Well, @Busy-Lizzie, it certainly has potential... ...the plot is 0.3 of an acre, an interesting shape, with an immense field hedge (full of birds) growing on top of a tumbledown limestone wall along one boundary. The front garden is almost as big as the back, and consists of rough-ish lawn apart from 3 mature rowan trees on the boundary. The back garden is all grass apart from an area of woodland at the back, which is mostly beech. It faces south. Similar amount of rainfall to here (ie a lot!), but warmer winters. I took some soil samples (wondered when we went through Security at Shannon airport if the bags of soil might get investigated, but all was well!) and surprisingly, it isn't alkaline everywhere - there's an area which is neutral, which is pleasing. So there's plenty of scope.
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
must get up and find something presentable to wear ... going on a U3A trip to Constable Country ... an area I know quite well but it’ll be interesting to see it from the higher vantage point of a coach seat, and there’ll be visits to Long Melford and Lavenham, plus lunch .. the weather looks set fair so should be good.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
New plans sound very exciting @Liriodendron ......lots of new space to play.
Half way @Pat E .......hang on in there you two 🤗🤗🤗
Had a wonderful day at Chelsea yesterday - enjoyed it much more with fellow plant-y people to share it with. After much to-ing and fro-ing decided Chris Beardshaw garden was my favourite - those borders were beautiful. Then the loch gates, then one particular corner of Jo Thompson’s, then Andy Sturgeons ......there were so many great ones to choose as a favourite. Great move by the RHS to ditch the conceptual gardens too, and replace with 8 beautiful small gardens. And last, but definitely not least, the Normandy landing sculptures were absolutely breathtaking .....never seen anything quite so ghostly and evocative .....genius 😀. I apparently walked 7 miles over the course of the day 😳😎😀
Thanks for all the support, folks. We have to go to Canberra tomorrow to see the Oncologist again. We’ll be worn out when we get home.😴
Has anyone heard of “Magic Berries”, ? It’s reported to help with the metallic aftertaste of Chemo. Not sure where we could get them anyway in our backwater.
Hi all Just been sitting outside with a coffee and had a perfect fledgling robin standing by my feet, with what looked like a very inquisitive look on its face, beautiful.
How can you lie there and think of England When you don't even know who's in the team
Liri - sounds exciting. Will you be taking cuttings and divisions of treasures or starting with a clean slate?
Chicky - so pleased you enjoyed Chelsea both times. Very envious.
We have an energy inspection at 2pm following installation of PVs and heat exchangers. No idea how long that will take but we have dance class later on so only clean gardening jobs this pm. Watering and maybe some sowing.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
@Pat E - I found this study about the benefits of "miraculin" - don't know if you can source the tablets, if not the berries, for OH but it sounds promising: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23022943
Glad you enjoyed Chelsea so much, @chicky . I've only managed to catch one programme since returning from Ireland, but it looks great... any photos?? Pretty please...
Yes, exciting prospect having a new area to garden. It's actually bigger than we thought - just got an email from the engineer (ie surveyor) drawing the plans for the extension, and he reckons it's .47 of an acre... ...probably a good thing a quarter of it has trees on, given my age. @Obelixx - definitely taking some divisions and cuttings, though some treasures here wouldn't do well in more alkaline soil. Plus there are some trees and shrubs which need a plant health passport before you can import them into Ireland, to avoid fireblight; and given the problems we had a few years ago with Sudden Oak Death (Phytophthora ramorum) in the park next to my garden, there are plenty of things like viburnums growing here which are susceptible, so I wouldn't risk transporting pathogens on cuttings. I've made a list!
Morning all (just!). Just back from buying another bag of compost and bringing it home by bus, in my trolley. I really need a bigger pot for my banana, but can't find anything suitable.
Warm and dry here again today. It's very pleasant, but the lack of rain is very concerning.
Liri, I didn't realise the move to Ireland was so definite or so soon - must have missed a post somewhere along the line. Sounds fantastic though - and the garden sounds exciting.
Hang on in there Pat and OH. Can't help with the berry thing, but thinking of you both.
Chicky, you never do things by half do you? TWO trips to Chelsea in two days! Sounds marvellous though.
My reclaim-the-end-of-the-garden project is going well. Still some things to find homes for and some earth to retain, but I have a new potting table (not new, just our rotten old IKEA kitchen table standing on a pallet, but it's the perfect height and in the perfect spot), a thingummy made from old pallets to hold the leaf mould, another thingummy to hold mesh and bags and stuff, pots all stacked and usable and a space where the mess all used to be which means I've got my special bench there for mid-gardening cuppas and everything is easy to get to. I'll probably put some bark down. The ground is dust, but no weeds grow there so it shouldn't need more. As you can see, various bags etc still need sorting.
And having dug up yet more bricks, I've finished the area by the raised beds. All the gravel, pebbles and bricks have been dug up and washed, all from this garden!
'If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.'
Thanks Nany B. Everyone is so helpful. Obelixx and Liri, thanks very much for the info. It sounds promising. The trick will be to get it in tablet form. Will make some enquires next time I’m in town.
Posts
So exciting Liri 😊
must get up and find something presentable to wear ... going on a U3A trip to Constable Country ... an area I know quite well but it’ll be interesting to see it from the higher vantage point of a coach seat, and there’ll be visits to Long Melford and Lavenham, plus lunch .. the weather looks set fair so should be good.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
New plans sound very exciting @Liriodendron ......lots of new space to play.
Half way @Pat E .......hang on in there you two 🤗🤗🤗
Had a wonderful day at Chelsea yesterday - enjoyed it much more with fellow plant-y people to share it with. After much to-ing and fro-ing decided Chris Beardshaw garden was my favourite - those borders were beautiful. Then the loch gates, then one particular corner of Jo Thompson’s, then Andy Sturgeons ......there were so many great ones to choose as a favourite. Great move by the RHS to ditch the conceptual gardens too, and replace with 8 beautiful small gardens. And last, but definitely not least, the Normandy landing sculptures were absolutely breathtaking .....never seen anything quite so ghostly and evocative .....genius 😀. I apparently walked 7 miles over the course of the day 😳😎😀
Has anyone heard of “Magic Berries”, ? It’s reported to help with the metallic aftertaste of Chemo. Not sure where we could get them anyway in our backwater.
Just been sitting outside with a coffee and had a perfect fledgling robin standing by my feet, with what looked like a very inquisitive look on its face, beautiful.
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
Pat - have a look at this - https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-03-23/miracle-fruit-crop-for-cancer-patients/9527358
Liri - sounds exciting. Will you be taking cuttings and divisions of treasures or starting with a clean slate?
Chicky - so pleased you enjoyed Chelsea both times. Very envious.
We have an energy inspection at 2pm following installation of PVs and heat exchangers. No idea how long that will take but we have dance class later on so only clean gardening jobs this pm. Watering and maybe some sowing.
@Pat E - I found this study about the benefits of "miraculin" - don't know if you can source the tablets, if not the berries, for OH but it sounds promising:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23022943
Glad you enjoyed Chelsea so much, @chicky . I've only managed to catch one programme since returning from Ireland, but it looks great... any photos?? Pretty please...
Yes, exciting prospect having a new area to garden. It's actually bigger than we thought - just got an email from the engineer (ie surveyor) drawing the plans for the extension, and he reckons it's .47 of an acre...
Hope you have a great trip out, @Dovefromabove
Warm and dry here again today. It's very pleasant, but the lack of rain is very concerning.
Liri, I didn't realise the move to Ireland was so definite or so soon - must have missed a post somewhere along the line. Sounds fantastic though - and the garden sounds exciting.
Hang on in there Pat and OH. Can't help with the berry thing, but thinking of you both.
Chicky, you never do things by half do you? TWO trips to Chelsea in two days! Sounds marvellous though.
My reclaim-the-end-of-the-garden project is going well. Still some things to find homes for and some earth to retain, but I have a new potting table (not new, just our rotten old IKEA kitchen table standing on a pallet, but it's the perfect height and in the perfect spot), a thingummy made from old pallets to hold the leaf mould, another thingummy to hold mesh and bags and stuff, pots all stacked and usable and a space where the mess all used to be which means I've got my special bench there for mid-gardening cuppas and everything is easy to get to. I'll probably put some bark down. The ground is dust, but no weeds grow there so it shouldn't need more. As you can see, various bags etc still need sorting.
And having dug up yet more bricks, I've finished the area by the raised beds. All the gravel, pebbles and bricks have been dug up and washed, all from this garden!
Obelixx and Liri, thanks very much for the info. It sounds promising. The trick will be to get it in tablet form. Will make some enquires next time I’m in town.