Thursday, October 02, 2014

Parts of Ireland are Subtropical

I wanted to comment on the comments on the post below.  I also wondered how Ireland could have such lush gardens and why everything ---really---was much larger in their gardens.  They also seemed to have fewer issues with bugs.  I 'think' it is because the island is along the Gulf Stream.  Yes, the warm waters that caress our East Coast also reach as far as Ireland and after looking at the plants and signs and chatting with a botanist, I realized that the climate is subtropical!  They can take plants from Brazil, Cuba, etc. and they do very well.  The nights are cool and the summer days are rarely hot.  Winters are not always harsh.  Perfect weather for growing plants!  And, like Washington and Oregon they get lots of misty rain.


12 comments:

  1. You do see beautiful fuschias growing along the lanes in parts of Ireland and it's rainier and milder than England for sure. Their winters can get pretty cold though. I don't think I'd call it subtropical.

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  2. Moving here from the Midwest area and observing the gardens here in Washington and Oregon I can understand your perplexity of Ireland's vigorous gardens. We have similar growing conditions here as Ireland and the plants and trees grow exponentially compared to the Midwest. I love the lushness of this area known as the Pacific Northwest. -- barbara

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  3. Interesting! I didn't know that Ireland was influenced so much by the Gulf Stream.

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  4. it is very eden like...how beautiful...and cool they can have such a range as well....

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  5. Oh, that photo is so beautiful!
    On the southern coast of England, in Cornwall, there are famous tropical gardens in the ravines. We visited two of them. Of course here in the Seattle area some of us think we can get away with growing tropicals, until a sudden cold snap wipes them all out. I have not succumbed to growing banana trees yet, but many gardeners here do. Of course they have to be dragged into green houses or garages over the winter. Silly.

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  6. Wow.. that's just a stunning spot.

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  7. I thought maybe it was sheep droppings or some good type of plant food not as easy to get here. Maybe the peat? I can see where mild mist, the ocean current, n mild winters would allow the plant growth too, but they are a high latitude.
    Cape Cod used to have milder winter temps until the past decade. Now many of the perenials don't make it to spring.

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  8. Hurry! Get these pics made into a calendar and give them as Christmas gifts!

    Gosh they are beautiful!

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  9. Lovely Irish gardens, and I love this one, excellent photo.

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  10. No wonder I dislike bugs so much. It is something my heritage doesn't understand. lol

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  11. Anonymous10:04 AM

    I wondered how it could be so green, yet not worry about bugs and snakes!

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  12. I liked your view of Ireland gardens until you mentioned the frequent rain - like in Washington and Oregon. I've never been to any of these places, but I know that I need my sun. Lots of it!

    This photo is awesome!

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