The Cold weather

The winter has arrived with a bang here in Ireland with freezing temperatures and about two feet of snow in the garden, which has remained for the last week. I'm afraid that means it is good bye to the lettuce and probably most of  the beautiful herbs out there for this year. Below are some pictures of the house and the conditions.Fingers crossed we'll get a thaw soon. Till then we are staying in with a warm cup of tea, green, white or with milk and sugar! Nearly forgot don't forget to leave out plenty of  feed for your birds if you and they are suffering the cold like us. We have some store bought seed and a number of feeders. Water is important too, try and make sure they have some and make sure it isn't frozen solid! Also try not to leave too much feed or crumbs on the ground as it will, most likely attract vermin. My 5year old grandchild helped me feed the birds yesterday and together we made a bit of a mess, and this morning I went out to feed the birds only to find a shivering field mouse at the foot of the feeding table nibbling away. Field mice aren't so bad but if they come the bigger ones might not be too far behind so be careful. I include a couple of pics of the birds too. This Robin came in to the house when I left the door open while putting out the feed.

Tulip

Tulipa gesneriana

The garden tulip which probably has its origins in Asia and has been naturalized in north west Europe where in Holland during the years 1634-37 (tulip mania) bulbs were exchanged for wheat and livestock and traded on stock exchanges. There are 109 species of the genus Tulipa mst of this diversity is to be found on the mountains of   Hindu Kush and Pamir  and on the steppes of  Kazakhstan.  In gardens many hybrid cultivars are found as potted plants or grown for cut flowers.  The name has its 

origins in the Persian language but came into English by way of the French tulipe.

Tulips are indigenous to mountainous areas with temperate climates and need a period of cool dormancy. They do best in climates with long cool springs and early summers, but are often grown as spring blooming annual plantings in warmer areas of the world. The bulbs are typically planted in late summer and fall, normally from 10 to 20 cm (4 to 8 in.) deep, depending on the type planted, in well-drained soils.

 http://EzineArticles.com/featured/

Aster

Aster (China or Common Aster / CALLISTEPHUS)

Great cutting flowers, Kate uses them the Church where thanks to  their long stems and large flowers they make for wonderful displays. Their longevity in the vase is another factor. The word Aster comes from the Greek meaning star and there are over 180 varieties, so plenty to choose from! The Aster is an annual the ones in the pictures below come from a Chinese daisy with a yellow center but has since been bred into a multitude of colours. Another variety called the Branching China Aster is also a beautiful plant. Wild Asters have much smaller daisy like flowers.

Planting in heavy soil or Sandy loam soil should produce good results.

The Asters pictured above are g

Further Reading http://www.backyardgardener.com/annual/annual11.html

Articokes for Lunch?

The Globe Artichoke (Cynara cardunculus)

A perennial thistle from the Mediterranean region, the artichoke was cultivated by the Greeks and Romans is thought to have its origins in northern Africa and  although a seemingly unlikely candidate because of its prickly demeanor it can be delicious company at lunch or even dinner for that matter. 

The name comes from an Arabic word al-kharshof, adapted by northern Italian dialect before being injected into the English language and was known to have been cultivated in Naples in the 9th century.The Italians also have a bitter liqueur made from the artichoke called Cynar

The Globe Artichoke (Cynara cardunculus)

It can be grown from seed of cuttings and we think can be very beautiful and ornate in the right garden setting. Does take up a bit of space both in height ( Up to 2meters) and girth (1.5/2meters) . They like well drained, well worked soil and love the sun. Globes can be harvested in spring when they are that bit more tender for cooking and eating. The artichoke in the picture above would not be god specimen for the kitchen, they should to be picked when the globes are still tight and fairly dark in color. So before they have opened or flowered.   

Harvest them early cut off any hard outer leaves

You can boil, steam or cook slowly in a saucepan with butter until tender. Remove any outside leaves until just the globe remains with tender leaves. Great as side dish to accompany meat dishes like fillet steak, after cooking season with some pepper salt olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  

Other recipes http://www.circleofmisse.com/recipes/artichokes_24082009.html

http://homecooking.about.com/od/breadrecipes/r/blbread18.htm

Our Garden is our home.

Apart from being our home, our place in the world that we have nurtured and cared for and a place that has cared for us, it is also home to a wide variety of flowers, trees, pants, shrubs and wildlife. This blog is a record of our life here and a chance for you to stop and smell the roses!

Everlasting Sweet pea

(Lathyrus latifolius)

All photos taken in our garden unless otherwise stated.

Sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus)

Everlasting Sweet pea 

We first panted Everlasting Sweet Pea in the garden nearly 22 years ago.  Given to us at that time by a good friend, while the Perennial sweet pea I later ordered from a Thomson's catalog. Both have beautiful flowers but the the annual variety also have a wonderful scent.

We found that once they have taken the Everlasting Sweet Pea they will grow even in small area of soil or bedding and climb almost any obstacle during the spring/summer months. If you want them to cover a particular area of trellis, wall or overhang simply maneuver the vines so that they point in the desired direction and watch them climb. 


Henry Eckford is given credit for developing and popularizing the Sweet Pea during the Victorian period. In a town called Wem, in Shropshire, England the Sweet Pea festival is held every year, though the origins of the plant are found in Sicily and Crete in the Mediterranean region.


 The sweet pea is perhaps more suited to a cottage or country house as it tends to ramble and therefore might not be suitable in small garden or terrace unless it has substantial climbing space available. Don't forget if you plant it near the vegetable plot or garden that it can be toxic if ingested.  


For more help visit http://www.plantcares.com/lathyrus-everlasting-sweetpea or http://gardening.about.com/od/plantprofiles/p/SweetPea.htm