Category Archives: Gardening

All the feels of January

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Hello! How has your January been? I have to say that January is not my favorite month. I’m thankful that we have a tiny bit more daylight every day, and that we’ve had some beautiful sunrises on days that we’ve even had quite a bit of sunshine (today’s feature image with a pink sky is during one of those lovely sunrises). But we’ve also had stormy weather, and very cold weather. So I am taking heed, and having a tiny break from gardening. I did buy a bunch of seeds, though, which makes me very happy! It was one stop shopping this year, as Irish Plants Direct had everything I was looking for. No new surprises here, as I’ll be planting: Coleus, Baby Bear pumpkin seeds, Sunflower seeds (various varieties), Sweet Pea, and Marigold.

I’ve had fun photographing my very dead sunflowers in the garden. The freezing weather gives them a certain charm, or intrigue. There certainly are a lot that are still standing. My garden is playing it coy, with only tiny bits of color here and there. I’m hoping that will change in the next couple of weeks.

In the meantime, I am trying to keep a positive attitude! I hope you are, too. 🙂

In Peace,
Dana

Collage of frozen images from the garden: sunflower, prim-rose, rudbeckia, ornamental grass, hellebore, pittosporum, and contorted hazel.

Top row from left: Sunflower, Primrose, Rudbeckia – only half frozen as the morning sunlight has melted the fronts.
Second row from left: Ornamental grass, Helleborus Aspen High, Corylus avellana ‘Twister’ – also known as corkscrew hazel (mine grows out, instead of up!).
Third row from left: Pittosporum (Tom Thumb), Sunflowers, Corylus avellana ‘Twister’.

2023 Reflections + My Word for 2024

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Hi there! Well here we are, on New Year’s Eve, reflecting on the past twelve months. I’ve enjoyed watching on Instagram other people’s reels of their favorite moments from the past year. I had a very difficult time, myself, limiting my pictures to create a ‘year in review’ reel. My garden produced so many beautiful flowers this year! It was an absolute joy to tend to them.

If I had picked a Word for 2023, it would have been ‘Create’. With two large crochet blankets, a crochet sweater, a few wreaths and so many floral arrangements, I was able to use my creative energy in so many ways! It was such a fun year for creating.

Following on from Páraig’s post on The Three Hairs, I’m going to pick a word for 2024. It’s the same word that Páraig picked, actually: Purpose. Between a church sermon, a book, a tv series, and a blog post, too many sources were trying to teach me about the importance of purpose to ignore it.

For me, I’ll be focusing on doing everything with purpose. I’m going to work on eliminating ‘going through the motions’ and instead, concentrate on being present – especially with repetitive tasks.

Of course, there is the task of finding my purpose. That’s possibly a big task, but I think my purpose is to serve in small ways. My (or your) purpose doesn’t have to be to solve the world’s problems, but could be to bring joy to the world in the little things that we do. We’ll see how my journey goes. 🙂

collage from 2023: Gardening pal Susan, Traveling with husband Páraic, two crochet blankets, roses from the garden, crochet sweater, meeting with family, a dried floral wreath and biking with my husband.

I truly have had so many wonderful moments this year. I really enjoyed visiting with family and friends. I have one friend in particular with whom we love traveling to gardens together. My husband and I continue to travel and explore new places. And I’ve enjoyed lots of biking this year, especially with my husband.

It’s not always sunny, the flowers don’t always grow and sometimes the bike rides are really hard. But it’s important to remember that ‘this too shall pass’ – sometimes quickly and sometimes not so quickly. I’m grateful to have learned to be patient in this regard.

I’m thankful to be celebrating another New Year’s Eve! I wish you and your loved ones the very best for 2024. May all of our dreams come true! ❤️

In Peace,
Dana

A pause from the hustle and bustle

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Hi there! December is a wonderfully busy month, with writing Christmas cards, decorating the house, gift buying, baking, and socializing. I’m a big fan of sending Christmas cards. I especially like to reach out to friends and family who I don’t get to see very often. When I receive a card from someone, it truly lifts my spirits knowing that they thought of me. 🙂

This past week has been all about meeting up with friends and family in the lead up to Christmas. I’ve shared lots of cookies and pumpkin bread. (Side gardening note: I still have pumpkins left from my harvest. These ‘Baby Bear’ pumpkins are the perfect size: easy to store, cut, bake, and with little waste.) I’ve been taking time to simply enjoy the company of people dear to me.

It’s a time of year that can be filled with love. But it can also be a difficult time. You never know if someone has a personal story that you know nothing about. Not to mention the collective pain of tragic world events. Which is why it is so important to be kind: to yourself, to family, to others. A small gesture can go such a long way. I am so thankful for all of the many kind, small gestures that I have experienced! (Have you seen the traffic in Dundalk recently? Being ‘let out’ into traffic by another driver is truly a gift!)

And as we wait for Christmas day, we now settle in to time with our family: just being together – with delicious food – and no time pressures.

I hope you, too, are able to take some time to breathe as we prepare to celebrate Christmas.

In Peace,
Dana

Collage including a pic of Dana & Páraic in Dublin, a Christmas wreath, pumpkins from the garden and a Nativity ornament

Collage, clockwise from top left: My husband and I enjoying a night out in Dublin, our Christmas wreath that I made with greens, Rosemary and eucalyptus from the garden, pumpkins from my garden being prepared to be roasted for pumpkin bread (which is really cake), and my favorite Nativity ornament.

A garden ready to sleep

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Hi there! It’s time. The garden is resting after a super productive year. Actually, it probably started resting last month, but I’m just noting it now. I’ve gotten much better at leaving as much plant material as possible for bird and critters over the winter. I used to love clearing everything away for my fall ‘clean up’. But for the sake of wildlife, I will surrender my need to clear and leave lots of goodies for whatever creature wants it.

This fall did have one lesson in store for me. You should *not* leave plant material to overwinter on structures. My pumpkin arch did not survive one of our recent storms, due to having a mass of sweet pea greens on one side of it. I am sure it would have survived had I cleared the drying plants away. Lesson learned!

I have not spent much time in the garden lately. Lots of different things going on, and when I have had time, the ground has been too wet to work with. But I like to do ‘walk abouts’ now and again, to note any changes and take a picture or two. I loved seeing the last, yellow, leaf on my Strong Annabelle hydrangeas! It provided such a great contrast to the brown beech hedging. And I was so surprised to find lovely blue flowers on my mop-head hydrangea! Most of the hydrangea flowers have turned brown with the cold weather. But there are still a few very small flowers, on this semi-sheltered shrub, who are as pretty as can be!

collage of a dried sunflower plant with lots of black seeds and a cherry tree in the background with orange leaves, a small blue hydrangea flower, and final picture is of a single yellow leaf of a hydrangea plant next to a brown beech hedge.

The picture of the sunflower was taken in November, as can be noted by the orange leaves on the cherry tree in the background. But the sunflower is still standing in the garden today. The tiny blue hydrangea flower is also currently in the garden! There are a handful of tiny flowers still alive on this shrub, which is such a treat to see.

There of course is wisdom in resting, and not just for the garden! While I started my ‘rest’ a bit early for the winter, I think it has done me a lot of good. I hope you will also enjoy some type of break this winter. 🙂

In Peace,
Dana

Waiting for the fog to clear

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Hi there! ‘Tis the season for foggy weather here in Ireland. I think it is so beautiful when the sun burns through the fog, giving it a majestic look. It’s not quite as nice when there’s no sun, and it simply blocks your view. It reminds me that sometimes we have to move forward, going on faith.

There is so much that I am thankful for. Being someone who is quite conscious of gray, cloudy days, I am most especially grateful to see the sun showcase beauty in the mundane. It is also nice to have some frosty crystals thrown in there, too!

frosty mop-head hydrangea

I’m fascinated how some flowers withstand the cold (roses and anemone, in my garden). This hydrangea was already past its prime when the frost hit. I still think it looks pretty.

a frozen purple anemone bent over in the frost

The moss on the stone provides some lovely texture around this drooping anemone. The flower was back standing upright after the sun melted the frost away.

Early morning sun burning through fog, as seen through a break in the beech hedges.

I wish I could convey to you the beauty and joy that this magical morning brought to me. This picture sums it up for me as it is looking towards the bright, beautiful foggy sunlight from the darkness. Sometimes it is hard when we can’t quite see through the fog or there seems to be lots of darkness. All I can do during those times is have faith and keep going. Because eventually, the fog will clear.

In Peace,
Dana

What happens when you get ‘stuck’?

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Hello. I am sheepishly visiting today. You see, I’ve been ‘stuck’. Let me try to explain (to myself more than anyone else). I have always looked forward to sharing my passion for flowers. But recently, over the past few months, I have not wanted to share here on the blog. I could say that I was busy crocheting another blanket, which is true, but that wasn’t it. Maybe it was a combination of things going on in the world, in my life, in the garden? I don’t really know. But I think that it would help me if I started back at it again. I have found myself spending more time wandering around the garden, and that makes me feel good. I enjoy sharing the beauty that I find around me.

I’ll start out with baby steps. We had a beautiful, frosty morning today, and I took some pictures with my camera (not my phone). I’m determined to learn how to best use the settings on my Canon and not settle for just using ‘automatic’. With some persistence and practice I’m sure I’ll get there. There was one cluster of roses, David Austin’s ‘Emily Bronte’, that were sitting so perfectly in the morning sunlight that it was impossible for me to not photograph them. The petals are delicately lined with frost and I found them to be stunning.

Thank you so much for visiting. I appreciate that you also enjoy seeing beauty in the little things.

In Peace,
Dana

frosty rose

A very soft morning light highlighting the frost on ‘Emily Bronte’ David Austin roses.

Roses, Dahlias and Sunflowers in a September garden

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Hi there! Welcome to my blog. I’m happy to say that the weather has been favorable! We welcome September in with high hopes of a beautiful autumn. The flowers in the garden might be what I’d describe as summer flowers, but they continue to look beautiful as we start the fall season. Of course, weeding takes place all year round and has been keeping me busy! It is one job that I never seem to get completely finished. 🙃

I made another flower arrangement this week (of course!). This time I added coral and pink roses to the dahlias. I was quite happy with it.

I’m adding in a non-gardening photo this week, too. I’m away in Waterford with our local cycling club (Cuchulainn Cycling Club) and I had such a brilliant ride yesterday that I had to share. It was along the Copper Coast and it was quite challenging for me. But boy was the hard work worth it for those views! Ireland is truly a beautiful country.

I’m joining Garden Ruminations for our Six on Saturday meme. It’s fun to see what’s growing around the world!

Enjoy the tour.

In Peace,
Dana

collection of sunflowers (Claret being the biggest)

1 – Collection of sunflowers. They are still looking good! It’s definitely worth planting different varieties, and lots of them, to keep the supply going. While I love the traditional yellow and brown, the dark colors of the Claret are a nice contrast.

collection of David Austin roses: from top right: Boscobel, Emily Bronte and Eustacia Vye

2 – Collection of David Austin roses: from top right: Boscobel, Emily Bronte and Eustacia Vye. I had to wait a while for this second flush of roses, but it’s now lovely to see roses again. The blackspot does not seem to be quite as bad as it usually is at this stage, which is great to see.

View of the cutting garden with dahlias, gladiolus, and sunflowers

3 – The cutting garden. This has dahlias, gladioli, and sunflowers. I love having the flowers all together here. It’s a fun collection of shapes, textures and colors and it makes me smile every time I see it. 🙂

A pink and coral flower arrangement with dahlias, roses, gladiolus and verbena.

4 & 5 – A coral and pink arrangement. I challenged myself to use the Boscobel and Olivia Rose Austin roses with the dahlias. The dahlias include: Totally Tangerine, Fancy Pants, Great Silence, Daisy Duke and Jowey Frambo. Gladiolus: Pink Parrot. Verbena Bonariansis. I used chickenwire to help the flowers stay in place. It’s a bit awkward, but much better than having nothing (and floral foam isn’t good for the environment). I was happy how the colors worked together! I think the Fancy Pants dahlias are my favorite for their unique shape.

Pictures from my bike ride along the Copper Coast in Waterford.

6 – Pictures from my bike ride along the Copper Coast in Waterford. Woohoo! I was so darn pleased with myself at the end of this cycle. It was challenging for me, but between the views, the weather, and the group I was with, it was such an awesome experience. I was definitely feeling the dopamine after this! (We did a 64 km route, which isn’t considered a long route, but it was perfect for me.) I can’t say it enough: Ireland is a beautiful country and so worth exploring! You can learn more about the beautiful Copper Coast here.

Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed the tour. Have you planned your next trip to Ireland yet? 🙂

A golden hue in the garden

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Hi there! Well the good news is that summer isn’t over yet. 🙂 And honestly, there were even some decent spells of weather this past week. Just not last night, or this morning! What a storm that passed through our area! Our pear tree did not fare well, unfortunately. We’ll see if it is save-able. But most of the rest of the garden seemed to do O.K. (gladioli aside).

There are still lots of sunflowers blooming. And now they are joined by rudbeckia Goldstrum and persicaria Blackfield. There are still some dahlia that haven’t bloomed yet. I’m waiting … patiently. I cut a few Sweet Pea bouquets this week that were quite large – they are blooming like crazy! And I made another arrangement, this one with a ‘copper toned’ color theme. I added something more unusual to it too, just for fun!

I’ll be joining Garden Ruminations for the Six on Saturday meme. It’s fun to see what’s blooming in gardens around the world!

I hope you’ll enjoy the tour.

In Peace,
Dana

Persicaria blackfield and rudbeckia goldstrum in among birch trees

1 & 2 – Persicaria Blackfield and Rudbeckia Goldstrum. These beauties are in among my five birch trees. This little garden bed has hellebores in bloom in the winter, bearded iris in early summer and now these two colorful plants for late summer and early fall. I’m happy with how it changes through the seasons with minimal work from me!

Collage of flowers: Lilies, sunflowers and a single gladiolus

3, 4 & 5 – Clockwise from top right: Lotus Dream lilies, sunflowers, gladiolus (unknown variety). It was a rough start for the lilies since the lily beetle got ahead of me (I eventually got rid of all of those pesky beetles!) but the lilies are still flowering and not looking too badly. More importantly, they are smelling beautifully! I continue to cut the sunflowers and they continue to bloom. There are always bees around, and now butterflies, too. The Gladiolus is a beautiful vibrant red! I had to cut this today as it was knocked in the storm. It currently has flowers open going all the way to the top (this picture was from a number of days ago). It is truly fabulous.

arrangement of flowers with sunflowers, dahlias and artichokes

6 – Floral arrangement. I used a glass ice bucket for his week’s arrangement, with marbles to help stabilize the flowers. I started with a bunch of sunflowers, some chocolate colored, some rust colored and some golden. Then I stuffed the arrangement with as many copper colored dahlias as I could fit! The floppy, tall, yellow sunflowers were added next. It was at this point that I decided I wanted to bring in a different color. I took a quick walk around the garden when I noticed the globe artichokes and that was it – decision made. Purple would be the final color! And when you cut them just as the flower turns purple, they will actually hold that color even as the artichoke dries out (for those of you who like to work with dried flowers).

Thank you so much for visiting! I appreciate your taking the time to stop by. Any favorite flower? 🙂

Euphoria in the garden

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Collage of dahlias and one picture of Dana next to the flowers
It was a beautiful, sunny and warm day which was perfect for a bike ride! Here’s me in the ‘cutting garden’ afterwards. The dahlias are all looking so pretty!

Hi there! Well, today I’d like to confess that I went for a very enjoyable bike ride. It doesn’t happen every time I go out, but lots of times I can feel the benefit of exercising, specifically a very happy feeling due to a rush of dopamine!

Dopamine is a chemical released in the brain that makes you feel good. 

https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/

Today when I returned home, I was completely overwhelmed with ‘happy feelings’ for my garden. The sun was shining, the sky was blue and everything just looked wonderful (remember, I was on a bit of a natural ‘high’!). Despite the dopamine, though, I know how much joy my garden brings me, and I’m just glad to be able to acknowledge those feelings of gratitude. There is *always* something that needs to be done in the garden – usually weeding! But there is also always something to be grateful for. It’s so nice to be able to take it all in and enjoy what I have right in front of me.

I hope that you are able to enjoy happy feelings in what you do, too!

In Peace,
Dana

There’s a change in the air but the plants don’t care!

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Hi there! Ever notice that there is a change in the air in August? Maybe it’s a change in temperature, or maybe it’s just natural excitement as talk begins about the kids going back to school or college. I’m in no hurry to rush summer along, but I can feel that things are changing. My flowers seem to be happy, though! The dahlias are blooming, the hydrangea are filling out, the butterflies are visiting and the sunflowers continue to bloom.

I’ll be joining Jim at Garden Ruminations for our Six on Saturday meme. It’s a lovely way to see other gardens from around the world!

I hope you’ll enjoy the tour.

In Peace,
Dana

Hydrangea 'Vanille Fraise' Paniculata 'Renhy' and Agapanthus Blue Umbrella

1 & 2 – Hydrangea ‘Vanille Fraise’ Paniculata ‘Renhy’ and Agapanthus Blue Umbrella. The Vanille Fraise hydrangea’s flowers have never been as big as this year. And they are so full! The Agapanthus has been moved around the garden a couple of times, never blooming before this year. I’m not 100% sure it is completely happy where it is, though, as I think it would prefer a bit more sun. I’ll be on the lookout for a new location!

Two pictures of butterflies (Red Admiral and Peacock), Pink Olivia Rose Austin roses, and California poppy (orange) with yellow potentilla.

3, 4 & 5 – From top right: Pink Olivia Rose Austin roses, Red Admiral butterfly on Buddleia Buzz ‘Dark Pink’ Butterfly Bush, California poppy (orange) with yellow Potentilla shrub, Peacock butterfly on Buddleia Buzz butterfly bush.

The first thing I noticed about the roses, after seeing the pretty flowers and buds, were the leaves, which are a beautiful green. This is quite noticeable in my yard at this time of year as it is not uncommon for the rose shrubs to be covered in black spot! What a treat to see this shrub looking so well.

I had the pleasure of weeding near the butterfly bush this week. It is now quite fragrant, and attracts so many butterflies to its sweet flowers. One day it was only covered in Peacock butterflies, but the next time there were three varieties (the third being small Tortoiseshell). What a treat!

flower arrangement of sunflowers and dahlias and Japanese anemone

6 – Flower arrangement with sunflowers, dahlias and Japanese anemone. Dahlias: ‘Hartenaas’, ‘Great Silence’, ‘Creme de Cassis’, ‘Wizard of Oz’. This week I’ve made a pink themed flower arrangement. I like the challenge of finding enough flowers in the garden to make an arrangement!

Thanks so much for visiting. I’m hoping I’ll have more dahlias blooming next week to try another arrangement! 🙂