bonsai 2012

Some of these trees will hopefully become bonsai some day. All have been more or less neglected up to last season, while this year they were all fairly well minded; fed, watered well and some light pruning. Next spring, I hope to re-pot into a superior compost and begin to style and wire in a systematic manner.

Berberis thunbergii 'Atropurpurea'

Cryptomeria japonica

Cryptomeria japonica

Picea

Fraxinus excelsior

Carpinus betulus

Crataegus monogyna

Buxus sempervirens

Berberis thunbergii 'Atropurpurea Nana'

Buxus sempervirens

Juniperus

Carpinus betulus

Berberis x stenophylla 'Irwinii'

Buxus sempervirens

Fagus sylvatica

Picea

Cotoneaster horizonatalis

Fagus sylvatica 'Atropurpurea'

Sorbus aucuparia

Prunus spinosa

Fagus sylvatica

Corylus avellana

Crataegus monogyna

Buxus sempervirens

Pinus sylvestris

devil's coachman

I came across this guy in the glasshouse today. It looks nasty and apparently can give a nasty bite. It is known as the deargadaol in Irish, literally the devil's beast, and it looks the part.

autumn colour

The weather is getting colder and autumn is here.

Japanese Maple

planted some more trees

I got a chance in the last couple of weeks (between the showers) to plant some more trees. The soil is a bit weedy and rough but I'd prefer to get them into the ground.

Pnus nigra - Austrian Pine

Salix babylonica - Weeping Willow

Craetaegus orientalis - Oriental Hawthorn

Acer palmatum - Japanese Maple

Salix Contorta - Twisted Willows

blue

It was a lousy summer, the wettest on record. The only colour to describe it was blue...

cornflower

agapanthus

hydrangea

sedum

These are in bloom at the moment, a plant I used to not like at all, but it's tough, easy to grow and has great late summer colour.

newts

While working today on some euonymus liners I came across this little chap. As far as I can tell it's a newt. I seem to come across them in the same damp patch in the glasshouse each year at this time. This time I had my camera...

I didn't see it until I was clearing away weeds

Unlike a frog, it didn't seem bothered about escaping.

It looks almost snake-like (apart from the legs)

It looks ready to sprint away, but no.

Shortly after in the same batch of plants, was found this much larger one.

This second one was obviously more mature and much darker in colour.

dragonfly

Last week we had some sunshine and I saw a few of these. Ran to get the camera and this obliging fella allowed me take some snaps;

When I disturbed it, it just kept coming back to the same place.

Even though the pics are darkish, there was some good sunshine.

I've seen a larger bright blue one go by a few times, but it's much more elusive.

yamadori?

I came across these pines (quite a few) and birches (thousands) recently in an area of cut-away bog and thought about the possibility of collecting a few and trying to transform them into some bonsai. I'd be confident that the birch will survive fairly easily, a bit less so with the pines. The other important thing is whether their shape will allow for a bonsai to be developed. Luckily I have a fair while before I can actually dig up anything, and there's a few hundred acres of ground like this to be explored. So a lot of internet homework to be done...

brich, fairly thick base

small pine

a bit tall, but maybe

nice branching I think

small and bushy

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