A garden paradise by the banks of the lovely Lee

In the aftermath of the heatwave, this week temperatures dropped and there was plenty of rain falling gently, soaking beautifully into the soil, rehydrating plants and greening up the countryside once more.

The rain has brought with it a surge in growth, great for established plants, but we need to be mindful of weed competition around young plants as it can smother and stress them when it becomes too much.

Keep vegetable beds under control, particularly around new transplants and newly-sown rows of emerging seedlings.

It is satisfying to see plants restored to health, there were a lot of herbaceous perennials beginning to suffer and reach wilting point and it is amazing to see how quickly some can recover.

Mown grass areas were beginning to brown and burn up, but fear not, as grass will recover in due course.

Regarding any areas that appear very dead, perhaps there is an opportunity to sow some seeds of yellow rattle seed. If you are contemplating a wildflower meadow, seize the opportunity now to incorporate more native wildflower seed to colonise the grass areas.

Yellow rattle is also known as the meadow maker as it weakens the grass by parasitizing the roots. Seeds of ox eye daisy, yarrow or knapweed could also be sown.

It is interesting to notice what survives and flowers, even in periods of drought in the mown grass areas - clover, hawkweed and bird’s foot trefoil are top of the list for pushing through the extreme heat and lack of moisture recently.

There is nothing quite so cooling as creating a garden adjacent to a river, and a visit to Shirley Musgrave’s garden on the banks of our own lovely Lee last week, after the rain had arrived, revealed a beautiful collection of trees, shrubs and perennials which have been amassed over the last 50 years at this one acre garden in Inniscarra.

Shirley began gardening here when she and her husband Donal bought the house in 1970 and really began in earnest when they acquired an additional piece of ground next door in 1979.

With a passion for trees in particular, the joy that they bring is gaining momentum every year.

The garden is filled with birches, enkianthus, taxodium, cornus, magnolias and camellias, to name but a few of the fabulous tree and shrub varieties grown there.

Shirley has vision and space, as well as plants and trees, need to be planted with imagination as they fill a space faster than one anticipates when planting.

The soil in this garden is particularly good as it is on the banks of the Lee, and many parts of the garden adjacent to the river flood during winter, creating a rich alluvial soil which provides a great start for establishing plants.

The garden was originally planted as a series of rooms which have melded together over the years to create a rich woodland garden, with plenty of ferns, hostas and woodlanders growing happily in the understorey.

Walking around the garden with Shirley, there is a story to be told about every tree, where it was acquired, who recommended it, and where it hails from originally.

The garden is full of unusual and attractive species and cultivars that are growing very well in this sheltered. south-facing, gently sloping ground on the outskirts of Cork city.

It is a garden full of nature and biodiversity, with a pond created near the house which provides some water recreation for resident foxes at night-time! This was not intentional!

One good tip that Shirley gives about the construction of a pond is to ensure that the shelfs created to allow access are stepped and not sloped as this allows for better access for wildlife in and out of the pond.

There are restful seating areas throughout the garden, with vistas through the woodland areas and out onto the river at different points.

Sculpture plays a part, with thoughtful carvings and metal sculptures throughout to capture the imagination. It was a privilege to visit such a thoughtful and restful space.

Everybody’s garden is so personal to themselves - our own space in which we can plant, create, grow, and nurture.

Gardening gives us the opportunity to create our own oasis where nature can be observed and the changing seasons, marked by altered vegetation and activity around us as spring moves through summer into autumn and onto winter.

Plant of the Week

Styrax japonica, or the Japanese snowbell, is an elegant small tree which bears white bell flowers in June, and once it establishes, to walk under the tree and look up at the flowering canopy with the hanging white bells is a sight to behold.

A beautiful specimen tree which can grow to 10-12 metres tall with a spread of about 4-6 metres.

It prefers and acid to neutral soil and will do best in a moisture-retentive, free-draining soil in full sun or partial shade.

In addition to summer flowering, this tree also has beautiful autumn colour, with the pointed ovate leaves turning hues of yellow and orange in autumn time. It does need a sheltered site to grow and establish well.

Shirley told of a time when some cattle broke into the garden when her Japanese snowbell was quite young and damaged the leader branch, resulting in forked branching, which today makes for a tree with a much more interesting shape.

This is not always the result of cattle getting involved in the garden, but it’s good to hear a positive outcome in this particular incidence!