A few pics of colour in the garden in February.  Below is Saxifraga oppositifolia, the purple mountain saxifrage, which grows in the mountains in Kerry.

And these, below, are of Heuchera “Ice & Roses”, Tete-a-tete narcissus and “Madame Lemonnier” Heucherea.

Yep, these goodies are manure from an organic beef farm and leaf mould from the same place. We used to get twelve builders’ bags of leaf mould and six of manure but, as time has gone on and the garden has filled in, we now have room for much fewer. The farmer stacks his manure, in a slatted shed, up very, very high into the shape of a volcano and it steams away for six months or more killing all the weed seeds. We do occasionally get tree seedlings in the leaf mould but these are easy to pluck out when they appear. We’re very lucky to get these garden goodies.

Also, here are three pictures of the water in the large pond in the winter showing just how clear the water is. (I hope these are not famous last words and I’ve tempted fate).

Well it was a rather pleasant month in the garden and luckily we didn’t get any damage from our only October storm, Ashley. Featured pic above is a Haemanthus albiflorus from South Africa.

This Hesperantha is growing happily in the water in our Water Garden, flowering for a long period in the Autumn.

A surprise came in October when this Notrotriche from Chile produced two flowers.

Aeoniums provide a lovely display outside in the garden and also in the Alpine House.

This Dykia will have to moved shortly for the Winter from the garden into our Alpine House.

Mutisia oligodon, from high up in the Andes in Chile, has a really long, long flowering period. The plant, itself, is scraggy but the flowers are lovely.

Flavour of the month in the garden! This Petrocosmea from south east Yunnan. Small but beautiful with silky leaves.

J. and K. McCarthy had their wedding photographs taken in Coolwater Garden this summer. We wish them a full life full of happiness together. Here are some of the shots that were taken.

Main pic above is of a Hollyhock standing straight and proud beside the pond in the Water Garden.

And here is Penny in the pond keeping an eye on the flowers.

Agapanthus “Charlotte” with a good display this year in the Alpine Plants House. I know it’s not an alpine plant but Hey! Ho!

Sedum “José Aubergine” is a herbaceous perennial that is a mega attraction for bees. Today, although not seen in the pic, it was being jostled by enormous bumble bees. A long time since I’ve seen bumble bees so large.

Cheerful as ever, Bunny Ears Opuntia in the Arid Bed.

A prostrate Gaultheria, which delivers late summer every year.

One of three Mangaves, which we now have.

New top of the wall pots being placed. There’ll be eighteen of these eventually, all with succulents sheltered under a polycarbonate roof.