Cheering Up My Monday

It's New Year's Eve, a very special day on the annual calendar. It's very special for me also, as I recorded a real gem in the garden yesterday. I held it back, especially for today. 

This is my favourite winter moment of the year! I sat outside in my sheltered corner in very mild weather yesterday as low sunshine moved across the garden between scattered clouds. I was watching the birds on the feeder when my eyes were drawn to what I thought was a butterfly. Surely not, I said? It was not, in fact. I needed to move closer to inspect. It was a leaf trapped on a single thread of spider’s silk, and rotating with such grace at a distance of mere centimetres from the wall behind. In fact, furthermore, there were two. I was reminded of a dream-catcher. I was reminded also of a wind-chime although this scene was silent. I too moved silently for my phone, lest I break the spell and recorded this beautiful short-lived event. I imagined the delicate flow of air that obviously set the leaf in motion. Two minutes later the moment was gone. This tiny macro-universe was subject to climate change.

Continuing #shortdayschallenge as I briefly log winter here in Waterford, Ireland. Time to focus on the little things, such as macro-universes.

Furthermore And Also: Short Days Challenge

Last autumn I had wondered what on earth I'd write about during the winter. It is easier when the garden is ablaze with life and colour. It is easier when there's lots happening. I had thought that winter would be very tricky. I could not have been more wrong. Furthermore and also, the past two months have given me a dreamy insight into my garden and my appreciation of it.

Christmas has come and gone. I have always liked Christmas, and this year was different. It occurred to me only last week that, for those of us in the mid-northern latitudes, it has been created to occur just at the perfect time of the year. It is mid-winter, yet it is exactly four days after the equinox. Things are on the up. Farmers are looking ahead to spring and animal birth. Gardeners, like myself, are looking ahead to warmer weather, longer days and new plant life. Indeed, there will be rough weather ahead during the months of January and February (and perhaps March/April too, if last year is anything to go by). It was a tough time for gardeners, farmers and many others. Ireland nearly ran out of bread. Yet, just a very short ten weeks later Ireland baked in the long drought. The toaster was set to crispy. I cannot remember warm weather like the summer of 2018. It was astonishing. The spirit of the nation was lifted. It remained lifted despite a prolonged abortion referendum here in Ireland, or perhaps because of it. It remained lifted until such time as Ireland beat the All-Blacks in mid-November, and on a personal level, it remained lifted as I began my daily Short Days Garden Challenge. I wrote about it twice recently (here and here), so this final 2018 article completes the trilogy.

Thursday, December 20th: The geranium cuttings from mid-November are doing well. They look healthy, and likely the underground rooting system is underway. I will keep a close eye on these over the coming 6-8 weeks to ensure they thrive. Even in the glasshouse, there is the possibility of frost damage. I noticed yesterday that the thermometer (which gives maximum and minimum readings) recorded 1.1 degrees recently. The glasshouse is entirely free of draughts, yet I will remain vigilant. Páraig the Vigilant! If there are very cold nights ahead I may bring these delicate babies indoors.
Lovely weather here in Ireland today. I got some last-minute Christmas gifts sorted and enjoyed my usual full Irish breakfast. Not in that order, of course. Hope all my friends here are looking forward to a wonderful Christmas time. It can be a lonely time for some, so try to look in on an elderly neighbour, or simply spread a contagious smile. Little things can mean a lot.

Lookin' good there

Friday, December 21st: it's mid-winter, Solstice day. Warm sunshine before the rain arrived. It's very mild too. I spent a short while doing a few small jobs, such as topping up all the daffodil pots with a shallow layer of gravel to keep weeds away and a very tiny pinch of bone meal to feed them. Also generous scattering of fertiliser around the roses. Come summer solstice in June I'll be glad that I fed them. Having spent my few minutes in the winter garden, it was then time to go wife-shopping. How very necessary, and yet exciting. My wife rewards me so much more than my garden, so fair's fair.
Have you anything/anyone more important than your garden?

Shortest day, sunshine and grey

Saturday, December 22nd: Here's another shot of one of my favourite plants, Nandina Firepower, as it changes colour through the cold weather. It certainly brightened my journey this morning as I went for a very short walk before breakfast.
Afterwards, I cycled with Marion and other friends in dense fog to our favourite Summerhouse in Lismore for coffee and mince pies. This lovely bike-friendly cafe is very aptly named! The fog was very heavy but the mince pies were deliciously light and flavoursome. Finally, I returned to view the lovely Nandina amid mid-afternoon watery sunshine once again. I consider this a really good day, and a few Guinness with my friend later were very pleasant too. 

Nandina Fire Power again

Sunday, December 23rd: Today's winter garden is as much my Sunday biking as anything. After a damp mucky ride I needed to wash the bike and overshoes. As I strolled down the garden to the glasshouse I noticed that the flashing lights on the heel of the shoes were still on. It's all about being as visible as possible on the roads. Together with front and rear lights and an extra one on my helmet I know that I'm doing my best to be safe.
In this case the gardening connection is loose, but it can clearly be seen that the two grey pots act as a perfect bike stand, while the tiny tip of emerging narcissus can just be seen top right. You may need to go to Specsavers to get a clear view.

Good to combine two of my passions

It's there, but barely visible, just below the centre in the pot.

Monday, December 24th: 

Tis Christmas Eve and Santa Claus
will bring his gifts tonight.
We'll hang our stockings by the bed,
And wait until it's light.
I wonder what he'll bring for you?
And what he'll bring for me?
Ah! There! It's no use wondering,
You'll have to wait and see!

An old man said to me, won't see another one

Tuesday, December 25th: Happy Christmas from Dungarvan. It's that wonderful time of the year. The fuchsia is still in leaf. Normally, it would be bare many weeks ago but we have had only three frost nights and it lingers on beyond its time.

Fuchsia non-denudendum

Returning to an attempt to connect gardening and my cycling, I received the most exceptional gift today. Not the love of the two great women in my life, which is hugely important and unconditional. My daughter gave me a miniature 5cm replica of me on my bike. Paraig ar a rothar! Complete with beard, exact Ridley bike replica, Fulcrum wheels and new DCC gear. Uphill drag about 2% but the Lady Belle (my favourite Guinness watering hole) is not far away! Go raibh maith agat, a stór.

Created by #minifigurescenes

Wednesday, December 26th: this time I am visiting Ballinacourty, Cappagh to view things from a different angle, and I come away with an extended wishlist.

Joan's garden in Cappagh

Until next year, see ya around!

Páraig (also known as Pat) is the author of Petals by Paraig. He loves winter, summer and cycling in both. Furthermore and also, he likes Christmas, sherry trifle and an uplifted spirit, but not essential last-minute wife-shopping.

Another Short Days Challenge

I am moving steadily towards the Winter Solstice, and so too is my garden. Here in Dungarvan, it will happen on Friday at 10:22pm. I know because I use timeanddate.com to know things like that, and I know about it because my brother told me about it. Equal day and night occurs, and thereafter the days will get longer. However, I admit that I was perplexed by another set of data. Yesterday at approx 5pm the distance between the Sun and my garden in Dungarvan stood at 147,193,000km. By midnight it had reduced to 147,189,000km. The garden was 4,000km nearer to the source of all life! I was perplexed, as I've already mentioned. In fact, as I've mentioned it twice now, my level of perplexity is doubled. I needed to go back to some of my school science lessons. This did not help at all. I needed the help of my brother Micheál.

How come the earth is getting closer to the sun, and it's WINTER?, I asked.

Winter is caused by the tilt of the earth away from the sun, not by the distance from it. Simple science, really, says he.

Today, as I write at 6pm, the distance is reduced by a further 9,000km to 147,180,000km, and most of this movement towards the sun happened while I slept.

It's now time for my weekly Short Days Challenge summary since last week:
Thursday, December 13th: Today's winter garden: WET. Continuing #shortdayschallenge as I briefly log winter here in Waterford, Ireland. Time to focus on the little things, such as 38.6mm of rain.

Heavy rain, then more heavy rain

Friday, December 14th: Incredibly, its the front garden. This is its’ debut photo. A winter scene including narcissus tete-a-tete, polyanthus, viola and an ivy. The narcissus is almost in flower. I think it is a display model intended for an indoor window-sill. But I'm not having any of that sort of thing (As Ted & Dougal would say: Down with that sort of thing.)

Front garden debut photo

Saturday, December 15th: Oh the weather outside is frightful, and #stormdeirdre is is on the way, bringing bucketloads of wind and rain. These pretty #kalanchoe (K. blossfeldiana), commonly known as Flaming Katy, are safely tucked up on the kitchen windowsill, and brighten this miserable day.
Continuing #shortdayschallenge as I briefly log winter here in Waterford, Ireland. Time to focus on the little things. The big thing is due after 3pm.

Kalanchoe blossfeldiana

Sunday, December 16th: A trapped leaf among the pebbles. It has been there for the past week, standing erect despite the buffeting winds of Storm Deirdre. Also, a single rose petal.

Storm Deirdre couldn't move this stubborn leaf

Monday, December 17th: The apples are under water. There's been over 48 hours of constant rain, and the saucer is flooded despite having three small drainage holes. No doubt they are clogged with leaf debris or something other. I'll have to get the Council out to clear it.

Apples: drowned by Deirdre

Tuesday, December 18th: Since red is the colour of blood, it has historically been associated with sacrifice, danger and courage. Modern surveys in Europe and the United States show red is also the color most commonly associated with heat, activity, passion, sexuality, anger, love and joy. In China, India and many other Asian countries, it is the color of symbolizing happiness and good fortune. (from Wikipedia)
Have you any thoughts on red in the garden? You will, no doubt, be aware of red and green being the traditional colours of Christmas. Note: not white!

Traditional colours of Christmas

Wednesday, December 19th: How is today's winter garden affected by sunlight? How is it affected by distance from the sun? A close look at both screenshots shows that in 7 hours the distance between the sun and my garden has decreased by approx 4000 kilometres. Thankfully winter solstice is very close and the garden will start to get warmer as the distance narrows further.
Continuing #shortdayschallenge as I briefly log winter here in Waterford, Ireland. Time to focus on the little things. Actually they are huge things, yet the small daily changes may not always be noticed.

147.193 million km just before 5pm

The earth is a fast mover!

Would you like to join in? Simply use the hashtag #shortdayschallenge either on your blog, Facebook or Instagram to connect with many others noticing the little winter things that bring delight to these short days.

Páraig (also known as Pat) is the author of Petals by Paraig. He loves his roses, winter solstice and small plants such as Flaming Katy. He also likes Timeanddate.com and watching the rain from the kitchen, but not when there's a bucketful (like maybe 36.4mm) during a storm called Deirdre.

Until next week, enjoy the Christmas season.
Paraig

Wordless Wednesday

Short Days Challenge

This week I focus on a challenge I joined lately. It's called Short Days Challenge. I briefly introduced it just last week. The idea is to note the little things in the winter garden and to publish one item every day between November and February on Instagram using the #shortdayschallenge hashtag. Now, I take a look back for this Throwback Thursday at the daily winter little things I noted.

Friday, December 7th: Today's winter garden: Another journey starting. I loved cacti and succulents many years ago. Having visited Deep Route Gardening in Cork during the week, I returned with enough plants to kick-start my interest once again.

Thanks to Deep Route Gardening in Cork 

Saturday, December 8th: Today's winter garden: I purchased a replacement thermometer for the glasshouse. The previous one fell into a barrel of rainwater about 15 years ago. This machine measures maximum and minimum and the humidity and well.

Temperature & humidity data log

Sunday, December 9th: Today's winter garden: almost identical colour and petal form on two great winter plants: wallflowers and violas. Continuing #shortdayschallenge as I briefly log winter here in Waterford, Ireland. Time to focus on the little things.

Wallflower and viola

Monday, December 10th: Warm mid-morning sunshine. Small flowering plants at this time really stand out. These are smashers!

December sunshine 

Tuesday, December 11th: I put out a query as follows... "Can anyone I'd this plant please? It was bought as a trailing annual and has thrived to such an extent that it has rooted wherever it can. In fact, I'm now wondering will it survive the winter as three nights of frost seems to have had no effect on it."

Glechoma hederacea variegata (Ground ivy) 

Speedily, the information came back from several sources:

plantbump
I  think it's a variegated #groundivy 👀🌿

petalsbyparaig
@plantbump Many thanks. Indeed it is! The same info came through via #gardentags. Glechoma hederacea variegata.

Wednesday, December 12th: Today's winter garden: It's good to take a photograph from near ground level. Just another angle on things. Parhaps this is the everyday view of this section of the garden seen by our two Yorkies, Molly & Becks?

Ground photo. Nandina in foreground 

Thursday, December 13th: Today's winter garden: Plants thrive in small spaces. Top left: nasturtium in a sheltered cul-de-sac. Top right: Geranium rozanne is now dormant but resurrection will happen. Bottom left: leaf shelter for the homeless creatures of the garden, and finally, another cranesbill rooted between wall and patio. Continuing #shortdayschallenge as I briefly log winter here in Waterford, Ireland. Time to focus on the little things.

Nasturtium, dormant geranium, leaf-shelter & a second geranium 

Would you like to join in? Simply use the hashtag #shortdayschallenge either on your blog, Facebook or Instagram to connect with many others noticing the little winter things that bring delight to these short days. Have you a favourite winter item in your garden, be it plant, structure or ornament?

Páraig (also known as Pat) is the author of Petals by Paraig. He loves his Yorkies and winter and low-angled photographs. He also loves post-winter resurrection, warmer temperature in the glasshouse and Garden Tags software but not exclusively. Shoot Gardening is his software of choice.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Short Days Challenge

Continuing #shortdayschallenge as I briefly log winter here in Waterford, Ireland. Time to focus on the little things.

Today's winter garden: I had a very tasty crop of tomatoes all summer long. In fact, between indoor and outdoor, the season stretched right through to the end of October. Having cleared the plants from the glasshouse to make room for incoming geraniums, begonias and lots of plant cuttings, I am now ready for winter. Curiously though, I notice that there are plenty tomato seedlings already sprouted! This saves me time and money. I will not need to buy tomato plants, as I know these ones will do well. They are from Tomato Moneymaker, and very tasty they will be!

Tomato Moneymaker babies with cigarette butt

Páraig (also known as Pat) is the author of Petals by Paraig. He loves tomatoes, begonias and winter. He also likes growing from seeds and Moneymaker ideas, but not cigarette butts among the seedlings in the glasshouse.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday: that's eight words.

Salvia Hot Lips

Short Days Challenge

I start a new blog theme today. It is called the Short Days Challenge. The idea is to post one small thing as often as possible between November and February, focusing on the small things that brighten the short winter days.

Day 1: Today's winter garden: as I briefly log winter here in Waterford, Ireland. This ornament was filled with flower colour earlier in the season. Now it stands waiting.

Zoom in to see three ivy cuttibgs

Would you like to join in? Simply use the hashtag #shortdayschallenge either on your blog, Facebook or Instagram to connect with many others noticing the little winter things that bring delight to these short days. Have you a favourite winter item in your garden, be it plant, structure or ornament?

This article was originally published by @petalsbyparaig on Instagram. Páraig (also known as Pat) is the author of Petals by Paraig. He loves ivy, winter and small things. He also likes Instagram and growing from cuttings, but cannot abide missing out on the smallest signs of winter life.

Tuesday's Three Things

I took a short stroll around the dying garden yesterday before breakfast. This is something I like to do regularly and I bring a small notepad and camera with me. I have found great joy in doing this. There was a time that I would scan through my online Irish Times while waiting for my 11-minute boiled egg, but not any more. The breaking news stories and opinion pieces are not conducive to starting the day as I would like, but a few minutes in the garden gets me in a great frame of mind. It's not that everything is always rosy, akin to the daily news, but I like to notice small things and I have other small things that need attending to thrust in my face. Here's this week's Three Things:

Three Things I Noticed: 

1. The Christmas baubles on the acer and the apple tree since 2016 are to the fore once again. I put them there just before Christmas in 2016 (yes, that's right!) and decided to leave them as permanent fixtures. In fact there are times when I forget they are there because they become almost invisible when the leaves appear.

   

   Slight discolouration after two years

2. I planted Forget-Me-Not along the base of the rockery a few years ago. Perhaps it was 2016, once again. They flower in late spring and the profusion of light-blue is stunning. Furthermore, they self-seed freely, and they have appeared every year, mostly in the same area. At times some seed gets scattered to other nearby areas and I am surprised in late autumn to find a thriving new plant. This year, because my patio slabs have plenty cracks between, the Forget-Me-Not has found a new home. They look very shook at this time of the year, but I am determined to overlook that because the late-spring will bring such a lovely show of colour. The beauty of this plant really is the fact that nature does all the work and I get all the satisfaction. There are other benefits to leaving this plant where it seeded. It becomes a safe hiding place for insects, as falling leaves get trapped around the base, providing more shelter. It is always checked out by the birds for food. My wife scatters birdseed regularly and they gobble it up quickly. When is all seems gone, they start looking carefully for hidden leftovers in hidden places such as this.

   

   Myosotis (Forget-Me-Not) and house sparrow

3. I planted Wallflower Winter Passion at the base of the same rockery in 2016. Generally, they come into flower in January, but this year they have started early.

   

   Wallflower Winter Passion

   Three Jobs To Be Done

1.  I bought a water feature several years ago. It was definitely before 2016, but I have not yet connected the electrics. I like the sound of running water, particularly when it's not raining! This task is now added to my to-do list.
2. My to-do list generally  gets sorted. If there are essential jobs they get prioritised and sorted earlier. Well, one of the tasks added to my list this time last year (not 2016, you understand) was to replace a pane of broken glass in the glasshouse. It's the place where broken glass usually breaks! It remains on my list to this day, so as I opened the glasshouse door and vent, I was reminded to undertake the task. Otherwise, there's not much point in having a to-do list. I will prioritise this one, simply because the few small plants directly inside must be shivering in a severe draught.

   

   On my list since last year!

3. There are two fuchsias on the other rockery, planted approximately two metres apart, but are quickly growing towards one another at an alarming rate. That will be ideal, but unfortunately, there are two very small shrubs in between. They are Nandina Heavenly Bamboo, currently at a height of approximately 30cm. Therefore, these will have to be moved, because they will not remain heavenly if they get smothered by the native fuchsias. They are really beautiful at this time of the year, and in fact, I highlighted this particular shrub recently.

   

   Heavenly Bamboo

Three Favourite Plants

Finally, as I wrap up my five-minute pre-breakfast ramble, it's time for my current three favourite plants:

1. Alchemilla Mollis (Lady's Mantle)
2. Skimmia Temptation, highlighted only last week
3. Dahlia Cafe au Lait, which is still flowering 

Páraig (also known as Pat) is the author of Petals by Paraig. He loves breakfast, draught-free glasshouses and has very good memories of 2016. He also likes watching the birds and providing safe places for them, but he prefers not to read the morning newspapers before a short garden ramble.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday: that's five words!

The Conservatory View

I have been working on another winter patio area of interest beneath the bare acer. It's directly outside the conservatory door and looks good, I think. There's a combination of pansy, viola, some variety of spiky grass and ivy. The home-made wooden planter is pretty bare but it comes in useful. I will mix in several pots of daffodil and narcissi as soon as they begin to shoot up, and I will do an update photo in Jan/Feb. Likely, I'll give a fresh view of this by also moving pots around whenever I feel like a change of scenery.

View from the conservatory chair

On cold, wet, windy days I like nothing better than to spend some time sitting in the conservatory. It is south-facing and cozy. Last winter, I looked out to an almost empty patio, and I vowed to make things different this year. Last month I planted pansies, violas and cyclamen on the central area, and was very pleased with  the outcome. This week I completed a section under the bare acer, and I feel that it fits in very nicely.

I think this is carex, but not entirely sure. I must investigate

I had to dig up the spiky grass plant from the front garden because it had become very bedraggled. It should have been divided many years ago, so most of what was on view was old, dead, rotted material. When I managed to tidy it up, I ended up with 11 smaller plants and proceeded to replant three in the very spot I had dug from. The remaining eight were potted up and are now moved to the patio area.

This ivy has been used to grow 12 more

The ivy was purchased this week, and immediately I took twelve small cuttings from it. Hopefully, hey will survive infancy in the glasshouse, while the parent plant has been left sitting atop my home-made planter.

Pansies and violas

The little corner is now alive. The pansies and violas provide some colour, while the ornamental grasses and ivy give the area shape and form. Together they have added greatly to the patio area, and will provide me with interest through the winter. I will have to make certain that I find more time to sit admiring them, especially if the days turn wet, cold and windy.

Collage of all four photogaphs

Paraig is the author of Petals by Paraig. He loves winter colour, making timber garden troughs and sitting in the conservatory. He also loves moving plants around, but not on cold, wet, windy days.

Then There Were Twelve

Ivy propagation, round 2. Years ago I gave up on planting ivy on our garden boundary walls because it became unmanageable. But a few ivy plants are very good in pots on the patio. Today I bought one at my local garden centre. (Plant, not patio!) I knew when buying it that I'd easily make at least 12 plants from it. So, a few hours later everything is finito. Let the glasshouse work it's magic, along with the rooting powder of course.

Small ivy becomes very big and unmanageable 

Páraig is the author of Petals by Paraig. He loves pottering in the potting shed, making baby plants and waiting for healthy offspring. He also loves portable power banks and nature's magic but not cracked patio slabs.

Rooting for Ivy

Reading time: 1 minute. Request for your help: could take 1 minute, or longer if you choose.

I finally got time to take ivy cuttings. Perhaps it's too late in the year. Anyways, 6 pots with 3 cuttings in each, using rooting powder to help them take root. That's why it's called rooting powder! Then, purely for my own information, I decided to keep 3 pots in the glasshouse and 3 in a sheltered corner outside. Has anyone experience of where is best?

One ivy will become 18, hopefully

Please leave a comment below if you can help. Even if you can't, leave any comment related to above. Note, however, that rude comments will be composted as advised in a recent article.

Páraig is the author of Petals by Paraig. He loves propagating plants, increasing the odds of success and saving some money. He also loves ivy in pots,  very sparing use of chemicals, but does not like taking photographs from above.

Monday Mindful Meditation

#1 Monday Meditation. Reading time: 2-10 mins.

This is the first of an idea that fleetingly passed through my mind recently. I hope to revisit this Monday Meditation theme from time to time... on Monday's of course!

Study the photograph closely. Take your time and begin to notice the details such as:

• colours, light and shade
• mist/rain. I wonder what time of day was the photograph taken?
• clutter. Sometimes interesting, sometimes with negative vibes?
• life and end of life. This small space is the entire universe for this plant.
• immigrant strangers "invading". There's a rogue flower in top right corner
• what lies beneath or within? Friend or foe? Home or hidden trap?

Nandina domestica Firepower (Heavenly Bamboo)

Now, return to the list above and select one item of your choice. Focus on this for as much as two or three minutes. What thoughts come to you? If you feel comfortable, share these thoughts in the comments for others. Are there other themes that came to mind? See can you come up with three. For example, on a very serious level (that's what mindful meditation is about) describe the following moral dilemmas in relation to the photograph:

• #metoo 
• Bodily Brexit: a terminally sick person whats to leave
• Discrimination based on skin colour

Pádraig is the author of Petals by Paraig. He loves clutter, rogue flowers and the macro-universe. He also likes occasional meditation and Mondays, but not earwigs hiding in the long grass.

Rhubarb And Trexit

Reading time 5-7 minutes. Video: 20 seconds.

Part One

My wife, Marion, grows rhubarb. For the past number of years she has had a good harvest from one plant in a very large terracotta pot. The pot is approximately 24 inches in diameter, and the rhubarb, although very tasty, is a bit lost in it. Last year, I entered into negotiations to secure exclusive use of the pot. There was a bit of horse-trading. That's my term for having to do a few more house chores in addition to hoovering and taking off my muddy boots. Contracts were exchanged verbally, and my plans were put in progress. But, like planning permission that can lapse, Marion held on to the pot because I did nothing about it.
This week I did! Monday morning was very very wet, and I visited Country Life again. This time, I did not know what to buy, so I spoke for 20 minutes with Malachy. I explained I wanted something to add interest for the winter and I described the pot with hand gestures. "It's about this big, and this wide", said I. There were so many suggestions thrown at me, but I was decisive lest I lose the pot permanently.
I agreed to purchase three plants:

• Acer conspicum Red Flamingo (Snakebark Maple)
• Skimmia japonica Temptation
• and another Skimmia Temptation.

All three plants were mature and expensive. I mean really expensive, so I put on my thinking cap and within twenty minutes my plants were in the very large basket and loaded into my very small car boot. The acer tickled my ear as I itched home excitedly. Normally, I am reluctant to buy very mature plants but my daughter said she'd buy the tree as my Christmas present, and Marion would buy the two shrubs. Finally, the days of Marion's rhubarb pot were over, and the task of getting presents too!

Step 1: remove the offending rhubarb. Tuesday morning was equally wet and miserable, but the afternoon was bright and sunny with only an occasional shower. It took me a while to dislodge the rhubarb, divide it into four plants and find a new home of Marion's choosing on one of the vegetable beds. I thought it wise to hold off on mentioning that rhubarb is not generally regarded as a vegetable. (As t turns out, I was wrong, so best left unsaid!)

This video on Instagram

Petals by Paraig Instagram account

Step 2: plant the shrubs and tree carefully using a mix of good compost and some soil robbed from the fertile vegetable bed. No evidence supplied, but I did break a sweat.
Step 3: move the pot with its new plants to somewhere else.

 

Step 4: admire from several angles, with coffee.

Facing North

View from the glasshouse

Skimmia japonica Temptation

One hour later my long-awaited project was complete and all that will need doing is to wrap it during Christmas week!

Part 2:

I rarely watch television. There are a few exceptions, such as whenever Crystal Palace win a match, or a good historical film. I also do like overnight election counts, so I watched CNN coverage of the US mid-term elections very early this morning. Over a cup of coffee before dawn, I once again checked my Christmas presents. Anti-the-Trump vote was coming in strong.

As I continued to watch CNN, my mind harped back to my work the previous day. The conservative wing of the USA remained emboldened and loyal to the-Trump, but there were less of them. Women got revenge for two years of misogynism from the-Trump's keyboard. At one point he declared the result "a tremendous success". My garden project is an example of a tremendous success. My work, my decisiveness and my collaboration with the owner of the pot is a tremendous success. The-Trump would do well to visit my garden. He will see that I cannot hide my tremendous  success behind falsehoods. It stands there for even him to see.

I see, said the blind man. Shut up, said the dumb man; you can't see at all.

As dawn broke, I returned to the TV screen while reading the New York Times and the Guardian. Every now and then, I broke into laughter, particularly when a Guardian (UK) summary pointed out:

If that qualifies as a victory, then England can celebrate several World Cup wins since 1966.

Later when I remembered my beautiful Acer, the bark of which turns to a strong stripey pink in very cold weather, I googled for a quote about snake bark, and Friedrich Nietzsche jumped to the top of my screen:

The snake which cannot cast its skin has to die.

Malachy assured me that my terracotta plants will live happily together for at least 15 years before I'll need to consider a bigger pot. The trick will be to buy the pot for Marion one or two years ahead of time! The-Trump barely has two years left, and perhaps less. His American garden is divided and plants will not work well together. The ying and yang is missing some yang. Trexit may happen.

Balance and beauty

Please Leave A Comment

Tell me your "the-Trump" thoughts. I'll not declare it  fake news if I don't like it. Have you a garden project that you are particularly proud of? Have you a garden blog you feel is worth sharing? Give me the link! I love reading garden blogs, and I quietly take some of the good ideas to mine. It's not robbing, it's admiration.


Páraig is the author of Petals by Paraig. He loves Marion's pots, Malachy's advice and makes very sure not to mix up the two. He also loves snake-bark and overnight election coverage, but he can see the wood from the trees.

Winter Pansies And Dunking Chocolate

Reading time: 6-8 mins.
Winter officially starts tomorrow, November 1st. The clocks went back an hour last weekend, and daylight time in the garden is reduced. Yesterday, I made very good use of my time in the garden. Initially, I did not expect to be able to, because my morning was taken up with other stuff including the dreaded grocery shopping. My wife and I take it in turns every second week, but I found the silver lining! Laden with supplies of edibles, I drove past my local Country Life garden centre and did an immediate about-turn to have a browse. Afterwards, I was happy that I did, because I returned home with winter plants including pansies, violas and cyclamens packed side-by-side in the car with avocados, gluten-free bread and socks from Aldi.

Pansy White Blotch

In some instances, my plants might remain unplanted for up to a week, but the afternoon was mild and pleasant so I donned my old jogging shoes and my painting shirt to get stuck in. Two hours later I rested to review my efforts, and I enjoyed a cappuccino with a side order of just one square of 70% chocolate. In the same way that some dunk a biscuit into tea or coffee, I did just that with the chocolate.
On the previous Bank Holiday Monday, I had started taking my 42 Begonias indoors. In some cases, I merely moved the pots into the glasshouse. Others needed to be carefully removed from window boxes and home-made raised wooden troughs. All of them were dying rapidly, and some light frosts over the weekend hastened their demise. Begonias are tender tubers. This means that they will die fatally if left outdoors. Over the coming weeks I will repot these wonderful bundles of energy, and keep them safely in the glasshouse until late spring. The soil will be allowed to dry out almost completely, and in March I will make sure that they begin to sprout. Actually, it is not I that miraculously lures the tuber into re-birth. It's in their DNA to do this. I am merely required to not go against nature and will provide the best conditions when I see the slightest new growth.
But I digress. All of this work to bring my precious begonias into hibernation came about because as I planted the 46 newly-acquired pansies, violas and cyclamens above, I discovered that I was short of potting compost. However, as I was in my painting shirt and had soil all over my clean hands, I did not much feel like returning to Country Life to replenish supplies. I was rescued (once more) by my wife Marion who agreed to go on my behalf, while I had another coffee, this time with no added chocolate. An hour later, I had recycled much of the depleted soil from the Begonia pots. I was amazed that the soil was so good, even though it had hosted plants since early May. I do remember doing a good job when planting, and the richness of the soil made for a great summer show, so I was very reluctant to not use it further. I did add some fresh compost with some sand/grit and fed the plants well when they were settled into their new winter home.

I was not overly pleased with this arrangement

The leg of the P is too long

I needed steak and onions to follow all this washed-down coffee, and retired for the evening to the warmth of the stove with my footstool. I listened to some good music but the garden was still on my mind. Gardening does not stop when darkness falls. It is the time for online gardening, and this time of the year is perfect for two aspects among others:

• browsing catalogues and ordering 
• updating my virtual garden

Finally, an arrangement I like and can change next week

On this eve of winter, I chose to get cracking on the catalogues. In previous years I had requested catalogues from Thompson & Morgan and Unwins so these ones will automatically arrive in the post any day now. I broadened the list this year to include:

1. Jersey Plants Direct
2. Kings Seeds
3. Marshalls Seeds (actually owned by T&M, I think)
4. Farmer Gracy

An hour later, all the account creating was finished, all the boxes ticked (except for the boxes I chose not to tick!) and the catalogue processing is happening overnight. While waiting for the hard copies, I browsed further at 1 and 4, handed over my money in exchange for a few spring bulbs (including rare Elite Collection Alliums) and slept contentedly for an hour by the fire in advance sleeping contentedly in my own bed, satisfied that a good day was had.

The buying continues at Farmer Gracy

Interestingly, I'm on the lookout for online Irish seed/plant catalogues, but that's a story for another day. I say this because, while UK and European companies can deliver seeds and bulbs to Ireland, they are unable to deliver plants. It had to do with Irish customs restrictions, perhaps because we want to keep riff-raff species out. Anyway, I thought I was being very smart last spring as I attempted to bypass Mr. Customs Inspector. I registered for an Address Pal account with An Post, the Irish postal system company. This service allowed me to have UK deliveries sent to a holding depot, to be forwarded to me by An Post. Full of excitement, I ordered plants from Unwins. The order was processed and delivered to a warehouse somewhere. Unfortunately, I forgot to note that An Post was also unable to deliver a parcel containing riff-raff plants to Ireland. Following several emails to and fro, the parcel was returned to Unwins five weeks later; the plants were very likely fatally dead, and I was unable to recover my €64. Unwins kept the money and the said dead plants. Dead money, you might say!

Last night I deliberately ordered spring/summer bulbs only, and I await unhindered speedy delivery. Watch this space, and in the meantime: enjoy your gardening, whether by day or by night.

Cyclamen are not always frost-hardy.

Queries to readers:

1. Do you have a favourite online seeds/plants supplier?
2. Describe your painting shirt in less than 20 words.
3. Do you like avocados and/or Customs Officials?

Footnote: While I write this garden blog specifically for myself in order to remember everything that I'll have forgotten when I forget it, I was delighted that last week's article about my memories of mam's garden got so much exposure. The feedback is lovely to have. As always, comments are optional and always will be. Páraig will never email you looking for feedback, but if you would like to comment, then please do. Remember, it is optional, but rude comments will be composted.

There's that White Blotch Pansy again!

Páraig is the author of Petals by Paraig. He loves winter pansies, avocados and browsing hard-copy garden catalogues. He also loves Jersey Plants Direct and cappuccino, but not going to the garden centre in his painting shirt. He does love everyone (well, almost everyone) who chooses to follow him on Instagram or on his Facebook Page