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Metamorphosis
24 July 2021 Cape Clear is hidden by a sea mist while the mainland bakes in the sunshine At twenty four degrees the weather today is slightly cooler, but I have given up any pretence of gardening. The dogs and I have taken to relaxing in carefully selected parts of the garden where there is…
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‘Nature Red in Tooth and Claw’’ . . . and Stingers
5 July 2021 The first of my two wasp bykes. My pump house is effectively out of bounds to me until the end of autumn. A routine check of the filters today turned out to be more eventful than usual and I did not see the wasp byke until I had been stung. I beat…
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Ne’er Cast a Clout…
9 May 2021 ’til May be out … There have been days this month when I feel as if I have woken up in another country, one that is situated far north of here. After a week of unseasonable heavy frosts, we have had three days of howling gales and pouring rain. The wind is…
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Waiting for Spring
2 April 2021 The rest of the country is basking in sunshine while this valley is shrouded in a sea mist. Coupled with a biting east wind it is not a day for outdoor gardening and it is the kind of weather when I particularly miss having a greenhouse or polytunnel to work in. For…
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Water Features
6 March 2021 I was so pleased with the success of my single water lily last year that I did not realise that there was a serious design flaw in my system. In my memory frosts were rare during my childhood in Ireland and West Cork was particularly famous for its mild climate. Perhaps my…
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Winter’s Relentless Grip
18 February 2021 This winter I have discovered that the ultimate in extreme gardening is no gardening at all. Despite the fact that most nights I am woken by the wind and rain pounding the house I am always optimistic that the next day will be fine. So far, my optimism has been misplaced. In…
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The Aftermath of Storm Francis
28 August 2020 I finally managed to visit one of the mature gardens on the West Cork Garden Trail shortly after storm Francis moved away from this area. Started thirty-one years ago by Eugene and Hazel Wiseman, Carraig Abhainn is hidden behind some houses in Durrus and is approached by a narrow lane which gives…
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Storms Ellen and Francis: A Gardeners Nightmare
Autumn has arrived with a bang. With two bangs actually – in the shape of storms Ellen and Francis both rated orange and both bringing a deluge of rain. With the usual contradictions in this garden, much of it has been decimated by the wind and salt while some areas and plants seem unharmed.…