This is the journal of my endeavours to grow a range of fruit, veg and flowers from seed, grow organically, and my attempts to create a personal paradise with 1/2 acre of maintained gardens and 1/2 acre wild meadows. Northern Ireland's average daily high temperatures are 18 °C (64 °F) in July and 6 °C (43 °F) in January. Soil type: Clay

Friday 12 September 2014

Community Gardening Update

Our 1st season of pears: 4 fruits on this tree.
All is going well at Antrim Castle Gardens and the community growing project involving a group of eager and energetic volunteers (me being one of them!). We're in our 2nd year and we've expanded the areas we maintain and look after. This year we added a heirloom kitchen garden area and another veg growing area. Next year we have plans to develop a cottage garden with a secret path through it that visitors to the public garden can discover and enjoy.
Above: Our new veg growing area had potatoes in it, and now houses swede, leek, kale and lettuces.
Above: The heirloom kitchen garden contains a rang of edibles including herbs and medicinal plants. This is an area in development and its great to learn about new plants.

Above: Of course giant sunflowers are always popular and when working in the gardens its great to hear children exclaim excitement at the sight of the sunflowers.
Above: Some of the flowers in the garden include hydrangea and Salvia Purple Majesty.

Above: The pink snapdragon look striking but require a good lot of deadheading! The greenhouse in the background contains tomatoes, green peppers and cucumber.
Above: Over the weekend the verbena plants were attracting a good supply of butterflies and bees - great to see!

Copyright: All words and photos are property of Kelli's Northern Ireland Garden.

5 comments:

  1. Your photos look fab, such hard work to keep the garden looking as good as it does.

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  2. great work. Lovely greenhouse in the back of the last photo.

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  3. The gardens look great. It must be very rewarding to be part of the team that has made them so. I hope you're not neglecting your own garden though!

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  4. How beautiful everything there is!! I hope the Antrim Castle people know about your blog....this is very nice publicity for the garden!

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  5. It;s beautiful and no-one would guess that it was relatively new,

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