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 30 December 2014

Gardening Year in Review


January: Cabbage Jan King - a welcome winter sight!
I feel like I've been in hibernation over the past six weeks! Time has flown by, and now that all the seasonal festivities are coming to an end, I’m hoping to get back to regular blogging and catching up on my blog reading too!

Here’s a little review of 2014 in the garden and how the year took shape....


February: seaweed added as a mulch.
2014 was a year that began with some of the wettest, stormiest weather on record.
March: Spring crocus bulbs look bright and cheerful.
Mild weather gave way to an early Spring with bulbs popping up a few weeks earlier than usual.

April: A new herb container with thyme, oregano, chives, and lavender is added to the garden.

May: lots of pretty pink and purples come into flower.

June: The bees start busying themselves in the garden. Pictured on Gaillardia 'Arizona Sun'.
June and July were lovely months for gardening with some warm weather.

July: Summer is all go with weekly volunteering in the community garden.

August: brings lots of colour with roses, perennials and annuals.

September: lots of veg being harvested, particularly towards late Summer. September was the 2nd driest on record, and we had some fab sunny days. The insects also seemed to enjoy the 'Indian Summer'.

October: I consider seeds and order a few new varieties (e.g. asparagus lettuce) - only a few packs purchased this year!

November: I tidy up the herb container and cut straglers back.Weather reports describe 2014 as a topsy-turvy year! Most years in the garden are a bit topsy-turvy. All in all, I'd say a great year!

December: I bake, eat, visit family and think about the New Year goals for the garden!
Happy Holidays Everyone!

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

6 comments:

  1. I wondered where you had got to! I agree with your view that in a garden every year is a topsy-turvy year. A constant battle with the changing conditions - weather, pest, grandchildren , you name it!

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  2. Let's hope that 2015 is a perfect growing year, I did say hope!

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  3. Let's hope that 2015 is just as good a year in the garden. All the very best for the new year.

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  4. It's hard not to look forward to the growing season and plan our gardens...there is something about the changing seasons and seeing all the new things at the garden centers....I am already thinking about Spring flowers!!!!

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  5. Sounds like a wonderful year! The only way to get seaweed here is to buy a dried bag and it's expensive. Even the liquid kelp is pricey but I splurge on it because it's so good for the plants. I'd love to have a wheelbarrow full of it!

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  6. What a productive year you've had! I noticed the same thing about my spring garden, it all seems to come in pinks and purples. But what lovely colors they are!

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