Seeds – Ciaran The Gardener

Trees from seed

In the autumn we had down seeds of a number of tree species. Now at in the beginning of March, we are starting to see the first signs of growth. One of the first species to appear was Sorbus magalocarpa. we were delighted and excited to see a small seed leaves year from the soil.Continue reading “Trees from seed “

Sow seeds for great trees in future

Autumn is a great time of year for collecting seed, and sowing it. Many tree and shrub species can be sown in autumn, in fact they need a winter chilling before they can feminists in Spring. This requirement for cold exposure is called cold stratification. Leave trays of sown seeds in a sheltered spotContinue reading “Sow seeds for great trees in future”

Two little big surprises from seed

We made a list of all the plants that we are currently growing in our container garden. Some of the plants we brought with us from our old garden. Included in these are a number of plants that we raised from seed. When growing plants from seed, each one is genetically distinct from the others.Continue reading “Two little big surprises from seed”

Tom’s Tom- From red centiflor to little yellow pear

A few years ago we sowed some seed of a Tomato, the variety was called Tomato ‘Red Centiflor’. We purchased it from Irish Seedsavers Association. It grew well, a tasty little tomato. It bears its fruit in big clusters. The trusses, the fruiting branches f tomatoes, are packed with a huge mass of flowers andContinue reading “Tom’s Tom- From red centiflor to little yellow pear”

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”

The New Season Starts Now- 5 things to do in the garden now…

Traditionally autumn is the harvest festival, apples have been picked, the jams made and as the nights get longer and the days cooler, we gardeners may be tempted into hibernation. Yet, there is lots to do in the garden. October is time to start planing and planting for next year’s harvest. Five jobs to doContinue reading “The New Season Starts Now- 5 things to do in the garden now…”

Wild Carrot Seed Spice Cake – Recipe

We have collected quite a bunch of wild carrot seeds from along the bog road that leads to our house. It is a quiet road which does not have much traffic travelling along it. The concave seed heads make them easy to identify and they are quick to pick. Harvest them when dry and removeContinue reading “Wild Carrot Seed Spice Cake – Recipe”