Your gardening photos

dmcdona · 21-03-2026 08:03PM

Ladybird and a snail seems quite fond of the chamomile…

dmcdona · 21-03-2026 08:08PM

Organic Chamomile was the first to be planted in our new herb garden. 46 plants raised from seed (sown last September). Herself loves chamomile tea.

More herbs and a few flowers currently growing in the polytunnel so hoping to fill the herb garden fairly quickly.

Lavender around the edge is just waking up.

magicbastarder · 21-03-2026 08:23PM

that's quite a project!

dmcdona · 21-03-2026 08:42PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124330699#Comment_124330699

It's our percolation area so rather than just grass it over, the herb garden became a project. 24 triangular beds, 4 filled, 20 to go.

Grass would have been so much easier but this is a labour of love (and a lot of blood, sweat and tears).

The satisfaction of getting the first herbs in today was just immense. And it's been fabulous weather here in Galway the last few days.

When I first posted it, someone posted that it looks like a mini Versailles! I'll take that as a compliment every day of the week.

standardg60 · 21-03-2026 09:15PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124330760#Comment_124330760

Did you trim the Lavender after the debate at all?

dmcdona · 21-03-2026 09:24PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124330858#Comment_124330858

Yes - I was going to do some last autumn and some in February. I ended up just doing it all in Feb. I'd read an RHS piece that suggested early spring - the old growth seemingly providing some frost protection.

I cut it back by about 30/40%. I also took some cuttings a month or so ago ( we list about five plants - something had a go at their roots in the pots I think). I don't think they're dead but there's not a lot happening with them in the tunnel. Sure, I can take more as the planted ones grow on.

This will only be their first full season (planted last September - new plants, no wood). So I'll have a think about when to trim them at the end of this season. Assuming I get good growth this year of course.

looksee · 21-03-2026 09:31PM

In that case you could de-leaf it a bit more enthusiastically. Try not to cut off new buds but removing leaves will give it a better chance of survival.

Sorry, this was referring to the Red Robin.

standardg60 · 21-03-2026 09:41PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124330893#Comment_124330893

I'd normally completely agree about trimming when moving a plant, but in this case given it's already in the ground six weeks and budding I'd tend to leave it alone. Trimming now could place more stress on it.

looksee · 21-03-2026 09:42PM

Oh right, I missed that, I thought it was just moved.

Mr.Wemmick · 22-03-2026 06:10AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124319934#Comment_124319934

Over the years, I’ve never had a poisoning issue. I have a pair of gloves on me at all times. The only problem I have is breathing in pollen, insects, dirt/compost etc. I don’t have hay fever or allergies, but some years I’ve ended up with sinus issues not long lasting but unpleasant all the same. I try never to do garden jobs on windy days and the left-over masks from covid come in handy when sieving soil, or using rooting powder on cuttings or new planting.

looksee · 29-03-2026 08:19PM

A little patch of spring flowers (top) fritillarias, primroses and cowslips (and some hybrids) with the remains of the snowdrops in the background and some bluebells coming along on the right. Bottom pic, dogwood and daffs with a magnolia in the background.

dmcdona · 29-03-2026 08:32PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124349708#Comment_124349708

Very natural looking garden - I really like those steps. I'd imagine you're a bit careful on a wet day though…

Hobby farmer · 29-03-2026 08:55PM

I'd love to achieve that woodland look. Beautiful garden!

looksee · 29-03-2026 10:03PM

The steps have been there for 20-odd years and are safer than they look as the surface is rough gravel behind the blocks. They are very rough and ready, and you don't really need to use them, but they are the view from my kitchen window and I really like to see them.

The Continental Op · 31-03-2026 03:27PM

Fritillaria in grass, works well. The area is also marked out with snowdrops which being much earlier mark out the ground. Normally cut that around the 2nd week in June.

looksee · 31-03-2026 04:34PM

You are a bit ahead of me with the fritillaria! I have two (where I planted maybe 10) and about another 5 or 6 in pots to go out. This is still more than I have ever managed to grow before, though not in this garden, the ground seems to like bulbs here.

standardg60 · 31-03-2026 04:42PM

Owners of demesnes should be forced to have their own thread, I'm feeling very inadequate just having a 'garden'😁.

looksee · 31-03-2026 04:46PM

Ah, but putting up photos of bits of your acre its easy to be selective (not getting at TCO, I have that kind of area) and ignore the bits that need mowing or weeding or looking abandoned! 😋

The Continental Op · 31-03-2026 05:29PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124353697#Comment_124353697

I have a couple of groups of them thats the biggest one. I planted something like 200 bulbs some 20 years ago. Probably 50 planted in that spot. One other group survived well but others fizzled out.

I'm always looking for new bulbs to plant in the grass. I have a good few colchicum but only the common pink one does well. Then there are also lilies (some do OK in grass) and I am trying Camassia which is doing OK but not in an ideal location. I keep blue bells out apart from where they grow wild up the river bank.

Then there are always plenty of Snowdrops and small daffodils like Tete a Tete.

I'd love to try and naturalise anemones and spp crocus but the grass is to course for them to survive.

This autumn I plan to add a load more bulbs and Narcissus 'Cheerfulness' is top of my list as it does well in grass and Narcissus pseudonarcissus subsp. pseudonarcissus is another good one to naturalise. Cheefulness is the only tall daffodil I like in grass as they still look somewhat natural. Tall yellow narsissus in grass to my mind don't look natural especially against other smaller bulbs.

The Continental Op · 31-03-2026 05:33PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124353721#Comment_124353721

Only about an acre of actual garden. Another acre if you include the yard, the barn, the local bridge (yeah its on our land registry map) half the river and a lot of the councils road.

Really hoping to buy another few acres from a neighbor who doesn't want the land but you know what the Irish are when it comes to land :-)

Cody montana · 02-04-2026 01:57PM

Saw an add in adverts a month ago regarding garden clear out.

Collected a few pots of miscellaneous plants .
Found out the woman that owned the pots passed before Christmas and they were clearing out her house.

It’s in full bloom now.

All our plants and trees will be lasting memories of us.

The Continental Op · 02-04-2026 02:14PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124353721#Comment_124353721

The other side of owning a demesne….

Thats nearing the end of 4 days work cutting down an overgrown fushia hedge - don't worry it will grow back it always does. I've still got all the ivy to pull out and as you can see the veg plot is a disaster area.

This was it in the summer two years ago

At that stage it was about 20 years old and had been cut back hard 3 times already.

For anyone with a really large garden the chipper (orange and rust first pic) is highly recommended but note its no go for clippings its a chipper than only works well with lengths of woody stem fed into it - willow, cornus, hazel and of course fushia. It would just choke on fushia if it was cut with a hedge trimmer. Also stones will totally kill it so you cannot feed it sweepings up. This is the same one https://ige.ie/hyundai-196cc-60mm-petrol-garden-wood-chipper-shredder-4-stroke-engine

standardg60 · 02-04-2026 02:49PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124358505#Comment_124358505

Oh no issue with giving a fuchsia a good butchering here!

Is that blackthorn in the background? Blackthorn are looking fabulous this year.

The Continental Op · 02-04-2026 03:00PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124358630#Comment_124358630

Yep lots of blackthorn. Great on the uncultivated slopes of the valley but a total pain in the garden. I've waged war with 2 clumps of it so far this year and have another I must do which grows out into the road if left. There is quite an area in the garden I'm slowly attacking not because I don't like it but because it comes up in the flower beds if left.

dmcdona · 02-04-2026 06:12PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124358630#Comment_124358630

ours only just blossomed - but what a sight.

dmcdona · 02-04-2026 06:17PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124358432#Comment_124358432

Just before my Dad passed about 10 years ago, he bought an Acer. It's done a bit of travelling the last few years but it's now settled here in Galway the last couple of years.

He was an amazing Gardener - he even got some existing Mistletoe in his garden to thrive…

But yes, you're so right. I can imagine you thanking that lady for the opportunity every time you pass that pot.

Your gardening photos

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