NICK ALBERT

  THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF AUTHOR NICK ALBERT

More
  • About Nick Albert
  • Fresh Eggs and Dog Beds
    • Book One
    • Book Two
    • Book Three
    • Audio Books
  • Hunting the Wrecking Crew
  • Pictures and Stuff
    • The Renovations
    • The Gardens at Glenmadrie
    • Our Dogs Through Time
    • Chickens and Ducks
    • The Beauty of Ireland
  • Read Nick's Blog
  • FAQs

Year one at Glenmadrie. This was our first vegetable plot. Soon we would expand the planting area to the right, adding a 50' polytunnel. The wall on the left will become part of our greenhouse.

…

One of the vegetable plots alongside the polytunnel.

…

With the cool climate in Ireland, polytunnels and greenhouses are a real asset if you want to grow fruit and vegetables in quantity.

…

The small fruit orchard we planted on the hottest day of the year.

…

It seems we're heading towards another excellent harvest.

…

Fruit bushes line the side of the polytunnel and help to protect this vegetable patch from the wind.

…

Lesley and Honey hard at work.

…

Year one. Our front lawn destroyed by heavy machinery. Sometimes you have to break a few eggs...

…

Many years on and our front lawn is almost unrecognisable from the time when it was torn up by diggers and well-drilling lorries.

…

Our Laburnum put on an excellent show each spring, complimenting the colourful flower beds.

…

We leave about 25% of our land uncut to encourage the wild flowers to grow.

…

Amber inspecting part of our driveway.

…

On the west meadow we have planted Ash, Alder, Oak, Cedar, Horse Chestnut, Lime, Holly and Conifers.

…

These second-hand doors and some leftover wood became a practical and attractive entrance to our greenhouse.

…

Our greenhouse.

…

A wall of roses on the outside of our greenhouse.

…

Home grown tomatoes and cucumber. Delicious!

…

Harvest time. The apple gives some scale to the huge cabbage and cauliflower.

…

Although potato blight can still be a problem in Ireland, most years we get a bumper crop.

…

Harvest time.

…

Succulent cabbages.

…

A magnificent crop of delicious curly kale.

…

Every year Lesley makes jams, marmalade, grape jelly and chutney from our autumn harvest.

…

Even when we're up in the clouds, Glenmadrie can seem heavenly.

…

Broom, beautiful contrasting colours.

…

One of the many hundred sweet smelling roses we have at Glenmadrie.

…

Everlasting Cornflowers.

…

This Rhododendron flower is as big as a soccer ball.

…

A colourful bed of Dahlias, attractive to those important pollinators.

…

The simple beauty of an Arum Lily.

…

A pretty Aquilegia.

…

These Spindle flowers are good for attracting bees. In autumn birds will enjoy the fruit.

…

This Magnolia Grandiflora lives happily in our greenhouse.

…

Clematis is another flower popular with the bees.

…

Allium, part of the onion family - smells like it too.

…

The humble dandilion grows easily on the uncut areas of our meadows.

…

Pieris - flame of the forest.

…

The seeds from this sunflower are a special treat for our chickens.

…

A magnificent Dahlia.

…

Himalayan Balsam is popular with bees - too popular. They won't pollinate any other plant while this is in flower. That's why this invasive plant has to be reported and destroyed whenever it is spotted in Ireland.

…

One of our tallest pine trees catching some early morning sunshine.

…

We have dozens of White Hawthorns around our land. The early spring blooms attract the bees.

…

During the harsh winter we keep the wild birds well-fed. In return they keep the midges and mosquitoes under control for the rest of the year.

…