A STROLL IN THE GARDEN - JOY FUREY

This week we are in the garden with Joy Furey from Fahan. Joy has created a haven for a wide range of wildlife in her garden as well as a place for the family to play, sit and relax.

How long have you been tending the garden?
Ten years. The garden was a field before then surrounded by mature sycamore and ash trees.

What is your favourite plant?
I would have to say the pink clematis that grows along the fence and up to the top of a large Hawthorne tree at the edge of the garden.

What is your favourite feature in the garden?
I have a water feature that is very relaxing. I also love the variety of birds that come to the garden. We have robins, great tits, wrens, thrushes, doves, rooks, jackdaws, magpies, blackbirds, sparrows and even the occasional sparrow hawk. (They all have to eat!)

What is your favourite season and why?
Autumn for the wonderful colours.

What work gives you the most pleasure in the garden?
Weeding and tidying makes the biggest impact and gives me the most pleasure.

Any irritations in the garden. How do you cope?
Cats can be a menace in the garden. They are bird killers as well as pets and could also torment our over wintering hedgehogs. I have installed a sonic device in the garden to deter the cats. It seems to work.

What is your best gardening tool?
The Weed Twister. It makes tending the borders a pleasure. Four spikes twist around at the end of a long handle. Just push the spikes in, twist, and the weeds come right up!

Top Tip for spring?
If the birds in your garden are not of the passerine type (perching birds) then put plants in the garden, which have berries on them. Holly, mountain ash and rose hips attract all sorts of larger birds to the garden.

.

Any plans for the future?
To retire and spend more time in the garden!


PHOTO: Joy gets to work on the weeds with her trusty Weed Twister tool.

Horticultural.

A STROLL IN THE GARDEN - MARY DIXON

This week we are in the garden of Mary Dixon from Buncrana. Mary’s garden is set in one of the most beautiful areas of the peninsula with views of the Swilly and backing on to Swan Park.

How long have you been working on the garden?
I have been working on the garden for over fifty years. When my husband and I moved into the three hundred year old farmhouse the garden was a wildernesses. The whole area was full of brambles. I remember I started from one end and slowly worked my way across the ground digging it over with a spade.

What is your favourite plant?
I love hydrangeas. I have a selection of them in the garden such as the mophead ones and also a climbing one that covers a rock at the front of the drive. Of all the colours I like the red and white ones the best.

What is your favourite feature in the garden?
There is a place in the garden where I always sit so my family had a pergola and seat built especially for me. That has to be the best spot in the garden!

What is your favourite season and why?
The summer, because I enjoy the colourful flowers in the garden.

What work gives you the most pleasure in the garden?
Seed sowing in late spring. I particularly enjoy staring the sweet peas and godetia.

Any irritations, how do you cope?
Mare’s tail (horsetail) it is very hard to get rid of. I tend to apply a contact weed killer to the fresh shoots that come up. There are three on the market, Verdon, Hedlan spray and Tetral. All of them have to be used with extreme caution and put directly onto the leaves.

What is your best gardening tool?
The spade. It has served me well

Top gardening tip?
Get help if you can’t cope!

Any plans for the future?
I would like to set up more low energy lights around certain areas of the garden to give it more depth in the evenings

Horticultural.

A STROLL IN THE GARDEN - THERESA CROSSAN

Theresa Crossan from Buncrana is a very keen gardener. This year her hard work has been rewarded. Theresa received first prize for the Best Garden in the Swilly Gardening Club competition. Because of careful planning and wind protection the garden looks fantastic at any time of year.


How long have you been working on the garden?
I have been in this house for twenty-seven years and tending to the garden for twenty-five years. I started it from scratch. It has been a gradual process with a lot of changes.

Why is the rear garden in two sections?
I tried to grow tender plants but they just got totally ruined with the wind from the Swilly. The bottom end of the garden is now a windbreak, divided by a large Escallonia hedge. I have planted olearia and senicio as well, as these plants are ideal for the coast. These give us the protection we need to grow tender annuals.


What is your favourite plant?
I really like the hedging plants. We tried leylandii when the garden was young but all but two of them died in the wind. My favourite hedging that we have is the griselinia littoralis with its apple coloured leaves.

What is your favourite feature in the garden?
The water feature is very relaxing. I enjoy its soothing properties.

What is your favourite season and why?
I am at my most enthusiastic in the time just coming into summer.

What work gives you the most pleasure in the garden?
It certainly isn’t the weeding! I have put plants very close together in my garden to stop the weeds coming up. My greatest pleasure is planting up the summer bedding.

Any irritations in the garden. How do you cope?
My children used to be the biggest problem with their footballs. The only problem I have now is our dog; he has a tendency to make a nest in the foliage.

What is your best gardening tool?
The hoe to keep the small weeds down, before they become a nuisance.

Top Tip for spring?
Use the hoe regularly especially early on in the season.
.
Any plans for the future?
I add bits every year and next year I would like white climbing roses to grow over the trellis feature.

Horticultural.

A STROLL IN THE GARDEN - ANTHONY GINN AND KATHLEEN MCLAUGHLIN

Anthony Ginn and Kathleen McLaughlin from Moville make a great gardening duo. Anthony worked for years in the oil industry deep in the Saudi Arabian desert so he loves nothing more to be knee deep in the wet Inishowen soil. Kathleen on the other hand is the design and ideas person (the boss!) Together they have created a garden that can be appreciated at any time of the year.

How long have you been working on the garden?
Only three years. The front garden has seen the most work. Initially it was wet grass so we have gravelled it and put in the pots.

What is your favourite plant?
Anthony: I like the dahlias the best. They are fantastic at this time of year and produce lots of lovely blooms for cutting
Kathleen: I love the daffodil. We have heaps of bulbs to plant this year.

What is your favourite feature in the garden?
We both enjoy the heart shaped raised bed in the back garden.

What is your favourite season and why?
Anthony: Summer is the best time of year. You can sit out and relax, enjoying the meals on the patio.
Kathleen: I think the spring is lovely because of the promise of new beginnings. And the daffodils!

What work gives you the most pleasure in the garden?
We both enjoy the planning stages and seed planting.

Any irritations in the garden. How do you cope?
Slugs are a real pest. We do put down some slug pellets occasionally and sparingly. Dahlias can be vulnerable so they will get a sprinkling.

What is your best gardening tool?
Secatuers for cutting the flowers. We are investing in a new petrol mower soon to get away from the awkward cables of the electric mower. That will probably be next years best tool!

Top Tip?
Don’t be in a rush. If things don’t grow well in the first year, give them a chance to establish. We had a peony rose that was sickly for a few years but looks fantastic now.

Any plans for the future?

We have ideas to plant an archway in the front garden and to grow more vegetables. As well as the hardy veg such as beetroot and courgettes we plan to get a small greenhouse to grow tomatoes and cucumbers.

Horticultural.

A STROLL IN THE GARDEN-JOEY GRANT

This weeks featured garden is the Sister of Mercy Convent in Buncrana.

Joey Grant looks after this beautiful garden and this week he shares the joys of his work here.

How long have you been working on the Sister of Mercy garden?
It’s coming up to twenty years.

What is your favourite plant?
I have a few which include the Pieris forest flame and mountain fire, azaleas and forsythia.

What is your favourite feature in the garden?
Everything in the garden is a delight! I work in the garden so I don’t have the luxury of sitting on a patio drinking tea.

What is your favourite season and why?
You can probably guess by the favourite plants that I chose. Spring fills me with pleasure, as the new growth appears bringing new life to the garden.

What work gives you the most pleasure in the garden?
I enjoy working the flower beds and cutting the grass. When these jobs have been done the garden looks at its best.

Any irritations in the garden. How do you cope?
Slugs! I don’t use pellets so the slugs make a tasty meal for the birds to feed on. Beer traps can be effective.

What is your best gardening tool?
The spade, it is a very versatile tool. Closely followed by the rake.

Top Tip for spring?
If you plant camellias in the garden, put them in a place where the early morning sun doesn’t hit them as this scorches the flowers.

Any plans for the future?
More tree pruning this year. The trees we have would get too big if they were just left to their own devices. I will be replacing some old or dead plants in the garden as well to brighten things up for summer.

A STROLL IN THE GARDEN- PADDY MCCARTNEY

This week (and next!) we are in Paddy McCartney’s fabulous organic garden in Greencastle. Paddy is a very well known entertainer around the peninsula (and beyond) with his unique blend of singing and storytelling. Paddy is also very passionate about his garden and has just finished running a course linked to the Western Organic Network on growing organically. He ran the practical course in his own garden and hopes it will be an annual event.

How long have you been working on the garden?
About twenty years. The garden was initially just at the front of the cottage but I have slowly been working my way down the fields.

What is your favourite plant?
I have lots of them depending on the time of year. The Pieris Forestii holds lovely memories of my friend Albert, who has sadly passed away, as we got the plants together. Verbenas are looking good at the moment, especially the Bonariensis. They do not need staking and are in flower for five months of the year. Butterflies love them and they are easily propagated.

What is your favourite feature in the garden?
Although it isn’t a garden feature as such, I do get a lot of pleasure looking out of the living room window at the garden. From there I can see the rockery and the pond with the birds splashing around in the water.

What is your favourite season and why?
I love the spring as it is the time of new growth and looking forward to the growing year ahead.

What work gives you the most pleasure in the garden?
Planting seeds of the flowers and vegetables. Even after all the years of planting it still amazes me that seeds so small can eventually grow into giant plants, trees and shrubs. I enjoy getting an early start to the year in the glasshouse. A glasshouse can extend the season too. I am growing late sweet peas, dahlias, chrysanths and cosmos under cover for a forthcoming wedding in a few weeks.

Top Gardening tips?
People ask me when is the best time to plant things. My answer to this is whenever you have the time, take the notion or have a spade handy!

Mulch the garden. Put in plenty of organic matter. If you have newspapers you can recycle those into the compost bins or beds and borders to save you the bother of taking them to the recycling centres.

Avoid the glut of home grown vegetables in summer. Don’t grow too much of one type.

More from Paddy next week….

Horticultural.

A STROLL IN THE GARDEN WITH COLM GRANT

This week we are in the garden of Colm Grant from Umrycam on the outskirts of Buncrana. Colm has been involved in the Swilly Gardening Club since it began and regularly shares his vast knowledge of all things green to the group. Colm is also a very familiar face around the schools of Inishowen, enthralling youngsters with his collection of interesting objects from nature that create a world of wonder.


How long have you been working on the garden?

24 years. There was nothing here when we came apart from two lawns and a very wide driveway.

What is your favourite plant?

It has to be the snowdrop.

What is your favourite feature in the garden?

I enjoy every feature in the garden but if I had to choose one thing it would be the greenhouse

What is your favourite season and why?

Spring, because winter is over! Summer and autumn stretch ahead of us. This is the one short time of year that we have the illusion of being in control of the garden

What work gives you the most pleasure in the garden?

I really enjoy propagating and taking cuttings. This is why the garden is so full!


Any irritations in the garden. How do you cope?

We have a problem with ground elder. My wife Patricia deals with the problem though as she painstakingly removes it.

What is your best gardening tool?

I have a manual cultivator. This sounds fancy but it is just a three pronged fork on a long handle. I find it invaluable.

Top Tip for spring?

If you can, try shredding your garden waste. The resulting mulch is perfect for putting on the beds to keep the weeds down and feeds the soil.

.

Any plans for the future?

I am developing a pond, which will attract the frogs. These are my best defence against the slugs in the vegetable patch!

Horticultural.

A STROLL IN THE GARDEN-GEORGE BUCHANAN

The format for this article appears in the Inish Times on a weekly basis. (click on title for link)

I can't think of a better way to spend the day than talking to people about their gardens.

This week we are taking a look at the garden of George Buchanan on the outskirts of Buncrana. For years George has been donating the daffodils from his garden to the Irish Cancer Society, who sell them around the peninsula. The Society is celebrating it’s twentieth year on Friday 23rd of March 2007 which is all the more reason to dig deep into those pockets and buy an extra bunch!



How long have you been working on the garden?

From the beginning, over twenty years.



What is your favourite plant or flower?

It has to be the daffodil.



What is your favourite feature in the garden?

Again, it has to be the swaths of daffodils at this time of year.



What is your favourite season and why?

Spring and I think you can guess why. Yes it’s because of the daffodils!



What work gives you the most pleasure in the garden?

I enjoy making the garden as low maintenance as possible. I am a busy person and weeding could take up too much time. I have been putting down Weed Block webbing and gravel on the beds to cut down the maintenance.



Any irritations in the garden. How do you cope?

I do have a few slugs in the garden, but they don’t seem to do too much damage to the plants.



What is your best gardening tool?

My JCB!



Top gardening tip?

Don’t cut off the leaves of the daffodils in your garden after the flowers have gone. Leave them until they go yellow to get the nutrients back into the bulbs. The bulbs will reward you next year. When you buy the cut flowers on Friday, put them straight into water after cutting off an inch of the stems. A pinch of sugar in the water will keep them looking fresh for longer.



Any plans for the future?

I would like to make more of the garden low maintenance, and of course plant more daffs!

Horticultural

A STROLL IN THE GARDEN WITH ROBERTA MORROW

This week we are in the lovely garden of St Mura’s National School in Buncrana talking to Roberta Morrow.

How long have you been working on the garden?

26 years. I inherited the garden from Mrs Emily Bryce a previous teacher. She and the children had planted some lovely shrubs and beautiful roses.

What is your favourite plant?

The cherry blossom. The children love the confetti like petals that fall.

What is your favourite feature in the garden?

The bird table. We have daily visits from blue tits and greenfinches.

What is your favourite season and why?

The spring. Watching the shoots from bulbs push their way up out of the ground. We have tulips and daffodils in the garden.

What work gives you the most pleasure in the garden?

Watching the wildlife return to the garden. We had starlings in the air vents before the renovations. We are looking forward to seeing more butterflies after planting some buddleia’s.

Any irritations in the garden. How do you cope?

Some of the daffodils get broken with footballs. We just gather them up and put them in the classroom.

What is your best gardening tool?

My hands. I don’t like wearing gloves.

Top Tip for spring?

Now is a great time for taking slips from honeysuckle and hydrangea. Cut off a twig just below a leaf node and stick them in the ground.

Any plans for the future?

A small shallow pond. And we’d love a garden seat to sit and enjoy the fruits of our labour!! We might even try growing a few herbs

Horticultural.

A STROLL IN THE GARDEN - CLAIRE NELSON

This week we are in the garden of Claire Nelson from Buncrana. Claire has a keen interest in the garden and over the years has included some lovely features like a fountain and a real thatch sun canopy. Her garden incorporates a barbeque area as well as loads of places for the children to play. The planting has been chosen to withstand the rigours of footballs!

How long have you been working on the garden?
About nine or ten years. It was just a field when we moved in.

What is your favourite plant?
I have a few but I love the Pieris ‘forest flame’ and the Acer, Japanese maple trees.

What is your favourite feature in the garden?
The girls would say the trampoline, but I love the swing seat with the clematis Montana hanging over the trellis above. It is so calming on hot days.

What is your favourite season and why?
Wintertime! It sounds daft but it gives us time to have a rest and hopefully catch the mid-week movie!

What work gives you the most pleasure in the garden?
Probably weeding believe it or not. Getting the place tidied up is very rewarding and it feels great when it’s done.

Any irritations in the garden. How do you cope?
Snails. Everyone’s pet hate! I can’t bring myself to destroy them so I usually just pick them up and take them to a nice green patch, as far away from the garden as possible

What is your best gardening tool?
A good hose. It takes half the time to water all of the plants on a summers evening.

Top Tip for spring?
Take time to enjoy the garden.

Any plans for the future?
If I only knew! We will continue to enjoy the pleasures we have ….Que,sera,sera!


Horticultural.

A STROLL IN THE GARDEN- DONAL DOHERTY

Donal Doherty from Carndonagh showed me around his extremely productive garden this week. Donal has always had a keen interest in all things green and spends more time in the garden after retiring from 37 years working for the Inishowen oil Company. Before that, Donal worked for a company called JJ and LF Goodbody in Carndonagh, who made jute sacking for packaging potatoes for export. When he isn’t gardening Donal is running marathons and half marathons as well as 5 and 10 km races. He has recently won a national medal from the Athletics Association of Ireland for coming second in a half marathon (I really should exercise more!)



How long have you been working on the garden?
30 years. I set the trees and laid out the lawns. I have worked with potatoes for longer than that though. My father inspired me as he always had the earliest spuds in Carndonagh.


What is your favourite plant?
I think the curly Kale is very versatile. It is great for winter and spring use.


What is your favourite feature in the garden?
I have been working with bees for year and I love the hives. I got the queen and fifteen workers to feed her from Buckfast abbey. I would recommend Goriston College in County Meath if anyone wanted to take a course on beekeeping


What is your favourite season and why?
The spring. There is so much work to be done


What work gives you the most pleasure in the garden?
Planting seeds and seeing the fruits of my labour


Any irritations in the garden. How do you cope?
Nothing at all. Its all part of the cycle. If plants are in the right place with companion planting they look after themselves.


What is your best gardening tool?
I have a great fork that I use all of the time.


Top gardening tip?
Take it easy and enjoy the garden. The journey of 10,000 leagues starts with a single step.



Any plans for the future?
I would like to get the garden designed at some stage but I am happy with things as they are in the meantime.

Horticultural.

A STROLL IN THE GARDEN -TERESA MCFEELY

Teresa McFeely from Ballyliffen is in the gardening spotlight this week. Teresa has a real eye for beauty and scale in the garden and her garden features and finely maintained shrubs highlight her artistic talents. Teresa has won the Best Garden Award at the Clonmany Tidy Towns competition for the last two years running. The gardens, with their fabulous mountain backdrop are also a favourite place for wedding photographs to be taken.


How long have you been working on the garden?
20 years, since the house was new.

What is your favourite plant?
The Camellia, I have three different varieties in the garden and they all grow extremely well even though the garden is exposed.

What is your favourite feature in the garden?
There are lots of features that I love but my favourite has to be the grotto that I had built recently.

What is your favourite season and why?
Spring is lovely with all of the new growth. I also like May/June because that is when the glorious deep red roses come into bloom in the garden.

What work gives you the most pleasure in the garden?
Everything! But I do particularly enjoy weeding and cutting back.


Any irritations in the garden. How do you cope?
Moss on the lawn is a problem. I scarify it and brush sharp sand in which seems to help.

What is your best gardening tool?
I have an extendable hoe, which proves very useful.

Top Tip for spring?
Start weeding early and keep on top of them and they won’t be a problem.


Any plans for the future?
I am planning a wishing well and an area for my grandchildren to play.

Horticultural.

A STROLL IN THE GARDEN - MARION LYNCH

This weeks featured garden is Marion Lynch. Marion’s garden is full of intrigue and splendid features that look great at any time of the year. Marion is a worthy winner of the Best Garden Award in the Buncrana Tidy Towns gardening competition (four times at the last count)! Marion is an inspiration to gardeners across the peninsula.

How long have you been working on the garden?
Twenty years so there have been many changes over the years.

What is your favourite plant?
I love all plants but if I had to choose it would be Mahonia charity, Fatsia Japonica, lilies and geraniums.

What is your favourite feature in the garden?
The gazebo and water fountain. It’s just beautiful to sit in the gazebo in summer with a nice cup of tea looking up at the Fahan hill with the sun setting to the sound of the fountain. It’s just brilliant!

What is your favourite season and why?
Summer. Beautiful flowers, birds singing and washing in the birdbath and the butterflies collecting nectar.

What work gives you the most pleasure in the garden?
The flowerbeds, planting and weeding. I enjoy deadheading and feeding too.


Any irritations in the garden. How do you cope?
Slugs and our cat. Broken egg shells around the base of plants keep the slugs at bay. The cat is more of a problem!

What is your best gardening tool?
I have two. A small rake and a watering can.

Top Tip for spring?
Plant marigolds through the flowerbeds to get rid of whitefly. They don’t like the smell. “Boy oh Boy” is the best.

Any pans for the future?
I will be planting more flowering plants in a new bed at the bottom of the garden.


PHOTO: Marion’s garden is full of interesting features

Horticultural.

A STROLL IN THE GARDEN-IRIS DOHERTY

This week we are in the garden of Iris Doherty from Whitecastle, Quigleys Point. Iris has been involved in gardening for a long time and trained at Greenmount college before working for Ness Nurseries and Sow and Grow at Gransha hospital. Iris now has her own nursery. Look out for the Whitecastle Nursery sign on the main road between Moville and Muff. The nursery is open from 2-6pm Tuesday –Saturday.

Irises own garden is a fantastic showcase for her own unique range of perennial plants that are for sale.

How long have you been working on the garden?
Nearly thirty years. It was never a planned garden it has just evolved over the years.

What is your favourite plant?
There are so many plants that would be my favourites. In spring the Amelanchier (Juneberry) puts on a fine display. One of my favourites at the moment is Aqualigia ‘Chocolate soldiers’ (Grannies Bonnets) I do have a liking for black flowers, but ask me next week and I will say something else!


What is your favourite feature in the garden?
I don’t have any hard features such as structures. My favourite view out of the window is of the Acer Palmatum ‘Atropurpureum’, the deep red leaves are beautiful.

What is your favourite season and why?
Spring because of the promise of things to come (I like autumn as well).

What work gives you the most pleasure in the garden?
Weeding. I find that it gives me instant satisfaction when I stand back and look where I have been.


Any irritations in the garden. How do you cope?
Horsetail is the worst invasive weed. It is difficult to get rid of, but it does disappear in the winter!

What is your best gardening tool?
I have a grape fork that was given to me years ago. The prongs are only about five inches long now as they are worn out. It really needs replacing so if anyone has a well used one let me know.

Top Tip for spring?
Enjoy the garden. Look at what you have achieved not what needs doing.

Any plans for the future?
I would like to create a seating area in the sun and of course I will plan to move more plants around!

Horticultural.

A STROLL IN THE GARDEN-ANDREA BRANNIGAN

Photo: Jolene loves to see the frost on winter flowers

This week Andrea Brannigan and her daughter Jolene from Buncrana show us around their garden. They both love to see their garden full of plants and colour. The garden is also home to two friendly pet rabbits and is a small haven for children to play in.

How long have you been working on the garden?
Eight years. We were the first people to move into the house and it was just laid out in grass. The soil needed a lot of work before we planted.

What is your favourite plant?
I love the rose. I have a few in the garden and my favourite is the one that has two different colours, red and pink. The red one comes from the original rootstock.

What is your favourite season and why?
I prefer the spring because everything starts to grow and there is all of the preparation to do for the year ahead. (Jolene likes the winters best because the few flowers that are out look lovely with the snow and frost on them)

What work gives you the most pleasure in the garden?
Weeding and putting in the new plants for the year to come. I also love feeding the garden.

Any irritations in the garden? How do you cope?
Wasps and slugs. I put down beer traps for the slugs. The wasps I just have to put up with.

What is your best gardening tool?
It has to be the hand trowel. You can get right into the corners and around the base of plants to get out the weeds.

Top Gardening tip?
Feed regularly! I have a bit of a thing for the 10-10-20 grass feed. I tend to use it for everything!

Any plans for the future?
I would like more rose bushes. I will be keeping the nasturtiums down next year too, there are just too many of them this year. The rabbits seem to like them though so all is not lost!

Horticultural.

A STROLL IN THE GARDEN-ANDREA BRANNIGAN

This week Andrea Brannigan and her daughter Jolene from Buncrana show us around their garden. They both love to see their garden full of plants and colour. The garden is also home to two friendly pet rabbits and is a small haven for children to play in.

How long have you been working on the garden?
Eight years. We were the first people to move into the house and it was just laid out in grass. The soil needed a lot of work before we planted.

What is your favourite plant?
I love the rose. I have a few in the garden and my favourite is the one that has two different colours, red and pink. The red one comes from the original rootstock.

What is your favourite season and why?
I prefer the spring because everything starts to grow and there is all of the preparation to do for the year ahead. (Jolene likes the winters best because the few flowers that are out look lovely with the snow and frost on them)

What work gives you the most pleasure in the garden?
Weeding and putting in the new plants for the year to come. I also love feeding the garden.

Any irritations in the garden? How do you cope?
Wasps and slugs. I put down beer traps for the slugs. The wasps I just have to put up with.

What is your best gardening tool?
It has to be the hand trowel. You can get right into the corners and around the base of plants to get out the weeds.

Top Gardening tip?
Feed regularly! I have a bit of a thing for the 10-10-20 grass feed. I tend to use it for everything!

Any plans for the future?
I would like more rose bushes. I will be keeping the nasturtiums down next year too, there are just too many of them this year. The rabbits seem to like them though so all is not lost!



Photo: Jolene loves to see the frost on winter flowers

A STROLL IN THE GARDEN -PADDY MCCARTNEY WEEK 3

Shallow rooted carrot varieties are ideal if you don't want to get the spade out.

Paddy McCartney from Greencastle is very multi faceted in the garden and to guarantee the pollination of his fruit, vegetables and flowers he keeps two beehives.

BEE KEEPING

Tell us a bit about the bees you keep
I have kept bees for years and I couldn’t imagine the garden without them. The bees work hard in my own garden. Also in early summer the bees go down the hill to collect nectar from wild flowers and in the late summer they go up the hill to the heather beds as well. When I work in the garden the hives are behind a six-foot hedge. This stops them from flying into me as by the time they have flown over the hedge they are well above head height.

Do you get much honey?
We get enough for ourselves and a few friends. I collect the honey once a year. I only have two hives so we don’t really produce on a commercial level!

What does the smoke do when it is blown into the hives?
Smoking the bees helps the keeper to harvest the honey safely. When the bees smell the smoke they think there is a fire. Then they gorge themselves to save their food. This makes them drowsy and harmless.

Are they dangerous?
Only when provoked! If you agitate one of them, then all of the other bees come over and have a go at the enemy! This thankfully doesn’t happen often

Top gardening tip?
If you have raspberries growing you might need to support them. If you put up a wire net, don’t put the wire right down to the floor. That way you can still get to the weeds around the base of the plant.

Have you any plans for the future?
I will be introducing more raised beds into the garden. I have them already for the vegetables and I would like to grow flowers that way too. As I get older I am less agile and raised beds are really handy to sit on and work with the plants and soil. I might even de-commission some of the garden and turn it over to members of the annual courses so they can look after it as part of their course.

Thanks to Paddy for his pearls of wisdom over the last three weeks!

Horticultural.

A STROLL IN THE GARDEN- RENEE MCCRACKEN

This week I had the pleasure of being shown around the old Stationmaster’s house and garden owned by Renee and Billy McCracken on the outskirts of Newtowncunningham. The garden has lovely features such as the water tower used to fill up the old steam trains and an orchard full of all types of fruit trees. Renee runs her well-established business Moyle Grove Drapes (which supplies and sources wallpaper, soft furnishings and fabrics, roller, venetian and vertical blinds), from a purpose built workshop in the garden. Renee can be contacted on (074) 9156157


How old is the garden?
We were the first people to move in after the station closed. So we have been working on the garden for thirty years. We are on phase 10!

What is your favourite plant?
We raise a community begonia from corms every year. These are bright red, upright single specimens that can grow up to three feet tall and are planted out like potatoes.

What is your favourite feature in the garden?
The birds.

What is your favourite season and why?
Midsummer, for the beautiful array of colourful containers and baskets.

What work gives you the most pleasure in the garden?
Sitting and relaxing!

Any irritations in the garden. How do you cope?
There’s too much work! Low maintenance planting helps.

What is your best gardening tool?
It has to be the spade.

Top Tip for spring?
Keep on top of the weeds. Mulching with wood bark is an effective way of keeping them at bay.

Any plans for the future?
Lots of plans. Including replanting the front garden and introducing more fruit trees into the orchard. My husband, Billy Appletree has to live up to his name after all!

Horticultural.

A STROLL IN THE GARDEN- PADDY MCCARTNEY WEEK 2

Photo: Paddy with his chocolate scented cosmos.

This week Paddy McCartney from Greencastle tells us more about his garden and his life in the undergrowth.

So Paddy, what irritations are there in your garden and how do you cope?
People! I have tried sprays and putting down traps… Nothing works! Other than that I have to keep a close eye on the slug population. Every year they make a pilgrimage to the vegetable beds so I try different techniques to keep them away. I practice a No Dig gardening policy. This seems to help, as the slugs can’t find as many places to hide in the soil. I give them cans of beer to drink around the beds in the polythene tunnels and glasshouse. They are not good drinkers! I have also put boards and sheets of black polythene down around the beds in spring. The slugs hide under these and I collect them up and “re-home” them. This depopulates them before the serious breeding starts.

What is your best gardening tool?
I have an oscillating hoe. It sounds a bit painful but actually it’s a stirrup shaped device on a long pole. It is brilliant for getting in between the plants and vegetables to get the invasive weeds out.

Have you seen anything unusual in the garden this year?
I did see the Humming bird Moth. They are unusual in this part of the world, as the adults or eggs don’t survive the cold winters. They bear a striking resemblance to a hummingbird (hence the name!) They are wonderful to watch.

Do you have any tips for growing good spuds?
If you grow spuds then remember they are heavy feeders. I grow a few different types every year to see what does well. This year I have found a great Hungarian spud called Sharpo. They are said to be blight resistant and are proving to be a very prolific crop. I have had a good early crop from one called the Duke of York.

Top Gardening tip?
When growing plants from seed or cuttings get the module trays to plant them in. There is no root disturbance when it comes to transplanting them.

More from Paddy next week





Horticultural.

Wisdom of the world - Week 156

Two drops of oil

A merchant sent his son to learn the Secret of Happiness from the wisest of men. The young man wandered through the desert for forty days until he reached a beautiful castle at the top of a mountain. There lived the sage that the young man was looking for.
However, instead of finding a holy man, our hero entered a room and saw a great deal of activity; merchants coming and going, people chatting in the corners, a small orchestra playing sweet melodies, and there was a table laden with the most delectable dishes of that part of the world. The wise man talked to everybody, and the young man had to wait for two hours until it was time for his audience.
With considerable patience, he listened attentively to the reason for the boy’s visit, but told him that at that moment he did not have the time to explain to him the Secret of Happiness. He suggested that the young man take a stroll around his palace and come back in two hours' time.
"However, I want to ask you a favour, “he added, handing the boy a teaspoon, in which he poured two drops of oil. "While you walk, carry this spoon and don't let the oil spill."
The young man began to climb up and down the palace staircases, always keeping his eyes fixed on the spoon. At the end of two hours he returned to the presence of the wise man.
"So," asked the sage, "did you see the Persian tapestries hanging in my dining room? Did you see the garden that the Master of Gardeners took ten years to create? Did you notice the beautiful parchments in my library?"
Embarrassed, the young man confessed that he had seen nothing. His only concern was not to spill the drops of oil that the wise man had entrusted to him.
"So, go back and see the wonders of my world," said the wise man. "You can't trust a man if you don't know his house."
Now more at ease, the young man took the spoon and strolled again through the palace, this time paying attention to all the works of art that hung from the ceiling and walls. He saw the gardens, the mountains all around the palace, the delicacy of the flowers, the taste with which each work of art was placed in its niche. Returning to the sage, he reported in detail all that he had seen.
"But where are the two drops of oil that I entrusted to you?" asked the sage.
Looking down at the spoon, the young man realized that he had spilled the oil.
"Well, that is the only advice I have to give you," said the sage of sages. "The Secret of Happiness lies in looking at all the wonders of the world and never forgetting the two drops of oil in the spoon."