Bloom in the Park!

I am pleased to say, this is a bank holiday weekend in Ireland meaning a much needed extra day off work! This weekend always marks the 'start' of summer for me as Bloom is held in the Phoenix Park. 

Beauty Full - Silver Medal

Beech Park Gardens

Bloom is Ireland's version of the Chelsea flower show, it's a big garden extravaganza! You can find out more and check out last years visit here.

Calor's Coast Garden - Bronze Medal

Cetriz Summer - Bronze Medal

RTE's Supergarden Winner - Silver Gilt Medal

While the weather was not exactly summer-like, the show provided so much garden inspiration. Before I show you my 'best in show' here a a few pics of the showgardens...

Contemporary Expression Garden - Silver Medal

Freddy Button's Garden - Silver Medal

'Darkness into Light'

Crumlin Children's Hospital Garden - Gold Medal

Atlantic Youth Trust - Bronze Medal

'Our origin is Green'

My absolute favourite garden was gold medal winning 

Yeats' Secret Garden in Sligo. 

I just love the concept behind this garden...

"This garden is purely imaginary. It exists only in the head of the poet; the private bolthole in his beloved Sligo that Yeat's dreamed of while living in smoggy, grey London. Peeking in, we are voyeurs, seeing a clearing on a wooded island, with the lake lapping on the tree-lined shore beyond. Nothing is perfect - Yeats hasn't tried to tame or tidy his secret hideaway. He has just built himself a makeshift cabin amongst the trees, and grown a few vegetables and wildflowers. His grandfather's bee skep lies abandoned in favour of the new 'Modern' CDB bee hive, but this space is primarily for writing and being at peace in a landscape he loves. He has scrounged discarded items from family and friends, laboriously rowing them to the island, along with a few sentimental treasures. Together they make a garden that is his inspiration."

This was my favourite garden for so many reasons.  Firstly it's a style of gardening that I love; wild, native and unkempt. Secondly, Sligo has a special place in my heart as my Grandfather was born there. But most importantly it's combines gardening and poetry. Poetry by one of my favourite writers, W.B. Yeats, whose face adorns my walls. And one poem in particular which I learned in national school is brought to life in this garden; 

The Lake Isle of Innisfree.

'I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,

And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattle made:

Nine bean rows will I have there and a hive for the honey-bee;

And live alone in the bee-loud glade.

And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,

Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;

There midnight's all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,

And evening full of the linnet's wings.

I will arise and go now, for always night and day

I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;

While I stand on the roadway, or the pavements grey,

I hear it in the deep heart's core'.

 

Wishing you a Happy Easter!!

Hope you're all having a happy Easter. 

We're having a lovely long weekend here in Ireland. We had Good Friday and have Easter Monday off from work. It has been a hectic couple of weeks of ups and downs so Mr. Auburn and I are catching up with family and on some well deserved rest! Today we went to mass, visited relatives, ate lots of Easter eggs and relaxed at home. 

We are having some glorious Spring weather which allowed us into the garden yesterday for the post winter overhaul. It has to get worse to get better, right?

 I am a little behind on my Blog reading, please bear with me while I catch up! 

Blooming Marvellous!

The weekend before last my mother and I spent a lovely day at Bloom Festival which was held in the Phoenix Park. For those of you residing outside our fair green isle, Bloom is Ireland's largest gardening and food event. It's a bit like the Chelsea flower show in England. There were 30 amazing show gardens on display, a floral marquee with over 50 exhibitors, an Irish craft village and over 120 Irish artisan food producers. The weather might not have been the best but it's hard to dampen the Irish spirit...
 

  

Here are some of my best bits...

 

...a dreamy New England style beach garden...

 

Cape Cod Escape - Silver Medal

 

...a seemingly simple yet captivating concept garden...

 



'Messenger' - Gold Medal and Best in Category Winner

 

 

...the mildly comical yet genius silver-gilt winning Tayto Garden...

 

 

For those of you who don't recognise this guy, he is Mr.Tayto of the famous Irish crisps.

The planting was inspired by the ingredients involved in crisp making!!

 

...from Potato

 

 

...to Packet....

 

 

...a North American cranberry farm I want to live in...

 

 

Wellbeing Wetlands - Gold Medal

 

...and not forgetting silver-gilt winning D'Garden...

 

...a typical inner city garden that Mrs. Brown herself might boast.

Mrs.Brown being Ireland's most famous mammy!!

 

There were hanging baskets like none I have ever seen...

 

 

He of Kitchen Hero fame and fellow blogger Donal Skehan tempting us with his beef and stout pies...

 

 

Why even President Higgins couldn't resist popping in...

 

 

Well it is technically in his back garden!!

Feathered Visitors!

As you will know from my "Feed the Birds " post, we are big bird feeders! Just as we were winding down because Spring was upon us, the temperatures dipped. We've even had snow! We hadn't the heart to deprive them in such harsh weather, so increased the feeding again.

 

I am delighted to say that we have had a couple of unusual feathered visitors of late, unusual for our garden I should say...

 

This fine fellow, I thought was some sort of pigeon until an interesting post over at An Anglo In Quebec made me have another look. He is in fact, a Collared Dove.

 

 

The dove stops by every day now and loves the mixed seed. I think the smaller birds find him a little intimidating at times, especially when he lands on the feeders!

 

Speaking of intimidating, meet visitor number two...

 

A Sparrowhawk. While he looks magnificent, on both visits he was chasing down some of my little birds! I know that's nature, I just wished he preferred peanuts.

 

 

 Last but by no means least, meet visitor number three...a Lesser Redpoll!

 

This little guy even stayed the night!

 

We had been working in the garden all day and he happily ate at the feeders right next to us while Mr. Auburn drilled and hammered! As dusk started to fall, we realised something was wrong. He hadn't flown away to roost. Instead, he was still in our garden; perched on the Astilbe, his feathers all puffed and ready for the night. We feared he wouldn't make it as the weather forecast gave temperatures of -6 degrees. We tried to encourage him into a nesting box but he wasn't having it. He finally settled above a hanging basket, higher off the ground at least, away from potential feline predators! We hung a sort of plastic roof above his head to give him some shelter and hoped for the best...

 

I jumped out of bed next morning to look outside, only to find our makeshift roof on the ground. I feared the worst...

 

Then, there he was, so tiny I almost didn't see him, on the lawn beneath the feeders. He still didn't seem very energetic, he made several attempts to reach the feeders but eventually he made it. He spent over an hour in the basket feeder eating mixed seed, barely lifting his little head and obviously got his strength up enough to fly away...let's hope he made it.

Feed the Birds!

"Come feed the little birds

Show them you care

And you'll be glad if you do

Their young ones are hungry

Their nests are so bare"

 

Do you feed the birds? We feed the birds from about October to March/April. The harsh weather we have had recently is very hard on wild birds. They can lose 10% of their body mass in one night, just trying to keep warm! And while Spring is fast approaching, it can also bring severe weather! It's not too late to start!

 

These little birds are easily attracted to bird feeders and tables and can be watched from the comfort of your own home. It is fascinating to see these wild birds so close, watch their acrobatics on feeders, their pecking orders and how they interact with each other. It's really exciting to see a new species come into your garden and learn what it is. This winter we have seen all these birds in our garden...

 

 

I purchased a bird feeding station a couple of years ago quite cheaply and it is still going strong. They can be got for as little as €15 in Heaton's. It's safe for the birds as cats in the area can't climb the metal pole. We leave out Nyger seed, good quality peanuts, black sunflower seeds and suet balls studded with seed in feeders all the time. In addition, we leave out a variation of dried meal worms, raisins, suet pellets, oats and mixed bird seed on a tray feeder and always plenty of fresh water!

 

 

 

Okay, so it's not 'tuppence a bag' but bird food is inexpensive and can be found in all supermarkets and garden centres. You probably have plenty of bird food in your kitchens at the moment! Porridge oat flakes, cooked rice and potato, fruit; currants, raisins, apples and pears can be skewered onto branches, grated hard cheese, fat; suet, unsalted bacon and meat trimmings. Dry bread is not good as it can swell up in their stomachs. I often make my own bird food and will include some tutorials in the coming weeks. Bird tables and feeders are easily made from stuff lying around the house.

My husband fashioned this seed feeder from a lucozade bottle!

 

 

 

Bird feeding can cost as much or as little as you like but what it does require is consistency! Once you start, they will become dependent on you. I find it best to leave out an adequate supply of food and refill as soon as it has been eaten. These little birds often come a long way for your food, you don't want it to be a waste of their precious energy. I never fill feeders to the top as food, especially peanuts can go mouldy.

 

Keep the area clean; you can wear gloves and use some household disinfectant to clean feeders ensuring that it is rinsed off and dry before refilling with food. Move your feeder around to avoid a build-up of droppings as many birds will feed off the ground.

Lots more information can be found at Birdwatch Ireland.

 

So go on, give it a try...

Feed the little birds...and you'll be glad if you do!

That's Home!

 

My husband and I went to see The Hobbit in cinema recently. As already avid Lord of the Rings fans, we weren't disappointed by the film. But...

 

Oh to live in The Shire!! In a Hobbit hole by the stream to be precise! It's just idyllic, isn't it?





 The Shire is described as a small but beautiful and fruitful land, beloved by its inhabitants!

 

 

And my favourite little smial (or Hobbit hole!) of all.....Bag End! 

 

 

 At the end of Bagshot Row is the enchanting home of Bilbo Baggins. A surprisingly spacious dwelling which tunnels into the earth. Inside, it's warm and cosy, dimly lit by candles. The fire always crackling in the hearth, his favourite armchair beside. The entryways and windows all low and perfectly round. The pantry well stocked with good things to eat and drink; cake, bread, meat, potatoes, ale and tea. The decor homely; panelled walls, wooden furniture, an antique chair, his mother's heirloom box. His study; lined with books, a feather pen and ink atop his writing desk, his poetry and his memoirs; "There and Back Again". 

  

 

 

 

 

 Bilbo clearly loves his dear little home as much as I do and missed it so on his adventures...

"I often think of Bag End. I miss my books and my armchair and my garden.

See that's where I belong. That's home."