I have been concentrating on the specialist golden willows this week first by admiring their deep golden and red bark colour which really stands out in deepest winter where there is little leaf colour around and it is now that the willows and dog woods come into their own and earn their keep . But I am also examining the branches and shoots for any sign of willow blight which disfigures the plant and it is now that the third part of the pruning mantra …. dead , damaged or diseased … the three D’s as it is called comes into effect . On willows especially the golden and deep […]
Monthly Archives: January 2014
A Walk in the Garden January 16th 2014
All these photos were taken in a thirty minute spell on a sunny day in mid January and my purpose was to highlight winter colour at a time of year when the sun is low in the sky but with the right light and particularly if water is included in the composition you can forget the biting wind and the freezing temperature !!
My Gardening Week January 18th 2014
I bought some nice primroses in the January sale at Johnstown Nursery this week , the new irish bred chocolate green type as distinct from the common olive green leaved native to Ireland and the UK . This new variety has been on the market for the past three years and has been a marketing sensation, the variety has been patented so the plant can only be produced commercially under licence which has made the individual plant expensive at seven euros each ….. seven euros for a primrose or cow slip as they are known locally and which grow wild along ditches and hedgerows ? Which is why I resisted […]