Kelli's Northern Ireland Garden

Crocus n Bulb Update

2012-02-26T09:31:00.000-08:00

A flower bed full of crocus.
Where did all my yellow crocus go?

Bring on the bulbs...

Crocus and Snowdrops continue to flower...

Daffodils are just recently flowering...

Tulips are trying...

Along the driveway. These are in their 2nd year. They will continue to multiply each year. Maybe it's true about the birds eating yellow crocus?

This is where some of the bulbs started; when bought they were reduced to 25p (41 US cents) per pack. Great value!

The 2nd daffodil to flower so far.

Snowdrops (also pictured below left when in flower) have now finished.

Not all the snowdrops have finished - I will hate to see them go!

Tulips emerging and won't be long to flower. Some nibbles on the foliage.

Perennial Protruders

2012-02-23T01:01:00.001-08:00

Lupin in its 2nd year. Grown from seed.

Walking around the garden I've noticed perennials starting to come up. This is a nice sign that Spring is in the air.

Often when I grow perennials from seed I keep them in a pot for the first year so I can keep an eye on them and protect them from slugs and snails.

You'll see from the photos below I have a bit of garden work to do clearing leaves and debris. As soon as I'm over the cold I'll have to get out there and get some work done!

Delphinium in its 2nd year; grown from seed. It didn't flower last year but should flower this year, and for years to come. I'll be planting it in the ground about March.
Variety: Delphinium elatum Pacific hybrids

Geranium (the small pink coloured one) is showing growth. These plants divide easily to make more and they self seed as well.

Sedum Autumn Joy is just beginning to show new growth - the old stalks still in place.

Lupin grown from seed quite a few years ago.

Aquilegia Long Spurred Hybrids / Columbine - this will be its 2nd year flowering. Grown from seed.

Above and Below: Canterbury Bells, grown from seed last year and hopeful to flower this year. These are biennial and supposed to reach a height 90-120cm (36-48 inches). Will be planting these in the ground in March. First time trying these!

Veg Update (Kale,Broccoli, Rhubarb)

2012-02-19T13:42:00.000-08:00

Kale 'Nero di Toscana'

I'm relatively new to growing veg. This year I grew kale and broccoli for the first time. Growing veg I often find myself asking questions like:

"When is it ready to eat?" "When is it inedible?"
"Is that the way it should look?" etc.

A few more questions below...

Above: Is it normal for kale to have a long 'trunk' like this? Suppose I pick leaves from the bottom so naturally this shape results?
You might also spot my poor little leeks in this photo - quite small!

Kale starting to flower - does this mean it's no longer good for eating?

Above: Kale Curly Scarlet - plenty of this in the veg box.
I have to admit I'm not too keen on the texture when its cooked.
Under the kale, you might spot celeriac leaves (which I should have harvested ages ago).

Above: Broccoli forever flowering!
My first year growing broccoli. I harvested very little before it began flowering. I've left it to flower, which it has been doing for months! I have to admit - I do like the flowers!

Rhubarb is starting to emerge!

Blogger's Bloom Day (Snapdragon Snap Back)

2012-02-15T01:01:00.005-08:00

The first Daffodil flower!

It's Bloggers' Bloom Day - the 15th of every month. Spring is in the air and the bulbs are coming up full force.

Here's what's blooming this month (many of which were blooming last month)...

Poached Egg / Limnanthes keeps flowering, although it is really yearning for summer (when it has a prolific show of flowers).

Crocus coming up in between some Poached Egg foilage.

Purple crocus coming up amongst the leaves.

Muscari is still in flower. I noticed some bulbs flowering in December and have had staggered flowering through Feb (and possibly beyond).

Heather - above and below.

Christmas Cactus

Yes, this is Snapdragon. I did a double-take when I noticed this looked to be flowering. Most of the Snapdragon never died down over the Winter. Some of the plants seem to be starting to flower. I think this is strange.

Looking to flower? Antirrhinum (Snapdragon) 'Intermediate Mixed', (Half Hardy Annual), planted outside May/June 2011, left over Winter, and making a come back!

Snowdrops - a favourite this time of year!
Daffodil coming up around the snowdrops.

For more on blogger's bloom day check out http://www.maydreamsgardens.com/2012/02/garden-bloggers-bloom-day-february-2012.html

Going Organic

2012-02-11T01:01:00.000-08:00

Even though I aim to grow organically, I'm not sure I'd fully pass an organic test (I'll keep striving towards this!).

For example, I've never really thought about buying organic seed until more recently. This is something I aim to do in the future. I was at my local garden centre and noticed a large display of organic seeds - great to see! I'd also like to begin to use heritage seed.

I've also realised that some of the feed I've purchased in the past hasn't been organic. So, when I spotted some feed half price in the garden centre I decided I had to have it. I'm a big fan of organic chicken manure pellets too!

At Linda's 'Slow Growing in Scotland' I came across a link to Garden Organic; some good info on growing organically and on heritage seeds.

Final purchase.... when I spotted this... I was really excited. I believe it was Sue at 'Our Plot at Green Lane Allotments' that first mentioned to me about a gel that could be put around pots to keep slugs from climbing up them. I'll be trying this organic gel this year to keep slugs off some of my container veg. Fingers crossed it'll help curtail the slugs / snails.

What are your views on going organic??

Snowdrops on Show

2012-02-08T11:59:00.000-08:00

I've been taking lots of photos of snowdrops... and they all pretty much look the same.

Highly recommended for all gardens!

Snowdrops look great growing under trees and shrubs.

Daffodils are starting to come up and will flower as the snowdrops finish.

One of the jobs on my 'to do' list is to divide the snowdrops to spread them out a bit. From watching gardening programmes I believe the best time to divide is when they're in flower or before the foliage begins to die down.

Last year I moved some bulbs and planted them individually in this new area. In the background you can see the staggered individual plants (each a single bulb). Over time (over a few years) they will form clumps making a much bigger impact.
Gardening is great for those who are patient.

Snowdrops with a backdrop of Yellow Archangel / Dead Nettle weed.

Crocus and 1st Daffodil

2012-02-05T10:24:00.000-08:00

The crocus are popping up throughout the garden -ever forget where you plant your bulbs?!? It's a nice surprise this time of year!

The yellow crocus are very cheerful, even in the rain, which is what we've been getting today.

Over the years I've bought different crocus packs: "Crocus Botanical Mixed", "Crocus Large Flowering", and "Specie Crocus Mixed".

Crocus coming up through Poached Egg plants / Limnanthes.

Crocus growing along a grass bank. This variety has a sort of stripe. I can't really tell one crocus from another!

Stripey crocus close up with raindrops.

Purple crocus emerging.

The daffodils are coming up too. The above clump look to be well on; however...

As I was walking around the garden I spotted a lone daffodil almost in flower growing amongst a Vinca Minor Argenteo Varigatia.

This will likely be my 1st Daffodil to flower! Last year I spotted my first Daffodil in flower around 26-27 Feb. The post is located at: http://kelliboylesgarden.blogspot.com/2011/02/hail-stones-and-1st-daffodil-flower.html

Winter Grasses

2012-02-01T13:34:00.000-08:00

Grasses... are regularly used in gardening and landscaping programmes. I went through a grass phase and bought various plants... and stuck them randomly around the garden.
What are your views on grasses?

Two photos above: "Carex Oshimensis Evergold". Fully hardy. Height and spread 8 x 8 inches.

"Ophiopogon Planiscapus Nigrescens" or Black Mondo Grass. This plant provides good ground cover and forms thick roots under the ground that spread. Like many grasses, it can be difficult to remove. Fully hardy. Photo taken Oct 2010.

Black Mondo produces berries in Winter around December, and flowers in the Summer (photo below).

Years ago I bought Black Mondo at a garden fete for 50 pence (cira 75 cents) per small plant. They really multiply easily. A good tip if you like Black Mondo is to buy one plant (they cost about £8 in the garden centre) and then divide the one plant into 3 or 4 pieces to plant.

"Carex Buchananii" Leatherleaf Sedge - this plant reaches 2 feet high, is fully hardy and likes moist soil - great for Ireland!

Leatherleaf Sedge looks lovely covered in snow. Photo taken Nov 2010.

This one I'm not sure what its called. I like the way it always looks wind swept. I never cut my grasses but apparently most grasses like to be cut in Spring.

The cat enjoys the garden grasses.

Every Spring I do various 'tidy up' projects around the garden. Last Spring I tidied a section containing various grasses - photos above 'Before' and 'After'. I ended up throwing out alot of Black Mondo!

Do you think (legal) Grasses are valuable plants?

Bird Watch 2012 results

2012-01-29T12:37:00.000-08:00

I took part in the UK bird watch over the weekend. I spotted what I consider the 'regulars' (birds that eat peanuts on a daily basis). It was tough getting photos as the birds move very quickly.

I adore this little robin.

I think this is a Sparrow. My bird ID skills are pretty basic!

One of three Blue Tits that regularly visit the garden.

Sparrows. There's about 7 or 8 of them (at least).

So my official Bird Watch Count is: 1 robin, 3 blue tits and 7 sparrows.
The little robin reminds me of Carol Klein's gardening show on TV - how she would hand feed a little robin. I haven't mastered that; a bit difficult with two cats following me around the garden.

The USA backyard bird count (and there's a photo contest!) takes place 17-20 Feb 2012. Further detail at http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/

Corkscrew Hazel

2012-01-25T13:12:00.000-08:00

Many people seem quite fascinated by the Corksrew Hazel so I thought I'd hunt out some photos to give a better idea of what its like.

Variety: Corylus Avellana Contorta, also known as Harry Lauder's Walking Stick or Corkscrew Hazel.

Question: why do plants have so many names? And in many cases, why are the names so difficult to pronounce?

Its contorted stems stand out in Winter. A real show off over the Winter months.

By early December most of the leaves have turned brown and fallen off leaving a wonder 'corkscrew' structure over Winter. A few hanger-on leaves remain over Winter. Photo taken Feb 2011.

Yellow catkins hang down from the contorted stems, usually anytime from Feb to March, providing some additional interest. Photo taken Feb 2011.

The plant tag says it grows up to 200 cm or 7 feet high. However, articles on the internet say the plant can grow up to 20 feet. A bit worrisome for the location I have mine planted in! Photo taken Jan 2011.

This photo and the one above it were taken from the same angle but at different times of the year - with notably different colouring. Maybe one photo was taken on a 'wet' day and the other whilst 'dry'? Photo taken Nov 2011.

Photo taken Nov 2011.

I'm not a fan of the Corkscrew Hazel in the Summer, therefore I don't take many photos of it. I could only find this one photo. In Summer the leaves are crinkled in a way I don't find very attractive - maybe a plant for a modern or contemporary garden? Photo taken Sept 2011.

Would I recommend Corkscrew Hazel /Harry Lauder's walking stick?

Definitely not for a small garden but it's an interesting plant if you have lots of room and like something a bit quirky.

The Winter Garden

2012-01-22T11:19:00.000-08:00

There's a fair bit of interest in the Winter Garden this month...

The snowdrops are coming up, some just pushing through whilst others are at the flowering stage.

Above: A clump of crocus more advanced than other crocus bulbs, which are just pushing through.

A variegated holly brings colour to a border.

The Corylus Avellana Contorta, also known as Harry Lauder's Walking Stick or corkscrew hazel, brings interest in Winter. (I prefer it in Winter than in Summer.)

A variegated ivy flower head.

The red stemmed dogwood - one of my favourite Winter shrubs. (It's not very interesting in Summer but makes up for it in Winter!)

Kale Curly Scarlet looks lovely in the Winter sun.

More snowdrops amongst the trees. A Winter favourite!

I'm toying with the idea of changing my blog name to Northern Ireland Garden Diary, just in case you notice the name change at the top. Not sure why, but I fancy a change in 2012.

Rainy Day Comfort Food

2012-01-20T01:42:00.000-08:00

It's pouring rain today! For me, rainy days mean eating soups and stews, or sugary treats (or both). I have such a sweet tooth so I took Mark's suggestion (at Mark's Veg Plot) and tried out the recipe for pesto soda scones but I did the sweet version with raisins/mixed fruit and sugar. They turned out quite tasty.

The dough rolled out and ready, I dabbed on some butter, added some mixed dried fruit, and sprinkled with white and brown sugar before rolling up and cutting into a 'cinammon roll' type shape for baking.

Prior to baking, I realised I had forgotten the most important ingredient - cinnamon. So I had to sprinkle it on top before baking (oh well).

For the recipe and the savoury version, go to: http://marksvegplot.blogspot.com/2012/01/pesto-soda-scones.html

Blogger's Bloom Day Jan 2012

2012-01-15T01:01:00.000-08:00

It's Blogger's Bloom Day (15th of every month) so I was out in the cold garden (at least it wasn't raining) and here's what I saw...

Crocus are starting to come up. (I also saw that I need to spend a day or two tidying up leaves etc from the garden beds.)

Snowdrops are starting to show.

A few random Muscari are in flower.

Poached Egg Plant (Limnanthes Douglasii), a hardy annual, hasn't died down and is flowering.

Broccoli continues to flower - next year I might grow it solely for the flowers!

Above: a rather poor specimen of a flower - Vinca Minor Argenteo Varigatia. Perennial. The plant tag says its spread is "indefinite" - that's always a bit of a worry!

Azalea

Heather

The first double bloom on the Christmas cactus - growing in an unheated glass room. Above photo: two cuttings taken from a bigger plant. I had an established plant and this young plant indoors in a heated room for several years and neither would flower. Moved them to a colder spot - success!

My 2011 post on crocus and snowdrops is at http://kelliboylesgarden.blogspot.com/2011/02/crocus-and-snowdrops.html

For more on blogger's bloom day check out http://www.maydreamsgardens.com/2012/01/garden-bloggers-bloom-day-january-2012.html

Bird Watch 2012

2012-01-12T01:01:00.000-08:00

The RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) UK garden bird watch is coming up on 28 and 29 January. It's easy to take part and only takes an hour of your time. A bird ID sheet can be downloaded from their website.

I've a little robin that follows me around the garden when the cats aren't around.
If you wish to take part, the RSPB website is:
http://www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch/takepart.aspx

2011 Flower Overview

2012-01-08T01:01:00.000-08:00

In 2011, I had lots of flowering annuals and perennials in the garden. Pictured is my box of flower seeds and snapdragon seedlings grown back in April.

All the plants below have been grown from seed (apart from the rose). Lupin and delphiniums pictured grown from seed several years ago.

Here's an overview of the flowering year...

Best Colour - lupin.

Most Interesting Flower - Amaranthus.

Most Adored - rose.

Most Short Lived (flowering) - hollyhock.

Most Tangled - Sweetpea (I can never get it to grow neatly).

Most Unattended Yet Productive - Nicotiana. (No deadheading).

Best Bedding Plant - Snapdragon.

Most Liked (early flowering) - delphinium.

Most Potential - Silverdust / Cineraria. (I hope to use this silvery little plant much more next year).

Most Deadheaded & Longest Flowering Season - poppy. (All the poppies put on a great display of colour from early Spring to late Summer).

Most Useful - calendula (in 2012 I'll plant with veggies to deter pests).

Most Prolific Self Seeder - Poached Egg Plant.

Worse Pest Problem - Slugs.

If you want to have a nosey at the seeds I grew over the year, they are listed at http://kelliboylesgarden.blogspot.com/p/2011-grow-list.html

Overview of 2011 Veg Growing

2012-01-03T14:12:00.000-08:00

2011 was a good year in the garden and I really enjoyed growing edibles and trying some new veg I'd never grown before like celery, celeriac, kale, broccoli, cucumbers, and more. Here's a little summary of some of the ups and downs over the growing season (there was alot of learning this year!).

(All are grown from seed, except the apple tree :)).

Most Pinched - I pinched my pepper plants very early in their development and stunted their growth. Next year - no pinching!

Most TLC - the self fertilising apple tree gets green worms on it that eat the blooms in early Spring. I hand checked the plant regularly and was rewarded by a bumper crop (circa 14 apples - my all time record).

Least Harvested - I didn't manage many florets as my broccoli seemed to constantly be in flower!

Best Taste - After a bitter start (the first cucumber I tried was horrible) the plant produced a lovely sweet cucumber (the best I've ever eaten).

Most Surprising - that I managed to get a tiny harvest my first time growing cucumber.

Most Reliable - potatoes always seem to do well. This year the foliage were eaten by pests but I still managed to get potatoes.

Best Container Crop - the carrots were fab and so yummy. Next year I'm growing more!

Worse Crop - the courgettes started out great but almost all of them developed blossom rot.

Most Expensive Pest Control - slugs drowned happily in Guinness in June.

Most Useful Edibles - Celery (front) and two varieties of kale. 1st time I've grown these and very happy with the results.

Most Confusing - growing tomatoes for the first time proper (when to pinch, how much to feed, etc). It worked out in the end and I was happy with the small yield I managed to get throughout summer.

Most Rewarding - I was so proud to grow a turnip for the first time ever!

If you want to have a nosy at the seeds I used over the year, they are listed at http://kelliboylesgarden.blogspot.com/p/2011-grow-list.html

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-25T01:05:00.000-08:00

Perhaps your getting some Winter sunshine?!? If not and its cold, you might want to check out Bunny Jeans cute little parade of holiday pets:

http://bunnyjeansdecorandmore.blogspot.com/2011/12/come-join-christmas-pet-parade.html

Note: My little kitty has a BIG ATTITUDE - he's too 'mature' to wear a Christmas hat so I had to draw one onto the picture. Wouldn't he look cute if he did wear a festive little hat! :)

Happy Holidays!

First Day of Winter & Potatoes

2011-12-22T01:05:00.000-08:00

22nd December - the First Day of Winter. It always feels like Winter from November in Northern Ireland.

Photo taken Dec 2010.

I'm down to my last few Maris Peer potatoes which were dug up in Sept. My potato output was low this year. Might be enough to make Christmas day roasties but not enough for roasties and mash.

Potatoes are one of my favourite veg!

Will you be having roasted, mashed, baked or scalloped potatoes on Christmas day?

Blogger's Bloom Day

2011-12-15T01:01:00.000-08:00

It's the 15th of the month - Blogger's Bloom Day. And ten days to Christmas!

Left is one of my favourite plants this time of year - Poinsettia. I buy a poinsettia every Nov for the holidays.

Below is a snapshot of the last bit of colour in the garden...

A few roses are still in bloom. Let's just say they aren't looking their best (the plants look rather cold). Normally I would give the hybrid tea roses a rather hard cut in December, but I haven't bothered.

There are still some Malope blooms but the plants aren't looking too great. This is a hardy annual so surely it won't last much longer.

These primula look a bit battered.

The topiary azalea plant is in bloom. This was a gift a year or two ago from a friend.

The Irish heather is going strong!

Even some snapdragon are still flowering. These are hardy annuals so shouldn't last much longer.

Calendula Orange King, a hardy annual, struggling on, but almost finished.

Prolific flowering at the minute - Broccoli '(Autumn) 'Green Calabrese'.

My first year growing broccoli and I didn't manage to eat much broccoli as the plants always seem to want to flower. And they're still flowering!

Happy December

Bloggers' Bloom Day!

To see other gardens check out: http://www.maydreamsgardens.com/2011/12/garden-bloggers-bloom-day-december-2011.html

Early Muscari and Veg Soup

2011-12-11T08:12:00.000-08:00

I noticed a few Muscari bulbs blooming. They usually bloom in March/April so I was a bit surprised to see this.

Last week we had gale force wind up to 80 mile per hour in Northern Ireland. It's been quite cold too.

Today (in the rain) I gathered bits and pieces from the garden to make chunky veg soup. I put it all in a crock pot and let it simmer slowly until done.

Above Soup Ingredients:

kale (nero di toscana),
carrots (nante),
leek (musselburgh),
potatoes (maris peer),
2 parsnip,
salt, pepper, turmeric, 2 pints chicken stock.

Left: Carrots from the wheelbarrow are mostly used up now.

Frost covered kale (photo taken in November). Many of my friends have never eaten kale nor know what it looks like. Many healthy eating books recommend kale for its nutritional value. It's a great veg!

Happy Winter Gardening!

1st Snow

2011-12-05T01:17:00.000-08:00

Last night we had our first dusting of snow - as I was putting up Christmas decorations! So pretty. Bring on the hats, scarves, gloves and hot chocolate!

Left: picture of the flower border with snow.

Picture of flower border the day before snow.

The roses are still producing. The Malope Excelsior Mixed, (Hardy Annual) are still being productive (I need to deadhead!). They don't seem to be too bothered by the light frost we've had so far.

Happy December

in the Garden!

Veg Update (Celeriac, Parsnip, Carrot, Pak Choi, Cabbage, Leek)

2011-11-30T01:30:00.000-08:00

It's the last day of November and no hard frost yet. We had a hard frost last year around 20th Oct.

I've never grown much veg in the Winter but this year I have a few things still growing...

Celeriac update - I'm still waiting for them to get a decent size. Maybe I need to accept they're only going to be golf ball size. I've used a few celeriac leaves in stews.

Every week I pull carrots from the wheelbarrow.
Carrots (Nantes): seed planted in container (wheelbarrow) on 1st Aug.
Parsnip: seed planted container in May.

This pretty little plant is Pak Choi - planted on 1st Aug in the wheelbarrow with the carrots. I've never grown Pak Choi and not sure what to do with it, but I'm pleasantly surprised slugs haven't devoured it.

Cabbage (Golden Acre/Primo III) - this cabbage has been in the ground growing all Summer. I kind of forgot about it. The seed was started indoor in April and planted outside in June.

Wondering.... will it be bitter, or can I still eat it??

Leek (Musselburgh) - seed planted back in April indoor and transplanted outside in June. The leek are growing slooooww. I've only eaten one so far.

Happy Winter Gardening!

Container Carrots

2011-11-23T13:38:00.000-08:00

My container grown carrots are still doing well and haven't been damaged by the mild frosts. These are growing in an old wheelbarrow.

I'll have to double check the variety (as I forgot to check the label) but they are either James Scarlet or Early Nantes.

Recycled plastic bubble wrap goes over the plants at night to keep them cosy.

You may spot pak choi growing in the wheelbarrow as well. A growing experiment.

I'm delighted to be pulling up carrots in November!

A very Happy Thanksgiving week to

fellow American bloggers!

Have a lovely day!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-16T02:05:00.000-08:00

Botanic Gardens Autumn Flowers

2011-11-12T01:46:00.000-08:00

Belfast Botanic Gardens has a lovely Autumn flower display in their giant glass house. I thought I'd share some of the colourful snaps as our daylight in the UK continues to shorten over Winter. Flowers seem to include chrysanthemum / mums, cyclamen, and ornamental chilli pepper-type plants.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-09T01:01:00.000-08:00

1st Frost

2011-11-06T01:59:00.000-07:00

We had our 1st frost today, and since I was posting about sunflowers yesterday I decided to post a frosty edged sunflower (the frost is melting away now). Later today I will be salvaging veg for a big pot of soup.

'Giant Sunflower'

Goodbye Sunflower

2011-11-05T04:01:00.000-07:00

It's time to say farewell to the sunflowers.

Most of the Giant Sunflowers (pictured left / photo taken 1st Nov) are on their way out. So sad!

Photo Below: taken 1st Oct.

The Teddy Bear Sunflowers, although the shortest in height of any sunflowers I've seen, brought some colour to the borders. (Photo taken 1st Oct).

Pictured with Aster.

As of 1st Nov, the Teddy Bear Sunflowers are no more.
I'm not too fussed about growing Teddy Bear again. They were 'ok'.

Giant Sunflowers - photo taken 1st Oct. The Giants were damaged in our late Summer and Autumn gales. Maybe it wasn't the year of the sunflower?!?

Below: At 1st Nov, they're in need of removal. (I put the flower heads on the hedge etc for the birds).

Left: a few (very late) sunflowers - still to flower. They were damaged by pests in early summer (but kept growing)... wondering if they will bloom before the frost gets them.

Sunflowers at their best, Sept 2011.

The red 'Autumn Beauty' Sunflower seeds grew but never flowered - perhaps enjoyed by the slugs and snails!

Malope - an annual to try?

2011-11-02T12:46:00.000-07:00

Malope - what a name for a plant! As there's been no frost (yet), my annuals are still flowering and the Malope are going strong.

This is the first time I've grown Malope and it has its pros and cons...

CON - They seemed to start off growing slow compared to other annuals grown from seed.

PRO - They give good height, up to 36 inches.

PRO - They make nice bushy plants (once they get going) and look well mixed with roses and most other bedding plants.

PRO - They have lovely flowers, and many flowers.

CON - The flowers seem to droop - I want them to stand at attention!

CON / PRO - It was only in Sept that the plants seemed to be at their best, bushy and full of flowers. (Suppose the weather etc has a part to play).

I ended up with more pink than white flowers. The white are lovely too.

Variety: Malope Excelsior Mixed, Hardy Annual, Carters Tested Seeds, 200 seeds, 79p. Sown 8 May 2011 indoor (high germination). June/July planted outside.

Verdict - I'll grow again next year!

Halloween in the Garden

2011-10-30T13:33:00.000-07:00

It's Halloween weekend and a glorious sunny day today! Pictured are the lovely pumpkin earrings I won in a giveaway by Rainy Day Gardener (thank you!).

Below is an update on the garden front.

The sunflowers withstood our heavy October gales but are now looking like characters from a zombie film.

Some fab Autumn colour around the garden. And lots of leaves to rake!

I'm liking the coppery glow of the spent astilbe. I think these were pink in summer.

Ghostly little plant - I grew some Silverdust from seed and have really enjoyed the silver foliage. I plan on growing lots more next year.
Variety: Cineraria 'Maritima Silverdust', half hardy annual, Carters tested seeds.

Pulled up 2 celery stalks and carrots from the veg box at the weekend. The celeriac is still growing strong, but not big enough for my liking - I hope it can take frost!
Variety: Celery, Plant Hart's Seeds, Sown 3 April 2011 indoor, planted outside June.

A closer look at the celeriac. Mine will never match those grown at Mark's Veg Plot!
Variety: Celeriac 'Monarch', Mr Fothergill's seeds. Sown 3 April 2011 indoor. Planted outside in June.

The veg box has 2 types of kale, celery and celeriac. Slugs aren't too bad on these plants. I really like using kale in stews and casseroles.
Variety: Kale 'Nero di Toscana', and
Kale Curly Scarlet.

No frost yet! Can't believe it. Last year the first frost was on 20th Oct.

So the Calendula Orange King are still going strong.

Happy

Halloween

Weekend!

Veg Update (Carrot, Courgette, Cucumber, Tomato)

2011-10-18T01:01:00.000-07:00

I was harvesting carrots this week I'd sown back in May. I've sown two types of carrot this year and not completely sure what's what. They were grown in various containers like the one pictured.

Carrot Varieties:

Carrot 'James Scarlet Intermediate', Mr Fothergill's seeds,
Carrot 'Early Nantes 2' Thompson & Morgan seeds.

These must be Carrot 'James Scarlet Intermediate' if my tag is correct. Sown in May and only just harvested.

This one came out split - not sure if it has something to do with carrot fly or not? Wasn't sure if I should eat this one??

These carrots (Early Nantes 2) are young, sown in an old wheelbarrow.

It's quite cold at night this week so I've covered them with a plastic sheet. Hopefully I can get them harvested next weekend. I'd say they'll be finger size.

The courgettes have really suffered from blossom rot this year, however, I've managed to harvest quite a few.
Variety: Courgette (yellow zucchini) 'Soleil F1', Mr Fothergill's, 10 seeds, £2.39. Sown 3 April 2011 indoor (50% germination). Outside in pots from June.
I also grew Courgette (zucchini F1) - they didn't do great this year either.

Monday night (being very cold) I popped out into the garden and harvested a few baby courgette to put in a chicken-veg stew for dinner.

The yellow courgette have a nice cooking texture; they aren't quick to go mushy like most green courgettes I've experienced.

Looking out the window I saw a cucumber sitting on a bench - I'd forgotten to bring indoor. I had a 'bitter' experience with cucumber in early summer so I decided to try Ann's recipe (Welcome To the Garden Spot) and pickle it. As I was slicing & putting into vinegar I decided to take a bite. Wow, gorgeous! I stopped pickling and sliced it to eat!

Left: photo taken circa July. As of this week, the plant is gone. I put it outdoor in Sept and it only produced one last cucumber. Harvested about 3 in total. It produced lots of tiny cucumbers but they never matured.

Variety: Cucumber (bush variety), Plant Hart's Seeds, US$2.29. Sown 3 April 2011 indoor (good germination). Gown in small pot. Bitter tasting if picked early. Sweet if fully matured.

I almost pulled all the tomato plants out over the weekend but decided to let them go on for a bit longer. I want every last cherry tomato!

Variety: Tomato (Red Cherry), Mr Fothergill's, 50 seeds, £1.89. Sown 3 April 2011 indoor (75% germination). Grown in sun room throughout summer.

Blogger's Bloom Day

2011-10-15T01:01:00.000-07:00

It's Blogger's Bloom Day, the 15th of every month.

Here's a snapshot of what's in bloom.

Variety: Malope Excelsior Mixed.

Nicotiana 'evening fragrance' is still going strong. Sedum 'autumn joy' in the background.

Above: Sedum 'autumn joy'. Below: snapdragon bed with morning glory growing up the tri-pod - still going strong!

Snapdragon / antirrhinium.

Above: Calendula of some sort? Below Sunflower 'teddy bear' and aster.

Surprisingly, lupin 'russell mix' are still blooming. The late bloomers were grown from seed last year and I planted them into the ground quite late in the summer, thus their late blooms (only now). (I'm far from an expert). My established lupin plants bloomed much earlier (June). More information on plants I've grown from seed is on my Seed List page: http://kelliboylesgarden.blogspot.com/p/2011-grow-list.html

More on Blogger's Bloom day: http://www.maydreamsgardens.com/

Winter Damaged Cordyline Palm Update

2011-10-12T01:03:00.000-07:00

You may recall in April I posted about my winter damaged cordyline palm. These trees are very popular in the UK; with our harsh winter many were badly damaged. Here's an update on progress and plans.

Variety: Morning Glory 'Carnevale di Venezia', Half hardy annual. Thompson & Morgan Seeds. Sown in early May 2011 indoor (75% germination). Planted outside June 2011.

Over the Summer, I thought I would grow a climber up the trunk. At first I tried sweetpea (photo below) but had better success with Morning Glory.

Photo taken Oct 2011.

Back in May and before the Morning Glory, I transplanted a white Everlasting Sweetpea from another area of the garden to the base of the palm. The sweetpea didn't survive the move.

This is my attempt at cutting and removing the water saturated areas to try to resurrect it. On reflection, (1) I think I should have cut lower, and (2) I think I should have cut the trunk at a slant so water rolls off. By cutting it straight across water will go into the trunk and rot. As soon as it stops raining (when is it going to stop raining?), I'll be cutting.

The palm at the start of my cutting exercise. At first I thought putting pots on top of the trunk would prevent water from seeping down into the trunk but I soon discarded this idea.
Photo taken April 2011.

A message for Ann at Welcome to The Garden Spot. You can see my self fertilising apple tree in a pot behind the palm against the brick wall. (My record 14 apples this year.)

The Cordyline in its prime. Photo taken August 2010.

Amaranthus (Love-lies-bleeding)

2011-10-09T13:13:00.000-07:00

Lots of rain over the weekend, and there's talk of an early frost this year. First frost last year was on 20th October 2010. In between rain showers I've been trying to get photos of some of the annuals I grew from seed this year. I've really enjoyed the Amaranthus (pictured with Sedum Autumn Joy in the background).

Variety: Amaranthus 'Pony Tails'. Common name: Love-lies-bleeding. Half hardy annual.

Grown from Thompson & Morgan Seeds. Sown on 10 April 2011 indoor. Planted outside June/July 2011. Easy to grow.

Signs of Autumn with leaves turning yellow. I'll be sad when the first frost hits and the annuals will soon disappear.

Do you ever buy gardening magazines because of the free seeds that often come with them???

I do! I admit, I love getting a pack of free seeds. The Amaranthus came with an issue of Amateur Gardening.

Happy Autumn!

Nicotiana (Tobacco Plant) Flower

2011-10-04T01:05:00.000-07:00

The Tobacco Plant / Nicotiana grown from seed has done really well. Here's a snapshot of how they look in the borders.

Variety: Nicotiana 'Evening Fragance', Half Hardy Annual, Carters Tested Seeds, 79p (or 2 seed packs for £1). Sown 18 March 2011 indoor. Planted outside June. Good germination rate; quick growing; great height; good cottage style plant.

Left and Below: In a space of about 2x1 metres I planted about 10 plants.

I have no idea if they need deadheading. I find them difficult to try to deadhead. They've grown fairly quickly and germinated well from seed.

I've really enjoyed Nicotiana and would definitely grow again.

Lately I have noticed an increasing amount of greenfly on them (pictured).

On a rainy day I found a large slug eating the flowers (rather than the leaves). I've never seen a slug stretch so high! It was amazing watching his unusually big mouth open to take big bites (picture below).

I think slugs have eaten my sweet pea flowers this year but that's another story.

He really enjoyed his meal (but it was his last).

Apples & Rainy Day Veg Soup

2011-10-01T09:47:00.000-07:00

This year I had a bumper crop of 14 apples on my self fertilising apple tree! This is an all time record for me. My tree is in a large pot and has been in a pot for years.

I've no idea what kind of apples they are but they taste delicious - sweet but also tart. They're one of the best tasting things I've grown.

Every Spring the tree is infested with green caterpillars which seem to eat the buds so I've learned to keep a careful watch. This year it has paid off. Plus I've made an effort to feed the plant weekly and ensure the pot doesn't dry out.

Today I'm making vegetable soup. (So excited as first time ever growing many of these plants). Pictured: celery, carrots, parsnip, spring onion, courgette, kale, spinach. The type of seed & when I planted them can be viewed at: http://kelliboylesgarden.blogspot.com/p/2011-grow-list.html

I was going to put a few potatoes in my soup but I forgot. I've harvested (approx) 7 kg potatoes / 15 pounds.
Variety: Maris Peer

I'm surprised to even have potatoes this year. My plants were devoured by something (caterpillars and/or slugs?) very early on (pictured). I didn't have much hope for harvesting any potatoes this year. Left it really late but when I was digging I got a nice surprise - potatoes!

Veg Update (Broccoli, Carrot, Cabbage, Celery, etc)

2011-09-25T12:45:00.000-07:00

One carrot pulled (yes one) - for making soup and one parsnip (under size). Grown in a veg box, pictured below. I only wanted one of each but can't wait to harvest more. Variety: Carrot 'James Scarlet Intermediate', Mr Fothergill's seeds. Variety: Parsnip, Carters Tested Seeds.

An interesting looking broccoli - I forgot I'd sown this. Not sure when to harvest? It doesn't look too productive like the seed pack (pictured below). Also some pest damage.

Blackberries are starting to ripen on the thornless blackberry plant.

My prize cabbage; the others are being eaten by pests.Cabbage 'Golden Acre/Primo III', Mr Fothergill's seeds. Sown 3 April 2011 indoor. (Planted outside mid-June; netted).

Radish are always welcome! Variety: Radish 'Scarlet Globe', Mr Fothergill's seeds.

Some ingredients for cooking at the weekend:

Celery.
Kale Curly Scarlet.
Kale 'Nero di Toscana'.
Broccoli '(Autumn) 'Green Calabrese'.
Courgette (yellow zucchini) 'Soleil F1'.

Fab Flowers

2011-09-21T01:50:00.000-07:00

Summer flowers bring lovely colour throughout summer. I do love flowers - all year long!

Left: Watercolour painting called 'Hollyhock' by Egretta Wells.

Egretta, our fellow blogger and person who inspired me to start blogging, has just set up a new online gallery of her amazing floral paintings and fine art. Such beauties! If you'd like to have a look, her online gallery is located at:

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Artists/ewells-2206

Blogger's Bloom Day

2011-09-15T04:33:00.000-07:00

It's Bloggers' Bloom Day - 15th of the month. Here's what's on show...
Left: Nicotiana 'Evening Fragance', Carters Tested Seeds. Sown March 2011 indoor. Planted out June. (Quick growing).

L-R: Hollyhock grown from seed last year, flowering this year. I forgot I had sown hollyhock seed so this plant was a surprise.

Malope Excelsior Mixed, Hardy Annual, Carters Tested Seeds. Sown 8 May indoor. Planted out June 2011. (Slowish growing but beautiful flowers)

Tall Phlox and rose.

Morning Glory 'Carnevale di Venezia', Thompson & Morgan seeds. Sown May 2011 indoor. Planted out June 2011.
Below: Sedum Autumn Joy.

Above: Verbena, grown from seed.

Antirrhinum (Snapdragon) 'Royal Bride' and 'Intermediate Mixed', Thompson & Morgan Seeds. Sown March 2011. Planted outside May/June 2011.

With Morning Glory growing up the centre tri-pod.

Left and Below:
Amaranthus 'Pony Tails', Thompson & Morgan Seeds. Sown 10 April indoor. Planted outside June/July. (Easy to grow).

Arthur Bell Rose.

Crocosmia - an all time easy & effective plant. Bulbs can be easily divided to make more.

Calendula 'Orange King', Carters Tested Seeds, Sown 18 March 2011 indoor. Planted outside 1st June. (Very easy to grow; edible flowers).

Variety: Sunflower 'Teddy Bear' Suttons seeds. Sown April indoor, planted outside in June in pot.

Sunflower - always a ray of sunshine!

Variety: Sunflower 'Giant Single', Mr Fothergill's seeds, £1.25. Sown 3 April 2011 indoor. Planted outside 1st June 2011.

Happy Blogger's Bloom Day!

More on Bloom Day: http://www.maydreamsgardens.com/

Veg past and present (leek, cabbage, squash)

2011-09-10T01:01:00.000-07:00

Last year I grew leeks in pots (pictured) and I was already eating them by now. This year I put the leeks into the ground and they are about pencil thin so will be awhile before I'm eating leeks. I like to use leeks in casseroles and stews.

Last year I grew a cabbage in a pot (pictured). The pot was only about 8 or 10 inches across. It grew really well and by mid Sept I was eating it.

This year I netted my cabbages. They seem to be growing slow and are being enjoyed by slugs. How do the organic farmers do it?!?!
I wonder, is it possible my net has let some white butterfly through.

Was watching Gardner's World and Monty showed a squash that looks like my unknown plant growing from home made compost. I think frost may get to the plant before any fruit ripens.

I really don't like spiders and I don't like looking at this photo. However, this little guy set up home from a potted delphinium to my potted self fertilizing apple tree. Is he poisonous? Looks deadly to me!

Rose petals can be used to flavour tea or look pretty frozen in ice cubes. They're nice to decorate dessert plates as well. Would be good on a plate with chocolate brownie!

Happy Gardening!

Sunflowers (Giant, Teddy Bear)

2011-09-06T01:01:00.000-07:00

Sunflowers are one of my favourite flowers - they're so cheerful. I grew a new variety this year called Teddy Bear - they're so fluffy and cute.
Variety: Sunflower 'Teddy Bear', Suttons seeds. Sown April indoor, planted outside in June in pot.

The seed pack says 'Teddy Bear' grows 16-24 inches, however, I think mine are a bit stunted as perhaps I put too many in the pot.

On a much taller note - the Giant Sunflowers are growing and growing.

Variety: Sunflower 'Giant Single', Mr Fothergill's seeds. Sown 3 April 2011 indoor. Planted outside 1st June 2011.

Giant sunflowers - I haven't measured the tallest but it looks to be about 12 feet tall.

Giant sunflower before flowering.

Veg Update (Peppers, Broccoli, Cabbage, Courgette, Celery, Celeriac)

2011-09-01T01:01:00.000-07:00

In the veg garden...

Peppers are being harvested - quite small (approx size of tennis ball). Next year I mustn't pinch the growing tip and plan to use bigger pots.

Variety: Pepper 'California Wonder' Thompson & Morgans seeds, £1.50. Sown 20 Feb 2011 indoor.

First time growing broccoli - some of it flowered before I could eat it. Pictured left - three stages of growth.

Variety: I think this is Broccoli Romanesco, Thompson & Morgan seeds. Sown 3 April 2011 indoor. Planted outside June (netted).

Cabbages have been under nets. Some of them have slug damage. This one isn't too bad.

Variety: Cabbage 'Golden Acre/Primo III', Mr Fothergill's seeds. Sown 3 April 2011 indoor. Planted outside in June.

The zucchini / courgette has had alot of blossom rot (pictured with dark end - looks like dead leaf / dying flower) - what a shame. Loads of bees and insects in the garden too.

Variety: Courgette (yellow zucchini) 'Soleil F1', Mr Fothergill's seeds, Sown 3 April 2011 indoor. Planted outside in June.

First time growing celery and decided to harvest a few - not as big as you see in shops but just as tasty. Happy to discover slugs don't seem to like celery - good news!

Variety: Celery, Plant Hart's Seeds. Sown 3 April 2011 indoor. Planted outside in June.

The celeriac are looking strong and healthy. I've never grown before so not sure when they are ready. Slugs don't seem to eat celeriac leaves but have tasted the bulbs.

Variety: Celeriac 'Monarch', Mr Fothergill's seeds. Sown 3 April 2011 indoor. Planted outside in June.

Decided to pull one out of the ground -it's the size of a golf ball. I ate the bulb/root bit any way in stew. Apparently celeriac leaves are edible. So many veggies I'm not sure how to eat or cook!

This looks like a slug nibble in one side of the celeriac. My war on slugs... its a tough fight this year.

Hope your veg is tasty & pest free!

August in flower - garden tour

2011-08-27T10:37:00.000-07:00

Many of the plants grown from seed are now in full flower and hopefully will continue through the end of Sept (maybe even Oct). Here's a little tour...

Variety: Antirrhinum (Snapdragon) 'Intermediate Mixed', Carters Tested Seeds.Sown 18 March 2011 indoor. Planted outside May/June 2011.
Growing up the wigwam: Morning Glory 'Carnevale di Venezia', Thompson & Morgan seeds. Sown 7 May 2011 indoor. Planted outside June 2011.

Above and left: A new hardy annual I decided to grow this year - the flowers are really impressive. I just hope the plants bring lots more flowers before the end of summer!

Variety: Malope Excelsior Mixed, Hardy Annual, Caters Tested Seeds Sown 8 May 2011 indoor. Planted outside June/July 2011.

The rose border. Yellow rose is 'Arthur Bell'.

The Morning Glory has been growing slowly up the winter damaged coryline palm. Not much of a flower display as of yet.

Close up below.

The 'pony tails' on the Amaranthus get longer and longer.

Variety: Amaranthus 'Pony Tails', Thompson & Morgan Seeds, Sown 10 April 2011 indoor. Planted outside June/July 2011.

The California poppy have been blooming for months - great for the flower border!

Wordless Wed...

2011-08-24T01:01:00.000-07:00

Veg Update (Hot Pepper, Apple, Tomato, Broccoli, etc )

2011-08-18T01:01:00.000-07:00

Very happy with my hot chili peppers and will do a few things different next year (bigger pots)! Have had several good pickings similar to photo shown. I've frozen a good lot of them to use in coming months.

Variety: Chillis (hot) - Pepper (Hot) Cayenne, Mr Fothergill's, 60 seeds, £1.89. Sown 20 Feb 2011 indoor. Grown in 3 to 4 inch pots. Kept inside and grown on windowsill.

Self fertilising apple tree. About 11 apples this year - a lifetime record for me! I'm noticing some damage to the skin (pictured) - not sure what this is.

My first time growing tomatoes - has gone well after initial confusion about pinching out shoots. I'll definitely grow again next year. The tomatoes are 'bite size' - suppose that's why they're called 'red cherry'.

Variety: Tomato (Red Cherry), Mr Fothergill's, 50 seeds, £1.89. Sown 3 April 2011 indoor. Kept in sun room/glass house throughout.

My broccoli has started to flower - I think that's bad. First time growing broccoli, thought it was doing well. Saw a small broccoli head forming in the middle of the plant but I didn't pick it as thought it should grow bigger; however, a few days later it began flowering.

Variety: Broccoli '(Autumn) 'Green Calabrese', Mr Fothergill's, 250 seeds, £1.49 Sown 8 April 2011 indoor. (Planted outside mid-June; netted).

I've had alot of blossom rot this year - on green and yellow courgette / zucchini. Never experience this before. Getting more growing healthy now - better late than never!

Variety (pictured): Courgette (yellow zucchini) 'Soleil F1', Mr Fothergill's, 10 seeds, £2.39. Sown 3 April 2011 indoor. Planted outside in pots in June 2011.

Photo of veg bed showing celeriac, two types of kale, cabbage.

Harvest - doesn't look like much - I seem to forget to take photos of what I take in from the garden. The supervisor inspects my goods.

Spring onions are growing great!

Hope your veg is growing strong (and not bolting)!

Blogger's Bloom Day

2011-08-14T13:45:00.000-07:00

The 15th of every month is Blogger's Bloom Day... here's a snapshot of the colour around the garden.

Left and below: Amaranthus 'Pony Tails', Thompson & Morgan Seeds, 1000 seeds. Sowed 10 April 2011 indoor. Planted outside June 2011.

Above L-R: Pink phlox, Nicotiana (white plants) grown from seed, Crocosmia (orange), Linaria (pink) grown from seed.

Above: Phlox and Crocosmia. Below: phlox (one of my favourite plants).

Above: Shrub rose.

Above: Lupin 'Russell Mix' grown from seed last year - 1st year flowering.

Above: Day lily after a rain shower.

Sunflower called 'Teddy Bear' - almost in flower.

Happy Blogger's Bloom Day!

More on Bloom Day: http://www.maydreamsgardens.com/

Name that plant...

2011-08-06T14:18:00.000-07:00

Anyone remember the American TV show, "Name That Tune" where they played maybe 5 notes of a song on a piano, and a contestant tried to guess the song?

I often feel like I'm playing, 'name that plant' as I search on the internet to try to identify plants in the garden.

The first three photos are of a herbaceous perennial that flowers throughout summer. I cut it back about this time of year to get a second flush of flowers. I have no idea what this plant is.

Any ideas what it might be called?

Suggestions gladly appreciated!

The next unknown plant is a shrub I call the 'bubble gum' shrub as it smells very sweet like bubble gum when it blooms during July.

The 'bubble gum' shrub?

It needs a good trim!

The next three photos are an unknown succulent type plant - maybe an alpine as it grows well in a very small crack in between metal slabs.

It grows happily from a 1/2 inch crack. And the cold winter didn't bother it.

It's flowering at the moment.

Any guesses what this might be called?

Left: The last unknown plant gets white flowers from early summer. It self seeds around the garden. I'm not sure if it's an annual or a perennial. It probably likes poor soil conditions as it doesn't seem too fussy where it grows.

Any suggestions?

Another photo of same plant below.

How does your Cucumber taste?

2011-08-03T01:00:00.000-07:00

The pot / patio grown cucumber are really starting to grow now and the plant is just covered in blooms. I've never grown cucumbers before so wondering a few things....

When does one harvest?

and

Should I be removing some of the flowers / tiny cucumbers so the others will mature?

This is a really silly question, the seed pack says the plant matures in 55 days - 55 days from what? From when a tiny flower forms? (Novice gardeners heay!)

I was so excited to see the growth in my cucumbers that I reached for the seed pack and it said, "Pick fruit often and for best flavor do not permit them to grow too large." So I thought I'd eat one. It's smaller than a side plate (pictured) - so maybe 3.5 inches long.

Sliced a piece off and stuck it in my mouth - yuck! Tasted like bitter cabbage. Maybe they need to be bigger before harvesting? Or maybe I need to grate it into a big bowl of sour cream and eat as dip?

This is a photo of the plant 8 days prior to photos above. The growth in 8 days is substantial!

Seeds sown on 3 April 2011. This photo was taken 2 May 2011.

Two of the plants didn't survive gales in early June and I decided to grow the surviving plant in the sun room.

Variety: Cucumber Bush Pickle 'Concombre Pepino Cetriolo', Plant Hart's Seeds, US$2.29.

Rose Week 2 of 2

2011-07-31T01:01:00.000-07:00

Part 2 of Lady Dixon Park Rose Week - photos of some of the beautiful roses, including two 'royal' roses and Ireland's own 'Wild Rover'. (The only one I have in my garden is Arthur Bell.)

Rose Week 1 of 2

2011-07-30T01:01:00.000-07:00

Aren't roses gorgeous!!

Every July Lady Dixon Park, Belfast celebrates Rose Week with a week of free entertainment and activities.

Here are some of the photos I took.

The park contains over 45,000 blooms (who counts!?!), roses from around the world, and trial / display beds throughout. There's even a Princess Diana memorial garden.

Can you manage deadheading all these plants!?!

Tomorrow's post will show some varieties of the eye catching roses (up close) originating from Northern Ireland, England and USA.

Is cheap cheerful? (Echinacea, Red Hot Poker, Iris)

2011-07-27T12:10:00.000-07:00

Back in March I bought a few cheapy plant packs for 99p in a pound shop (like the American dollar stores). They're simply root pieces that get planted up (seems easy enough).

Above: the pack and pieces of two root balls, one with sprouts starting. I planted this into a good size pot and labelled it. Always wanted an Echinacea Purpurea!

Left: the resulting plant (the orange one). I definitely see that it isn't Echinacea Purpurea, which I thought I'd purchased. I'm not even sure it's any type of Echinacea? Can you imagine trying to take this back to a dollar/pound shop and asking for 99p back?
The white flowers are Gypsophila Elegans (Covent Garden White) an annual I grew from seed.

Below: Close up of flower that was supposed to be Echinacea Purpurea

Left: Another root plant bought and potted up in March was Red Hot Poker. I've always admired this plant ...
and here's the result...

No Red Hot Poker flower so far. All three root pieces are growing but no sign of flowering. The Red Hot Poker are the spiky looking foliage (I've planted an annual in the pot as well).

Maybe Red Hot Poker doesn't flower in their first year? Or maybe it will be late this year?

I also bought a pack of Dutch Iris bulbs and planted them in pots back in March. They've probably been the most successful of the 'cheapy' plant selection.

The irises are finished now but gave several weeks of fab colour this month.

Veg Update (Broccoli, Cabbage, Cucumber, Hot Pepper, Tomato, Turnip)

2011-07-23T15:05:00.000-07:00

This is the first year I've grown broccoli and I spotted a spear forming this week!
Variety: Broccoli '(Autumn) 'Green Calabrese'. Sown indoor 8 April 2011. Planted outside mid-June; netted.

Slug control - above the cabbage is a glass of milk sunk into the ground - an attempt to catch/drown slugs.
Variety: Cabbage 'Golden Acre/Primo III'. Sown 3 April 2011 indoor. Planted outside mid-June; netted.

The bush cucumber plant is producing lots of flowers and tiny cucumbers are forming - will I ever get cucumbers large enough to eat?!?

Variety: Cucumber 'Bush Pickle'. Sown 3 April 2011 indoor

The veg box is stuffed with... kale (2 types), 1 x cabbage, 1 x broccoli, celery, celeriac, radish, carrot, turnip and perpetual spinach. The perpetual spinach has bolted. It was sown on 21 April; not sure why it bolted so quickly?

Variety: Turnip 'Purple Top Milan'

I love turnip! It grows quickly, looks good and both leaves and turnip are edible. I use them in casseroles, stews and stir fries.

The tomatoes are doing well in the sun room. One of the plants has reached the ceiling. This is my first time growing tomatoes and so far so good.

Variety: Tomato (Red Cherry), Sown 3 April 2011 indoor.

This week I'm getting hot peppers turning red - yeah! They range in size from less than an inch (tiny) to about 3 inches.
Variety: Pepper (Hot) Cayenne, Sown 20 Feb 2011 indoor.

One of my salad containers. I thought it was a good idea at the time to put a nasturtium in the pot but on reflection nasturtiums flower best in poor soil so better to plant them elsewhere.

This plant grew from my compost... it looks like a courgette or maybe a melon of some sort - time will tell.

Hope your veg is pest free & productive!

Slug Wars

2011-07-18T13:40:00.000-07:00

This post contains photos that may be disturbing.

Left: Snail munching through young delphiniums.

I've pointed out the evidence of slug(s) amongst my courgette /zucchini - trails of slime and nibbles out of the plant. Probably a smallish slug or it would have eaten more.

This slug lives in my compost bin so I leave him alone. I just hope he doesn't visit my cabbage at midnight! (I'm assuming slugs are good for composting; never really thought about it until now.)

Left: This little fellow climbed up a delphinium plant and was hanging on a small branch he seemed to be munching.

Slug Facts*...

The average UK garden has a population of over 20,000 slugs and snails.
Only 5% of the slug population is above ground. 95% is underground digesting seedlings, laying eggs, and feeding on roots and seed sprouts.
A cubic metre of garden will on average contain up to 200 slugs.

*Source: http://www.slugoff.co.uk/slug-facts/facts

The underneath of the above slug. Can't believe he has balanced on this tiny branch whilst having his dinner.

(He's kinda cute.)

Party days started in June for the slugs when I served up Guinness!

Left: The outcome of the beer traps - lots of drowned slugs. They love Guinness and Coors Light - but beer is just too expensive at circa £1.30 per can!

Cheaper idea - I decided to mix dried yeast packs (only cost 79pence per box) with water and pour into the 'beer traps'. This DOES NOT attract slugs!

Next I'll be trying milk.

My war against slugs continues!

For a long list of slug control measures have a look at - http://www.slugoff.co.uk/information/list

Bloggers Bloom Day

2011-07-15T01:00:00.000-07:00

Top two photos - Papaver 'Picotee Mixed' poppy grown from seed.
Above (bottom): Amaranthus 'Pony Tails' grown from seed.

Above L-R: Astilbe, Aquilegia from seed, Astilbe, Rose.

L-R: Gypsophila Elegans (Convent Garden White) from seed, Wild Foxglove, Geranium, Hosta.

Above: Iris, California Poppy Special Mixed from seed. Bottom photo: Climbing Hydrangea flowers.

Above: L-R Shrub (name unknown), Astilbe, Nicotiana from seed. Bottom Right: Lady's Mantle flowers.

Above: Aquilegia from seed, Sheep's ear.

Delphinium from seed, Iris.

Above: L-R: Antirrhinum (Snapdragon) 'Intermediate Mixed' from seed, Papaver 'Picotee Mixed' poppy.
Bottom Left: unknown. Rose (think it's Arthur Bell).

L-R: Courgette (yellow zucchini) 'Soleil F1, Cucumber bush plant.
Bottom: Echinacea with white Gypsophila Elegans (Convent Garden White), Echinacea close up.

L-R: Calendula from seed. Nasturtium from seed. Hypericum St Johns Wort. California Poppy Special Mixed.

More on Bloom Day: http://www.maydreamsgardens.com/

Wordless Wed...

2011-07-13T01:01:00.000-07:00

Tomato (Red Cherry) Progress

2011-07-10T06:49:00.000-07:00

The tomatoes are growing and growing...

Variety: Tomato (Red Cherry), Mr Fothergill's, 50 seeds, £1.89. Sown 3 April 2011 indoor. Plan to keep them indoor throughout summer.

This is my attempt at providing a support for the plants. It's a few bamboo canes tied together. I finally got the hang of pinching out side shoots (I think). It's still a bit confusing but now that I see flowers and some tomatoes forming I'm fairly content.

I've never really grown tomatoes. (Years ago I was given a plant.... but I had no idea what to do with it; it soon wilted, died and of course produced no tomatoes). This year I thought I'd give it a go.

I was asked whether I self pollinate? Well, I read up on this... found an article that said to use an electric razor as the vibration is like a bee and the plant will drop pollen. I tried this... 'shaving the flowers' (embarrassingly) and saw no pollen whatsoever. So I tried Plan B - use a Q-tip but saw no pollen whatsoever. Long story short (yes tried other methods), flowers and then little tomatoes are appearing so I have no idea if the plants are self pollinating or if my fiddling with them has worked?

Above and left: These two plants are from the same seed. One on left has lush leaves and I've been pinching and letting it grow straight up. One on right I've let grow into a bush shape and its leaves look small and pointy. Moral of story - tomatoes are fussy - indeterminate types not good grown as bush :)

Fingers crossed I get ripe, healthy tomatoes for first time ever!

Have a wonderful gardening week!

Poppy Show

2011-07-04T12:25:00.000-07:00

Poppies are in flower...
they've mostly self seeded and bring a splash of colour to many areas.

Variety: Californian Poppy 'Special Mixed', Carters Tested Seeds, 500 seeds, 90 pence.

These poppy are described on the seed pack as "poppy-like flowers with silky petals" and that's exactly what they're like.

Poppies add colour to the flower bed - the white poppies are quite nice. These are approx 10-12 inches (25 cm) high.

This is the first year I'm actively deadheading poppies and it makes a big difference. They flower much longer when deadheaded.

At first I found it difficult to see what was a spent flower. The little bud at the front with the 'pink collar' is the one that's finished. (I'm the sort of person who would make the mistake of deadheading the buds still to open :) )

Wild foxglove in the background. Roses mixed in. Californian poppy in the middle. I forget what the orange-yellow flowers are at the front but I really like them (a perennial that comes up every year).

Left: I think these are 'Field Poppy'. They grow taller, 35-40 cm (16 inches). Its hard to believe they've grown so well from a tiny crack in the paving!

I like the way you can see the seed pod developing in the centre of the flowers. Next year I imagine I'll have three times the number of poppies as they self seed.

Left: Photo taken at Belfast Botanic Gardens - poppies are so cheerful!

Left: Seed packs. The Papaver 'Picotee Mixed' were sowed this year in seed trays and planted outside in May. They don't like to be transplanted so not sure they will survive.

Veg Update (Courgette, Cucumber, Peppers, Radish, Turnip)

2011-06-29T01:01:00.000-07:00

The first few courgette / zucchini have been eaten by slugs. I've put most of my plants in pots so I can hopefully keep a better eye on them - before the slugs munch. I must have hundreds if not thousands of slugs and snails in the garden!

Left: Courgette (yellow zucchini) 'Soleil F1', Mr Fothergill's, 10 seeds, £2.39. Sown indoor 3 April 2011.

Courgette (zucchini F1), Carters Tested Seeds, 20 seeds, 79p. Sown indoor 3 April 2011. Planted out early June.

Left: Cucumber, Plant Hart's Seeds, US$2.29. Sown indoor 3 April 2011.

I'm down to one cucumber plant. The others were damaged in our Spring gales and didn't survive. I brought this one back indoor to grow in the glass house. It's just starting to get tiny cucumbers on it - fingers crossed!

Left: Bean 'Dwarf Purple Queen', Mr Fothergills, 100 seeds, £2.35. Sown indoor 3 April 2011. Planted out early June.

Ever grow a veg and think... when is it ready?!?! (I'm eating them, ready or not.)

My poor chili pepper plant - its leaves are turning yellow like they will all fall off. Hope the hot peppers keep growing.

Left: Chillis (hot) - Pepper (Hot) Cayenne, Mr Fothergill's, 60 seeds, £1.89. Sown indoor 20 Feb 2011.

Left: Pepper 'California Wonder', Thompson & Morgans Seeds, £1.50. Sown indoor 20 Feb 2011.

I pinched the growing tip of my peppers in Spring (based on an article I read ) and it kind of dwarfed my plants. Oh well, next year, I won't pinch the peppers.

Veg box with perpetual spinach, carrots and radish.

Spotted a little leaf in the veg box; lifted it to find a slug underneath - surprise!

Above: My first turnip (yeah)! A slug got the first tiny nibble (pictured above left). Turnips in the grocery store a quite large; this one is about the size of a tennis ball. I couldn't resist pulling one out to have a look! The seed pack says they're quick to mature and best eaten small and young. Variety: Turnip 'Purple Top Milan', Mr Fothergill's, 1,750 seeds, £1.49. Sown outdoor 21 April 2011.

Left: Radish 'Candela di fuoco'.

Don't think the radish are quite big enough - thought I'd pull one to check.

Happy gardening - hope your veg is pest free and tasty!

Delphinium

2011-06-26T13:12:00.000-07:00

My all time favourite cottage garden flower - Delphinium. They're tall, attractive and need little care (apart from staking).
Variety: Delphinium Pacific Hybrids. Grown from seed several years ago. Flowers June.

Flower buds before they open.

These plants seem to like where they're planted, reaching almost 6 feet. They get bigger and better every year! My attempt at staking them with sticks and canes above. Photo taken 18 June.

A little bit of wind damage above - my staking didn't quite do the job! Photo taken 25 June.

The same delphinium in fuller flower. Pictured are only two plants.

Another group of delphinium in a different area of the garden, only about 2-3 feet tall. Same type of seed as the plants above, however, this year one of the plants changed to a 'mini' (pictured) - maybe lacking nutrients or on its way out. I've read articles that say delphinium need replaced after a few years. (Not sure if true).

Same flowers, just different angle...

Foxgloves (Wild)

2011-06-21T14:02:00.000-07:00

Wild Foxglove have self seeded throughout the garden. Each year there seem to be more and more of them. They go nicely with my other cottage garden style plants (delphinium, lupin, aquilegia) although sometimes they look a bit messy scattered about. I like the spots inside the flowers - maybe the best part!

Left: Foxglove mixed in with lupin.

They provide lots of 'free' flowers, and easy to pull out if they come up somewhere you don't want them.

Last year I had white foxglove but this year they all seem to be shades of pink.

Slugs love Irish Guinness

2011-06-17T15:03:00.000-07:00

I'm not too sure Guinness beer would be too happy... however I poured the dark stuff and served it to my garden slugs. And they loved it!
Serving Guinness to slugs is a one time occurrence - next time it'll be cheap beer!

Bottom Left: Some slug damage appearing on plants in the veg box.

Guinness poured... looks like a pint glass but its a shallow plastic container set down into the soil. It began to rain after I put these in and I was worried if it would work. Then it rained the next two days.

When I went out a few days later I found quite a few slugs drowned in both beer containers. I was surprised how many slugs came from that little veg box.

Beer trap at bottom left of photo.

Sticks /bamboo canes are for cat proofing purposes.

Managed to get my cabbage and broccoli planted and hopefully no little white butterflies will get to them. I hope my little cage withstands the weather!

A store bought onion was sprouting in the fridge so I stuck it in a pot to see what would happen. Its growing. I wonder if it will be ok to eat? Hmm.

Coriander grown from seed. I was using it rightly, in spaghetti, chili, sauces etc. The young leaves really added superb flavour. Coriander is said to be good for stomach complaints and colds.

I assume once coriander is flowering there's no more harvesting? (I have so much to learn)

Since hardening off (getting them used to being outside and bringing them in at night for a week) and planting my courgettes, cucumber and beans outside, they've gone into a huff. They are not happy with the wind and rain we have been getting. This courgette plant was damaged at the base by gales so I have staked it to keep it from getting battered.

One of the cucumbers I've moved back indoors and it's perking up. When will summer arrive (and stay)?

Blogger's Bloom Day

2011-06-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

It's Garden Blogger's Bloom Day - the 15th of every month.

Here's what's blooming...

L to R: Aquilegia still going strong: Poached Egg Plant (Limnanthes Douglassii); Coriander in flower, Rose (I think this is Arthur Bell).

L to R: Wild Foxglove first two photos; Geranium; Lupin.

L to R: Geranium pink and purple; Aquilegia top R and bottom L; Rhododendron (I think).

At front Delphinium - in years past the flowers were more striking (taller and bigger flowers) - suppose it's true that delphinium need replaced after several years. In the background, the lupins are still flowering but will soon be finished.

Grown from seed: Aquilegia, Poached Egg Plant (Limnanthes Douglassii), Coriander , Lupin, Delphinium.
Self seeded: Wild foxglove.

More on Bloom Day: http://www.maydreamsgardens.com/

Pinched Peppers and Tomato (Red Cherry)

2011-06-11T14:06:00.000-07:00

The peppers and chilies seem to be doing well and are flowering. I counted 25 flowers on one of the plants. My pepper growing (so far) has improved from last year.... when I harvested maybe 2 or 3 peppers per plant!

Variety: Pepper California Wonder, Thompson & Morgan Seeds, £1.50. Sown 20 Feb 2011.

Variety: Pepper Hot Cayenne, Mr Forthergill's Seeds, £1.89. Sown 20 Feb 2011.

I read an article that said to 'pinch' your peppers. I wasn't really sure what I was doing but I went pinching back in April. Some of the plants seem happy enough from their grow tip 'pinch' and have branched, whereas two of the plants dwarfed - as per small plant in photo.

The plant (far left) is Pepper Hot Cayenne.

Mostly flowers at this stage on the pepper plants but a few little peppers can be seen forming.

My 'indeterminate' tomato plants are growing and one or two tiny clusters of flowers. I have 5 plants and I often look at them and wonder what to do with them. I've never really grown tomatoes before. I want to pinch off leaves so occasionally I do (a bit randomly)... not sure why I can't get the concept of tomato growing.

Variety: Tomato (Red Cherry), Mr Fothergill's, 50 seeds, £1.89. Sown 3 April 2011.

Left: Tomato flowers forming.

Winter Damaged Cordyline - care

2011-06-07T14:12:00.000-07:00

The winter damaged Cordyline Palm has been cut and will hopefully rejuvenate itself. I took off the damp sections of the tree and left the dry stalks to recover. I heard a radio show that said recovery could take two years. In the meantime, I'll grow climbers up the trunks for some summer interest and colour.

Left: An everlasting sweetpea has been planted at the base of the palm... if it survives me moving it. I'll also be planting morning glory soon.

(The cat is once again supervising my efforts.)

Left: The Cordyline after Winter damage. Photo taken Feb 2011.

Winter this year was one of our worse on record and thousands of people in the UK and Ireland ended up with burst pipes and dying Cordyline Palms.

Right: I took direction from Belfast Botanic Gardens who cut their damaged palm in April 2011.

Cabbage Challenge

2011-06-03T01:35:00.000-07:00

Last year I grew a cabbage in a small pot and was quite proud of it as this was my first cabbage growing experience. (The plants I put directly in the ground were ravished by slugs and caterpillers.)

This year.... I've grown cabbage and broccoli from seed in my conservatory / sun room. They're gettting quite big in their little pots and need to go outside.

My challenge or dilemna for the week is ..... 'how do I get my plants hardened off outside without white butterflies laying their eggs on them?' I see lots of white butterfliies in the garden. I haven't got my brassica cage made yet, so plans for the weekend - make brassica cage with netting, harden off plants and plant out.

Last year's pot grown veg can be viewed at http://kelliboylesgarden.blogspot.com/2010/08/salad-container-gardening-cabbage-salad.html

Photo taken Sept 2010.
Variety: Cabbage Golden Acre, Homebase Seeds, 175 seeds, 39 pence per pack.

Veg Villains (courgette, bean, sunflower, radish)

2011-05-31T15:03:00.000-07:00

Not long ago (18th May) I was posting my first courgette flower. I hardened off the courgette plants and planted one in a large pot out the back door near the kitchen (so I could keep an eye on it).

To my horror, something nibbled my first courgette! At first I thought something big like a bird, but you can see in the photo the guilty well fed slug.

Not just one slug but a whole family of slugs were having a feast on my first courgette (photo below).

Above: Something is eating its way through my potatoes too - maybe slugs?

Ants seem to be nibbling on my sunflowers! I didn't know ants eat sunflowers?

I seem to have a record number of ants this year!

Left: the remains of one of my Purple Queen Dwarf Bean plants. It wilted the day after I planted it into the ground.

I lifted the plant to have a look and the whole thing came away. At first I thought it may have something to do with a large chive plant I dug up & moved; I put the bean in its place. But the roots have been devoured so maybe something was eating on it? Or it could have gotten damaged by the recent gales as I was hardening it off outside... ?

Suppose the good news... even if some little critter (probably a slug) took the first bite out of my radish (bite pictured in the photo), I did pull up a few radishes to eat. This time they are lovely, not like the radishes I posted about on 29th April that had been growing over winter (big mistake; what a learning curve).

What to do with my radishes...

I had chunky Irish stew planned for dinner so I put some home grown rocket on top with sliced radishes. Maybe a strange combination, but quite yummy.

I've had lots of problems with blogger this week and I haven't been able to comment on many blogs. Very frustrating!

Luvin Lupins

2011-05-25T01:01:00.000-07:00

I'm luving the lupins... who wouldn't be a fan?!!? Variety: Lupin Russell Mix (perennial), grown from seed several years ago.

The pot grown lupin are slower to flower.

The Aquilegia (tall plant behind lupin) doesn't compare although I do like its height and delicate flowers.

If it rains eat cake (not cows)

2011-05-22T14:17:00.000-07:00

The past two weeks were filled with gales and rain.

New neighbours arrived at the weekend. Eleven young beef cows. They're curious and watched me potter about in the garden in between rain showers.

The don't look very friendly - yet.

Above: The courgette was hardened off last week and this one was planted into a pot outside at the weekend. Variety: Courgette (zucchini F1), Carters Tested Seeds, 20 seeds, 79p. Sown: 3 April 2011.

Above: The Purple Queen Dwarf Bean are in flower. Two have been planted outside. The others will be hardened off this week. Variety: Bean 'Dwarf Purple Queen', Mr Fothergills, 100 seeds £2.35. Sown: 3 April 2011.

All my digging and planting exhausted the poor cat.

"If it rains eat cake." So that's what I did in between rain showers. Unfortunately the strawberries weren't homegrown as my strawberries have a long way to go. There's a layer of lemon curd in the middle with the cream. Ever notice how store bought strawberries have very little flavour!?

Veg - Courgette,Chive, Potato, Seedlings

2011-05-18T01:01:00.000-07:00

I've had my first courgette (zucchini) flower! I've started to harden off some of the plants as they need to go outside. I've 4 plants that will provide me with yellow courgettes and two plants that will provide green courgettes. I think I see a little courgette forming above! (The flowers of courgette and chive are edible).

Chives are starting to flower.

Potatoes have been earthed up. A little pest damage; the two plants behind this big one have been eaten down to the ground. I picked off a few snails last night so will have to keep a watch on this.

The Veg Box has been 'cat proofed' (all the sticks over it) and planted with Radish, Turnip, Carrot, Kale and Spinach. I've no structured crop rotation plans. I'm just gonna plant as I wish.

Above: I think this is turnip. Looks like I need to do a bit of thinning.

I've started hardening off the Dwarf Purple Queen Beans - taking them outside during the day and inside the conservatory/sun room at night. They're getting too big to be inside.