watchingthedaisies

The Garden in May 2018

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The garden has truly blossomed this month, and I have delighted in spending LOTS of time outside.

I have enjoyed the scent of the Apple blossom from my late father’s garden bench.

 

And the view along the garden, including the flowering of these Alliums:

 

Yellow Narcissus “Sun Disc” companions have complemented their purple hues:

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Pink, purple, blue and white varieties of Aquilegia are smiling in the sunshine. The yellow species have yet to flower.

 

Another cottage favourite is Bleeding Heart or Dicentra spectabilis, which is looking amazing:

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The candelabra Primula are poking their heads above ground:

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The following are a few of May’s little corners of loveliness:

 

Jobs for May

Mulching

My back garden has a number of shady areas, but this central patch gets a lot of sunshine.

I gave it a good mulch with compost in early May:

 

The mulch has helped feed the plants, retain moisture and keep the weeds at bay.

You can see a few weeks growth below:

 

Weeding

The weeds are growing fast, and weeding has become an almost endless task. My garden is completely organic so I do not use herbicides.

Planting Pots

I wait till late May to plant up my pots. The weather here in Ireland can be unpredictable and planting earlier can result in frost damage.

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Perennial Divisions

Perennial divisions are best completed before early May, and you can fill quite a few gaps in your borders for FREE.

I have been asked to post tasks in the garden a month in advance, so here goes:

Jobs for June

Gaps

If you have any remaining gaps, annuals are fantastic fillers until your perennials and shrubs mature.

There are so many varieties to choose from depending on your garden style:

  • Cosmos,
  • Cornflower,
  • Snapdragons,
  • Zinnia,
  • Sunflowers,
  • Marigold,
  • Pansies,
  • Petunias,
  • Geraniums…

Wild Flowers

If you have a large patch of earth to fill, sprinkle a ready made wild flower mix for maximum effect, minimal cost, and the butterflies and bees will thank you!

Weeding

Weeding continues…

Watering

  • Pots will need daily watering as temperatures rise,
  • Avoid watering plants in sunshine,
  • Early morning or late evening is best.

Install a water butt with a tap to conserve rain water.

Feeding

Plants in pots will need a weekly feed for best results.

Remember to take time out to ENJOY your garden:

 

And watch the daisies!

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.

135 comments

  7. Glorious colour and you’ve managed to really make the best use of that space. Love the June tip: Remember to take time out and enjoy your garden!

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  17. What a beautiful beautiful garden you grow, Brigid. It’s interesting to see how similar the flowers/plants are to those we grow here in New England. We also have to wait until later May to plant some of these flowers and the vegetables and herbs – just put in cosmos and dahlias in our deck boxes. Ahhhh, the flowering has begun. xoxo

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  18. your garden is absolutely gorgeous and if I was your neighbour i would be calling round every evening to have tea and a biscuit! there’s a lot of green on the equator so I am really loving the gentle pastels and blushing blooms. thank you for sharing this amazing view.

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  21. Your garden looks absolutely gorgeous Brigid! You’ve created an oasis right in your own yard. Thanks so much for sharing your photos and task information. I’ve been thinking of planting some bleeding hearts in some of my shady areas because I read that they do well in the shade. Have you found that to be true?

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  25. First off Brigid, you look just lovely! Second wow! What a gorgeous garden. So full of variety! I really like those purple flowers, they are around my neighborhood and I always wanted to know what they are and to have some as well!

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  28. Hello Daisies. Happy Wednesday!
    What a fabulous post and incredible photographs!

    My favourite plant of yours is the Bleeding Heart. There is something about this incredible little darling which pulls me in whenever I spot it. I seem to zone in on it and can’t see anything but ‘it’. It such a little miracle to me. The way it’s made, the way the petals come together. Oh .. everything about it. I feel like God obviously had a little while to play the day he made that flower, and he went to town.

    Love the new addition of ‘jobs for the coming month’! What a great idea!

    Thank you for this and all your posts Daisies. Love you for them and for lots of other reasons.
    Sending much love and a bucket of squidges ~ Cobs. xxx ❤

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    • Thank you Cobs. I agree that God must have had a big hand in creating Bleeding Heart. It is rather special. I am glad you like the jobs update. Someone asked and I included it. Happy Wednesday and Thursday…🌼🌼🌼

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  32. What a beautiful garden Brigid. Your post made me miss my old gardens in my past homes, but you’ve got me beat, lol. Also great gardening tips. Wish I knew all those things before I started my first garden. 🙂 x

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  37. Your garden is so fabulous, Brigid! I love how lush and colorful it is and I want to sit in one of those pink chairs and enjoy. Your “jobs” are a nice share for those of us who “attempt” to garden, like me. I don’t have any bare spots because they’re all filled with weeds! Ha ha. Can you come over? I’m looking forward to your June loveliness. 🙂

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  41. Brigid, a wonderful post! 😀 Now I not only love my garden but yours as well! You present it beautifully and the variety of flowers is amazing! Some I recognise, others you are kindly educating me. The arch with clematis is a joy and how lovely to see you there, looking so at peace and happy. Here’s to enjoying gardening and gardens! Nothing quite like a sit down admiring the flowers, a drink/cuppa to hand … watching the insects and bird-life flitter around. Happy Gardening this weekend! 🌻🌺

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  46. I look forward to your regular garden tours. I think this is the first time I’ve noticed your pond which looks perfect in its setting. I keep saying I’ll take time out to enjoy the garden but as soon as I relax with a glass of wine I notice something that needs doing and I’m off again. Still any time in the garden is enjoyable. I don’t complain about weeding for it means I get down close to the plants, noticing the delicate scents of some which, from on high, are overwhelmed by the stronger scents of others. And seeing some of the tiny details in the foliage and flowers that you wouldn’t see from a few feet away. There are no “chores” in the garden.

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