Six-on-Saturday: Saint Patrick’s Weekend

It’s interesting, so it is. Weeds grow without any help from me. They just grow. Most cultivated plants have to be helped along. Not weeds! After a mild winter here, they’re getting on with it. They do so almost unnoticed, until such time as they are noticed. The Noticing Moment presented itself last Monday, and several bucketfuls were uprooted and binned. Short shrift, I said to myself, knowing full well that the blighters already knew their fate . That was the beginning of the end.

Beginning today’s Six-on-Saturday, I remind myself that I’ve done my garden a service. A few briars, other nasty taproot enemies and some other unsightly yokes are gone forever for a while, and I can get on with the business of sharing six plants things that I like this week. Shall we proceed? Tar liom chuig an gháirdín ar chúl an tí.

1. Plant Of The Week: Helleborus Moonbeam

Moonbeam was among my Six-on-Saturday two weeks ago. For comparison, here’s how it has changed in that short time.

Two weeks ago, I was unable to remember the name, so I returned to our local Farmers Market and Simon remembered. Finally, as befits a Plant Of The Week, here’s a third photo: a selection of Moonbeam blooms together with H. Christmas Carol floating on water. It’s very easy to see why Helleborus is called Lenten Rose.

2. Daffodils

Fair Daffodils, we weep to see
You haste away so soon;
As yet the early-rising sun
Has not attain'd his noon.
Stay, stay,
Until the hasting day
Has run
But to the even-song;
And, having pray'd together, we
Will go with you along.

We have short time to stay, as you,
We have as short a spring;
As quick a growth to meet decay,
As you, or anything.
We die
As your hours do, and dry
Away,
Like to the summer's rain;
Or as the pearls of morning's dew,
Ne'er to be found again.

- Robert Herrick

3. Tulips

I’m not a big fan of tulips. This year I’m attempting to change my mind. Once I made the decision to treat them as annuals, somehow my perspective is different. Let them bloom and fade, at which time I’ll move them to the compost heap where they’ll die happily along with uncooked kitchen waste, paper, egg cartons and general garden waste. Miraculously this mish-mash becomes alive with things and in late Autumn I will have about ten wheelbarrowfuls of Black Gold, the most nutritious soil imaginable. The tulips will have shone awhile only to be reincarnated and spread liberally mórthimpeall (round & about).

4. Lettuces & Scallions

There’s enough to feed an army. That said, armies don’t thrive on lettuce. Something a bit stronger would be required. Napoleon mentioned to me that an army marches on its stomach. Lettuces are for rabbits, he said. I  agree in one respect. Lettuces appear on my lunch plate regularly, but not so much on days when I’m cycling three hours or when I get stuck in for full afternoon of gardening.

5.  Lá Le Páraig

For #FlowersOnFriday Happy St. Patrick’s Day wherever you are in the world. #sendingsunshine even though the Emerald Isle is awash with rain. pic.twitter.com/MiQ6JnGIhD

— thethreehairs (@thethreehairs) March 17, 2023

Yesterday, being Saint Patrick’s Day and our national holiday, I gave myself a day off from everything. No grocery shopping, no gym, no cycling, no hoovering and no early morning writing. I spent an exciting afternoon at the parade. On Thursday I purchased a green, white and gold bunch of cut flowers to mark the feast day of Sucat the Welshman. Kidnapped by Irish pirates, he spent many years among us and successfully kickstarted the change from Celtic nature-based spirituality to a man-made Christianity. He was big into sheep farming, not so much gardening, although he did banish some snakes. For that I’m grateful. Note: there’s at least one untruth above. Perhaps you’ll ponder on it throughout the day?

It’s generally accepted that on the feast day of Patricius cold blustery winds arrive from Wales, occasionally with sleety showers. Lá fhéile Pádraig sona dhaoibh go léir.

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I have saved an interesting article about Celtic Shamanism for further reading. It’s from Jane Burns’ lovely Journeys To The Soul website.

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6. False Spirea

Last week, (link here) I was given a lovely gift and I asked for assistance with its identification. It has been confirmed as Sorbaria sorbifolia ‘Sem’, commonly known as False Spirea. My thanks to the two sisters. I’ve been advised that it’ll do well in a pot, and that’s what I’ve done. I also like the algae.

At the moment, the plant foliage is looking good so I am reluctant to prune it back. It is a bit leggy, but I’ll hold back with the secateurs for the time being.

Footnote: the Hellebore (Moonbeam at 1 above) is to the immediate left.

About Six-on-Saturday

• Here’s The Participant Guide updated by Jim.
• That’s all from me, but for more inspiring gardens and great gardening blogs, head over to Garden Ruminations, the home for Six on Saturday. Have a lovely weekend. By locating his update for today you will be able to catch up with links from all the other folks who take part. After reading, scroll to the comments. (Shamelessly robbed from Sel, because she does it so well.)
• Jim is also over there on Twitter @JamesLStephens

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Rothaíocht an Domhnaigh

I returned to the rothaíocht last Sunday after a two-week rest. Two weeks is a long time to be missing in action, or rather inaction! In that two weeks, my left and right legs got just a bit soft (and somewhat older), so by the time I reached the little hills of Old Parish, I was telling my comrades to steady on. Half a notch is the phrase. Go easy on my poor oul legs, I implored. And they did.

Here’s the Captain’s summary:

Group 3 had 10 starting on a rather damp morning heading up Colligan to the Halfway Hse with a brisk tailwind. Turning left towards Millstreet, collecting one more rider from the Ballymacarbry side, meeting a stiff headwind as we headed through Clashmore and onto Clarenbridge Garden Ctr where a much needed coffee and cakes were had – worth climbing up the sharp hill from the main road to get there! All refreshed, a fast spin home through Old Parish to complete an 85k spin.

El Capitano de G3

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Fun

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The Third Policeman

‘Michael Gilhaney,’ said the Sergeant, ‘is nearly sixty years of age by plain computation and if he is itself, he has spent no less than thirty-five years riding his bicycle over the rocky roadsteads and up and down the hills and into the deep ditches when the road goes astray in the strain of the winter. He is always going to a particular destination or other on his bicycle at every hour of the day or coming back from there at every other hour. If it wasn’t that his bicycle was stolen every Monday he would be sure to be more than half-way now.’ ‘Half-way to where?’ ‘Half-way to being a bicycle himself,’ said the Sergeant.

Flann O’Brien – The Third Policeman

Thought for the week:

Grand Slam Saturday

Ireland 🇮🇪 play England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 tonight. We’ll be favourites to secure a fourth Grand Slam, and our first on home soil. I’ll be hoping to make mention of the game in my Six-on-Saturday next Saturday.

Gallery

Click the first PHOTOGRAPH and swipe right or left.

More next week. The slugs will have emerged.

Páraig.