As October ends…

many of the trees have shed their leaves, withdrawing the enegry and nutrition within to tide them over the coming Winter. The Ash and Hawthorn are already bare, others like the Beech and Oak hold the leaves for longer and very slowly lose their colour.

The seed pods of Honesty are now turned brown. Soon these silver discs will disintegrate allowing the seeds within to drop to the earth where they will throw up an abundance of new plants next Spring.

The Latin name for Honesty is Lunaria, I presume this refers to the moonlike appearance of the seed pods. It is also called Money Plant or Silver Dollars.

This Polygonum has been flowering for months now. It’s not as invasive as it’s more famous relative the much hated Japenese Knotweed. I still would’nt put it in a border though, just to be on the safe side, this one is planted in a corner on it’s own which it has filled very nicely.

This little Primula which is in a tub by the back door has decided to flower now. Is it flowering very early or flowering very late? I can’t decide which. I think plants are a bit confused with the strange weather this year. The Summer was cold and wet so plants must have thought it was Autumn, now it is still wet but very mild. Plants thinking it’s Spring maybe?

Sedum spectablis is still providing a great splash of colour…

while also sending up next’s years shoots! Surely these don’t usually sprout like this until Spring?

The Black Hollyhock is still flowering too. It is getting shelter and support from the Twisted Willow it is planted against.

October Musings from Prospect Cottage.

Watery sunlight shines through the jars of newly potted honey from our Bees. Less honey this year but it’s been so sunless and wet we are impressed to get anything. We have 14 of these one pound pots which will see us through Winter. Enough honey is left for the Bees food supply for the Winter. Some Beekeepers take all the honey then feed the Bees sugar syrup, but Andy prefers not to do that.

The big Sycamore tree has dropped most of it’s leaves now…

they fall conveniently on the developing Forest Garden area beneath…giving a perfect mulch to the plants.

A Sunflower produces a late bloom. A cheery sight on these drab wet days we have had throughout October.

On the laneway the combination of the Hawthorn berries and the lichen covered branches give a Christmassy look. The lichen seems to get whiter at this time of the year…or maybe I notice it more when the leaves have fallen. Lichens only grow where the air is pure…they are a good sign of  an unpolluted environment.

Sedum and Yarrow continue to flower in the shaded bed by the chalet. Yarrow is a medicinal plant…useful for nosebleeds and cuts and wounds. It can be made into a tincture which is useful for high blood pressure, weak digestion and heavy periods. The leaves can be dried and used to make a tea. This tea is particularly useful for reducing fevers.

The Fatsia which is in a big pot near the back door is doing well. Most books tell you this is a houseplant…rubbish…this one has been outside for the last 2 severe Winters and is doing great. It looks like it is going to produce flowers soon.

A Visit to Seed Savers. part 2.

There is so much to see at Seed Savers…do allow a couple of hours if you are going to visit. This pizza oven was made at a workshop which took place there…schoolchildren can cook pizza here when they visit. I love it…the shape reminds me of the monks huts on the islands off the coast of Ireland.

The oven is sheltered by this hexaganol shaped sod roof.

Living sculpture …a metal frame was made then the young trees were tied in to it. When the trees are bigger the frame will be taken away. Things like this set the brain working…oh! maybe I can do one!

The Apple nursery…these trees will be for sale in a couple of years.

On past the tree nursery in a secluded corner is this gorgeous cob house. Did’nt get to see inside as a lucky visitor was staying there. Bet it’s cosy in there! Cob is made with straw and clay from the local area giving this house a low carbon footprint.

No…it’s not real. Makes a good image though against the darkening sky.

Another lovely Willow arch and fedge. A fedge is a living hedge made from Willow. If you want instructions on how to make a fedge check out www.willowarchway.wordpress.com where there is an excellent tutorial on making a fedge.

If you are interested in seed saving do check out ISSA website www.irishseedsavers.ie . You can become a supporter for a small annual fee. As well as knowing you are supporting the excellent work being done here, saving and preserving heritage seeds for the future, you will receive 5 varieties of seeds and 3 varieties of Potatoes each year. A mazagine is also sent out twice a year.

A Visit to Seed Savers. part 1

Whilst house sitting in County Clare last week I went to visit the Irish Seed Savers Association who are based in Scariff. Started in 1991 by Anita Hayes in Carlow they now have 8 hectares of land in East Clare. ISSA is a registered charity. They research, locate, preserve and use traditional varieties of fruit, vegetables, potatoes and grains.

Despite the wet day I walked all the land which is divided into orchards, vegetable growing areas, seed bank, Apple tree nursery and composting facility.

There is one orchard which is made up of 33 self-rooting Apple trees. When these trees have being growing for a few years they put out rooting nodules on the branches, these branches can then be taken off and planted to make a new tree.  This is the largest collection of these trees in the world.

There is also a small peaceful woodland. If you look closely you can see a group of  visiting school children through the trees.

A small pond surrounded by Willows in this quiet corner makes a lovely nature sanctuary. Actually the whole place is a sanctuary for nature as no chemicals are used on the land.

Due to the damp Irish weather seed saving here is a challenging task. Much of it is done in polytunnels.

Cucumbers are left to the over-ripe stage, they are perfect at this stage for saving seeds from as the seeds will be fully mature.

These lovely red Peppers will not grace any salad or cooking pot. They too are being grown for seeds. I was so tempted to pick one! Don’t worry I did’nt! I did however test a few Apples from the heavily laden trees!

Rain! Rain! Rain!

This was the view from our front door yesterday morning. Nice blue sky…there was even some sunshine…not a bad day.

This morning was so different. Everywhere was damp and the sky was heavy and grey. There had been lots of overnight rain. Taking the dogs for the morning walk I could see the Arigna river about to burst it’s banks. The walk was short as the rain started again.

This afternoon the rain finally stopped by 3 o clock. I decided to take the opportunity to go for another quick stroll. I could hear the rush of the river from our backdoor. It has burst well clear of it’s banks now. The rain had been torrential.

At the turn one can see that the river just could’nt cope with the flow of water. This is normally dry land with the river meandering through.

On the plus side…our water barrels are full…and I love the sound of the rushing water…

and we don’t usually have a view of the river as we walk down our drive…

or a little river flowing by as we walk on the lane. Guess what the forecast is…yeah…you’ve guessed it…more rain. Don’t think I’ll be doing any gardening for a while. It’s crazy that as we get this some parts of the world are having famine caused by drought. Would’nt it be nice if we could regulate the weather so that everyone got a bit of everything. We could have more sunshine. African countries could have some welcome rain enabling them to grow their crops again. Spain could do with more rain to solve it’s water shortage problems. If only!

From Clare to here.

Spent the last week in County Clare house-sitting for friends. They own this beautiful thatched cottage plus 5 acres of organically farmed land. The rain did’nt stop for the first 2 days but once the animals were looked after I had lots of time for reading and relaxing. There is no TV so I spent lots of time reading from their extensive library. They have a huge collection of books on homesteading, gardening, ecology, beekeeping, cookery and herbalism. All subjects that I too find interesting.

One of my daily tasks was to feed this little Guinea-Pig with milk from a dropper. He is 2 weeks old and his Mum died a week ago. Funny little dude…I called him Gerry…don’t even know if he’s male but somehow the name suited him. He looks rather Squirrel-like does’nt he! He is eating all the usual Guinea-Pig stuff , carrots, apples, hay and grass too so I think he will survive. First time I ever handled a Guinea-Pig.

On the farm there are also Goats, Hens,Sheep and a Cat. This is Goldie and her 2 female kids who are 4 months old. She did’nt need milking as the kids drink all the milk at the moment. Soon they will only spend part of the day with her, she will then be milked to provide milk for the family too.  The kids are already eating hay and grass.

This is Annie, the other female Goat. She did’nt have kids this year. She has a very superior attitude and gives a very dismissive look sometimes!

The drive back home took about 3 hours. I like to take my time and admire the countryside. I avoid motorways and main roads if possible. Yesterday I took a route up the west side of Lough Derg driving through the lovely lakeside village of Mountshannon and on to Portumna. Did’nt have time to stop at the lovely forest walk there…another time. Into County Galway now…stone wall and Sheep country.

 

Stopped at Creggs which is on the Galway/Roscommon border to take these pics of the stone walls which are such an abiding image of this part of the country. Built with stone from the surrounding land these walls are expertly built and stand strong without any cement or mortar to hold them together. On then up through Roscommon reaching Arigna before darkness fell. Yes…it’s nice to go away now and then…but it’s even nicer to come home again. Home, Sweet, Home.

Permaculture @ Prospect Cottage.

There is still lots of colour in the long border despite lots of rain and wind. Plants are a lot more resilient than we give them credit for. This bed was planted 2 years ago. Most of the plants were grown from slips and cuttings. Phlox, Sedum and Japenese Anemones give great late season interest. Many of these will be divided yet again next Spring to facilitate further garden expansion. I’m not a big fan of garden centres, plants from hothouses abroad often do not acclimatise well to our soil and climate. Much better to buy Irish grown plants when possible. As my gardening life proceeds I find myself increasingly using Permaculture techniques.

Permaculture aims to create in a self-sustaining and earth-friendly way a system that provides for our human needs while working co-operatively with Nature. No chemicals are used and plants such as the Sedum, which is a great attractant for Butterflies, are planted extensively. Harmony between Humans and Nature is paramount. Native plants are important being hosts to many types of wildlife. Oak and Willow are good examples as they are both host to about 300 species of wildlife while also having importance for Humans. The Forest Garden by Robert Hart is a great Permaculture book as is Masanubo Fukuoka’s book One Straw Revolution. Fukuoka, one of my heroes, was writing and indeed practising Permaculture in the 1930s long before it’s fashionable resurgence in the 1970s in Australia.

Fruits, trees and flowers are planted together, no monoculture. The area above was planted in Spring of this year around an established Twisted Willow. The sod was turned, plants planted then the whole lot was mulched with newspaper and straw. Raspberries, Rosa Rugosa, Blackcurrants, Mallow, Chives and Phygelius are all thriving together. Mulch will be applied again next Spring when the ground warms up. The mulch rots down over time to provide nutrition for the plants  whilst keeping down weeds. In the polytunnels crops are also mixed together. Herbs, flowers and vegetables make for an interesting and colourful mix. Pests are not a problem as the mix of plants and various scents confuse them. The only problem we have found is with slugs but a good Permaculture solution to that would be to have ducks, ducks love eating slugs. The problem for us is that there are loads of Foxes in this area. We are considering making a Fox proof (fingers crossed) run over the Winter and getting Chickens and Ducks next Spring. We would as a bonus have eggs, a good source of protien produced on our own smallholding. Permaculture principles at work.

Pets too have a place in the Permaculture system. They provide company for the humans and prevent Rats and Mice from building up. We have 2 terriers who are avid chasers of all intruders. Permaculture Doggies rule!

Amongst Trees.

Evergreen Oak

Yesterday was National Tree Day in Ireland. To mark the day I went with my Mother who is staying with us for a week and my friend Saffron to Lough Rynn Estate near Mohill in County Leitrim. There is also a lovely walled garden there and the big house is now a successful hotel. But yesterday it was the trees which held my interest.

Majestic Scots Pines.

Being amongst trees is for me like meeting old friends again. There is an easiness in the relationship,  a feeling of security to be amongst them, a belonging that cannot be falsified. Maybe it stirs my primeval memories of when our land was covered in great forests.

"Eye" on Monkey Puzzle tree.

Entering a forest is like entering a sanctuary, a place of comfort and safety. A place to walk amongst nature in all its glory. It is calming and soothing to the human mind. It is so amazing to touch, to connect with these plants that have lived here for hundreds or even thousands of years. What have they witnessed? If only they could speak!

Yew with berries.

 But then, maybe they speak, it is us who are not listening. Observe their generosity. How they provide food and shelter for man and beast. Many modern medicines have their origin in trees. They cleanse the air we breathe. They shelter our homes from the ravages of weather and throw shade on a warm day. All without words, without acknowledgement from us.

Fungi on a dying Beech tree.

 There are of course people who love trees, who see themselves of their protectors. One of those people is 65 years old Teresa Treacy from Tullamore, County Offaly. For many years she has been planting thousands of trees by hand on a farm owned by herself and her sister. It was her mission in life. Three weeks ago she was thrown into jail because she would not allow an electricity supplier to clear 14 acres of her beloved forest to erect plyons. What a shame on our once tree covered country. The judge who jailed her said she would not be released until Teresa withdrew her contempt. She did not do so. She remained firm, like a well rooted Oak. Today Teresa was released from jail thanks to a huge public outcry. Hopefully she will be left in peace in her favourite place…amongst trees.

October @ Prospect Cottage.

Asters or Michaelmas Daisy as they are known are the real stars of the flower garden right now. Don’t know the individual varieties…the labels are long gone but that does’nt take from the enjoyment of these gorgeous Autumn flowers.

Asters can be propogated easily by division of clumps in Autumn or Spring. Usually the centre of clumps deteriorate so only the healthy outer sections are replanted. They thrive best in a well drained situation. I love the colour of this purple one.

Tomatoes are still ripening in the polytunnel. The small ones are Mexican Midget, the larger ones are Moneymaker and the yellow ones are Amber which self seeded from our own compost. A welcome bonus. Tomato soup from this lot I think.

Parsley is a plant we grow lots of, it is a nutrient powerhouse containing beta carotene, vitamin B12, chlorophyll, calcium and more vitamin C than citrus fruits. In addition to providing essential nutrients Parsley stimulates and balances the energy of our internal organs and improves their ability to assimilate and utilise nutrients. Because of its high enzyme content Parsley benifits digestive activity. We use Parsley raw in salads, add it to mashed potato and put it in at the end of cooking soups and stews. A tea made from Parsley is said to be useful against cystitis and urinary tract infections. A true superfood.

To the north of the house the Birch trees have already lost their leaves. I suspect Winter is coming early this year. The Met Office is forecasting snow at the end of October! We have lots of supplies in the larder so are fairly well prepared. Hay is also stored for the animals plus lots of fuel to keep the house toasty. The nights are quickly becoming much longer so more time will be spent indoors. It is the time when I use the fruits and veg stored throughout the Summer to make jams and chutneys. Today we can see blue sky through the trees so there is still Autumn days to be enjoyed.