So beautiful. As I recall reading in a magazine, Ireland has such lovely climate for gardens. I love that you started most from cuttings and seeds. It's something I would do if given the chance. Unfortunately I would need space to grow my cuttings.

Hi ianna,
ah yes the climate is ideal for gardens,..we get a lot of moisture,..mists and rain on average 2 1/2 of rain per month.

When i was a youngster i spent most of my time in the National Botanical Gardens,..my father worked there and we could sometimes see him working in the gardens when we looked out our bedroom window,..our house used to be where the red brick building is in the picture below,..the picture is the Rose Garden.

The Video is of the National Botanical Gardens,..i made it about a year ago.

Video===National Botanical Gardens,..Glasnevin,Dublin.

OMG,I think i've died and gone to plant heaven!!! Everything is sooooooooooooooo beautiful and lush!! I'm glad you came back with more pictures and names of them.I've never seen a scottish broom before,have heard of them,but that's about it.

Your gardens are absolutely gorgeous,and i also love that yellow rose.TFS
Kathi

Hi kathi,
you have me smiling here to myself,..its nice when someone likes your garden and the blooms in it,..that's encouragement to post more,..seeing you liked that yellow rose here is my video on that rose,..a friend also liked it as you will note,..i also posted this in the Rose Gallery.

Video===Yellow Roses

Glengarry, you have a terrific eye for form in your garden, and I like how you've selected varieties that absolutely cover themselves in bloom.

I think this is the first time I have seen somebody grow scotch broom on purpose! Here, every spring the roadways are lined with thousands (if not millions) of these bushes in full golden bloom, a lovely sight to behold, but they are so horribly invasive in the Pacific NW!

Gorgeous garden! Wonderful plant choices too. I love the enclosed feel of your garden and the beautiful stone wall. Your yellow broom is stunning.
Renee

WOW!!!! I think this is the first time I've ever seen Scotch Broom, and it is breathtaking! You're whole garden is wonderful. I'd love to know how long you've been working on it and if you compost or such to keep nutrients in the soil. Everything looks so healthy! It really is inspiring. Do your neighbors appreciate or get to see your garden? It really is just so lush and beautiful.

One plant I've wanted for a while now is wallflower, and it seems so very hard to find in the US, even seeds. I think I could get all I want as long as it ships from the UK! I just love the color and form and I'm don't know why it isn't more popular here.

You have an inspiring garden both for its amazing design and for the health and vigor (or vigour maybe for you?!) of your plants. Just lovely! I'm drinking hot chocolate now to make it through my insomnia and virtually sipping it in your garden as I drool over the pictures!

Hi Merilia,
its amazing the different attitude to Scotch Broom here compared to where you live and other parts of America,..here in Ireland the Garden Centers sell Scotch Brooms for 7 Euro,..approx $8,.some even more expensive.

A friend through YouTube made a video of Lupins in the wild,..i was so taken by the show the blooms made that i have started growing them myself,..i got lots of seeds from another friend.

The Lupin Video from "Bella" below.

Wild Lupin Display,..New Zealand.

Hi Hosenemesis,
so you are another fan of the Broom in bloom,..it is surely striking when in full bloom and the sun hits it,..so far i have only spotted one other in my area and that was the parent plant of mine,..the cuttings were taken 7 years ago.

That stone wall is very old,..i always thought about 100 years but i was informed it was part of the old town wall built in 1000,..there is a space of some eight foot between it and the higher wall,..i am trying to get something growing there,..maybe Honeysuckle,..which i have growing over an arch.

Philip.

Hi Deanna,
i often tell friends who are about to look at my garden to get a coffee,a Tea,or in your case a Hot Chocolate before they start,..its the videos,..some are 15 minutes long,..i find its more relaxing to view say over 100 pictures and more at the click of the mouse and have music as well.

Well you are another member pleased with the Scotch Broom,..i have a friend in Texas,USA who was likewise and will have one in the garden this summer,..i hope it doesn't run riot as they seem to do in the USA,..for some reason mine never self seed.

About how long i have worked on this garden,..close to eight years,..and slowly as i was often away in other countries for up to three weeks at a time.

For compost i keep all my Tea Bags,..let them dry and then remove the Tea to spread it at the base of bushes and Plants,..i also keep rose petals and the like,.dump them in the same area through the summer and by next season they have turned into nice soil.

Oh i had two neighbors,..one does not garden at all and the other died two weeks ago,..but i do get the odd visitor from the Church two doors away,..if they have a visitor from abroad they end up in my garden,..but they get flowers for the Church Altar,..at least my flowers go to Church if i don't.

I have a friend named Deanna,..in Oregon,USA,..who suggested i make a video for American Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Pink was the theme,..so i made one called just that "Pink Theme",..you might like it,..all the blooms are in my garden.

Video===Pink Theme.

June 2012 in the garden,..many new blooms to be seen but stil some Geraniums blooming since the 1st of May which is our Summer start and of course the Scotch Broom still blooms,..the California Poppy is another bright light with its vivid yellow blooms,..i felt it best to plant the seeds on high so the blooms could hang free instead of drooping to the soil.

Video===June Blooms In The Garden 2012.

You're not only a great gardener,but a great photographer as well.

On the weekends i generally sit at the computor and drool over others gardens,so i guess this weekend,you've given me a lot to watch and enjoy.Thank You so much for sharing all your beauties with me.I enjoy every minute of them.
Kathi

Hi Kathi,
thank you for the compliments,..and thank you for posting a response,..i was in a Garden Forum and waited a week,..then a month for a response in a thread similar to this,..in the end i gave up from lack of interest.

My little camera fits in my shirt pocket,..its a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W55 and the only camera i use so it should get the credit as it captures what i see.

The next weekend you will have plenty to view if you look at all my pictures here or in YouTube,..but some need an explanation,..like the next one,..if i am walking my dogs and turn left at my front door the Church is there and a small park,..then the canal and then the river,..i end up at the Castle which is only 100 yards from the house,.it is a four mile walk.

The second video is a boat trip down the River Shannon,..which is only 100 yards from the house,..i guess those will entertain you.

Video===Walking The Dogs Route.

Video===Downriver By Photograph.

Philip

Such a glorious and gorgeous garden! Incredibly fascinating with all the textures!

Cameron

I was trying to think of a word to describe your garden and I came up with MAGICAL. I have so enjoyed 'strolling' through your garden it was pure enchantment, thank you so much for sharing your garden with us.

Annette

Hi Wonbyherwits,
thank you Cameron,..there are many hidden plants and creatures in there as well,..they live there providing they behave,..swatting plants that move in the breeze,..climbing plants,..making a bed out of a prized flowerpot full of blooms,..are all forbidden,..but rules are broken.

Philip

The "Ginger Twins".

Hi Aftermidnight,
Annette that is a nice description of the garden,.."Magical",..if you were to sit still for a spell things do appear,..there are a family of Hedgehogs who dwell there,..they hibernate in my shed but during the summer they sleep under a dense bush,..they are an asset in that they consume every slug in the garden then cross into next doors garden and do the same.

Philip

Then hidden under a bush is the "Cat House",..there are several residents,..this one is "Smudge".

Philip

This is a small video of "Smudge and the Mother,.."Olivia",..in the garden,..it has music background.

http://www.easyflashtools.com/...-76E1-4AFE-A9F7-0FF3C51EBF55.html

I'm fascinated that your lupines still look fresh (or were the photos taken ealier). Mine bloomed early and are done with. Also my lupines were decimated by thousands and thousands of aphids. Horrible things. I never knew they love aphids. They even ignored my roses and concentrated on the lupines. Anyway, I think the reason your garden still looks fresh is because of the misting and the relatively mild climate.

WOW!!! Phygelius,'Candy Drops Cream'. is so interesting.

In my part of Texas scotch broom will not survive the heat.
I live on the NW side of San Antonio, which is about the center of TX.
Thanks for posting.

Kathy

Hi Ianna,
those Lupins were photographed two days ago,..they are only coming into bloom this past week or more,..i have Hollyhocks,Delphiniums,Larkspur,Foxgloves,Verbascum,Clematis and more still to come into bloom.

Below shows the Lupin on the right of the picture,..taken within the hour

Philip

Lilium asiaticum,'Asiatic Lily,Foxtrot'.

Just blooming today.

Hi plantmave,,
yes Kathy that Phygelius,'Candy Drops Cream',..is very nice,..tropical looking,..easy to take cuttings and root them,..it flowers from April to Sept.

It must be very warm where you are located come full summer,..you have some very interesting plants in your climate.

Below is my rose named Ice Cream.

Philip

Ice Cream.

Some blooms from last month.

http://www.easyflashtools.com/...-184B-4FFC-B8E3-82F480ED47D6.html

Philip

to see your hydrangea and your lupines bloom at the same time is fascinating. in my zone, my lupines bloom in late spring and early summer. My hydrangeas bloom in late summer.

What's winter like in your zone? How cold does it get?

Bestill my beating heart! Just gorgeous. I can only see gardens like this with a airplane ride or vicariously through your camera lens. Thank you!!

Hi Ianna,
amazing,..it never gave me a thought my Hydrangea and Lupins blooming at the same time,..your blooms arrive so different.

Winter here tends to be mild with average daily temperatures from 4.0C (39.2F) to 7.6C (45.7F),..however as i am in the Midlands it tends to be a tad milder,..no snow last winter but the previous winter it did snow and that was our first for a few years,..lots of rain and mists of course.

Shots from today.

Very big blooms.

Hi Wantonamara,
you wrote,..be still my beating heart,..right off i was reminded of a song,.."So Deep Is The Night",..
Video===So Deep Is The Night--Tony Christie.

I am pleased you are enjoying the garden pictures,..i get great satisfaction knowing someone else can see the garden even be it from afar,..thank you for viewing.

Lilium asiaticum,'Asiatic Lily','Foxtrot'.
Captured today.

A friend i met on the Internet moved house to the countryside,..renovated an old house then created a lovely garden where there are "Ash Trees",..so she called the garden,.."Ash Garden",..she lives way down south where the climate is a tad milder,..i made this video for her as a surprise,..from photographs in various forums and blogs so some pictures had to be enlarged therefore reducing clarity,

Video===Elizabeth's "Ash Garden".

Some shots taken on the 20th of July.
Digitalis,'Foxglove'.

Sempervivium tectorum,'Hens And Chicks'.
This plant was taken indoors over winter,..the plant grows tall because of this and when planted out in spring it slowly setles on top of the soil and many small plants grow from it,..the tip grows larger than normal size.

Crocosmia,..i have several areas where it grows,..it will be in flower within the next few days,..tangerine coloured flowers.

Helichrysum italicum,'Curry Bush'.
emits a curry scent,..i positioned it where i would brush it as i passed.

Oxalis debilis,'Shamrocks Pink'.

Lilium asiaticum,'Asiatic Lily','Foxtrot'.

I second the bizarre feeling when I see hydrangeas and lupines blooming together!

It's amazing you get such good growth from mostly tea leaves. I like tea, but thankfully I'm not growing anymore! Hopefully I'm just as healthy, though, even though I don't flower.

I'm so glad you shared. You deserve all these virtual big pats on the back. Really beautiful pictures.

So, if all your stuff is blooming now, what happens next? Don't tell me you have things blooming like this all summer!!

Hi Deanna,
we are known to drink many cups of tea each day,..everytime a visitor arrives you offer a cup of tea so you end up with a lot of tea leaves at the end of a week,..i get a sort of perverse enjoyment opening up the semi dried tea bags and admiring all the tea to be spread around the base of plants,..in particular rose bushes,..lol at your remark that thankfully you have stopped growing,..but hopefully just as healthy,..even though you don't flower.

Oh all my stuff is far from blooming,..i still have Delphiniums,Foxgloves,Larkspur,Calendula,Mahonia japanica,Chrysanthemum,foxgloves,Crocosmia,Sedum,Black Mondo Grass,yet to flower but i look forward to Verbascium Niger to see how tall it will grow this year,..there are several in the garden,..i don't know where they came from,..volunteer Plants.

I had a nice surprise this morning,.. one of the two volunteer poppies flowered,..they are about 2 1/2 high and grew among the Lupin plants,..the friend who gave me the seeds has no Poppies,amazing where they come from.

Philip

I don't have much red in the garden so the more blooms the better.

I was given a present of a Clematis early in May,..Clematis Cirrhosa,'Freckles',..you can see how it has spread along the wall,..hopefully it will be in flower soon.

That black you see on the right of the picture is anti weed matting,..i spread a sheet of it along that side of the garden as my neighbor has Bindweed,..it started to spread through his hedge heading for my garden,..i figured it would not grow towards a black object,..so far it worked,..its there over a year.

Philip

Lots of roses.

I visited a friend in Leicestershire,England,and while there one of my wishes was to photograph the private gardens,i must admit they were stunning to see.

Video===Flowers and Gardens,Leicestershire,England.

It's hard to imagine living in a place with a heritage of gardening. I grew up in the south, and there are many wonderful gardens, but it's certainly not the norm. By the time July arrives it's so terribly (and often dangerously) hot that nobody wants to do any gardening until October. I think it's survival of the fittest and only the most dedicated gardeners survive. I immediately noticed up here in New England how many people had nice gardens in their yards, and how nice those garden flowers looked when they didn't spend the summer baking in the heat. What would it be like to live in a place where people didn't just like to garden, but where it was part of the culture and history for hundreds of years? Philip, I think you're just a bit spoiled! But, along the way you certainly learned to share well, as these pictures prove, so I guess you turned out all right after all. ;-)

P.S. I love loose tea, but my chickens eat all my tea leaves. Maybe they're English, too!

I am another who is wowed by your campanula/yucca/rose combo! Everything is so lush. I particularly like that pink oxalis and your enviably big clump of bronze fennel. I've tried growing the latter from seed and that thing is painfully slow; hopefully one day I will have a nice patch like yours, as a backdrop to my 'Gentle Hermione' rose.

Ps. and if your hedgehogs ever feel like taking a holiday to the US tell them to come visit me. All the slugs they can eat, lol!!! ;-)

Loved your online 'tour'! Thanks for sharing Philip.
CMK

Hi Deanna,
i agree with you i am spoiled with our weather,..we get enough sunshine to be happy and things grow,..we seldom get snow in the Midlands though we had snow in 2010,..as for rain,..oh boy we do get lots of it,..i was out and about at six this morning and it was a very heavy mist coming down,..its still doing so sixteen hours later.

So you have Chickens,..(Tea Leaf Eaters)lol,..i used to have Hens and Ducks,..but i gave them up a year i moved into my present home.

Hi Christinmk,
i have become fond of that Oxalis myself as it has a long flowering spell as does the Campanula,..that Fennel seeds itself quite a lot in my garden so i can afford to dispose of a plant when it reaches approx six foot high and three foot wide,..which i did yesterday,..space was needed for the growing Hollyhocks though they are only at four foot now.

Its wet,..wet,..wet roses in the June July Roses.

Video===Roses,..June And July,..2012.