The View From Our Street

"Yours is glorious country Honeychurch."

I love our little peninsula. I love the view from every angle, from the rugged cliffs on the east side looking towards Scotland to the gently sloping fields towards the lough on the west. From our upstairs windows we can see Scrabo Tower to the south, the Glens of Antrim to the north, Scotland to the east and the green hills of Magheramorne to the west.... I think that the view to the west is my favourite.......you can lose yourself in the hedgerows and country cottages, the rolling pastures....it looks cosy and safe. I must learn how to take proper photos...I tried to take some today but the beautifully warm weather and  hazy sunshine doesn't seem to agree with my camera.

Will try harder next time...

On a High

I'm so excited that we're basking in the sun -AT LAST!!!! (Unless you're in Islandmagee and you've got the chilling sea mist until lunchtime....still - it's worth celebrating with a glass of Shiraz!) I can't help but run the BBC interactive weather with the 5 day forecast - that "full sun" symbol makes my heart sing! Within a period of one week, I've ditched the woolly scarf and donned the vest top -  I wonder do the plants go into shock with the ten degrees hike just as you would expect when the temperature plummets. I'm not complaining - the bees are buzzing on overdrive, as if they have to make up for lost time. I've planted out the bulk of my self sown plug plants.

Am almost Chelsea'd out....have Sky plus'd all three daily programmes & have watched the interactive every day...scared of missing something. Mind you...is it just me or is there an awful lot of cut stone....stone, stone, stone. Steps, paths, walls all quarried....is this eco friendly...I don't know but it seems awfully cold and stark at times. And expensive!

Today's Highlight: Johnny Ball discussing the Fibonacci formula on Chelsea interactive....(this has blown me away ever since I read Bernard McLaverty's Grace Notes,) with Ludovico Einaudi  in the background....the Phil Coulter of Italy.

Sorry - I did warn you I would ramble.

It's Chelsea Time!

I just love the Chelsea week - it comes at the time of year when the garden suddenly surges forward, past the stage of lush growth and vibrant greens, towards an explosion of colour.... the foxgloves and alliums are opening, the early geraniums, aquilegias, thalictrums and hesperis are all flowering. There's no turning back and it's all so uplifting because we know that there's so much yet to come before it reaches its peak.

I can't wait to see the show gardens....I'm hoping for new plant combination ideas. Meanwhile back at Kilcoan Gardens I'm busy planting out annuals (cornflowers, cosmos, stock, gypsophila, linaria, snapdragons) and chrysanths, peonies and phlox bought new this year. All new plants and seedlings are very slow because of the cold spring weather but they will hopefully catch up.

The perennial beds are filling up nicely although there are gaps because I was ruthless in early spring and dug out any plants that weren't earning their keep for the space they occupied - red hot pokers, perennial lupins (have planted the annual sort this year). My favourite perennial is catmint - nepeta Six Hills Giant for the following reasons:

• It has useful foliage as well as flowers (for picking)
• It clumps up quickly from small, new plants
• The slugs and other pests leave it alone
• It smells superb

Whilst wandering around the garden, I discovered this pretty ivy had made use of an ancient iron fencing post...sometimes nature does a better job than our carefully planned garden designs!

Doggie Bags

I had a wonderful day yesterday celebrating a great friend's 40th birthday. Afternoon Tea at The Merchant Hotel. Yummy....the best bit.......getting the leftovers home in a fancy box! I would have photographed them outside of the box but they were a sorry mess by the time I rallied home (forgot they were in the back seat of the car..whoops..ate them anyway).

Bought the beautiful birthday girl a beautiful "Lugh" bag, locally handmade and stocked by Javart, The Courtyard, Carrickfergus...just had to buy myself a wee one with dogs on, isn't it pretty? Better not take it anywhere near the garden - I'll never keep it clean...in fact, better not have it anywhere near me. I think I'll just hang it somewhere nice and look at it.

Big garden post coming tomorrow!!! Have neglected my flowers this week - I actually left the Island two days in a row. 

Flower School!

Had a lovely day yesterday at  Clotworthy House within Antrim Castle Gardens when I held my first flower arranging workshop for them. Met some lovely girls and enjoyed the beautiful surroundings which have recently undergone major renovation works. The girls were all so enthusiastic and their arrangements were amazing! I'm really looking forward to the next workshop on 23rd June.

The Rain Rain Rain came Down Down Down

It didn't stop all day. I think it was localised but the sun didn't come out until home time...typical. Someone once told me that Ireland is an island of evenings and I think that they were right.  I just stayed in the tunnel all day and potted on (orlaya, sweet sultan, roman chamomile, dill, nicotiana & amaranth). I would like to say that it's good growing weather but surely the temperature would need to reach double figures! Foxgloves just starting to open...the most exciting are the ones the birds "leave" in unexpected places.

Foodie Weekend

No gardening done this weekend, the weather is just so bad. Have been painting the barn to get ready for my cut flower workshops. Will post some before & after photos once finished - I'm quite excited.

Have been cooking and eating all weekend, last night I was in the mood for something Asian so I made Jamie's chinese chicken parcels from the Jamie's kitchen book, hoisin beef and Ching He-Huang's delicious special fried rice.

I was so hungry that I forgot to photograph the end result but it was the nicest fried rice I've ever had! I then made sundried tomato bread to have with cold salmon and leftover prawns for lunch today.

Just a light tea tonight then.

Holiday diet starts tomorrow. I can feel a cheese board coming on.

The Promise of Things to Come

Well, here goes, I can't believe I'm starting a blog! I don't know whether I'll be any good at this social media malarkey but I'll give it a try. 

"Let what you love be what you do". I didn't think that this would ever be possible but I'm living my dream after many stressful years of being in a job that wasn't really me. I'm growing my own cut flowers on my parents' land - I've become quite a happy hermit. Just me, the dog, the solar, wind up radio and a lovely garden with beautiful views. 

This time of year, despite the horribly cold weather, I'm ever the optimist - it has to get better, lighter, warmer. The garden will do its stuff and we will marvel at the exuberance of it all - I can't wait!