UPDATE FOR 2002

UPDATE FOR 2002: After a winter which wasn't and a summer which did not arrive until August and lasted until late September the growing season was very different this year. This not mean the gardener was not busy. I have to report the fact that she was.....but a lot of the time, she was fixing her hair, and it seemed, to me, putting on clothes no gardener EVER wears whilst gardening In case you have not seen the blatant bit of self-publicity I have put in the Plant List page I had better explain.

We were honoured by a visit from the famous Christopher Lloyd. This meant I had to clear every path, hide all the rocks, manicure the lawn, pull every weed, polish the lawn mower, paint the eight-pronged rake and change my own clothes....("Mary, if this trousers is good enough for fishing it's good enough for Christopher Whatshisname" did not work.)

Then there was Frieda McGeogh of R.T.E radio who spent a day here recording a show called "Planting Passions" I have to admit that I was extremely sceptical about a RADIO gardening programme but, as usual, I was totally wrong. It sounded excellent when it was broadcast and really got across the sense of the place, and as they say around these parts, Frieda was a "Dote"

Then along comes Jerry Daly of the "Irish Garden" magazine, with a shoulder full of cameras. He intends to feature the garden in Ireland's most popular gardening publication in the Spring of 2003. Jerry got a plate of freshly baked scones and after he left I got three of them. The gardener can bake too.

Lastly, we had the pleasure of the company of the crew from the B.B.C. television programme " The Flying Gardener". They were here for most of two days. Their filming gear was enough to kill for ( I'm into that stuff, ......filming, not killing), digital cameras, slow-mo cameras, wide angle cameras and a wireless monitor. Not to mention the helicopter and the assistant producer, Michelle. The gardener only had eyes for the plants and Chris. Beardshaw.

I have seen a copy of the film they made and if you wish to see the South West of Ireland at it's most beautiful do not miss this when it is shown on B.B.C. Two in the spring of 2003. You will not see me in this programme. They said the fee I was demanding was totally preposterous. (Only joking!!)

After all that extra curriculum activity I was amazed that anything actually grew in the garden this year. When I did get time, I took the camera out, and took some pictures. Here are a few...

CELMESIA.

The gardener got these from a centre near Liverpool, England. (Eggleston Hall Gardens.)

It appears they were dumped from a ship around 1920 and flourished in some waste ground until rescued.

They are doing well in West Cork.

KNIPHOFIA brimstone

These are in their second year and are doing nicely.

The gardener says "Thanks, Charlie" whenever she tends to them.

Charlie has to remain anonymous but his column in a well known paper is very widely read.

Below is looking east, with the plant formerly called CASSIA corymbosa in the foreground. This has had its name changed to SENNA corymbosa. Please do not ask me why. (There is a close-up of this plant in More pictures)

In the other picture are KAFFIR lilies, "as common as dirt" the gardener says but nice nevertheless.

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