About Mominthegarden

I'm an American enjoying life in Ireland. I live in the country with my family. It is so beautiful here! I've been creating our garden from "scratch" and having fun doing it! I blog about my gardening adventures, and a bit about Ireland, too.

Cormac’s Garden: The creating and naming of a flower bed

Posted on June 7, 2016 by Mominthegarden

in the beginning…

I love gardening. What a surprise, huh? I really look forward to the different seasons and watching as everything changes. Every year it is all new again, even though of course it is not new at all. It is even more fun when adding new plants to beds and seeing how they grow, change, and add to the atmosphere of the garden!

further along in spring…

It is fun to make new flower beds. Hmmm, I think I have to re-phrase that. It is fun to plant new plants and shrubs in a new flower bed! The making of a new bed is actually a good bit of work! I don’t use chemicals, so the first step involves covering the grass with newspapers, then covering with cardboard and then stones on top to hold down the cardboard.

Raspberry Ice Fusion Hyacinth adding some color to the bed

I don’t have a picture from the very start of this bed, but I’m sure you probably have a “lovely” picture in your head of what that would look like. A few months later, after the grass is dead, I (read: me and/or anyone I can get to help with this job) have to fork up the grass and turn it over. After the soil is left to dry, the dead grassy bits are easy enough to shake free of soil and add to the compost heap. Then the soil is forked over again to make sure there isn’t any stubborn grass!

spring time

Have you gathered the gist? It is a lot of work. But I think it is worth the work to avoid using chemicals. This bed has been named “Cormac’s Garden” because my son Cormac spent quite a lot of time forking over the soil.

The lilacs’ flowers and leaves are adding a bit of life to the bed, and a new hellebore (‘SP Frilly Isabelle’) was planted.

The hyacinth were added this past fall. I really liked the two different shades of pink which were offset with white.

bright colors for the start of spring (Raspberry Ice Fusion hyacinth)

a deeper color pink (my favorite)

My son is 17 and jokes that all of the beds should be called ‘Cormac’s garden’ as he is often roped into helping out. Let’s just stick with this one for now…

columbine blooming in May

The bed has: hosta, bearded iris, hellebore, Dutch Iris, columbine, lilac

The bed has: hosta, bearded iris, hellebore, Siberian Iris, columbine, lilac

I added one more lilac shrub this year, to the 3 already there. Yeah, I went a bit lilac crazy, but I love their scent!

Syringa vulgaris ‘Andenken an Ludwig Spath’ (my favorite!)

Iris & ‘Charles Joly’ Lilac

I planted some Siberian Iris last year. They apparently are quite happy in this soil because they look spectacular this year (says she quite humbly!).

Siberian iris

I have those same iris in another part of the garden and they don’t look half as nice as these here. Amazing how different the soil composition can be even in the same yard.

a single allium of three which were planted…

It has been fun watching the bed fill out. I liked how it started with shades of pink, and is now filled with different shades of purple. I’ll have to think about what colors to add for the fall. Oh, and I am at it again! I decided that the bed isn’t wide enough!

Hosta at the front, and a look at what it looks like while I kill the grass to widen the bed.

here we go again!

Having something new to look forward to in the following season is the best part of gardening! Don’t you think?

Here’s to new beginnings!

In peace,
Dana

Taking a moment to SIT in the garden

Posted on June 1, 2016 by Mominthegarden

Are you like me and constantly on the go? I mean I am constantly on a schedule. There is just so much to plan and do and enjoy…

Running out of time, Running late, Running on time, or Running out of time: Which is it for you?

I love this clock which I saw in Glasgow. “Go! Go! Go!”

But every once in a while, usually dictated by my body shouting that it has had enough, it is necessary to recharge.

Views in the garden today

Today was that day for me. Life has been pretty full for us lately, all good, but it has me rather run down. I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to rest today, and really enjoy my garden (after a few chores, of course!).

Hawthorn tree in full bloom

What I really wanted today was a nap; but between the sunshine, and the neighbouring farmer working his field, that was just not happening. So I did a few jobs that have been on my list:

Turned over a new flower bed.

new flower bed

Turned over the compost.

Compost looking pretty good

Marked with stones the hyacinth before they fade away.

Pink & White Hyacinth from early spring

Same garden, but the pink hyacinth are replaced by purple flowers.

Same garden, but the pink hyacinth are mostly gone and now it is a purple garden with lilacs, allium, Columbine, and Iris.

After those jobs were done, then I sat in the grass and watched, and listened, and simply enjoyed the garden.

view in the garden toward one of our cherry trees

view of our “messy” garden that will hopefully be cleaned up this summer… You can see some orange California poppies

allium garden (*great* year for allium this year, following last year’s poor show…)

Blue Tit bird feeding babies in the basketball hoop pipe…

Wow, what a feeling that was. It was kinda strange because I really and truly have a hard time sitting and relaxing. The weather was definitely a huge help. We have had very sunny, warm and simply perfect days.

The bees were busy but hopefully also enjoying the good weather!

I hope that you are able to take some time out to enjoy all that is around you, too.

In peace,
Dana

Wordless (& not so) Wildlife Wednesday – Country Cows

Posted on May 18, 2016 by Mominthegarden

I see you

I love living in the country with lots of farmland and farm animals all around us. My sister-in-law and her husband live on a dairy farm not far from us. I took these pictures on a recent visit. The weather wasn’t great, but no matter as we were in good company.

cow with gorse behind the fence

I really do like seeing the cows. They seem pretty curious with me, too. 🙂 The orange/yellow shrub behind the fence, and in the distance of the pic below, is gorse. It is quite striking at this time of year.

what a profile 🙂

a rustic feel to the birdhouse too

raindrops on the flower

In looking at these photos I could almost feel the mist and rain again!

Happy Wednesday!

In peace,
Dana

Wordless Wednesday – Wildlife Wednesday: Butterflies

Posted on May 11, 2016 by Mominthegarden

the outside is white and orange (Orange-Tip Anthocharis cardamines)

It is Wednesday already! How time flies! Speaking of flying … the butterfly in the picture above spent ages flying around my front yard, with me following. There were so many plants it could have landed on, yet it continued to flitter and flutter about, with me following behind! Eventually it did land and click away with my camera did I. It is perched on a dead daffodil, but at least the sunlight was lovely. Pity I couldn’t get a picture of the outside of the wings as they were a pretty white and orange. That is what caught my eye in the first place. I haven’t seen one of these in my yard before.

Just two butterflies … (Green-veined White [Pieris napi])

Hmm, I never saw two butterflies like this before. Let’s just leave it at that…

Peacock butterfly

This lovely peacock butterfly was not in my garden, but in the Bay Garden in Wexford. I haven’t seen one in my garden just yet this season, but I usually do over the course of the summer.

Just a quick, “wordless” post tonight! I hope you all are well and enjoying some nice spring weather!

In peace,
Dana

Life is too short – plant those flowers

Posted on May 10, 2016 by Mominthegarden

Blushing Lady tulip

Life is too short so Plant flowers? Pardon me? Here is where I’m coming from: I know of way too many cases of terminal illnesses, or extremely serious illnesses, or instances of hardship. It is heartbreaking, and can really get me down.

early in the tulip season, right after some rain

Are flowers the answer to all of that heartache? No, they aren’t. But they can be a peaceful and beautiful diversion.

they are works of art to me

fully opened parrot tulip

I think it is important to do things that make us happy, bring us joy, or simply make us smile.

burgundy colored tulips (I am getting quite the collection of colors!)

Why not do something simple that brings such nice returns? You’d be surprised how just seeing flowers can improve your mood. Last year I posted on my facebook page some pictures of flowers which my neighbor grows in her “roadside garden”.

Flowers from a roadside garden near my home

They are so lovely to see. It seems I am always in a hurry and have too much on my mind yet when I see those flowers I just “stop” and enjoy that moment of beauty.

sure if you’re gonna stop and take pictures you’d might as well say hello to the animals too! 😉

For all of those people who are suffering in any way, I pray for you to find peace. May we all find ways to help those around us who might need that extra bit of kindness.

a little bit of sunshine opens up the flowers

I think I’ll do my part in planting more flowers, too, to hopefully bring more beauty in the world.

Flowers from my neighbor’s roadside garden

With warm regards,
Dana

Wordless Wednesday: Asparagus

Posted on May 4, 2016 by Mominthegarden

Asparagus growing straight up

It is “Wordless Wednesday” again! This first picture got a bunch of likes on my Mom in the Garden facebook page so I thought I’d share it here on the blog. Despite my neglecting my asparagus bed, the wonderful spears pushed through the weeds and are standing nice and straight.

here’s another color

The weed that took over the bed is a pain to dig out. One or two asparagus might have been lost in the process. But most of the bed is clear now.

ladybird / ladybug

These two little critters kept me company while I was weeding. At home we call them ladybugs. Here in Ireland they call them ladybirds. 🙂 Two things I usually have with me in the garden are also in the picture: my phone (for the alarm to let me know when I have to come in from the garden) and a water-bottle.

a not so perfect Asparagus bed

I’ve left most of the old stalks to let me know where the new plants should be coming up. We can’t wait to start eating them!

Happy Wordless Wednesday 🙂
Dana

Wordless Wednesday: A memory trigger Tulip

Posted on April 27, 2016 by Mominthegarden

Blushing Lady tulip

First I must start with clarifying that “Wordless Wednesday” for me means a blog post with very “light” content! 🙂 Now, on to the topic at hand… Do you know what I mean by “A memory trigger”? Something that brings back memories: Scents can often be memory triggers, or a song, or even a flower.

Blushing Lady tulip

I started gardening when we moved into our first house, in New York. I didn’t spend a lot of time in the garden, though, because I had three babies and never enough energy, not to mention time. One type of flower I did plant, though, was a variety of this Blushing Lady tulip. The only difference is that the original variety had a lovely scent.

Blushing Lady tulips next to our play house

I try really hard not to impulse buy with plants, but I saw a bag of these Blushing Lady bulbs in the store last year and that was it. I just had to have them. For me, they brought me right back to my days of having babies and carefree days playing in the yard with them. My oldest child is turning 18 this summer!

creating a bed just for them

I’ve been wanting to create some flower beds around our play house and this was a perfect incentive to get the job started. I like the pink & yellow tulips with the playhouse background. I like the pink & yellow tulips full-stop! I’m not really sure what is going to be planted with them. I’m sure something will present itself!

Do you have any plant memory triggers?

In peace,
Dana

Wordless Wednesday: Betty’s quilt

Posted on April 13, 2016 by Mominthegarden

Betty’s quilt

Last week’s Wordless Wednesday featured a picture in my friend Susan’s kitchen. This week I am featuring a picture from my friend Betty’s kitchen. I wonder if this is going to be a new trend? 🙂

I’m really failing on this “Wordless” part because I must tell you about how wonderful Betty, and her husband Harold, are! I took this picture in their kitchen last summer when I had the pleasure of visiting them. They were our next door neighbors for ten years when we lived in Central New York. Their house is filled with so many neat antiques. They are both 87 years young and still doing the things they love to do, like gardening, quilting and painting!

Simply amazing

Betty made this quilt and I think it is so beautiful! Just looking at it makes me smile and think of how much we enjoyed being their neighbors and having an “extra set” of grandparents right next door.

Capture the moment, share the love, and cherish the memories.

In peace,
Dana

Wordless Wednesday: Colors in the Kitchen

Posted on April 6, 2016 by Mominthegarden

Colors in the Kitchen

Not my kitchen, but a dear friend’s kitchen. Gorgeous pottery, sweet daffodils, delicious fruit; What more could you want for a colorful picture? … and the visit with my friends was even nicer than this picture.

Cherish your special friends. 🙂

In peace,
Dana

Doing what makes you happy

Posted on April 3, 2016 by Mominthegarden

bouquet of daffodils (no flash)

Oh my goodness gracious me! I am in need of slowing down and taking some nice deep breaths! Phew! Life is going way too fast for me. Anyone else feel that way?

Narcissi Blazing Starlet

I returned to the outside workforce about 18 months ago after being a stay-at-home mom for 16 years. I absolutely love working, but boy it can be tough trying to do it all!

Ice King (carnation like daffodils). You can see the raindrops on the flowers!

There are times I find myself completely out of breath just *thinking* about all that my husband and I do for our family. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t change a thing! It sure does make time all the more precious though.

six different varieties

My garden is my place of peace and where I “catch my breath”. I love working in the garden and seeing how it changes from season to season and year to year. Mostly, though, I love flowers. 🙂

nameless daffodil (read: I can’t find the name of it!) with tiny white specs on the tips of each petal.

There was a lot of rain today. It takes more than just rain to stop me from gardening, so out into the garden I went to weed … until my fingers were too wet and too cold to do anymore. THEN I cut some flowers to bring inside, cause that just makes me smile.

a rather gray day…

I went around the yard and cut five stems here, five there, and a few stragglers more there. That is all it takes.

using the flash

It’s the first time I have used my new pottery vase. Dunbeacon Pottery is made in West Cork, and I bought this vase at the RDS in Dublin this past December at a Craft fair. You can checkout Dunbeacon Pottery here: http://irishdesignshop.com/collections/dunbeacon-pottery I love supporting crafters! I really like the colors that this artist used. I have a much larger vase and a wee vase that match this one. (’cause why buy one when you can get three?)

full view (no flash)

I was really trying to use natural light which was hard to do with it being so gray outside. So I put the flowers on a step stool near a window. This intrigued my cat to come and investigate what I was doing.

Kitty smells the flowers

I have to say that most of these daffodils are fragrant, but it was funny to see the cat go over to them to have a smell!

I think I’ll sit here in front of these pretty flowers that mom is taking pictures of…

She is a very good cat and a well loved member of our family. She, I think, also enjoys being in the garden with me while I work! Here’s a look at some of the daffodils out in the yard.

Ice King daffodils in April sunset

Narcissi blazing starlet in the ditch-wall garden

But sometimes, I’d just prefer to have them inside with me.

just another angle

I hope that you are able to slow down, breathe deeply, and enjoy what makes you smile in life… at least for a little bit, every now and again.

In peace,
Dana

Mom in the Garden

Enjoying life. In Ireland. With my family.

Author Archives: Mominthegarden

About Mominthegarden

Cormac’s Garden: The creating and naming of a flower bed

Taking a moment to SIT in the garden

Wordless (& not so) Wildlife Wednesday – Country Cows

Wordless Wednesday – Wildlife Wednesday: Butterflies

Life is too short – plant those flowers

Wordless Wednesday: Asparagus

Wordless Wednesday: A memory trigger Tulip

Wordless Wednesday: Betty’s quilt

Wordless Wednesday: Colors in the Kitchen

Doing what makes you happy