There’s always something to look forward to in the garden. In spring it’s the snowdrops, in early summer it’s the peonies and at other times it’s the roses and hydrangeas. Two of my favourites here in the garden are the laburnum tree which flowers in June and the orange blossom which is another early summer favourite.
Both grow to a height of four to five meters and are usually festooned with blossom. The laburnum is covered in yellow tendrils that hide every leaf. The orange blossom has a mass of creamy white flowers with the most beautiful scent.
Heavy rain good for the roots but not so good for flowers
But not this year. Between them, they produced about enough blossom to fill a good sized vase. What a disappointment. Last year the laburnum was festooned with blossom and I reckon it’s now on a rest year. It looks perfectly healthy so I plan to feed it with potash and hope for the best.
As for the orange blossom it has been growing in the same place for generations and only once in my 34 years in Ballyanne has it failed to flower. It too looks healthy so a good feed is the medicine I will apply.
June in the garden: bedraggled looking borders
I’d love to hear from readers with the same experience and how they solved it so please email me.
Gardening web shop saves the day
Kilmurry Nurseries is located a few miles north of Gorey, Co Wexford. It’s the creation of Orla and Paul Woods and with 400 varieties of herbaceous perennials is probably one of the best stocked plant nurseries in the country.
Readers will know them from Bloom where they are stalwarts of the plant pavilion. Neither will forget 2020 in a hurry.
Kilmurry Nursery delivers plants right across the country.
“The year has been a blur and the shock of the closure took time to get to grips with. Within a week our ability to make a living just disappeared,” says Orla.
Not alone did they have their own stock but they were also scheduled to supply plants to many of the show gardens at Bloom along with all the stock they’d need for their own stand and the rare plant sales around the country.
To make matters worse, just two years ago the nursery was devastated with heavy snow and they lost two glasshouses, one of which was just back in action a week before
coronavirus hit.
Web shop
Luckily for them, their eldest daughter Hazel had joined the business after completing her horticulture degree. “Within a week Hazel had built a web shop and to be honest it’s what kept us afloat. We wouldn’t be in business without it. We’ve made deliveries from Valentia and the top of Donegal. Many people are working from home and now want colour in their gardens. They can see exactly what they are getting as we have photographs of every plant we stock.”
The plants are wrapped in corrugated cardboard and they have boxes to match each plant size.
Deliveries go out on a Tuesday and each box holds between eight to 15 plants and the delivery cost is €15 a box.
For more check out www.kilmurrynursery.com or call 053-9480 223. They are open from Tuesday to Saturday 9am-5pm with Tuesdays reserved for those vulnerable to COVID-19.
West country Manhattan Lights.
Deadhead everything in sight especially roses if you want them to keep flowering all summer long.
Cut back spent stems of geums and lupins and they should give a second flush of flowers.
Back in March our much loved family pet, Milly died. She was 14 and sort of a sheep dog but refused to have anything to do with our sheep. Instead she’d keep me company in the garden. Every time I’d look up there she’d be a few meters away and when I’d stand up to look at my handiwork she’d come and nuzzle my knee and I’d give her a rub.
Alstroemerias will flower for months to come.
After she died and I’d be in the garden, I’d get the feeling she was there but that was pure imagination. Disappointing none the less. Then a few weeks ago we got a five month old replacement and we’ve called her Meg.
I expected Meg would be flat out exploring her new territory and getting to know our other dog. I didn’t expect much attention from her. But lo and behold from the first time she saw me working in the garden she has chosen to give the yard and the sheep a miss and remain beside me. It’s the weirdest thing but I’m delighted to have company in the garden again.
There’s always something to look forward to in the garden. In spring it’s the snowdrops, in early summer it’s the peonies and at other times it’s the roses and hydrangeas. Two of my favourites here in the garden are the laburnum tree which flowers in June and the orange blossom which is another early summer favourite.
Both grow to a height of four to five meters and are usually festooned with blossom. The laburnum is covered in yellow tendrils that hide every leaf. The orange blossom has a mass of creamy white flowers with the most beautiful scent.
Heavy rain good for the roots but not so good for flowers
But not this year. Between them, they produced about enough blossom to fill a good sized vase. What a disappointment. Last year the laburnum was festooned with blossom and I reckon it’s now on a rest year. It looks perfectly healthy so I plan to feed it with potash and hope for the best.
As for the orange blossom it has been growing in the same place for generations and only once in my 34 years in Ballyanne has it failed to flower. It too looks healthy so a good feed is the medicine I will apply.
June in the garden: bedraggled looking borders
I’d love to hear from readers with the same experience and how they solved it so please email me.
Gardening web shop saves the day
Kilmurry Nurseries is located a few miles north of Gorey, Co Wexford. It’s the creation of Orla and Paul Woods and with 400 varieties of herbaceous perennials is probably one of the best stocked plant nurseries in the country.
Readers will know them from Bloom where they are stalwarts of the plant pavilion. Neither will forget 2020 in a hurry.
Kilmurry Nursery delivers plants right across the country.
“The year has been a blur and the shock of the closure took time to get to grips with. Within a week our ability to make a living just disappeared,” says Orla.
Not alone did they have their own stock but they were also scheduled to supply plants to many of the show gardens at Bloom along with all the stock they’d need for their own stand and the rare plant sales around the country.
To make matters worse, just two years ago the nursery was devastated with heavy snow and they lost two glasshouses, one of which was just back in action a week before
coronavirus hit.
Web shop
Luckily for them, their eldest daughter Hazel had joined the business after completing her horticulture degree. “Within a week Hazel had built a web shop and to be honest it’s what kept us afloat. We wouldn’t be in business without it. We’ve made deliveries from Valentia and the top of Donegal. Many people are working from home and now want colour in their gardens. They can see exactly what they are getting as we have photographs of every plant we stock.”
The plants are wrapped in corrugated cardboard and they have boxes to match each plant size.
Deliveries go out on a Tuesday and each box holds between eight to 15 plants and the delivery cost is €15 a box.
For more check out www.kilmurrynursery.com or call 053-9480 223. They are open from Tuesday to Saturday 9am-5pm with Tuesdays reserved for those vulnerable to COVID-19.
West country Manhattan Lights.
Deadhead everything in sight especially roses if you want them to keep flowering all summer long.
Cut back spent stems of geums and lupins and they should give a second flush of flowers.
Back in March our much loved family pet, Milly died. She was 14 and sort of a sheep dog but refused to have anything to do with our sheep. Instead she’d keep me company in the garden. Every time I’d look up there she’d be a few meters away and when I’d stand up to look at my handiwork she’d come and nuzzle my knee and I’d give her a rub.
Alstroemerias will flower for months to come.
After she died and I’d be in the garden, I’d get the feeling she was there but that was pure imagination. Disappointing none the less. Then a few weeks ago we got a five month old replacement and we’ve called her Meg.
I expected Meg would be flat out exploring her new territory and getting to know our other dog. I didn’t expect much attention from her. But lo and behold from the first time she saw me working in the garden she has chosen to give the yard and the sheep a miss and remain beside me. It’s the weirdest thing but I’m delighted to have company in the garden again.
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