munster club bonsai

We made it to another bonsai night in Cork. A few couldn't make it but we all did a little work (and some damage in my case) to our trees. Note to self; next time bring a smaller tree...

peter's juniper

piotr's taxus, marks JWP and crab apple

my pinus uncinata

under the ash tree

This ash tree beside the stream is a part of the original field that I naturally gravitate towards. It would be perfect for a grassy picnic place, for a raised deck, for a gazebo or some other such. I have ensured that the path network will run close by and I am carefully filling in the space around it so as not to spoil these possibilities.

under the ash tree

a little help

In the past few weeks I got a loan of a Kubota compact tractor, with backhoe & front loader, from my brother John. Luckily the weather has held up brilliantly and the garden was pretty much as dry as it ever will be (Certainly for the month of October). I managed to grade off the slope at the entrance, did some work around the pond area, dug out some hardcore at the entrance to prepare a planting area, extended the second path almost to the pond and a few other bits and pieces. A lot done, more to do as someone once said...

some regrading at the pond, moved a rock, now a possible seating area

a tricky sloped area graded ready to prepare for some willow or hazel

pinus strobus radiata

This dwarf white pine was a bargain at a county Galway garden centre, €25. It has a nice trunk and lovely soft needles so I planted it across the lawn in front of the pond, beside the path. It's ultimate size is a bit had to determine as the internet gives sizes ranging from 1.2m to 25m tall. I'll attempt to keep it pinched back closer to the former size estimate.

Pinus strobus 'Radiata'

oriental hawthorn

This oriental hawthorn fruited really well this year. Even since I took this photo the colour of the berries has deepened. I will wait until they are ready to fall and then collect them and try to grow them, although they will need stratification; always an unpredictable scenario.

Crataegus orientalis

garden in early october 2013

A short video from my phone.

pygmy shrew

While doing some levelling yesterday I noticed a small lump of soil hop around. On closer examination this tiny creature was hopping around the bare earth. Because the cat was lingering close by I decided to try and catch it, which turned out to be much easier that I expected. After a quick photo I released it to a thick sward of grass and weeds..

pygmy shrew  sorus minutus  dallog fhraoigh