Monthly Archives: September 2016

Burriscarra

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Burriscarra Abbey lies close to the shores of Lough Carra, in County Mayo. As soon as you climb over the stone style into the grounds of the abbey you get a sense of history. The place seems particularly peaceful, you are surrounded by the abbey ruins, a church ruin and gravestones, old and new. The oldest one recorded with a date was 1738, but older were without dates were also present.

Burriscarra Abbey

Burriscarra Abbey

The site has a long and mixed history. The Carmelites founded the abbey in 1298, though there may have been an earlier monastery. In 1383, it was abandoned but by 1412 it was transferred to the Augustinian Friars of Ballinrobe by papal degree. Around 1430, it was burnt but was rebuilt shortly afterwards with funds collected from the local population. The present ruins are thought to date from this rebuilding.

I wonder what is the significance of these gargoyles? It amazes me to think someone created them over 500 years ago!

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Perplexed

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Today’s daily post got me thinking, or maybe perplexing would be a more accurate a description. Here we on living on a planet, blessed with fresh air, clean water, the most amazing biodiversity you could imagine. And yet we continue to pollute and destroy.

Lough Cullin
Oak leaf
Robin
Apple
Wood anemone
Red tailed bumble
atlantic
Bumble
sea thift
fritillary butterfly
Goldfinch
Ox-eyed daisy
green viened white
Erris head
Red admiral
Hoverfly

If you could just do one thing for this amazing place we call home, then think about one of these options:

  1. Compost all your green waste
  2. Plant some flowers. No garden – then plant some in a pot or window box
  3. Stop using chemicals in your garden (herbicides, pesticides) and in your home (vinegar, lemon juice and baking soda are great for cleaning)
  4. Plant a tree
  5. Build a bird box
  6. Give your old clothes to a charity shop
  7. Feed the birds and enjoy watching them visit your feeder
  8. Grow some vegetables
  9. Volunteer to help with a community clean up
  10. Smile

If you are already doing them, then give yourself a clap on the back!

via Daily Prompt: Perplexed

Last days of summer for pollinators

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As autumn makes it’s fast progress, it is the final chance for our pollinators to make the best of the last flowers. Some are battered and bruised from their long season; others (like the new queens bees)  are building up their resources to get them through the winter, hidden away in quiet and neglected corners of your garden.

Red tailed bumble
White tailed bumble (queen)
Hoverfly – Artophila superbiens
Hoverfly – Artophila superbiens
Red tailed bumble
Hoverfly – Rhingia campestris
White tailed bumble – faded colours
Common carder
White tailed bumble (queen)
Peacock
Common carder
Green veined white
Peacock

 

Harvest Melody

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September is here and the garden year is beginning to wind down. Despite our wet summer we have had reasonable crops – warmer temperatures than last summer probably helping.

We’ve been enjoying juicy Victoria plums and Beauty of Bath apples (an early variety).

Victoria plum

Victoria plum

Many of the apple trees have cropped well and we are looking forward to tasting them all. I see each apple as having its own melody; smell, taste, texture are all different.

Apple
James Grieve apple
Annie Elizabeth
Annie Elizabeth apple
Bardsey apple

Pears have not done well this year – the few we have are covered in scab and are now beginning to crack. But it is the first year we have had Japanese Quince (only six though!).

pear
Japanese quince

In the vegetable plot, beans have done well. Garlic definitely benefited from being planted last October. Cabbages have thrived in the damp conditions. Squashes are few and far between and onions which I planted late are understandably small! All and all not too bad a harvest though.

Runner bean
Garlic
Greyhound cabbage