bunratty folk park

Bunratty Folk Park is a collection of vernacular houses from around Ireland. It aims to give a sense of life from the 1800's into the early 1900's. Most are furnished as they would have been. There are some gardens and fields recreated. It also has some animals including these deer.

first plantings

Despite the grades still being quite rough, I have some areas at a point where I can begin to plant. I've put in several birch very close in clusters of three or four. They have been pre-pruned to make them as bushy as possible and I hope they will have branches as low to the ground as they can. Also a Hazel and some dwarf Pines. It's late in the summer to expect any growth but it's good to start the autumn planting early.

Betula pubescens planted in threes

Pinus sylvestris

Corylus avellana 'Fusco-Rubra'

Pinus strobus 'Minima'

work during august

During August I did a little more work on the garden. Mainly I was regrading and re-contouring the soil. Unfortunately the weather continued extremely wet. The water table is high in any case, but the soil gets very sticky when it's as wet as it was this summer. It made progress difficult as I couldn't really track on the same area for too long. I would have liked to hardcore more of the paths, but perhaps the winter will be drier.

got a 7 ton machine this time

hard to see what was done, but a lot of re-contouring and rough grading

took away the steep edges to the stream, and widened in places

created the first seating area in the garden

add another layer of gravel to some of the paths

irish seed savers open day

I recently attended an open day at the Irish Seed Savers garden near Scariff, County Clare.(http://www.irishseedsavers.ie/) They specialize in collecting and propagating a range of traditional apple varieties. They also grow and save seed from a large range of heritage vegetable varieties. They have a green and organic outlook and a big emphasis on sharing information. 

apple varieties

cob house with green roof 

some of the potato varieties

tunnel with onions setting seed

lough boora parklands

Lough Boora Parklands is situated in County Offaly.

It is a large area of cut-away bog (ie peatland which has most of it's
commercial peat harvested and already used to generate electricity)

It is vast, flat and open to sun, wind and rain.

A section has been developed as an outdoor sculpture park.

Various artists have created outdoor works utilizing old industrial materials
from the industrial harvesting of peat over a fifty year period

Indigenous materials such as bog oak have also been used

for more; http://www.loughbooraparklands.com/

flowers

Despite having little or no planting done, there are some flowers in the garden now.

Phacelia Green Manure

Some Green Manure Mustard gone to flower.

mother pheasant

A mother pheasant and some chicks wandered into the garden last evening. I grabbed my camera and tried to sneak towards them to get some snaps. As I approached, the chicks disappeared, but the mother stayed to protect her young..

She wouldn't run away and showed no fear.

Some squawking and hissing followed, and some flapping of wings
as she ran towards and away from me.

Barely visible are the chicks.

As I went away she kept a watchful eye on me.