Some Of The Other Residents

The Madra Rua Clan

As promised in the last post, it's now time to introduce some of the other residents of my wicklow garden. Yesterdays' post about fox gloves reminded me that I must mention our family of foxes, the Madra Rua Clan. They are a fairly illusive family and as we are surrounded by gorse there are plenty of places for them to hide out. Every evening between seven and eight thirty they parade across the rocks in front of the house on their way to or from somewhere. I have been advised that they are most probably heading out on a bin raiding mission though I do worry for the neighbour's hens down the road. They are quite comfortable in close proximity to the house and sometimes the cub will even linger and play a little to our amusement but not to the liking of my two dogs! We don't allow the dogs out until they are well gone as we our not sure who would come off the worse, our dogs are only little and foxes can be mean as well as clever. More about other residents later.

Digitalis

 Foxglove Digitalis purpurea

Wild Wicklow Foxgloves

Compliments of Mother Nature :
A corner of my garden has been taken over by tall, elegant, beautifully scented foxgloves. They are shades of purple and pink and some are pure white. Although beautiful to look at foxglove is well known to be poisonous.
Despite that, this plant has been found of enormous use in medicine.  It has been used in the treatment of congestive heart failure and cardiac arrhythmia.
Known by a variety of names such as 'Fairy thimbles', in counties Fermanagh and Cavan, you are not supposed to bring Foxgloves into the house as they are deemed to be unlucky.

The name foxglove is from the old English name "foxes glofa." It comes from an old myth that foxes must have used the flowers to magically sheath their paws as they stealthily made their nocturnal raids into the poultry yards of rural folk. The association is natural for the foxgloves grew on the wooded hillside slopes that foxes chose for their dens. This will lead to a further post relating to some other garden residents. Foxgloves are a biennial plant (it blooms the second year, then dies),  nevertheless it has the same performance as an enduring perennial because it reseeds so readily that every year the dramatic flower spikes will hopefully appear in the garden.

Straw Bale Gardening?

This one is news to me, but I have to say I love the simplicity and am very curious. Basically your average run of the mill straw bale becomes magically transformed through organic wizardry into a super fertile, weed free, pest free container garden. This idea is particularly appealing to me because my Wicklow garden is very rocky and arid and not at all suitable for vegetable growing. Also the bit of extra height would make things much easier on the backbone.
Farmers beware ! I've got my eye on your bales!
Bales away