Around the garden.

The Lilies have emerged in the last few days. The heat giving them some encouragement. I love their heady scent but find it a bit too strong for in the house…not that I would dream of cutting these beauties. They thrive in this bed which has very good drainage. I really must plant some more.

The shady border beside the chalet has mostly white flowers at the moment…Galega, Yarrow and Shasta Daisies. Soon the Sedum will turn red giving a new focal point.

The pond which is here just over a year is full of life… especially Pond Skaters… loads of them. The Water Lily is producing another couple of blooms. I just love Water Lilies.

Flowering Fennel has the insects in ecstacy…they just adore it. Loads of Hoverflies,  Bees and Bumble Bees  about today. Nice to hear a buzz in the air. For so much of this Summer we did’nt have that…

In the polytunnel Dahlias are in flower. Dahlias don’t do well outside here…the ground is too heavy and wet. I planted tubers in big pots this year and they are doing well. They get an occasional feed with the Comfrey and Nettle liquid feed.

 Purple Teepee Beans are ready for harvesting. They lose their purple colour when cooked but they do look so great when they’re growing. Beans have done well this year. Broad Beans gave a huge crop…then we had the Green Bush Beans. An abundant year…despite the weather.

Grapes are starting to colour too…better clean out them demijohns…soon be wine making time!

Succulents are amongst my fave plants. So easy to grow and propogate. This Sempervivium has produced lots of babies. They can just be broken off, planted in a gritty compost and hey presto you have a new plant!

Flowers, flowers, flowers.

Even though this Summer has been one of the wettest, dullest and coldest ever the flowers have played a blinder. If anything they have been better than ever. I think this is partially due to the fact that as the garden matures there are more areas of shelter and windbreaks. Did’nt see this lovely Hollyhock until it started to flower. Supposedly black, it is more like a very deep purple to me. Is there such a thing as a truly black flower?  This one came up through a pink flowered Fuschia.

Cosmos of course never fail to please. One of my faves. They mature fully from a Spring sowing and provided you keep them deadheaded will flower until well into Autumn.

White Mallow and Feverfew in the shady border by the chalet. This border has filled out really well. It was begun in March 2011.

Earlier this year we buried our dog Alice here…it was a place he liked to sit. A packet of wildflower seeds was planted and from it came mostly these beautiful Corncockle. As purple is my fave colour I really like them.

Even Lavender which likes good drainage and lots of sunshine has done ok.

The archway above the garden gate is not as heavily clothed as other years…but not too bad either.

Finally this variegated Lysmachia in dappled evening sunlight. It is doing well under the shade of the Birch tree.

Lughnasa.

As we head into August we remember the festival of Lughnasa, one of the great Celtic cross quarter festivals. A time to harvest the offerings from the land and hedgerows. A time to reap the rewards of our work in the garden. A time of abundance, of preserving the bounty and stocking up our larders for the coming Winter.

For as sure as night follows day the seasons are changing too. The wheel of the year continues…the cycle must be completed. Already some plants are starting to show Autumn hues…

 

 while others are still full of colour and vibrancy. But very soon they too will move onto the next phase of their yearly cycle. As all life on this planet must… 

Here in Ireland we awoke this morning to hear of the death of Meave Binchy, a wonderful author and journalist. At just 72 it seems she has been taken too early, but obviously it was her time. Meave was an amazing individual who despite having massive success, she sold 42 million books worldwide, remained a kind and warm hearted person. Always appreciative of her fans she treated each and every one as a cherished friend. She could teach us all a thing or two.  

Here in Arigna we are revelling in the abundance of produce from the garden. The Onions in the bed above will soon be ready for harvesting, hung in braids in the shed for use throughout the Autumn and Winter. The flowers are self seeders from the compost that was dug in here last Spring. I must remember to pull the Poppies out before they spread their multitude of seeds everywhere. There are lots of berries to be harvested this year. This is ongoing as they are ripening slowly  because of lack of sunshine. That makes it easier in a way as there is less urgency about the harvesting. Blackcurrants and Gooseberries have given great harvests. I freeze them in 1 kilo bags which is ideal for making small batches of jam and chutney. This produce, as well as being for our own use, forms part of our income as I sell it at local markets throughout the year. Something to keep me busy during the long dark days of the Winter.

I seem to be focused on the changing seasons this morning. The dull grey, windy day that it is is not helping the mood. What has happened to our Summers? I’m off now to light the stove and warm up the house. No berry picking today as I just can’t bear that wind which is surely going to bring us more rain later.

As July progresses…

everything is looking lush and green and fresh …a definite benefit of all that rain. The fedge we planted back in April has really taken off. Actually all the trees and shrubs have put on lots of growth this year. The weather has’nt been too bad the last couple of days. Grey and overcast still but not so much rain.

  The Mrs Perry apple tree planted almost 4 years ago has produced fruit for the first time. About 15 apples…looking forward to trying them. They are a dual purpose fruit.

At Mrs Perry’s feet Feverfew is in flower. A few leaves eaten every day is said to give relief from migrane. Thankfully I don’t get migranes… I do like it’s little daisy flowers though. It self seeds like mad. The purple leaved plant is Orach…a stray from the compost I think. It is edible and adds colour, if not much flavour, to salads.

By the garden gate Phygelius is in flower. One of my fave shrubs…commonly called Cape Fuschia…it is easily propogated by rooted suckers.

Here’s another one in the long border. There’s also a creamy coloured one which has just finished flowering. I shall be propogating more of these to spread around.

Fuschia is also in flower at the moment. I just love this little shrub which grows wild around here. It is another plant that is easy to propogate from cuttings.

In the hedgerows the Bramble is showing lots of flowers…a good Blackberry harvest looks likely. I just love Blackberries…combined with Granny Smith Apples to make the most delicious jam…lovely in tarts too. The joys of Autumn yet to come.

Don’t know what Freddie could smell as we came back from our walk. He stood like this for several minutes just sniffing the air…eyes closed. Cute!

Rainy days and climate change.

What’s happened to the weather? Not just in Ireland, but all over the world,  this year has broken records everywhere. The wettest Summer in the UK since 1860. Same in Ireland. In USA there has been  record high temperatures  resulting  in serious problems for agriculture. The end result will of course be food shortages and higher prices for available supplies. Today, 17th July, is a wet mizzly day here in Arigna. It should be Summer!!

There’s definitely a change in the climate worldwide. The Irish Summer now seems to be March, April and May. Wet and dull through until September when we get another blast of good weather. I was reading earlier how the wet Summer has disrupted the cafe culture in Paris. Can’t blame people for not wanting to sit out in the rain sipping coffee. This then has a knock on effect on businesses and livelihoods. Here in Ireland agriculture is in serious trouble. Farmers can’t make hay or silage and the grass is starting to rot in the fields. Potatoes will be expensive this year as the crops have started to rot in the earth. A bit of a doomsday scenario but that’s how it is. How anyone can deny climate change now is beyond me.

 I’m amazed that flowers are blooming despite the lack of sunshine. Sunday was a fab day but that’s been the only good day for weeks. These Lilies were in bloom today but they won’t last long if the rain continues.

Shasta Daisies hang their heads low, weighed down with rain…

 Rosa Ragusa looking similarly droopy. Of course there’s few insects to be seen. I was to be involved in the Butterfly count this year but there’s been few opportunities. What happened to all the Bumble Bees and Butterflies there were about in May I wonder?

In the micro climate of the polytunnel a solitary Bumble Bee enjoys a newly emerged Dahlia. Glad I planted these in pots indoors as I don’t think they would have done any good outside.

I also spotted a Green Veined White Butterfly on a Rose. Can you see it? There were a few more of these Butterflies about but that was all the insect activity I could see today. Mid July, the air should be filled with the sound of buzzing insects! So sad!

On a more positive note the Peaches are almost ripe, in the polytunnel of course. I test them by cupping the fruit in my hand and gently pulling. If ripe the fruit will come away. Another way to test for ripeness is to see if the flesh around the stem is soft. Test carefully though as Peaches bruise so easily. Another day or two to wait for this one.

In the polytunnels…

Despite the weather most things are doing well. This is the small polytunnel, the middle bed is planted with Carrots, with Garlic at each end to guard against carrot fly. Some self-seeded plants were also left to add a bit of colour, Borage, Orach and Poppies all came free in the garden compost.

One of the side beds is filled with Strawberry plants. They are almost spent now but this little Alpine Strawberry continues to give masses of small super sweet fruits. Not juicy like the big Strawberries but the flavour makes up for that.  It does’nt send out runners so all it’s energy goes into making fruits.

In the big polytunnel the Grapes are filling out nicely, should be a good crop by August. These are Black Hamburg, a dessert grape.

The first Tomato was ripe today from this hanging basket variety. Oh the smell! Delicious! The essence of Summer for me.

The first Courgette also presented itself today. Later than usual but most welcome. I suppose we will have a glut of them soon enough.

Peaches are starting to blush. Amazing how they are ripening really considering we had very little sunshine in June.

The plants in the little pond at the bottom of the polytunnel are doing well…Flowering Rush and Water Forget me Not planted last year have established nicely. The tadpoles are still there…no sign of them turning into Frogs yet!!

Even the Rainbows are low…

After having had pretty good weather in March, April and May it seems that June was the wettest since 1860. I do think that the south of the country had it worse though. Every time I rang my Mother it seemed to be raining heavily there, yes, we have had rain too, but it’s only the last 2 weeks that have been monsoon like. That’s climate change I suppose, some places getting less rain while we get more. If it continues in this vein more growing will have to be done indoors in polytunnels, in Ireland anyway. The overcast skies are quiet depressing and heavy. A rare patch of blue sky yesterday evening had me rushing out with the camera to capture it!

It darkened again almost immmediately and this rainbow which bridged Corry and Sliabh an Iariann appeared. Not the usual high arch to this one. Very squat and low lying. Have’nt seen one this low before. Even the rainbows are affected by the low cloud!! Does’nt the countryside look beautifully fresh and lush though…one benefit of all that rain.

In the garden flowers are doing surprisingly well. I don’t like this dark leaved Lysmachia, actually I thought I’d removed all of it, but I have to admit it makes a good pairing with this peachy pink Lupin. Maybe it’s saved itself!

Lady’s Mantle and Catmint, two plants I really like, they look good together. I have to admit I’m a trial and error gardener. I bung everything in, cottage garden style, if it really does’nt work I’ll just move plants in the dormant season. I know some people swear by plans and charts but not for me. Lots of self seeders are left to prosper too. I don’t have the heart to remove them.

The wild Dog Rose is almost finished now…

each fallen petal leaving a temporary love message for all to see.

After the storm.

At last the wind and rain have stopped. For two days we have had strong winds blowing in from the west accompanied by non stop rain. Apparently there has been a month’s rain in the last two days, that’s about 4 inches. The rivers, ditches and lakes are full to capacity and the waterfall, which is usually a Winter feature, is back on the mountain.

 In the garden the worst fatality was the Angelica. It had put on tremendous growth and was standing, rather magnificiently, at about 6 feet tall. It is however battered to the ground this morning. It will,  I’m sure,  rise again.

By the garden gate the Honeysuckle is coming into flower. I’m so glad this was’nt damaged as it has grown well. The scent is lovely and I really like the flowers. I grew this from a cutting.

Now is a very good time to start taking soft wood cuttings.Was watching Gardener’s World last night on the BBC, Carol Klien gave a good tutorial on how to do this. Carol is brill, I love her easy relaxed way of presenting and teaching.

In the micro-climate of the polytunnel all is well. Growth is rapid right now and everything is lush. Produce is in abundance, right now we are harvesting Lettuce, Spring Onions, Beetroot, Herbs and Spinach. Spinach goes to seed quickly but I sow some new every few weeks. There’s nothing to beat your own fresh Spinach. We also grow Swiss Chard which lasts a year before going to seed but proper Spinach is my fave. I love Nasturtiums in the polytunnel. They are of course edible, but they also attract beneficial insects which prey on nasties like greenfly.

These Nicotiana have come into flower in the last few days. Cosied up in a pot in the closed polytunnel, it was’nt opened for 3 days, has encouraged them to bloom. Thanks, whoever invented polytunnels. It certainly makes life easier, at 600 ft above sea level here, it would be impossible to grow fragile things without them.

Every available receptacle has been used to capture rainwater. The way our weather is changing, who knows, we could be back to drought conditions again next week!

Happy gardening!

Garden in the rain…

The Poppies had been fully opened for the last few days…today they are closed and hanging low with the weight of the rain. Love their colour…so vibrant.

The leaves of Escallonia are super shiny in the rain. The forecasters say it is to rain all day today and tomorrow then nice again for the weekend. Fingers crossed they’re right.

Usually the Foxgloves are having lots of Bumble Bees visiting…but not today.

Lady’s Mantle is of course well known for how it holds the droplets of water. It also has medicinal use…it is astringent, styptic, tonic and vulnerary. Culpepper says that “It is proper for those wounds that have inflammation, and is effective to stay bleedings, vomitings, and fluxes of all sorts.”

Hostas also hold the water on their leaves. With all the dry weather we’ve had the slugs have’nt had a chance to devour them this year…so far.

The little pond in the big polytunnel is full again. I had to fill it fill it from the tap for the last few weeks as it was almost dry. You can’t see them in the pic but there’s loads of tadpoles in there…did’nt want them dying. Frogs are great for keeping the slug population under control. These seem to be at the tadpole stage for ages. Anyone know how long it takes for them to mature into frogs?

It’s garden visiting time….

June, July and August are the months for garden visiting here in Ireland. Gardens are at their best and the weather is usually ok. The weather was’nt great this past weekend but,  undaunted,  a friend and I decided to visit Saffron Thomas’s garden in Ardsoran, about 6 miles from Boyle. This garden is part of the Secret Gardens of Sligo initiative which sees gardens open to the public to raise funds for charity.

The garden is set on a south facing slope and the site is bordered by mature trees giving it a lovely secluded feel. Big wide borders filled with a combination of old favourites and rare and unusual plants make for an interesting peruse. This lovely border filled with blues, pinks and purples sweeps down to one of the ponds.

I love gardens with ponds, so beneficial for nature and of course they add an interesting extra dimension to the garden.

No chemicals are used anywhere in this land. The result is a beautiful garden filled with the humming of bees and busy with insects flying hither and thither. A feast for the senses.

A little wooden bridge leads to a path that takes you on a walk around the perimiter of the big field at the back. Already planted with so many varieties of trees, the long term plan is to have another very large pond on this as yet undeveloped part of the garden. This is a garden that is continually expanding. Every year Saffron collects, plants and nurtures thousands of seeds, resulting in thousands of plants needing planting areas. With a total of 7 acres there is lots of room for expansion.

Several sculptures are set amongst the plants adding extra interest. This is a piece of found bog oak set atop a lovely piece of wood decorated with a spiral. I really like that!

There are also 2 polytunnels and a small orchard here. One polytunnel has just been erected,  the other has been there several years. The long standing tunnel is so filled with plants it has a jungle feel. Vegetables, flowers and shrubs being brought on for the garden all together make for an interesting  feast for the senses. Plants like the climbing Snapdragon above and many more that I did’nt know existed keep one’s interest.

If you are in the Sligo/Roscommon area do check out the Secret Gardens of Sligo. It raises money for charity and opens up gardens off the beaten track that are varied and interesting. They also have a Facebook page.

Click on pics to enlarge.