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Horsefly Heaven, Human Hell
The moment I arrived at my new home over thirteen years ago, I was able to identify one of the few perfect spots for a small garden. It is triangular in shape and sits in a hollow at the bottom of the drive, so it was possible to make it almost totally windproof in a…
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As Summer Ends
I think that this has probably been the best year for butterflies since I first moved here over thirteen years ago. All the usual favourites such as the Red Admiral, Peacock Butterfly, Small Tortoiseshell, Painted Lady and Speckled Wood are in abundance in the flower garden and copse, but there have also been many more…
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New Beginnings
I have a love-hate relationship with the Inula Hookeri which dominates whatever part of the garden it inhabits. Its flower is interesting from the moment it appears, but it spreads rapidly and will quickly push out anything growing near it. Each winter I have the arduous task of containing it, muttering under my breath as…
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Garden Visitors
6 August 2021 Every year around this time I decide that the Inula hookeri has got to go. It spreads very quickly and when it matures it flops over and covers a multitude of other plants in the herbaceous border. Each year I try to contain it by reducing it to a quarter of its…
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Bugs, Bees and Butterflies
August 2020 West Cork has a number of famous and beautiful gardens where their owners have combined native specimens with exotic plantings from around the world with great success. Once I had developed a basic shelterbelt around the garden here, I had intended to do the same. In the meantime, I would bypass the unusual…
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Living Sculptures
6 March 2020 Windswept tree near Clifden, Connemara My success with growing vegetables has been rather hit and miss over the years. Until last year I was always able to produce a good crop of potatoes and enough onions to last me for the year. My leeks have been less consistent and my Brussel sprouts…