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In the Absence of Spring
Each year I am visited by flocks of forty or more small birds who join the ‘locals’ at the bird feeders. This year it has been sparrows. I have enjoyed their noisy twittering as they waited patiently in the shrubs by the feeders. They were not deterred by storms Darragh and Eowyn – even though…
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More Suprises
My first apples. This is an impressive sight as I have never knowingly planted apple trees in this garden and now have two. They are half hidden in a thick and deep hedgerow that I created in an empty field when I moved here, so I guess they came with a batch of hedgerow trees…
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Caught in the Act
I have finally admitted defeat in my efforts to have Hosta plants in pots by my back door. These had hardly started to produce leaves this year when the snail attacks started. To my mind this is earlier than usual and if other years are an indication I will soon have no leaves left. I…
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Repair or Replace
This a picture of a corner of the garden that I created shortly after I moved here twelve years ago. I was particularly pleased with the mix of formal planting and wildflowers which were allowed to seed themselves at will. Sadly, the last two winters have taken their toll and the corner is a sad…
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Waiting Impatiently for Spring
30 January 2023 I am not usually envious of other people, but recent visits to my local village have been turning me green. Here on the coast the winds are rarely benevolent and we are still having frosts and days when the wind chill can reduce the temperature dramatically. My camellias continue to hang back…
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At Least the Rain has Stopped!
16 January 2023 The last leaf in the garden against the backdrop of winter heather. It is hard to imagine how this has remained on the tree throughout all the gales but the colour is a bright spot on a dull day. The heather in all of its glory. I still have to look carefully…
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Nemeses
This is the night time activity on the wall behind the house where all of my Hosta sit in pots in the shade. The snails are already shredding some of them and I presume that this one is on his way home for the evening after a satisfactory feast. I have tried everything to deter…
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From Furry Slippers to a Bad Hair Day
My Mount Aso willow is still providing me with a lot of cheer on these windy days. The furry slipper catkin changed to a very dignified deep wine/pink and then it opened up to this grey, orange and yellow creation. However, it remains a furry slipper at heart and in its last throes looked like…
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Small Miracles
This plant may not look like much, but is a testament to its resilience in the face of human neglect. I have always loved box hedging and the smell instantly transports me back to childhood. In one of my gardens in Scotland, I managed to produce a full hedge from the cuttings of one plant.…
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April Blossoms
12 April 2021 Dunmanus bay Great excitement today as I had to go to the dentist. This would not be my normal response to such a trip. In fact, I have never looked forward to a visit before. However, today it meant that I was able to take a trip to Bantry town after months…