It is brown, barely visible, one has to look closely and bend down to examine the small flowers, thin and sinuous, like a dark rodent tail, almost hidden by the foliage. I think it is fabulous, Asarum probiscidum. The green flowers of Primula ‘Francisca’, ruffled and clustered on short stalks, pretty, not showy. Snowdrops, GalanthusContinue reading “Getting in touch with your inner designer!”
Category Archives: PLANTS
Lemon and Rosemary Tartlets – Recipe
Rosemary is both a handsome shrub for the garden and a delicious flavouring in the kitchen. Rosmarinus officinalis, as it is named botanically is an evergreen shrub that grows to about 1.2 metres (4ft) and produces bright blue flowers in late Spring. Although it was killed by the hard winter a couple of years ago,Continue reading “Lemon and Rosemary Tartlets – Recipe”
National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin, November 17th 2012
A beautiful sunny day in the National Botanic Gardens. I was there with students today. Lots of nice autumnal colour, some flowers and fruits too.
Lonicera nitida – learning to love it
I thought it was a box hedge that we were chopping. We had a saw, a shears and even an axe. It was a family event. My dad was cutting the thick stems with the saw while questioning the wisdom of the act. My mother directed the operations, ensuring him that it had to beContinue reading “Lonicera nitida – learning to love it”
Euphorbia nematocypha add fire to the herbaceous planting scheme
Sulphur yellow flowers, bushy growth, intense autumn colour and bright red stems. Hardy too. This is Euphorbia nematocypha, a superb spurge for Irish gardens. Each spring the strong upright growth of the red stems is topped with bright yellow flowers and bracts. The flowers last well into summer and give a fantastic display but theContinue reading “Euphorbia nematocypha add fire to the herbaceous planting scheme”
NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDENS, GLASNEVIN, DUBLIN- OCTOBER 20TH 2012
Every month I visit the National Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin, Dublin with a group of people on The Garden School home study course. This time there was lots of autumnal tints to admire, some berries and flowers too. I was saddened to see that the great specimen of copper beech had eventually succumbed to oldContinue reading “NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDENS, GLASNEVIN, DUBLIN- OCTOBER 20TH 2012”
Testing Soil for pH…its easy!
pH. Two letters, one small, one big, not even a proper word. Yet, it is a term every gardener should be familiar with. Whether you grow vegetables, fruit or ornamentals, knowing the pH allows you to select the right plants for your garden and to maintain soil fertility at the optimum for better crops. pHContinue reading “Testing Soil for pH…its easy!”
Ciaran The Gardener 