Holly

Every year around Christmas time we go out and cut a clump of full, glossy green, berry laden branches from our holly trees or bushes and use them for decoration during the holiday, a tradition which has been traced back as far as Roman times. But for most of the rest the year poor old holly is forgotten with the arrival of spring blossoms and the summer blooms.

Holly Tree (Ilex aquifolium)

One beautiful tree out the back of the garden is a particularly hardy specimen, a native plant it grew up slowly through our thick hedge without almost any assistance to become this fine tree. It's red berries last longest in our garden, from November right through to late February or early March. We thought that as the plant's leaves were extensively armed with sharp thorns that it hindered the birds from getting to the berries, but that is not the case. It seems that the berries are quite hard and the birds prefer to wait until late winter, after the berries have endured a few hard frosts followed by a thaw, they are rendered softer and more agreeable to the wildlife.

The word Holly is derived from the old English holegn and was popular even sacred in many early cultures, the pagans used it in some of the rituals while the druids believed it had mystical properties while others thought it was even magical.

The holly also has many uses, here are just a few:

1.The white wood from th Holly tree is commonly used for the white pieces on a chess board.

2.The leaves of some species of Holly are used in the making of herbal teas and are well know for their high caffeine content.

3.The berries are not for human consumption but are of course are enjoyed by feathered friends in the garden. Once the tree has matured some birds might even be able to build their nest and hatch their eggs under the protection of  those fierce thorns.

Finally there are many varieties of holly as I mentioned before the most popular being the Variegated holly and the popular highclere variety.

 Variegated holly, which is often though not always, less prickly than the native tree, looks great when used as backing for your flower displays. It's long lasting, particularly when used with an oasis and provides the perfect backing for most flowers colors, but especially strong reds or oranges. Not forgetting the Christmas decorations, wreaths or other displays where we use a mixture of the dark, red berried holly with some of the variegated variety weaved in between. Always wear your gloves when taking snippets as you'll have to reach in to the tree to get branches of any length.

Next time the turn of the cotoneaster

The Birds

Gold finch & Great Finch

It is 2011 folks and things have changed quite a bit here in Dangan. Kate's cancer has returned. That diagnosis , which we received on the 24th of December, really knocked the wind out of our sails. So 2011 has started bleakly for us here. Kate has started the chemo again are we are hoping & praying for a little miracle. If you are religious or spiritual we ask that you might spare us a thought next time you pray or communicate with your maker. 

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