The garden in February and the same spot in March I breathed a HUGE sigh of relief when the “Beast from the East” passed through Donegal, with a lot less force than predicted. My garden breathed a sigh of relief too! These blue Muscari are just peeping through , a perfect partnership for the dwarf Narcissus. I have been admiring […]
My garden is slowly awakening from its winter slumber with lots of new growth to brighten my Soul. My Birch tree shelters these valiant dwarf Narcissi warriors, and their year round companions – lime coloured Grasses and dark purple Heuchara. Bright blue Muscari are preparing to flower, alongside deep purple Primula. In a shady corner, Tulips are sprouting forth among […]
The garden is slumbering, and I am waiting patiently for hundreds of tiny bulbs to explode into bloom. The first snowdrops are already welcoming visitors: However, the majority of my spring bulbs are only poking their heads tentatively above ground. I think they are wondering “Will it snow?” A review of the 2017 gardening year seems apt. Hence I am […]
The weather has grown cold, but my winter tidy up is complete; it was finished right before the cold snap, to my great relief! Shrubs were moved, perennials divided and given new homes, grasses were released from clumps to make way for new spring growth, and the last of my bulbs (Allium and miniature Daffodils) were planted where my Lavatera […]
October brought two major storms – Ophelia and Brian. Thankfully, my garden remained pretty much intact. This Sunflower and her cousins lit up a corner with their sunny smiles. A few hardy Japanese Anemones survived in the front garden. They have now gone to floral Heaven… I love Fuschia; I have four different varieties. This pretty pink specimen is still […]
Last spring, I removed some Wallflowers which were well past their best, making room for some new planting. All that remained in this little corner of my garden was Rosa glauca and her close friend Clematis jackmanii, with a climbing Honeysuckle and an acid yellow Achillea at the opposite side of the bed. In early summer, I added a few […]
I have been experimenting with the camera on my mobile phone, and I am delighted with the results; I can now post better quality close ups of my flowers. The following are a few of my best blooms during September… James Galway Rose Nasturtium and Cosmos are still flowering. The Nasturtiums are creating LOTS of new seeds, and I look […]
Summer’s star attractions have been these Angel’s Fishing Rods which sway gently on the breeze. They lean over my little pond, as though fishing for complements! Although my Lavatera seems to be living out its final summer, it is covered in luscious pink blooms, reaching for the sky: Meanwhile, Crocosmia lucifer has such a radiant orange smile: Which matches this Day Lily: […]
Michael Classon’s garden “Summy” is located near the scenic village of Rosbeg, and is described in The Donegal Garden Trail as “established in 1979 in a valley on a rocky hillside surrounded by four acres of native hazel woodland with blackthorn, juniper, burnet rose, ash and oak. Native primrose, bluebells, orchids and varied ferns abound. Emphasis has been placed on […]
In the spring of 2007 and the summer of 2008, I was incredibly blessed to work in the gardens of Glenveagh Castle. The gardens and castle are part of Glenveagh National Park, the second largest national park in Ireland. On both occasions I felt I was in horticultural heaven! Last September, I shared my experiences of a visit in The Gardens […]
