The latest haul
Yesterday we headed north to the edge of the big city, to get some plants. It actually corrected something that has been a terrible omission for many years: I went to Mount Venus nursery set in the countryside to the west of Dublin. Because it is actually located within shouting distance of the M50 I have been so close so many times it is a crime that I have not been to this famous nursery before.
But that is corrected now. Oliver Schurmann and staff are having their autumn sale (until Sept 26) with 20% off all prices. If you know the place you will know that they stock a huge range of lovely plants, mostly herbaceous, though there are choice shrubs too. I had to constantly put my sensible head on and not pick things up!
And now I regret it! I should have bought more!
Of course we live in trying times so you have to wear a mask and the number of customers allowed in is limited. It is actually quite sensibly organised with a set number of barrows and trolleys. If there are none at the entrance you have to wait for someone to come out with their plants and bring it to you. I have to say that I was very tempted to go and help people pack the plants from their barrows into their boots to hurry them up!
And if you think you won’t need a barrow for your choices, believe me you will!
Mount Venus Nursery, The Walled Garden Tibradden, Mutton Lane, Dublin 16
The Biking Gardener 
They will always have a selection not stocked in the garden centres so are worth a visit. I hope you have been tempted by Geranium ‘Mount Venus’ which I have found to be an excellent garden plant with a long flowering season and very easy to propagate.
I did not see that geranium. It is strange that, so far, I have not planted many geraniums here yet. In my last garden I went a bit mad and went to a specialist and came back with a bootful and they all got up to all sorts of bad behaviour in the garden and I soon had a mass of mongrels! So far I only have half a dozen planted including ‘Rozanne’ of course, and G. phaeum ‘Album’.
Two good ones!