It is exactly 52 weeks since I began a series featuring my garden as it flourished from Spring through summer. I thought it might be interesting to compare how it looks today compared to one year ago. I had thought that things were developing a little later than last year. In fact, the tulips, at least, are further ahead this weekend than they were a year ago.:

Last year we had no blossom and, therefore, no fruit on our Victoria plum tree. This year it is full of blossom so we can look forward to a bumper crop – unless the icy wind threatened for tomorrow destroys the blossom. For those following the link at some date in the future, I have included below a screen shot of the Met Eirean forecast for tomorrow and Tuesday for Leinster. “Temperatures will be below average throughout the coming week with hard frosts occurring at night early in the week, and returning again later in the week and into the weekend.” Brrrr – not good news for the garden!

My next photograph is of a small Pieris in a container by the front door. I’ve had it for a while but it was not doing well in its location in the garden. A couple of years ago I had the pleasure of a visit to Ballintubert House and garden (birth place of Cecil Day-Lewis). The garden tour was conducted by the head gardener. At one point she showed us a Pieris in a container and told us she had uprooted it from its former location, where it was ailing, and that it had thrived since then. Naturally, I did the same with my failing plant. Today it is a picture, with clusters of white bell like flowers amid pink and red new leaf growth.