This year we planted three types of potato: first earlies, second earlies and maincrop potatoes. The variety chosen for first earlies was Home Guard. (1) These were chitted in a tunnel in February and planted out in a raised bed 30 cm apart on St. Patrick’s Day, the 17th March. They were initially earthed up…
One of the great sights of May and June is blossoming Whitethorn or Hawthorn (1) (Crataegus monogyna) or Sceach gheal in Irish with swathes of its frothy whiteness sweeping across the countryside on hedgerows or punctuating green fields with mounds of loveliness. Because it is synonymous with May it was often called the May tree…
Lords-and ladies, Wild arum, Cuckoo-pint (Arum maculatum) (1) or Cluas chaoin in Irish is a May wildflower that likes woodlands and shady areas. It is a plant of extraordinary interest because of its unusual method of attracting pollinators. In fact, it relies mainly on one pollinator to carry pollen from one plant to another. This…
There are about 600 species of buttercup in the world and four of these are very visible in May. Many people will remember playing with these when they were children. Children held buttercups under their chins and if the petals were reflected it was a sign that they liked butter! A very common buttercup which…
The first early Home Guard potatoes planted outdoors in mid-March are between 20cm and 30 cm tall so need to be earthed up. (1) (2) This entails building a mound of the growing medium up around the stems to prevent the potatoes from being exposed to the sun which will turn them green. Rain often…
The cheerful primroses which are in the same family as cowslips graced woodland edges, hedgerow bottoms, roadside verges and embankments from March to April. As their flowers fade tiny green seeds form in the fruiting capsules at the base of the plants. Meanwhile its close relative, the cowslip, (Primuls veris) has arrived on nature’s stage since late…
May is the month for observing broad swathes of bluebells carpeting old woodlands and running along the edges of old hedgerows. They emit a sweet scent and are pollinated by insects, especially bumblebees. The native Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) has bell-shaped flowers on one side of a drooping stem. The flowers are a deep blue tending…
The Orange tip (Anthocharis cardamines) butterflies have been active since late April. The male is easy to recognize with bright orange tips on its forewings. The female, however, does not have the male’s orange markings. Instead she has dark grey wingtips with a black spot in the centre of each forewing. Her hind wings are…
Beech buds (Fagus sylvatica) are among the last to unfold in spring. The lovely, soft, silky, lime-green leaves slowly emerge from the cigar-shaped buds. Some people find these leaves very tasty when they are at this stage of development. The black ash buds (Fraxinus excelsior) are slow to open too because the young, delicate leaves are…
Orla Second Early new potatoes which were sown five to a bag in recycled bags on the 3rd April have appeared above the growing medium. They will still need protection from frost. Garlic was sown in modular trays outdoors in October. They were transplanted into a raised bed in early March and are now 60cm…
The barely noticeable cross shaped white flowers and nettle-shaped leaves of Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) or Hedge garlic on the road verge do not command the attention of most passers-by. Nonetheless, this is an extremely important plant for the caterpillars of the Orange tip (Anthocharis cardamines) butterfly. In May these eat the pods and seeds….
Mangetout peas started indoors in March are using their tendrils to climb up the strings around the wigwam made from four hazel posts. Strings are positioned with a 10cm gap between them. The hardy Meteor peas which were started indoors in March in a window box look healthy and strong. Soon these will need staking with multi-branched…