Softening the Hardscapes

Here in Ireland, most houses have concrete or stone footpaths surrounding the houses. I came from dry, hot Texas where damp is not a common problem, so I was accustomed to flower beds against the house. Not to worry, my solution for our 120 year old cottage was to add loads of potted plants and window boxes for a soft, natural, colourful effect!

  

Feed me, Seymour!!

I've been growing hops for a few years now, but this year is a bit different. I've got my usual plants growing up an arch in my back garden--

But this summer I have another hops plant in my new greenhouse. What a difference! This plant is so lush and full, and it's spreading all over the greenhouse. I'm reminded of the man eating plant in "Little Shop of Horrors" that sings, "Feed me, Seymour!!"

I can't wait to harvest this vine once the hops comes are formed. I don't make beer, but I do love the hops garlands that decorate pubs and cottages in the south of England. 

I'll post an update when this vine is ready for harvest!

Dont Throw it Out!

UPDATE-- The finished look.

Here is the BEFORE pics--

 You can call me crazy. It wouldn't be the first time. I just look at things differently than most people, as my hubby Seamus can tell you! 😁 

Anyway, I have always looked for ways to re-use things, years before it was popular. I LOVE seeing something serving a purpose that it was never meant to do. 

Having said that, I am ABSOLUTELY and UNAPOLOGETICALLY putting this piece in my new greenhouse! Crazy, because we all know that wood furniture doesn't fare well in damp places. But I love doing it anyway, and here is why.  Pieces like this have often been gifted to me or I've bought them and then determined that it's too far gone to restore or upcycle. But it's just too lovely to throw out!

This piece is weathered, worn,and missing moulding and veneer from years of being in a shed before it was given to us. If the damp is eventually going to take it anyway, why not let it happen in a place where the traces of its former beauty can be appreciated? 

Today I found it had a secret drawer, full of old Christmas cards, recipes and trinkets. Someone once loved it enough to keep their mementos in it. I love to imagine the history behind it, and I'm going to love all its imperfections as much as the original owner loved it in it's perfect condition. 

So yes, it's going in the greenhouse. Because it's quirky and unexpected. Because I'm  quirky and unexpected! 😂

More pictures to follow soon!

A Blast from the Past

In the five years we have lived at Moonlight Cottage, I’ve often researched the history of our area and the family that built our home.

 A nearby neighbour was very helpful in providing the name Ben Carter, as was one of the senior road bowlers who pass by on Sunday afternoons. This man told me that he went to school with a little girl who lived here. I also learned from him that the father was a basket maker and always had many baskets about the property. 

In the garden, I’ve also dug up (literally!) little clues to what life was like here so many years ago. Buttons, bottles and bits of pottery are uncovered nearly every time I plant a new shrub or rose bush. 

I recently joined a local genealogy group and asked if anyone could recommend a source for me to find information about our property and it’s previous occupants. Instead, what I got were many first-hand accounts of the man who lived here and his family. 

I’m still in disbelief as to how fast these stories came to me. This is social media at its productive best! My favourite stories were the ones about the Moses baskets that Mr. Carter made for newborns. One local told me that the willow trees that supplied the limbs for the craftsman were grown at the back of the property. 

That particular story was a real “connect-the-dots” moment for me. Three years ago, we lost that huge spruce tree, then a huge, nearby Leylandii a few months later during storm Ophelia. What we discovered  afterward was a line of small trees that had been smothered out by the mammoth trees for years before they came down. We’ve enjoyed seeing these trees start to thrive again, but haven’t given them much thought until recently. While weeding one day, I noticed a number of suckers coming up from the ground. Only then did I take note of the type of trees which were uncovered after the storms - WILLOWS!!!

These must surely have been planted by Ben Carter, the basket maker and former owner of Moonlight Cottage. 

Another historical bit I learned was in regard to Michael Fitzgerald, Ballyoran’s most famous son. An Irish Republican, Mick Fitzgerald died 100 years ago after a 67 day hunger strike in Cork Gaol. His sister was the mother of Benjamin Carter, our resident basket maker!

Michael Fitzgerald 

Going out in a Blaze of Glory

Here in the Co. Cork countryside, summer has been winding down over the past few weeks to make way for another beautiful autumn. Blooms are making a dramatic last stand before relinquishing the spotlight to the yellows and oranges of the new season, and we are loving the show!

Here’s a few of my potted plants currently adorning the potting bench—

This is a fresh batch of “Mind Your Own Business”

One can never have too many Hydrangeas!

The sweet smell of Gardenia. 

Beyond the bench is the tree throne & weeping willow

 

My first attempt at Morning Glories has been glorious!

Geraniums and climbers to beautify the “ugly shed”

Here’s a few “volunteers” that have popped up this year.  Gotta love bonus plants!

Waiting in the wings are the ripening pumpkins. This year I’ve added a few new varieties since we expanded our patch. We’ve got white pumpkins and mini pumpkins in addition to the traditional orange beauties.  Here is their progress so far —

You can be sure we’ll have more pumpkin updates in the weeks to come, so stay tuned!

Mind Your Own Business

I recently was introduced to this fascinating little plant that packs  a powerful punch! Also called Baby Tears, but here in Ireland it’s known by this sassy name. In fact, I  had an exchange with a woman on a gardening page who thought I was being cheeky  when I answered the question, “What is a plant you’re currently growing that is hard to find?”  I commented with, “Mind Your Own Business”, and she called me rude. When I tried to clarify, this was the conversation that followed -

Me:  It’s a plant - Mind Your Own Business 

Her:  It is my business. We are both on this page. 

Me:  But do you understand that the name of this plant is actually “Mind Your Own Business“?

Her:  I did not. My apologies. 

I  had read that it makes a good ground cover, so I purchased a single plant and divided into 16 small plugs. We shall see if this troublemaker is a good alternative lawn for the roadside grass. More photos

 to follow!

No Fake Flowers - Ever?

There’s an unspoken rule among gardeners that says NO ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS EVER. 

And as a gardener, I have extreme disdain for fake flowers, vines or greenery of any kind. You will never find a single artificial arrangement in my home. I use fresh and dried flowers only, and when there’s a lack of either of these, I wait. 

The whole botanical experience for me is so much more than visual. I’m as addicted to the smells and feel of all I grow as I am to the look of them. For me, anything that’s not real just drastically cheapens the effect. 

That being said, I’ve broken my own rule with THIS. 

I have a pair of these that I put out each summer in front of the cottage. They are so OBVIOUSLY artificial that they make my head spin. And yet, here they are. 

First, let me explain. I intended to hang lush baskets here, filled with petunias, trailing lobelia, and geraniums. In fact, that is what I did. But I soon learned that those baskets, when wet, get so heavy that they threatened to pull the brackets AND the cladding off the wall. So somewhere in the search for a quick replacement, I found these totally fake purple orbs. 

Maybe I’m being too hard on myself, but I feel like such a hypocrite, yet not enough to take them down. And I hate myself for liking them!

I keep waiting for someone to drive by and shout, “Those aren’t REAL!!!”