A view across the garden last Sunday evening
March has (mostly) been warmer than usual. Weekend temperatures soared into the high teens, a welcome reprieve after the inclement weather of late.
The garden looked quite different in early March:
The miniature daffodils were smiling ahead of schedule.
Crocuses were in full bloom:
Pompom Primula greeted each other after months of hibernation:
I waited patiently for my Tulips to flower:
and for pots full of Daffodils to emerge:
I am overcome with delight as I sniff their Divine fragrance.
I have looked at last years photographs, and I think this years growth is around six weeks ahead!
Bleeding Heart
Bleeding Heart would not normally be in bloom until May.
You may remember last November’s post A Pond No More. Well, I have good news; I have been able to create a miniature version of the old…
Here is the hole in the ground, after removal of the old pond liner:
And here is my new smaller pond, which is lined with half of the remnants of the old heavy duty liner ( the old liner had a hole almost dead centre).
It is somewhat shallower. However, I hope to provide a welcome habitat for insects and other wild life; I would love to attract a few frogs!
I have begun landscaping with some bright Red flowered Persicaria, and dark Aubergine leaved Astilbe which will soon blossom with deep Purple feathery fronds. I have yet to move three different varieties of candelabra Primula -pale Pink, Orange and Cerise.
The beginnings of my landscaping, with bog wood sculpture of a flying wild goose.
On Sunday afternoon, I sat out in my bright Pink garden chair, meditating across the muddied waters. In a day or two it will be clear, and hopefully teeming with new life…
Happy Gardening.
Brigid P. Gallagher is a retired natural medicines therapist, passionate organic gardener and author of “Watching the Daisies- Life lessons on the Importance of Slow,” a holistic memoir dedicated to the art of mindfulness and healing from debilitating illness.
Gardening is very therapeutic to me also. I love your garden!
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Thanks Miriam. It is a cottage style garden full of old favourites. I would be lost without it. Happy gardening. 😆
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I came back from our trip to Portland. Of course, first thing this morning was looking at everything in my garden. It has more colors, roses are blooming. Last year I only had a few plums. Thanks to the bees this year, it looks like I’ll have lots of plums!!!
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That is wonderful. I love roses too but it will be a while till they bloom. Enjoy those plums. 😊
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Thank you, I love plums!! I’ll post a photo when they get bigger!
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Brilliant.😊
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Thank you so much!
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Jumped over from the Senior Salon
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Lovely. We are just getting a few forsythias turning from bud to early bloom, but the flowers haven’t begun to appear just yet – haven’t even seen my first daffodil. March here has been wintery – snow, even – and a lot of freezing rain, so everything is delayed.
I’ve never been a gardener – but since I’ve always rented and rarely had a yard, that hasn’t turned out to be such a bad thing. I might otherwise have been quite disgruntled at not having a garden to tend. It would have saddened my mother greatly – she loved gardening. I always appreciate the gardens of others, however, so thank you for sharing yours (and your cute little pond replacement).
xx,
mgh
(Madelyn Griffith-Haynie – ADDandSoMuchMORE dot com)
ADD Coach Training Field founder; ADD Coaching co-founder
“It takes a village to transform a world!”
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Thank you Madelyn. We have been blessed with a very mild autumn and winter here so this is not the norm. I have been blessed with an abundance of “life doesn’t get any better than this” moments in my garden or walking/sitting in Nature.
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And you are so wonderful to share those blessings on your blog.
xx,
mgh
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What a lovely lot of blooms you have Brigid. Hope those frogs come visit soon. 🌿 x
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Thanks Miriam. I would be so glad to see frogs. They never frequented the old pond. x
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Yes, our garden has woken up and is full of spring bulbs flowering, the forsythia is ablaze despite pruning it to within an inch of its life last autumn! I sat outside on a beautiful day last week and it was so uplifting to have the warmth of the sun on my face and look at the colours emerging in the borders and on the trees, all to the serenade of a very busy robin, my favourite bird. The pair of them were in the garden yesterday collecting nesting materials as was a female blackbird who was going back and forth all day long. Lovely photos, 😊
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You sound full of springs joy. It is such a wonderful time of year. I am glad you enjoyed my post. 😊
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Wow, 6 weeks ahead of last year’s growth is quite a difference, isn’t it? Hope the weather stays kind!
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Yes. So do I ! We had five glorious days of temperatures in the high teens last week but it is cloudy and cooler again…😊
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Your garden is so further along into spring than ours. I live in the Midlantic Region of the U.S. Funny how Ireland’s maritime climate produces spring so much earlier.
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Yes. Our temperature range is not that great throughout the year. But the weather can be Wet!
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You tend your garden with much love and it shows in the blooms! So pretty and the colours are amazing!
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Thank you. I just love my garden. I waited such a long time to get it. It is truly precious. 😊
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Everything is blooming way ahead of schedule this year. I love gardens and your is chock full of beautiful plants. Do you have a bench somewhere in the middle where you can sit and write or draw? 🙂
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Many thanks. Yes. I have a few seats, a table and a bench that belonged to my late dad. I sit in the warmest spot depending on the time of day…
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Reading your comment put a warm smile on my face. 🙂
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Beautiful flowers Brigid )
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Thanks Judith. I cannot believe we have such growth this year…
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Your garden is looking great, Brigid. It was a beautiful spring weekend here in Wales as well, although it seems to be back to winter today. I’m not a gardener, but I do enjoy sitting in ours and listening to the birds. I’ve still not quite had the courage to get out the cushions for the garden furniture, though.
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Thanks Hugh. Wasn’t it just lovely to get some sunshine? We are down to 14 degrees today and a little rain. No cushions out here yet…
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Beautiful! I love the wood sculpture, its so stunning.
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Thanks Alexis. The wood came from a big near my dad’s old home. My aunt and I carried it out. A local sculptor carved it into a wild goose for me. I love it flying over the flowers…
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Wow, that really IS special!!
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Absolutely beautiful! The only flowers I can grow are the silk ones!!
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Goodness. I hope you have LOTS.!😉
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😊😊
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I’m late to the party…but so glad I found your post. It’s wonderful to be able to share you are shaping your garden and are already cultivating such rich results. I am, however, concerned about how much warmer your temperatures are than they should be at this time of the year. The pictures are absolutely lovely; you must be loving each and every bloom that emerges. I do wonder how you are able to do so much gardening in spite of your fibromyalgia because I know what a toll gardening takes on me and I don’t have fibromyalgia!
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Thank you. The garden is designed for low maintenance. I have gravel paths with no grass and I plant perennials and shrubs close together to avoid as many weeds as I can. I am able to keep it nice if we get lots of fine weather when I can do little bits at a time. I love being out doors so Nature is a great healer for me. 😊
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Your garden is spectacular, but perhaps more importantly, it is personal, warm, and inviting.
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Thanks George. I like the old style cottage style which allows plants to meander… I love to sit out and watch the daisies! 😊
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Such beautiful blooms to welcome an early start to you season, Brigid. Your garden pool and sculpture add to the warm welcoming of the flowers. Happy Spring! 🙂 xo
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Thanks Bette. I am wondering how the warmer weather will affect everything later on. It is rather unnatural. 😊x
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Can you sort out my garden…
Yours is stunning
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I’ll be right over Bella ! I had nothing but long grass here when I moved in a little over 6 years ago. So now I am able to enjoy it.😊
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Wow thats impressive..i lost my passion for gardening
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That’s a pity. Maybe it will return. 😍
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So pretty 🙂 Spring flowers are especially lovely, like promises of sunshine. 🙂
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A beautiful garden, I am jealous, yes jealous. I love flowers, plants, bushes and trees of all kinds and yet I have a black thumb. Everything I buy or plant dies. Maybe the good Lord gave me the love of nature and then played a joke on me. ☺☺
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Surely not. 😉
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I am afraid so and to add a little vinegar to the wound all of my siblings can make anything grow without even trying, I think I am the only living human that killed an orchard. My sister said you can’t kill an orchard but guess who managed to do it, yes, yours truly. ☺☺
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😁
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Thank you for sharing your beautiful garden. I do so miss the spring flowers and being able share the glory of your garden heralding the Spring. Good to have a pond, water is so uplifting. Gardening is very healing and the colours and perfumes of the plants all add to the self-healing process.
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Thank you. I just had to include a pond. It is the fourth time I have made one. Being a Piscean it is a necessity. 😊
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Water is essential in life and inspiration 😀
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Oh my goodness…such beauty. Bleeding hearts…is that what you called them? Stunning!
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Yes Nikki. They are such a lovely flower and they light up spring. 😊
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Your garden looks magical Brigid.. It’s definitely further along than ours this year.. I have a bleeding heart but there’s no sign of flowers yet. xx
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Goodness. That is unusual. Donegal is a good bit further north. 😊
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My Magnolia is in full bloom to make up for it! x
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Lovely. X
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xx
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Love the flying goose Brigid, very Canadian. 😉 It did my heart good to take a tour of your garden… I have a bigger garden back in Canada & loved doing the daily rounds… Coffee in hand … To see what had grown since the previous day.
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Thanks Mike. It is made from bog wood that my aunt and I carried out from my dad’s old home land. It’s hard to beat time spent in the garden. Happy weekend. 😊
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Oh Brigid, your flowers are so pretty and the pond turned out very nice. I’m loving the wooden sculpture. What a nice place to relax in–beautiful.
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Thanks Steph. I would be lost without my garden. I am glad I made over the pond. I would miss sitting by the water.😊
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That’s one of the disadvantages of living in a condominium that doesn’t have a community garden. Although truth be told I’m not even close to being a green thumb but I am going to try a terrarium for the balcony this summer. Hopefully I won’t kill it.🤔
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Good luck.
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Thanks. Heaven knows I’ll need it, or maybe I should say my tiny garden will need it.😁
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😊
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Hello Brigid,
I can sense your joy and excitement with your blooming garden now it’s spring up there. Enjoy your lovely flowers and garden 🌹🌷
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Thanks Di. It gladdens my heart to be in my garden. 😍
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That’s lovely. Enjoy tending to your pretty garden Brigid 🌸
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Your garden looks stunning. I love your photos.
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Thank you. It is my sanctuary. Happy Easter.
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And you. X🐣
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I know your taking it easy on the ole blogging front.. but can you post pics of your garden in june i am looking for inspiration and i just love your garden. I have a bleeding heart too but i covered with other plants…eek. i had a gardener in and he comes back tomortow. Everyone says he took too much, if i cant negotiate him down then i will have get into gear with gardening .. but the did a lot the hard work for me and i have some more hard work tomorrow..after which i think i can manage.. and may be then i might take photos of my garden…right now not much to show..but may be i should take photo of my hot poker before it goes a bit..
Anyway would to see your garden in june if possible and if health allows
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You read my mind Bella. I hope to post the garden in May soon and I am going to Dublin on Saturday for a big garden show called Bloom so I shall post at least once on that too. Happy gardening. X
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Thank you
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Beautiful job on that garden! Specially on the Daffodiles, they look amazing!
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Thank you. I will be posting the garden in May next week. 😊
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