Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Moving into summer.

Flowering cherry. 
The spring flowers are just about at the end but it has been a very good season for all the spring bulbs,
we still have some lovely tulips flowering and the last of the narcissus have just started flowering,
I think this one is a Pheasant Eye, it smells wonderful.
Now the early summer flowers are starting to bloom,
I love all the different colours.
one of the earliest seems to be the Aquilegia which look lovely next to late flowering tulips.
The forget-me-nots are also looking lovely, such a vivid blue.
Strawberries are fruiting well, we are picking around a pound a day, these are the ones in the tunnel, soon the outside plants will be producing,
I'm very pleased with the strawberry barrel, the plants are doing very well in it, far better than last years experiment with straw bale gardening which for us did not work. The asparagus is producing well for us this year,
and the outside spinach is also giving us plenty.
Potatoes in the tunnel are flowering so we will try some at the weekend by which time there will also be some
mange tout peas

I love the smell of Broad bean flowers.
and broad beans to pick.
The over wintered onions have done well and we can pull them now as needed, the main crop is outside in the veg garden,
also ready is the garlic, I do not understand why Ireland imports most if not all of it's garlic from China, it grows very well here.
Felix relaxing by the pond.
The cats have been enjoying the good weather, but Felix has complained that it been too hot for him, he also complains if it's raining, blaming us, he also complains if it's cold. The other cats just accept whatever the weather throws at them.
Waiting for supper.
The hens have also enjoyed the warmer weather and are laying too many eggs, we are awash with them so a lot of freezing has to be done, we will be pleased to have this frozen supply in the winter.
I have now packed away all my craft work for the summer, the last things I did were the decorated goose eggs, they have turned out quite well, I will return to them come the colder weather.
However I will continue with the pottery classes, they are such fun and I think I'm learning quite a lot, especially about the Vikings. Jacqui our teacher is part of the Viking re- enactment movement, she specialises in Viking pottery, it's great to learn about a people that I had little if any knowledge of.
The dark tulips are Queen of the night.
Chives, good to eat as well as very pretty.
The weather has now changed back to what we are familiar with, showers and cooler than it has been, I'm not complaining though, for me the last few days has been far too hot. I think that the sun might have affected the OH's memory, or maybe it was just a senior moment, he put the electric kettle on the gas ring, not a good idea. I was quite fond of our old kettle, it also whistled when it was boiled, it's replacement has no whistle, but it does have a bright led light to tell you when it's on, I think the whistle was of more use.
I love this orange tulip.
This one is a beauty.
First of the Papavers
Kingcups in the pond.
Sweet little pansy.

12 comments:

  1. All looking so lovely. You must be pleased.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Lynda, yes we are pleased especially when we remember that we have not been here quite five years, what we had when we moved in was a field.

      Delete
  2. First of all apologies I deleted your blog from my list in error ( I was tidying it up the other day).

    Your garden is amazing , so much colour, I love your decorated eggs, I have always fancied having a go at that.
    Strawberries already, thats amazing x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, we enjoy the garden and I do aim to have something of interest every month of the year. Strawberries, yes, that's the beauty of a tunnel, you can get early crops and extend your growing season, although this year the strawberries are a month later than normal, possibly because I had completely re-done the beds and each plant was removed before being re-planted.

      Delete
  3. Beautiful photographs. Your veg and flower gardens must be a joy at this time of year.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Dave, it would come very hard to us if we had to buy veg, we always have something to eat all year round.

      Delete
  4. Your garden has certainly burst in to life, your fruit and veggies are doing so well and you have so much colour. The aquilegias have started flowering here too but I'm still waiting on the yellow variety I bought last year, the plant itself has become well established but no flowers as yet.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm also waiting for my yellow aquilegias to flower, so far it's just the pinks blues and purple ones in flower. I think it was you who identified a plant for me last year Jo,Physostegia? would you believe there seems to be only one nursery in the whole of Ireland that has this plant? and that nursery is way down country.

      Delete
  5. Wow everything is growing away so quickly!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes it is and that includes the weeds! Any news on your move yet?

      Delete
  6. Anne
    Your gardens are inspiring and so far ahead of out. Seeds have not been planted here yet last week we had a frost/ Don't dare plant till end of May. Felix and Sammy are twins separated by the Atlantic. He complains about the weather and other things all the time. Maybe its a tuxedo cat thing. I was going to do straw bale gardening but decided against it. Why didn't it work for you? Straw is quite expensive here, 4 bales would be about $50. I would rather put that in plants and seeds. I like the way you are growing your strawberries, did you make or buy the jar? Could you send me your address again. I have it here but want to make sure its correct before I send out the candle and things for the kitties. wspines@aol.com
    Fondly,
    Carole

    ReplyDelete
  7. Such beautiful photos...so much growth and colour! I also love the pic of Tess lurking in the background wandering what you are snapping! I love chives too, I remember I used to just chew on them as a kid, whilst playing in the garden! xxx

    ReplyDelete