance.

Now we see the actual Fernery and proof that there are quite a few of them! Between the Bamboo in the background and the foreground is the little stream that runs into the pond.

Leaving them we see Hydrangeas, white Phlox, and Hollyhock.

And now my favourite one, the Grasses and various Crocosmia.

Two more to go; this is taken from front of house and shows the big round Geranium bed. Pride of place taken by Stipa arundinacea, the Pheasant's tail grass. To understand the geography a little; the grass /crocosmia area is over to the far left. Patio and pond straight ahead and Fernery/stream would be to the right.

The last picture is of the new garden where there is quite a lot of colour ; I am very pleased with it seeing as its so new.

August 30th

Some more pictures of the garden.

First shows the steps leading up to the first level of the new garden.

Below is the first level; here I have various grasses with Pelargoniums along the front. Nasturtiums give more colour to the area.

Next Aeonium Schwarzkopf always puts on a great show.

Sedum spectablis is about to turn its lovely Autumn colour.

September 11th

A few more pictures. Below is a record of the Stipa arundinacea planted along the top level on the left. These were grown from seed so it will be interesting to watch their progress.

Next a glimpse of the Straw mountain in the field next door.

The same from a different angle.

Finally a wonderful September sunset taken from my front garden.

September 26th

Lovely day here, so VHB set forth with his camera, a new one, I should add.

Above is the side ( new) garden looking colourful which is great at this time of year.

Next is my first attempt at making a Grot, that is a spirit that cares for the garden, and who would argue with this lad.

Now comes Erigeron karveniensis that lovely one that loves growing in niches in walls and produces a mass of pink and white little daisy like flowers.

So now to the big happening in the garden today. The far corner of what I call the 'lower field', where I am growing trees and shrubs, has been an eye sore; a big tree trunk was dumped there and sticks up out of a bed of nettles. Well the JCB made its way in today and did a great job burying the trunk and clearing the whole area. I will wait until I have more pictures of the area as it develops and then show the sequence so watch this space.

Finally a couple of pictures of Fascicularia bicolour , the entire plant and then the amazing flower. Full marks to the photographer for this one!!

October 15th

A lot of work has and is being done. As gardeners know it is the season of moving plants, dividing, propagating, mulching etc. The next phase of the 'tree trunk' area project has taken place but you will have to wait to see the sequence of pictures until it has a more finished appearance!!

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January 6th 2008 ---------------- It appears I vanished rather suddenly! Anyhow this is the first post of 2008. We have had rather cold weather also extremely windy. My Grevellia has turned brown and appears dead; having sought advice about this happening it seems the cause could be fungal other than cold. However today I found that the cover I had put over Isoplexis canariensis had blown off and the leaves are now a dark brown ; I fear that this too is gone. I am very sad about both but particularily the latter as it is a rather unusual plant and very attractive. I knew I was taking a risk planting it out in the ground as it is not very hardy but having survived for 2 years (in a pot) it was getting so large that some action had to be taken. It is still too cold to spend long periods outside but I did plant Lilies and some Dahlias in pots today and put them under cover. I see the Daffodils making an appearance above ground and from now on I will look forward to my much loved Primroses. As ever the clematis 'Freckles' is flowering away happily as is the miracle shrub Polygala myrtifolia which boasts a good showing of purple flowers.

February 13th
A lovely day today, with the sun shining quite warmly. No excuse not to take on some of those garden jobs waiting to be done. So on with the wellies and out I go. I have decided to make the Escallonia hedged area originally meant as a secret garden ( but now not necessary due to my new garden at the side of the house)into a mini Orchard. I will plant Apple, Pear, Plum and maybe another Crab apple there. So of course this means the digging of yet more holes. Taking the faithful pickaxe I headed forth. Three holes were dug and a Pear tree planted, I still have to buy the other fruit trees. Next job involved moving a Melianthus from the side garden where it would grow too large for the area, to the bottom of the garden where the platform is. This done I planted three Hellebores in the small Woodland type garden. Still having some energy , with difficulty I dug yet another hole in a very root laden location and having filled it with ericaceous compost planted a Camellia. Then all the newly planted plants were watered, and I rested! Many Daffodils are blooming, all of the Tete a tete while the tall old fashioned ones are starting to flower. Some Tulips are also in bloom so after the long Winter the garden is starting to wake up .

February 21st
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Back to the old chilly weather again. So it seems a good time to show a couple of pictures to keep ones spirits up. These were taken yesterday by VHB. The first one is a Heron received as a Christmas present from VHB and SIL; it looks very good and will be even better when the yellow hued grass behind it grows and makes it more obvious.

Next is the first glimpse of a new path I am making through my new woodland area. It is a cheat really as the sections of stones were bought at a local store and just need pointing.I have planted three Hellebores and several Azaleas so in time it should look quite good.

Finally a different angle of Oakbird

March 19th

We have had a couple of lovely sunny days so a lot of garden work was done. It was so good to be weeding and pruning and planting again. Spring is certainly here and the Daffodils have been great. Primroses should reach their best in another week. Early Tulips and Forget-me-nots will be next to bring colour to the garden. At this time of year the old stone walls look very pretty as I have planted them with Miniature daffodils, tulips, and some early flowering alpine plants . The picture below gives the general effect; proof of the sunny days is seen by the shadow of an Ash tree in the background.

March 28th.

I have done quite a lot of work since last I wrote. Weeding , of course, seed sowing, painting, cleaning ,planting etc. Things are looking well all fresh and rearing to go. Forget-me-nots are about to flower and there are so many self sown around the place that there should be a great burst of blue.Progress is going ahead with the project I mentioned earlier and pictures will soon appear!! But the big news is that someone came to live with me today. Her name is Kathleen , a very beautiful lady. Unusually she arrived in the back of VHB's car;no, not a kidnap case. This is a gorgeous Birthday present from himself and SIL for a VERY big Birthday coming along soon. So here is a photograph to share.

Now is she not a stunner? Naturally she is standing in the Mediterranean type garden as I suspect she is of Grecian origin. I will probably plant some Ferns around the base but will take some time on this decision.

April 14th

I ran into major computer problems thus the delay in updating.
Spring has come and with it the Forget-me nots are in full and glorious bloom. Next to the Primrose bank they look really well as can be seen in the following picture.

Wallflowers have been blooming for quite some time and the scent is lovely. This group look good with an Eleagnus in the background.

Tulips planted in pots blend well with ornamental grass and yet more self sown Forget-me-nots.

Weeding is high on the agenda and I could do nothing but weed all and every day and still not keep up. What I refer to as the lower field where there were to be some vegetables but mostly trees and bushes chosen for berries has undergone a change. My vow not to allow the flower garden to creep down here has been broken. The veg beds are now flower beds taking divisions and self seeded plants and the veg have been moved to a new spot. For vegetables read only peas and beans. I was delighted to find frog spawn in the tiny pond and now have many tadpoles to which visiting children are drawn like a magnet. So work, and pleasure, continue at Ash Cottage.

April 23rd.

The time has come to unveil what is happening in that corner I mentioned previously. Actually I let the cat out of the bag earlier by mentioning the word 'platform'. Anyhow that nettle ridden corner has indeed sprung a sort of viewing platform that gives a lovely view of the water and countryside. It continues to be under construction but it is time to show a few pictures of progress.

On top is the corner , a photo taken shortly after I moved here; the pile of wood chipping resulting from the thinning out and removal of trees is evident in the corner. Next to be seen is the platform having been constructed;some of the ground has been covered by membrane in an attempt to control the rampant nettles. Finally the last picture shows that I have painted the top portion in a blue to blend in with the water and sky. The bottom area will be painted green. I have done quite a lot of planting some of which can be seen in the picture.

May 6th

Another couple of pictures of the platform; painting has started and it does help the structure to blend into the background.

The picture below is a close up of my much loved Primroses. They are nearly finished now but they were so lovely. Forgot-me-nots have also been wonderful this year.

May 21st

I want to make a record of plants in flower/ leaf at this time. Flag Iris just started. Other Irises, Holden clough and those near stile are about to flower. Geraniums Palmatum, magnificum, sylvaticum,

cantabrigiense, sylvaticum album,clardige druce, mavis simpson and several sanguinem have started to bloom. White clematis, and that on tank are opening. Rambling rector , and other roses opening too. Candleabra primulas, aqueligia, thalictrum, bella, cirsum , erinus alpinus, and some plants on the wall.

June 1st No pictures this time; my camera is broken and VHB has been busy. I will ask him to take some this week. This last weekend was lovely weather, lot of sun and very warm. But though I did take time out to sit and enjoy my garden I also did quite a lot of

jobs. Naturally there was weeding!! Begonias in side garden are slow to surface. Next time I should start them indoors.Dahlias growing well, some in pots and others planted. The new Poppy is blooming, not very tall but perhaps with time it will get taller. Roses are very good both in front and rear of the house . Clematis 'Ernest Markham' is excellent ; it has take a couple of years to reach this stage. Have a new one 'Pink Fantasy' growing up the shed to hide the bare stem of 'Armandii'. The latter is doing a great job of covering the roof of the shed, terrific growth this year. The Stipa gigantea are wonderful, I think I could live with an entire garden of just this plant! So on the whole all is looking good and all is well with the world.

June 7th.

Some recent pictures;

This is rose Dublin Bay.In the top right hand corner there is a glimpse of the Platform

Here a general view of a garden area.

Alliums are starting to bloom now.

Water lilies are also reacting to the warmer weather.

July 2nd.

Still waiting for Summer. Nonetheless growth of the goodies and baddies is rampant. I have not been able to do much over the past few weeks due to holidays and visitors. Despite this the garden is looking well lots of colour and very definite luxuriant growth! At present the stars are the Dierama and Lilies which have turned out to be a lovely shade of red. Nasturtiums are starting to bloom and Begonias are making progress. The Med garden will look really good when these are in flower. There has been quite a good yield of Strawberries and Raspberries while Peas are now ready to enjoy. I never cook the peas but just eat them from the pod, lovely. Scarlet runners are starting to run. Recently I got a present of two china Swans, they are lovely but it will take time to find the best place for them.

July 5th

And here is a picture of my two new residents.

July 7th

VHB went on the prowl yesterday and took some very good pictures. Here they come.

This is a very pretty Dierama on the side of the pond. Very pale pink.

I love this one. It shows the coral bark acer with a dark purple Clematis growing through it. To the right is the 'Smoke bush' again with dark purple foliage. Dotted amongst it is Knautia macedonia also purple. The red plant is a Penstemon called , I think, King George.

One of the red Lilies in the Med area.

This is my favourite of the recent photos.

July 19th

All goes well, that is except the weather. Growth progresses and yes the weeds are unbelievable I know I prattle on about them but they tend to be all consuming! Crocosmia Lucifer is flowering, the first crocosmia to do so and it is very dramatic. In the Med garden Begonias are also starting to bloom. Nasturtiums on the bank seem slower this year. Overall this garden is an August one. Saw two large Dragon flies over the pond yesterday these are the first I h ave spotted.Hope the Blue bodied ones may come. I potted up about 12 each of Rudbeckia and Echinaceae they should be good for next year. There are lots more and I may just risk planting these direct into the beds to take their luck over the Winter. Echiums grown from seed also potted on but I will keep them in some shelter during Winter.

July 29th

Weather improved that is compared to recently. Hollyhocks are in flower and look well peeping over the hedge in the front garden.

I have been surveying the various beds and seeing where I can put in more shrubs. They should reduce the weeding in years to come. I must remind myself that the Peas I sowed this year were not the best; yes I got some yield but while the stalks and leaves grew very strongly there were not many pods and the peas tended to be small. To my delight there is a Shasta daisy appeared in one of the beds so hopefully they are on their way back to me!

August 15th

What dreadful weather rain and more of it. These heavy showers have battered the garden. I have done very little work over the past couple of weeks, it is just too wet. So, I am still here but there is little to report at present.

August 24th

A few pictures of the lower garden;this is the area where I wa

s not going to grow any flowers. But,as you will see, I did. It started as an overflow for seedlings but now has some shrubs as well. The Cosmos are great a wonderful flower for this time of year and by deheading they will last for a very long time

September 5th

Sorry, yet again I arrive moaning about the weather. But it really has continued to be very wet and work in the garden is limited. There is still quite a lot of colour and the Cosmos have continued to bloom. Now I have been deadheading and it is proving worthwhile. Scarlet runners are doing well and very tasty indeed. Ornamental grasses are flowering and it is good that I will be able to enjoy them into the Winter months. >

Well I promise not to mention the weather...However despite it VHB headed forth recently to take some Autumn pictures. Some may be repeats of those already shown but they do show the amazing growth that has taken place.

above the front garden.

This is the Mediterranean garden two years from it's start.

The pond, including the Swans.

This shows the big blue pot in the Med. garden.

Ornamental grass reach their best in Autumn.

I like this one looking across the pond towards

the house.

September 23d

This is what happens when Nasturtium seeds find a home on a compost heap.....they go MAD!!

In contrast a wellbehaved Dahlia. These have made a big comeback over the past few years.

October 29th 2008

I have done it again and let time slip by. I suppose this is not unusual at this time of year when nature slows down. But all the same there has been work going on. This is the time of plant division and the weeding still goes on. Also there is quite a lot of colour still to enjoy , as ever the Acers are putting on a great show, Kaffir lilies and Nerines continue to bloom. I am glad I decided to plant Dahlias as they too continue to flower.

This combination of the Grass , Stipa arundinacea and a Sedum look very well.

Another good combination is the Coral bark Acer and the purple leaved 'Smoke bush'.

Here the Ornamental grasses are in flower. In the background an Acer is starting to change colour.

Cyclamen waiting to be planted .

A photo of the Mediterranean garden in Autumn.

December 1st 2008

Just a quick update as there is little going on in the garden at present;it has been very very cold. Yesterday I had a great gift of Watsonias, Pink and White, from Mary Walsh. I planted them to-day and hope despite the weather they will do well. I am afraid that my Echiums grown from seed may have been badly hit by the recent hard frosts. I did have straw around the base of a few. I removed the Lily Casablanca from their pots. They had not been flowering well for the past few years. I retrieved about 10 bulbs which is great. I will store them and prepare a bed in which to plant them . It seems these Lilies are hard to locate in Ireland a pity as it is by far my favourite Lily.

2009

Well another year dawns. Still very cold here with nights as low as -7c , so it will be interesting and probably a bit sad to see what damage has been done come Spring. Meanwhile despite the chill there are signs of bulbs pushing up to have a sniff at the world outside. The light during the day has been wonderful and I took the following picture of the Dogwood ,Cornus alba 'siberica' just as the sun was setting.

February 5th 2009

Just a visit to say the weather has been so bad that no gardening has taken place. I don't recall such a cold winter. Hopefully it will improve and I can get out and about again.

March 14th 2009

Weather has improved and today is a pleasant sunny one with reasonable temperature. Daffodils are blooming and the blaze of yellow does make such a difference. Primroses are starting to flower mostly in the sheltered areas. Buds are everywhere and many perennials showing above ground. See, I sound much more cheerful!! The Cosmos seeds have germinated and are growing fast. A great and easy flower to grow and a wonderful space filler. The Peas have also germinated and taken off at a great rate. I will transfer them outdoors in a week or so. I am late planting Runner beans but have now done so. I have one major sadness and that is regarding my much loved large bush/small tree Polygala myrtifolia grandiflora also known as the Sweet pea bush. It seems the frost and wind have killed it. I will not remove it for several months just in case any new growth shows. But it is looking very ill indeed. This bush flowers for most of the year.

The following picture is a group of Polyanthus. I was in the local town the day ,last year, when they were removing these from the Park area. As they were being given away I took a bag or two.They make a lovely splash of colour.

The next picture includes a very pretty Camellia and some daffodils.

Finally Clematis armandii doing what I wanted and growing over the shed.

April 2nd 2009

We have had some really pleasant Spring days so I was able to do a lot of work. Most of this is the endless weeding and cutting back of brambles. It is just as well I enjoy weeding. It is wonderful to see the garden coming to life with so many signs of pleasure to come, Clematis in bud, bulbs showing above ground, the glorious Primrose bank, and much more. I seem to have lost all my fish, I wonder if eventually the Heron came to call; I need to think about getting some more fish or leaving the big pond fish free. I had to drag out a huge clump of Water Hyacinth as it had got too big. A friend wanted some so I was able to oblige, in fact I could have provided it for the entire country. I am going to show a picture of the Primrose bank 2009 because as I keep enlarging it I want to show progress. There is also a picture of the Swans beside the pond and finally a general view of the garden with the water in the background, taken from an unusual angle. VHB is responsible for these.

April 11th 2009

We have another couple of good days intermingled with the usual rainy ones. There has been much seedling activity . I pricked out all the Cosmos seedlings and lots of red Antherinhums . I have said before that the Cosmos is great value for filling those empty spaces when Daffodils and Aquilegias are gone. I have also planted out the Peas and Runner beans. Weeds keep coming and reluctantly I am using Round up, I had hoped to avoid this but it is impossible. I have not mentioned that I now have a Dog called Meg. She is a lovely Border collie. I do not , now , have any cats and wish to skip over the reasons why. Meg is showing her presence in the garden and we have well defined dog tracks but a small price to pay for such a great companion.

Introducing Meg.

If she sees me digging holes she starts another next to mine, this could be quite helpful!

May 4th 2009

A lot of growth over the past week . Combination of some warm days and of course rain. The Primroses are finishing but replaced by Bluebells, while Aquilegias are appearing all over the place. As there are a few colours they look really good.
One of the most amazing shrubs is Amomyrtus luma this Myrtle has the most incredible scent which I am enjoying now. I have two plants so the scent is even better. All the Perennials are above ground and making great progress. Geraniums also are growing fast and as ever the Phaeums are first in bloom. I have planted out the Cosmos seedlings in many places and they too are doing well. I have had to use the slug pellets around them until they get stronger. I don't like using them but after nursing them this far don't intend to lose them. On the whole the garden if filling out very well with fewer bare spots as the years go by.

May 12th

A couple of lovely days good and warm, great growth everywhere. Before I remove the Forget-me-nots here is a picture of them. They are seeded all over the garden but these are in the gravelled area right in front of the house. I should explain the use of 'front'! There is a REAL front garden a small but pretty area which I have shown in previous pictures. As I enter the house by the backdoor and most of the garden is in fact at the back of the house I refer to it as the 'front' garden. So now having utterly confused you , here is the picture.

May 26th 2009

Great growth throughout the garden. Usually May is a month when the garden can look a little bare having lost the season of daffodils,primroses and tulips. However having done a good tour around today to see what is in bloom I am going to short list some of the plants as reference . Aquilegia are still going strong and the variety of colours plus their ability to spread everywhere contributes greatly to the general colour. Geranium palmatum is flowering for the past few days; again a prolific seeder so there are many offspring scattered around. This plant grows to quite a large size so a degree of ruthlesness is required. Other hard Geraniums are now in flower , amonst these; Mayflower, some sanguinias ( the small rock garden type one with flowers of varying shades of pink), Celmesia has produced about 25 flowers this year. Yellow flag Iris is blooming Dianthus (Pinks) are startin g, wild Foxgloves about to open, Cersium in full bloom. These plus some others are providing much of the colour today. I will take photos tomorrow.

Well it is a couple of days later and the photos are taken by VHB.

Here are the Yellow flag Iris followed by a general view of a border. This shows various Aquilegias, some hardy Geraniums ,yellow Welsh Poppy and the mauve Everlasting Wallflower.

This is a Celmesia with many daisy type flowers.

June 13th 2009

Such a lot of growth, the garden is rather Jungle like. A good time of year with a lot of colour. Of great pleasure is the first flowering of the Crambe which shows a cloud of small white flowers. A picture soon. Many hardy geraniums in bloom.

Rose 'Dublin bay' looks pretty, not a great scent though.

Cersium, a thistle like perennial .

Several different hardy geraniums.

Picture of Crambe as promised.

June 29th 2009

The good weather continues thankfully. A change to come in from working in the garden to cool off!! A few more pictures of current events gardenwise.

Here is an Orange flowered Abutilon. It is variegated and was a bit slow to take off but looking good now.

This pink flowered Cornus is one of my favourite plants. It has made terrific growth since planted. I can't think of the name right now but when the penny drops will add it. Penny dropped, Cornus kousa 'Satomi'.

No , you did not press the wrong button. I thought I would share with you the first time my Border collie 'Meg' learned to swim. In the background is beautiful Cork harbour. I have no idea why that date has appeared on the picture.

I hoped this would be a better picture. You can just see the flowers of Stipa gigantea against the greenery in the background. I think I have mentioned how much I love this Ornamental grass; when the sun catches the flower plumes it is magic.

July 11th 2009

A few more pictures from VHB.

The front garden showing that I need to tie back the Abutilon!

Here Stipa arundinaceae is looking good. This grass is also known as Pheasant grass.

Another Ornamental grass whose name I am in the process of verifying.

July 13th 2009

It has been very wet and windy over the past couple of days . Many plants have been blown over but when VHB visited to day he took the following pictures. The first shows a wonderful red Lily whose name I do not know but the colour is beautiful. The second is of Lychnis coronaria also known as Rose Campion which provides a great splash of colour in various parts of the garden.

August 5th 2009

OK I will draw a line over the weather, enough has been said!! I have managed to do lots of weeding , there being lots of weeds. There is quite a lot of colour still, the Crocosmia are coming, some Lilies are also looking and smelling very good. Abutilons are also good. A few days later VHB comes to call and takes the following photos.

The first is taken looking down the garden from the house.

Next shows the 'fernery'.

Here is a part of my 'Med garden' with Meg adding to the scenery.

Another part of the Med garden where the grass Stipa arundinaceae makes a great show of it's seed heads.

September 7th 2009

Once again time seems to have flown. Apart from that my camera seems to have packed up and when VHB visited it was on those frequent wet days when photography was not an option. However I will give a quick description of how my garden grows. It is one of the busiest times of year with divisions to be made and the constant weed battle continuing. But there is still a lot of colour. Crocosmias are still blooming as is the Knautia and the last of the Lilies. Anemones are flowering and for the first time a Ginger is is bloom. The Cannas still refuse to flower so they will be put in the ground soon as it could be they are pot bound. Best of all just now are the tuberous Begonias which are putting on a great show; they are so colourful although very late flowering this year. Dahlias continue to bloom and will be good for another few weeks if I remember to dead head them. Pride of the garden this year is the Victoria plum tree which gave a very big yield even though I had removed lots of young fruit in June. I will need to give it a good feed as it is still a very young tree and has worked overtime. I bought a Magnolia 'Susan' recently , to date I have had bad results with Magnolia so hopefully this one will like it here and prosper.(a few weeks later there is mould on the leaves , not another failure hopefully.) A final word of praise for the wonderful Hardy geraniums some of which continue to flower.

Next day I managed to get a few pictures. The first is of the berries on a plant called Dianella; they are probably gone past their best by now.

The next one is rather exciting for me as it shows my Ginger plant flowering for the first time.

Finally a Dahlia whose picture I am not pleased with as the flower does not appear as red as it really is.

September 11th.2009

We are enjoying some lovely late Autumn days, sunny and quite warm. This is evidenced by the picture below where the challenge is to count the Butterflies feeding on Sedum 'Autumn joy'.

September 20th 2009

The flowering of my Ginger lily for the first time, deserves to be recorded!

A close-up of the flower.

It seems I was so excited the picture was posted twice, but the close-up is new.

September 23rd 2009

This entry has nothing to do with my garden but I want to record a walk I took with Meg this morning. It is a beautiful Autumn day, warmer than many so called Summer days. With Meg I headed over the stile at the bottom of the garden and entered a huge field from which potatoes had been harvested. We wandered along by the hedgerow, well I wandered Meg galloped around; the hum of bees and other insects was noticable while Butterflies hovered over the various wild flowers. Blackberries were at their best and I feasted on them as we went. At one point three teenage Pheasants , not pleased to see us, broke from the hedgerow and took off to safer territory. There were a number of Wrens fluttering in the branches and not showing the timidity for which they are known. A couple of times a small creature was seen to scurry for shelter. I like to think these were sweet little furry creatures but my head tells me otherwise ! It is the territory of the animals and they have to tolerate us . Seeing all the Elderberries I wished I knew how to make the wine.There was something magical about this walk and I felt so privileged to experience nature in all it's reality and glory.

Many of these pictures , (he would claim the best ones) were taken by VHB aka Ted Law.

September 24th 2009

A few more photos.

Part of the lower garden .

The field at the bottom of the garden, potatoes having been harvested and ground tilled for next crop. It is around this field that I took my lovely walk referred to above.

October 12th 2009

Garden life is slowing down. Autumn colours are appearing and in a week or so I will show some pictures of the best bits. I have covered the root area of some tender plants with straw. Others have been put undercover. I have resorted to Rat poison following the devastation of last Winter when most of my bulbs were eaten. The pots have also been either with cloches or plastic pots. There is still loads to do in the garden, mostly cutting back and weeding. Today I planted Anemone blanda at the bottom near the stile. I also got an order of Iris hollandica which , when the Sedum has died back in the round bed, I will plant .

December 12th 2009

Yes it is me calling by to show just one picture. As you can imagine there has been little if no activity since my last entry. I was walking down my muddy garden when I spotted that the Strawberry tree,Arbutus unedo, had produced fruit. Some say this does not taste very nice but having sampled one I found it pleasant.

JANUARY 2010

A new year heralded by weeks of the coldest weather seen here for more than 50 years! The garden has visibly suffered; Echiums that I had covered in fleece bags and all my succulent plants are reduced to a soggy mush. Sadly those Aeoniums I had rescued last year are beyond redemption. Any bulbs, corms tubers that were left in the ground must also be ruined as the frost seemed to penetrate to quite a depth. So that is the sad news. On the other hand I feel there will be the occasional plant that appears to have died but which will surprise me and recover come Spring to Summer. Despite the rock hard ground Daffodils are pushing through and seem determined to ignore the weather. The thaw has now set in and the ground has turned from rock hard to very soft. Availing of this I ventured forth today and planted 50 Iris hollindica , it felt so good to be doing something constructive in the garden.

January 24th 2010

Hear ye, hear ye today I did an hours weeding in the garden. Granted there is about another week worth to do but a start was made. It was good to be out again.

March 3rd 2010

Yes I am still here but there was very little to write about. The weather was just too chilly to get any pleasure from gardening. The last few days though cold provided sunny afternoons so I sallied forth to pull yet more weeds. I have bought a number of Lilies for this year which I will plant in pots which can be used in those inevitable empty patches that appear during the Summer.I have sown exotic type seeds a few of which have germinated. Peas also were sown yesterday but in modules and under plastic. Daffodils and Primroses are in bud but I think they are scared to risk flowering. Hope there will be more interesting news to report soon.

March 17th 2010

Better news another good day. Main job today was to plant some seeds. Now talking of seeds I must mention a source I found recently. They are to be found at Seedaholics.com and based in Westport , Co.Mayo. I received my seeds the day after ordering online, talk about good service. The ones I ordered included Cosmos mixed and one I was not familiar with which gives a range of Orange coloured flowers. In each packet there were 30 seeds so much better in my opinion than paying more for a packet the contents of which I may never use. The presentation of the packet and accompanying sowing and care instructions was excellent.

April 27th 2010

The weather has been lovely for the past week. At last the grass is growing and will need to be cut. Many of the perennials are above ground. The big daffodils are still blooming but the small ones are dying back. The Primrose bank is flowering but maybe not as good as previous years. The hardy Geraniums are very slow and I fear I may have lost some due to the Winter. Cosmos seeds are not as good as hoped but some have been potted on. Today I attacked the front garden and tried to prise out the ferns from the wall. They had been taking over much of the border which , without them, could look much better. There is a new addition to the pond as seen below.

The Peas and Beans were planted outside today. They went into the same area as the previous few years, which is not a good idea; however I just have not the time to till another area. There are in my garden several places that I have never got right. One is a border at the bottom of the garden, the other is the gravel area in front ( well actually the back) of the house. Recently I thought of a scree bed and am working on this idea though not sure how to design it.

May 11th 2010

# Growth is going well despite the not Summer like weather; it has been dry but chilly. The grass got a first cut about 2 weeks ago which was very late this year. Acacia pravissima is showing many flowers and the Lilac sapling taken from my Dublin garden is blooming and looking great. Pride of place goes to the Myrtle now in flower and with a wonderful scent. The perennial Stock is also wonderful what a scent. Lilies have grown well in pots and most of them are now outside ready to be placed in their chosen spots. At last it seems my garden has sprung to life and is looking well with better things ahead.

May 22nd 2010

Some pleasant warm days so worthy of a few pictures. The first is the Laburnum which is flowering for the first time. This is always an exciting event and needs to be recorded! So also does the Lilac in the next picture which was a sapling from a special tree in my last garden,

. A happy accident is when the yellow Welsh poppies decide to seed amongst purple, mauve and white Aquilegia; the second is of a Fern unfurling.

May 31st 2010

I have noticed that this Spring either plants have died due to the bad Winter or they have taken off and put on a lot of growth. This applies particularily to the Acers. Two plants that survived ,surprisingly, are Pipanthus nepalensis aka the Evergreen Laburnum and Matthiola arborescens aka the Tree Stock. Pictures are shown below.

. Celmisia shackletonii is flowering. I am so pleased that the divisions I took are doing well.Below a photo of this Celmisia.

June5th 2010

So is this what a Cottage should look like? Guess the Roses should meet over the door so more Rose feed!

And from the other side.

The Red Rose has a lovely scent but I don't know it's name. The other , combining red, pink and yellow petals is called 'Masquerade'. I also show a close up of the red Rose

June 21st 2010

Holidays have intervened since my last contribution and very nice they were too blessed with dry and sunny weather. Back home and the thrill of seeing what had happened in the garden during my absence. It has been dry and warm so the growth is amazing. My Peony has flowered for the first time, picture will follow soon. The various Dianthus (Pinks) are flowering and the scent is wonderful. I am glad to have them in so many areas of the garden.Crambe in it's second year flowering is bigger and better, a wonderful plant , meanwhile my much loved Stipa gigantea are looking terrific. While I was away the Birds ate all my Strawberries so either I stop growing them or put on good netting. Raspberries are coming along and I will try to keep my bird friends away from them. Carrots are not looking so good but then I have no idea how they should be looking at this stage so will just wait and see.I planted lots of Lilies this year and a few are flowering; I learned yet another lesson viz that they should be planted deeper in the pots . I will show a picture of the Crambe as it is better than that of last year; in the picture Rodgersia is also seen, another great plant.

July 21st 2010

I can't believe it is a month since I last wrote. Some lovely weather and some pretty dismal days since then. Fantastic growth of everything good and bad. Some pictures to show what the place is looking like these days.

Taken from the platform showing the end of the lower garden looking up towards the upper garden.

A group of Nigella self seeded in the gravel.

Looking down the upper garden at the Stipa gigantea blowing in the wind.

From the platform showing the lower garden with stone wall dividing it from the upper area.

August 14th 2010

Another lapse but with a good reason. Construction going on in the house very disrupting and not conducive to Web site upkeep!! Not finished yet but a photo to show some pink plants in the garden.

You can see Cosmos, Lilies and Hydrangea. The Lilies have been and are wonderful such a great scent around the garden. Decisions will need to be made about either leaving them in pots or putting them in the ground; they tend to be top heavy.

Many of the photographs on the site ( he would claim the best ones) were taken by VHB aka Ted Law.

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