Owner: gardening matters URL:http://inishindiegardenmatters.blogspot.com/ Join Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2008 06:37:56 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: gardening matters, articles from the Inishowen Independent newspaper, linked to gardening.ie Site statistics:Click here
WHAT TO DO WITH GRASS CLIPPINGS 2008-06-21 08:45:41 When the days are at their longest, some of us with large expanses of grass tend to start sinking under the vast quantities of clippings produced. The simplest way to deal with them is to just leave them on the lawn. There is even a phrase known as "grass cycling" to make us feel less lazy when it comes to dealing with the problem. The grass clippings soon rot down and are a natural feed. This sav
HERBS IN THE GARDEN 2008-06-15 07:39:14 Most herbs are trouble free to grow and look after. They look good, smell good and do you good. Ever since humans have been on the earth, herbs have been used as medicines, perfumes, insect repellents and, of course, in foods and flavourings.This huge group of plants includes trees, shrubs, annuals and even cacti, to name but a few. One important thing to remember when growing herbs is that they a
NEW FORUM SITE 2008-06-15 07:34:29 DO YOU NEED GARDENING ADVICE?Most of us have gardening questions that need answering at some time. Unfortunately I can’t cover all of them in a weekly article, as there just isn’t the room. To get over this issue I have teamed up with Irish Gardeners.com to give you an unparalleled gardening forum on my website www.gardening.ie. It is a very lively site with plenty of tips, advice and discuss
BLOOM 2008 2008-06-08 03:58:10 I went to the Bloom Flower Festival in Dublin presented by Bord Bia (the Irish Food Board) last week. It is the second year that the event has been on in Phoenix Park and I couldn’t miss the opportunity to take some photos for my website.Big businessThe amenity horticulture and landscaping sector is currently worth about €2 billion to the Irish economy annually, so the event is a key player in
BUTTERFLIES IN THE GARDEN 2008-06-01 04:07:17 June is bustin’ out all overIt doesn’t seem a minute ago that we were planting daffodil bulbs in containers for early spring colour. Now we are witnessing a real surge in growth as herbaceous borders are full of flowers and the vegetable patch is providing it’s first rich pickings. Salad plants are usually the first off the starting block with lettuce and rocket shooting up ahead of the radi
FORAGING 2008-05-25 04:28:56 FORAGING FOR FOODSome of the tastiest food you ever eat can come out of the hedgerows and countryside. At most times of the year you can pick up something very tasty to put in the salad or make into a delicious pudding. Now that we have the fast summer plant growth we can go foraging. We might have to wait a while to get certain fruit. Crab apples, sloes and rosehips are still too young yet, but h
NEILS TIPS FOR HEALTHY SUMMER BEDDING 2008-05-17 14:36:36 The fantastic weather we have had around the peninsula recently has promoted the growth of summer bedding plants. Garden centres are bulging at the seams with an even wider choice than ever before to brighten up our gardens. I went down to see Neil Porter at his garden centre on the Buncrana road in Carndonagh this week to see what will be filling the peninsulas planters and containers this year.
Patios 2008-05-11 16:00:27 Most of us love spending time out of doors. There is something really invigorating about being open to the elements; especially with the weather we had last week. After an afternoon tending to the beds and borders, it is important to have somewhere to relax and admire your labours. Having a patio outside of the house is a great way to do this. A patio is a place to relax, chat, read a book or inci
LOUGH ESKE CASTLE 2008-05-03 13:33:58 It is amazing what can be achieved when you put your mind to it.I returned to the Solis Castle Hotel (Donegal’s first five star hotel), on Lough Eske this week after a six-year interval. The gardens are looking fantastic, thanks to the hard work of Inishowen landscaper, John McDermott of Mac’s landscapes from Ballymagan who has the contract for bringing the gardens up to their original standar
Diarmuid Gavin Carndonagh update 2008-04-26 08:02:00 Diarmuid Gavin
and Aideen Doherty from Donegal County CouncilCARNDONAGH WANTS A GARDENMeeting for the second time in the Community school hall in Carndonagh, Diarmuid Gavin addressed his fourth audience of the day about the proposed park at Barrack Hill. Previous to this open audience, Diarmuid had spoken to; 60 children in 6 schools, teens from the Community school, the playgroup committee and s
LAWN CARE 2008-04-20 18:57:48 Some of us have actually managed to cut the grass this year. There have been enough dry days to get the mower out without it sinking in the mud. Getting an attractive lawn for the summer doesn’t have to mean hard work and a barrow full of chemicals.Here are some handy tips for a lush sward.Keep off the lawn when it's wet or frosty. Compaction, poor drainage, acidity, shade, too close mowing, und
HEDGING 2008-04-13 06:57:32 Steven Meyen is the Forestry Development Officer at Teagasc and is passionate about natural hedging. Hedges, Steven says, have determined the Irish landscape for the last two hundred years. They provide shelter for livestock and a windbreak for crops while preventing soil erosion and assisting in disease control between farms. They have an immense ecological value and help Ireland's image abroad a
Solis 2008-04-07 06:17:56 Mac’s garden centreWhilst some of us have had a long break from any form of gardening duties, there are some dedicated horticulturalists that work through all weathers. There doesn’t have to be blooms in the borders for landscapers like John McDermott from Mac’s Garden Centre in Ballymagan to be out working. John and his team have spent the last few months undertaking a large landscaping pro
THAT'S SHALLOT 2008-03-30 11:21:21 Caroline McGonigle from Dumfries has been with the Swilly Gardening Club from the beginning and is always pleased to offer advice at the monthly meetings. Here are some of her tips about what to do in the garden this month. “Now is a good time to plant shallots into prepared soil,” she advises. “You might find that some shallots you have bought in the past have a habit of bolting, (that is g
DENNIS DOHERTY 2008-03-24 06:29:24 Swilly Gardening ClubThere was a great turn out at the Swilly Gardening Club last week. Members old and new turned up at the angling centre in Buncrana to hear Dennis Doherty talk about the spring lawn. Dennis has plenty of experience of working in the great outdoors, as he was the green keeper at Ballyliffen golf club for over 30 years and his expertise shows. He gave some top tips for looking af Read more:DOHERTY
FAIRY TREES 2008-03-16 15:15:16 Ben Simon (centre rear) with local councillors, a local environmentalist and George, the town gardener.Ben Simon from Belfast was at the library in Buncrana last week giving a talk on trees in Ireland. Ben is a Forest Officer in Belfast and is involved in Urban Forestry Projects and also works closely with Belfast Council to maintain woodlands and planted urban areas.Fairy treesBen is very interes
QUESTION TIME 2008-03-12 09:28:23 TAKING HARDWOOD CUTTINGSQ. How do I take hardwood cuttings?Hardwood cuttings, I can say from experience really want to survive and can withstand an awful lot of neglect. They can tolerate anything except drought (and being planted in the ground upside down!)When the leaves have fallen from deciduous shrubs, this will be the time to take hardwood cuttings. Easy plants to try include willow (Salix),
FLOWERS FROM SEED 2008-03-01 07:43:31 Have you ever though of growing summer flowers from seed? There are thousands of fabulous varieties to choose from and most are really easy to grow. Garden centres have new seed stock in so there is no excuse not to give it a try! There are so many plants that will germinate easily in a tray on the windowsill for summer colour in the garden.Alyssum with their tufted growing habit, Begonias do real
DIARMUID GAVIN - BARRACK HILL IN CARNDONAGH 2008-02-25 03:44:28 Diarmuid Gavin talking at the open meeting in Carndonagh.One of the most innovative projects for Inishowen is happening in Carndonagh at Barrack Hill Park. Diarmuid Gavin has been recruited to take on the daunting task of creating an amenity area that will satisfy the needs of a whole community. He is no stranger to this size of project though, and is currently working on an art gallery in Walsal
TREES 2008-02-17 10:10:58 CHOOSING THE RIGHT TREEI was in Swan Park this week having a nosey at the great work that the tree surgeons are doing down there. Some of the older specimens are getting a bit unsteady on their feet (roots?) and are either being cut back, or taken down all together, as in the case of some old beech trees that are sliding down into Crana river.Shredding the smaller branches for mulch in Swan Park t
GRASS CUTTING 2008-02-11 13:41:28 Gardening Matters is an offshoot of inishindie. Weekly articles from Inishowen Ireland
HEDGE CUTTING 2008-02-11 13:38:28 It is against the law to cut vegetation growing in any hedge or ditch between March 1st and August 31st because of bird nesting. Although this is more a matter for farmers than us gardeners, I have used this law occasionally when I didn’t want to cut someone’s hedge! However we can’t really use this as an excuse so if you can get a few minutes outside, now is a good time to get your unruly h
DONEGAL TRAIL 2008-02-02 09:23:19 Sean O'GaoithinDonegal Garden Trail brochure 2008James Noone (chairperson)Hilary ReidMaura Doherty (treasurer)Danny McLaughlin (secratary) Local gardening clubsSome of the real hidden treasures of Inishowen are the vibrant gardening clubs. At these monthly meetings like-minded folk can get together for advice, drinks cups of tea, win lovely plants in the raffle and listen to guest speakers who ar
ALL HANDS ON DECK 2008-02-02 09:21:39 Decking for the garden is still a popular option in Inishowen, and it can be built on the steepest of slopes or the wettest of ground. Putting decking in the garden can increase your living area considerably and young children enjoy playing on the soft,warm surface. The major complaint is that the surface can become very slippery in winter. This week I visited Brian Timmins from Inishowen Garden E
No title 2008-01-26 07:07:32 Gardening Matters is an offshoot of inishindie. Weekly articles from Inishowen Ireland
MAKE YOUR OWN MINI PROPAGATOR - THE MOVIE 2008-07-07 19:08:18 Check out gardening.ie the website Caution: Never put any chemicals or flammable liquids in containers that were not designed for that purpose...Gardening Matters is an offshoot of inishindie. Weekly articles from Inishowen Ireland
STRAWBERRIES 2008-07-06 17:34:20 Growing great strawberriesIf you have strawberry plants in the garden you will be joining the crowds at Wimbledon and enjoying a big bowlful of them, with cream. They will be a lot sweeter when you realise how much cheaper your bowl is. It isn’t difficult to grow your own and you can even plant them out now. Strawberries thrive in a wide range of soils, from light sand to heavy clay. Ideally tho
NEW VEGETABLE PATCH 2008-06-29 12:20:51 We have been expanding our veggie empire over the last few weeks. With the price of fuel going through the roof bumping up the price of nearly all of our groceries, there is no better time, or excuse, to start growing your own. Being able to go out into the garden and pick food for tea gives me a great deal of satisfaction. It’s also very good exercise and the taste is far superior to most shop
ORGANIC FARMING INISHOWEN 2008-07-19 05:08:51 I am still in John and Mary’s fantastic Greenhill organic farm in Fawn, Culdaff this week. The knowledge that John and Mary have accumulated in their years of growing could fill a book (and probably will do one day…). Last week I was in the tunnels talking about crop rotation. This week we are out walking around the potato fields…SpudsMary and John only get top quality organic seed for all o
LOCAL ORGANIC VEGETABLES 2008-07-13 10:31:52 John and Mary Reilly from Fawn on the outskirts of Cudaff know the importance of growing organic vegetable as part of a healthy diet. Over the last few years they have made a name for themselves around Inishowen by growing fresh seasonal produce for sale direct from their farm, through shops and in vegetable box deliveries supplied by the North West Organics. It seems hard to believe that up to 9
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