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

Tuesday 21 January 2014

Irish Heather

Isn't Irish Heather lovely this time of year? It is a hearty shrub that flowers for long periods. It's usually sold as a tiny whip of a plant that over time can grow up to a two metre spread, which is what mine have done in the garden. From experience, they don't like to be cut back hard so I've ended up with three monster plants.

Is heather... Irish? Heathers come from many countries, however, I like to call mine Irish even though it could have originated from elsewhere. 
Over the Summer I discovered a wasp nest in this heather shrub (only one sting - boy does it hurt!). I'm hoping the nest won't be back this year - I'll keep you posted.

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

3 comments:

  1. I'm hoping to plant some heather in the front garden. I have a small bank with a fir type tree & grass tends to colonise the bank. I shall have to look for a smaller spreading one than yours though. I have no idea if it is Irish or not, I know we have plenty of it here in North Wales on the hills.

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  2. If it's growing in your garden then it IS Irish heather.

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  3. When I was pregnant with my first daughter, I saw a commercial of a girl running through a field of heather and decided then that if I had a little girl, that would be her name: Heather. And she is as beautiful as your Irish Heather. I do hope that you do not a re-infestation of wasps. Will you be watching Super Bowl? Should be a great game.

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