ANNOUNCING NEW BLOGSPOT IN THE INISH TIMES

ENVIRONMENTAL AND GARDENING BLOG SPOT (APRIL 07)

I succumbed to a cold a couple of weeks ago. I have been very lucky recently and have avoided having a bout for a year. Some wise salts say that a cold is nature’s way of clearing out the system, a bit like an oil change. Being laid up with a runny nose and not being physically motivated, I decided to sit at the computer and delve into the world of Web Logs, or blogs as they are more commonly known.

Blogs are very popular at the moment and puts a new slant on keeping a diary. I thought that putting one together for myself would be a good use of my time whilst I was laid up. I gave my Blog site the name of Inishindie, for no other reason than it wasn’t a real word and I could keep a track of it on the search engines. The next thing to do after picking a name was to start to download my ramblings. I thought it would be fitting to start off with putting on my old articles. What a job!! My gardening articles alone have been running for seven years so there is plenty of material to look through. I got completely carried away and spent the best part of two weeks trawling through old files and digging out not only a load of gardening stuff but the Clean and Green articles too. Up to yet I have put over 300 articles on and the list is growing everyday as I neglect all the other aspects of my life putting this together, but I am having a fabulous time! It makes me realise just how much the articles have relied on support and comments from readers over the years.

The Blog will rely on interactive comments and questions so I would be delighted if you checked out www.inishindie.blogspot.com and added to it in some way with a bit of gardening wisdom or any questions or problems anyone could help with. If you have an environmental issue concerning Inishowen then you could add that anonymously if you like and of course don’t forget that we still need more household tips to help us work without the use of chemicals.

PESKY PIGEONS

I had planned to write about caring for our feathered friends in the garden over the winter. I have had to put it on hold for this week to reply to a fabulous letter that appeared in last week’s paper. Students from Moville Community College went to the Inish Times office to get a feel for the world of newspaper printing. The students have written letters to the editor airing their views on local and worldwide issues. Some are in this week’s edition and some were printed last week. The letter that caught my eye was written by M.H. who has a bit of a problem with pigeons.

To remind you of the letter it commented mainly on pigeons leaving droppings on windows, cars and peoples heads. M.H. then went on to call the pigeons “flying rats” and thinks that the council should employ someone to shoot them down! At the end of the letter there is a plea for help with this “crusade”. The letter was really well written, if a little frightening.

Imagine that the council sets on a person with a gun. What happens to the worker when the pigeons have been eliminated? How does the weapon wielding council worker justify the job? Do the council set their sights on stray dogs? Getting rid of those wouldn’t take long so maybe the next victims might be people who drop litter, traffic violators or even people who spit out their chewing gum! There’s the answer to the blobs that appear everywhere in Moville…. it’s chewing gum being thrown around! I have spent the best part of a day looking around Inishowen and I have only seen two wood pigeons so far (these can be cooked up for a tasty meal apparently).


FEED THE BIRDS, TUPPENCE TO BAG ‘EM

Some cities have real problems with pigeons. M.H. is right with the comment about them being germ carriers, they are pretty dirty. I remember when I was in Nottingham that there were a few methods used to deter these “flying rats” The first was to introduce a virus, very similar to using mixamatosis on rabbits. This method was withdrawn after a time as other birds were dropping from the sky as well as pigeons. The next move was to put up netting on the eves of buildings so that the flying vermin couldn’t make a nest. This proved to be impractical as when a net was put up the pigeons would just move to the next building. To put netting up all over the city would prove far too costly. When this idea didn’t work the council decided to head off to the market square and try to educate the swarms of people that go to the city every day with bags full of stale bread and peanuts to feed the massive flock of pigeons that descended on the square. Just as a point of interest in Nottingham it is seen as good luck to be poohed on by a bird. I can tell you there are a lot of lucky people in that city!

STROKE OF GENIUS

The last idea, which I think was a stroke of genius, was for Nottinghamshire council to employ a young entrepreneur with a large compressed air, bird-scaring machine that emitted a large bang every 60 seconds. He would set it up in the square and eventually after a few days of constant banging, the birds would all disappear. Bear in mind that this doesn’t kill the birds, it just scares them off. Therefore the pigeons would move to the next populated area, which was Derby. Hot on their heels would be compressed air man with his banging machine. Here, it would be Derbyshire council paying to scare the birds away, this time to Leicester where, of course, Leicestershire council would foot the bill. This man has been travelling around the midlands now for fifteen years moving this flock of birds (and their offspring of course) from one county after another and filling his pockets with peoples taxes. He would arrive back in Nottingham every year and the council happily paid for his services, not realising they were paying to get rid of the same birds….genius!

So in conclusion I think that if M.H. still feels angry with our feathered vermin on leaving school, there will be a nice little earner of a job just waiting to be had. The pigeons could be scared all over the North West and you’d be home every night for your tea!

Horticultural,environmental.

OTTER NURSERY

Photo: Otter Nursery had 30 types of Fuchsia.

Photo: The young leaves of an Acer Palmatum tree.

Last week-end (May) I had a trip to the south west coast of England. I stayed in the village of Ottery-St-Mary and I visited the local garden centre (Otter Nursery). This garden centre is soon to be the largest employer in the area and covers acres and acres of ground. There are countless greenhouses. The car park looks like a landing strip for small aircraft and they even have a collection point for picking up your goods that is the same size and shape as an aircraft hanger. I decided to go early to miss the crowds, but when I got there at nine in the morning the rush was well under way. Luxury coaches were arriving, full of eager shoppers from all over the country every few minutes. I came prepared with my little red notepad and pencil to see what is new in the plant world. I have encountered a small problem though. In my eagerness to scribble down information (I don’t get out much!) I seem to have created a new language, one that I can’t read. I will have to rely on memory to let you know about a few interesting things that I noticed.

IT’S HOTTER AT OTTER

The bedding plants were very established and you could spend a day there just trying to decide what to fill a window box with. Usually, if you wanted, say, a Fuchsia for a container you would consider an upright one for a pot and a hanging one for a basket. At Otter nursery you had about 30 different types from Annabella to Bella Rozella. There were some very interesting geraniums as well. One that caught my eye was a hardy perennial called Pink Spice, it had beautiful frosty coloured leaves.

Japanese Acers were there in abundance too with at least 10 different types. These small trees are ideal for tubs on the patio and give a true feeling of the east. There’s the more common Acer Palmatum atropurpurerea, which has large bright red leaves in spring and summer. There were some interesting variegated types as well such as Acer Palmatum ‘Ukigumo’. Their leaves start off red them splashes of white appear. Acer Palmatum ‘Carnet’ stands out too because of the wispiness of it’s red and green variegated leaves. These plants need to be kept out of strong coastal winds but they can stand low temperatures of up to –8 degrees, so they are definitely worth considering growing around the peninsula.

They have a different approach to Escallonia I found. We tend to go for just a couple of varieties that are used in hedging. These are very reasonably priced around here. But the examples in Otter were all around 8 pounds each in sterling (they do come with a two year guarantee though). Still, using them for a hedge would be very costly! There were some interesting types though. The Escallonia ‘Donard’ has interesting white flowers. Escallonia ‘Golden Brian’ had variegated leaves that are very yellow when young; the flowers are a rosy red colour. I liked a new Escallonia called ‘Red dream’ which had small deep pink flowers. The shrub only grows to 1 foot high so would be ideal for a small garden or as an alternative to planting box hedging around the herb bed. Talking of small shrubs, the Euonymus harlequin was an attractive shrub that should do well around here. These have green and white mottled leaves that make a pleasant change from the green and yellow that we are used to.

Well that’s about all that I can remember from the plant list. The Azalea and Rhododendron varieties were impressive. But the nursery unfortunately wasn’t perfect. The indoor sales area, which covered between I to 10 acres (I’m not very good at measuring areas) stocked almost everything for the garden, whether you need it or not, but lacked the one thing that I had gone in for. The friend I was visiting wants to learn more about the joys of growing your own vegetables so I decided to get her “The New Vegetable and Herb Expert” book by Dr D. G. Hessayon. I find this particular book invaluable with easy to follow instructions and pretty pictures.

Unfortunately they didn’t have it in stock. I think the reason that they had sold out was because Ottery gardens are full of small vegetable plots. Some of them were very well established with potato tops reaching two feet tall and runner bean plants in flower, people have obviously been reading the book well in advance! The area has a lot of plant growers, especially vegetables. Otter nursery seems to have a fast turn over of staff and some that leave set themselves up with a couple of acres and grow vegetables for either door to door box deliveries or for the farmers market. I got hold of some locally grown buffalo at the farmers market when I was there too! Yum yum…

Horticultural.

EUCALYPTUS TREES

Ian.
I have noticed that some people in the peninsula are growing eucalyptus trees. What do you know about them? Where do they originate from and will they grow well around here? Thanks S.N. by e-mail

Reply.
Eucalyptus trees have dotted the Australian landscape for millions of years, and today they are probably Australia’s most common trees, able to survive poor soil, dry spells, and fire. The trees look tender but they are hardy enough to have spread throughout much of the harshest land and take a central place in the lives of the forest's wildlife. Fires sweep through eucalyptus forests quite regularly, destroying everything and leaving behind charred earth. The area appears to be devastated, but the eucalyptus trees recover quickly and even thrive. Eucalyptus leaves contain oils that can actually fuel an intense fire, but the tree's thick bark protects its core from damage. In fact, eucalyptus trees are so well adapted to fire that a conflagration actually causes them to flourish. Soon after a fire dies out, chemical changes triggered by the flames' heat cause new buds to shoot out of the trees. The fire's hot winds can also help distribute eucalyptus seeds, sowing new tree colonies far and wide and eventually providing new homes for wildlife.

One of Australia's most famous residents, the sleepy koala, also depends on the eucalyptus. Koalas feed exclusively on eucalyptus leaves, later settling into the tree's crooks and branches for a nap. Even some plants depend on the tree. Fronds of mistletoe occupy the upper branches, living off the sap of its host. The clinging plant, in turn, provides food for mistletoe birds, which return the favour by spreading mistletoe seeds to other treetops in their droppings.
Humans, not surprisingly, have also learned to take advantage of the versatile eucalyptus. The fragrant oils produced by the tree are used in the mining industry to float detritus away from valuable ore, as a base in many perfumes, and in many cold medications, such as throat lozenges and chest rubs and is an antiseptic.

GROWING THE TREE
The Eucalyptus grows to an average of 20 to 30 feet tall but could reach 50 feet in a sheltered spot; so don’t put it too close to the house. Young leaves are round, grey-green, and about 1 inch in diameter and grow opposite each other on the stem. They become longer, more oval shaped with pointed ends, as they get older. The flowers are a creamy white and grow in 1-inch clusters. The bark is reddish-brown and fibrous. The Eucalyptus usually grows in sunny, dry climates but they are seen more and more in Ireland. One peculiarity about the tree is that it will shed some of its leaves in the middle of summer. The tree seems to think that it is winter, as it would be in it’s native home. The tree only looses a portion of its leaves though so it is seen more as an evergreen. The most popular tree is the “gunnii” If you are thinking of growing one in your garden then put in a sunny spot. Make sure that the soil is well drained the trees do not like sandy or chalky soils. If you want to grow it a tree then leave it to its own devices for a few years. Alternatively you could prune it back every year and maintain it as a shrub. The young leaves will be in demand for flower arrangers.

Horticultural.

FLOCKING MAGPIES

Dear Ian
I have a problem in my garden and I wondered if you could help. My dog lives outside in the yard most of the time and that is where he is fed. I have problems with a flock of magpies coming in from nearby trees and eating the food right in front of my pet. I have tried putting the food inside the kennel but the birds are fearless and just hop inside and help themselves, much to the annoyance of the dog, who is chased off. Is there anything I can do to get rid of these pests? Regards B.C. by e-mail

Reply
I don’t really want to tell you this but chances are it isn’t just the magpies that will be enjoying a meal from the dogs bowl. Chances are that the trees will also house bats. These will happily tuck into your dogs dinner in the evenings when you are watching the telly. Foxes will also be around at night and then there are the slugs that will munch away and leave a lovely trail of slime around the bowl. Worst of all though will be the rats. You will probably see that sometimes your dog will leave his dinner and this will be due to the fact that a rat will have been walking all over the food. Dogs aren’t daft; they won’t touch food that a rat had had a go at. I would recommend that you feed your dog twice a day inside the house or garage. When he has finished eating, pick up the bowl and wash it for the next time. If your pet looks hungry throw him a biscuit to eat. When the magpies see there is no food available they will go elsewhere for their dinner.

Horticultural.

HOUSEPLANT CARE

Photo: Poinsettias are a Christmas favourite but are notoriously difficult to keep.

It’s been a while since I’ve talked about houseplants. With the weather being so warm and sunny we have spent more time out of doors. Some houseplants will benefit by a spell outside too ( April onwards). If the plants aren’t too big then lift them outside and put them in a sheltered spot on the patio or in the yard. Keep an eye on the weather though and bring them in if it gets cold. Rainwater will perk up most houseplants as well.

Keeping plants in the house is important these days. Houses are far better insulated now and because of this fumes that come off furniture, carpets, plastic and glues, linger in the house for longer. It can be especially bad for young children and asthma sufferers. Below is a list of plants that are known to absorb the harmful chemicals when you can’t open the windows. They are all common and you will be able to get a fine specimen from good garden centres or florists.

Spider plant. These are easily cultivated from off shoots of the parent plant.

The Dracaena plants. These look like the cordylines in the garden. Some are said to be better than others at absorbing pollutants. The variegated deremensis warneckei is said to be top of the list.

English ivy.
Rubber plant.
Mother in laws tongue.
Lady palm (Rhapsis excelsa)
Peace lily. (These are potted up, smaller versions of the ones we see in the garden in summer.

PLANT PROBLEMS
Growing houseplants can be a hit and miss affair. If you get the right plant in the right place (and don’t forget about it) then it could last years. I had a fine selection of plants at one time. Every room in the house had at least ten plants in them and I made them into displays in the corner of the rooms. They had to be moved around as lot as some preferred shade and some wanted full sunlight, but I found this very rewarding (I didn’t get out much even then!). I went away on holiday one week though and forgot to turn the central heating off. Needless to say all the plants perished except one. This was a desert plant. I forget the name of it but when there was no water available it would roll up into a ball and the wind would blow it around the desert until it finds water then it would put down fresh roots. You see them floating around in the streets in old western movies. That plant was indestructible. Somehow I lost it though a few years later, it must have blown away!

Radiators: are a problem for plants as they produce very dry air. Mist the plants if the heating is on to get the humidity up. There can be loads more problems for the plant indoors. Here are a few problems that can affect them.

Wilting leaves: The most common cause is the lack of water or too much water. These are the two main killers of your prized specimens. Check them regularly. If you see the plant swimming in water then don’t let them sit in it, empty the saucer. You might have to take the plant out of the pot and wring the root ball out (be careful with the roots though) The leaves might wilt if they are left in direct sunshine as well, if this happens put them in the shade. Finally, if it is none of the above, check the leaves for pests.

Brown tips or edges on the leaves: This problem could literally be anything from the leaves being bruised when you walk past them, too much light or draughts. The temperature could be a factor too. Try moving the plant to a place where it will not be disturbed and out of any draughts.
Leaf curl and fall: Curling leaves followed by the leaf falling are a sign that there is too little heat, over watering or cold draughts.

Leaves turn yellow and drop off: This can be quite normal on plants such as the rubber plant. If a few turn yellow at the same time though this could mean that there is a cold draught or it has been over watered. If the top leaves turn yellow this is a sign that calcium has been used in the compost of lime hating plants. Change the compost to lime free.
Weak growth: Most plants in the house will need repotting either every year or every other year. If the plant gets pot bound then it will cause the plant to get spindly. The growth will be weak and the colour will fade from the leaves. You could feed the plants often if the plant is too big to move but most plants will thank you by flourishing in the new pot and compost. Note: Spider plants throw out more off shoots when they are pot bound.

CONCLUSION
The conclusion to keeping healthy houseplant in the house is, first of all to find out the growing needs of the plant. If you buy the plant from the garden centre then it will probably have a label on it telling you its requirements. Try to copy the plants natural environment. Then take all the other factors into consideration. Keep the soil moist, don’t over water or under water, keep a constant temperature, even at night (more or less) Don’t let the air dry out, keep out of draughts and strong sunshine. Add to this regular feeding and good quality compost and you should have the healthiest houseplants in Inishowen!

Horticultural.

WINTER SHRUBS

Photo: Garrya elliptica

DOGWOODS
The dogwood shrubs are generally ignored until this time of the year. Winter light brings out the vivid colours of the shrubs. The shrubs are generally very hardy and they are often used in mass planting schemes along roads. The two most common dogwoods are Cornus alba “Sibirica” which has bright red stems and Cornus stolonifera “flavirimea” which has the yellow stems. There are other forms as well but these are by far the hardiest. The shrubs grow quickly and are best suited to the back of the border, as this variety of Cornus doesn’t have much to offer in the summer months. The best colour is obtained when the bush is cut right back in spring to allow bright new growth for the winter. The shrubs look delightful at this time of year, especially when daffodils, snowdrops or crocuses grow underneath the brightly coloured bark. If you want to take cuttings, then it couldn’t be easier. In autumn, plant out pencil size cuttings into a sheltered spot in the garden. They will have rooted by the following summer.

SILK TASSEL BUSH
I have probably mentioned this bush time and time again but I still think the Garrya elliptica(silk tassel bush) is one of the most attractive winter shrubs and is definitely worth getting if you have a sheltered spot of a wall that wants covering. The shrub is best known for its long and slender catkins, which drapes the bush this month, and into February. It reaches about nine feet in height and will grow in the sun or shade. The leaves are bright, evergreen and glossy. The shrubs are not too fussy about the soil type, they will grow on chalk or poor, sandy soil. Leave unpruned and they grow very evenly. Propagation is said to be easy but I have never managed to get a cutting to root. The best way would be to layer new shoots in summer. Failing that it might be a trip to the garden centre to buy a pot grown one. Once it is in position leave it there as it transplants badly. Don’t plant it anywhere where there might be a flood!

Horticultural.

FLOODED GARDEN

COPING WITH A FLOODED GARDEN

(Click on the title for a link to flooding.ie)

More and more people are getting concerned about flooding in the garden and the damage it causes. I used to live in an area where the bottom of the garden got washed away every year. It wasn’t that the area was low lying it was because the storm drains were not sufficient to carry away the water fast enough. The result was the manhole covers used to pop off of the drains and the water (and sewage!) would come out like a very powerful fountain

If your garden suffers from a flood then a lot of nutrients in the soil could be lost. After the water level has gone down there are some steps you can do to bring the garden up to scratch. Add some slow release fertiliser or well-rotted manure to the soil. Try not to walk on the lawn. Wait until is has dried and gently aerate the soil with a fork. Put some coarse lime-free sand into the holes as well to aid the drainage. Most garden plants will survive a day or two under water. Get waterlogged plants out of the ground as soon as possible and replant them in a dryer area or put them in pots.

Most vegetables will be unsuitable for eating so they might have to be composted, as sewage will have seeped in. If you know in advance that a flood is coming then try to gather everything from the veggie patch that you can before it comes.

Here are a few other things you can do:

Move any items kept outside such as garden furniture to higher ground. Remember that floodwater could get into your garage so move any chemicals or fuel to ensure that they do not spill into the floodwater and cause damage.

Close off the flow valves on propane tanks, oil drums, or other fuel containers that supply your home through pipes and fittings.

Unplug any exterior electrical connections such as outdoor lighting, pond pumps and filters.
Turn off the water supply to the garden.

Tie in climbing plants.

Check tree ties are secure on any newly planted trees.

Anchor fruit cages and coldframes against storm damage or dismantle them if time permits.

Take valuable or sentimental items and store them indoors or move them to higher ground.

Empty petrol lawn mowers.

Lock gardening tools away.

If you would like some more information about how to cope with flooding then go to

www.flooding.ie or pop into the council offices and pick up a leaflet.

Horticultural.

CONTAINER CARE

With the swallows back and the fine weather we’ve been having it feels like summer is well and truly started. Mind you I have still got spring fever. I’ve been potting up my bedding like a mad man, jobs are starting to roll in and people are dropping in containers to be filled and putting in orders for hanging baskets- It sometimes feels like there is not enough hours in the day. On saying that the long light evenings are wonderful and being around people again is very enjoyable.


Containers
I’ve started planting containers this week. These offer a wide scope for planting as most plants are ideally suited for container growing. Shrubs, herbaceous perennials, Herbs, Climbers, Alpines, Bulbs, Heathers, small trees, Conifers and strawberries can all be considered, either on their own or in combinations to provide all year round colour. If a shrub gets too large for the container, you can find a space for it in the garden. The use of containers help break up the hard lines of patios, walls, steps and paths.

Choosing a container
Plastic pots- these are hard wearing and most are tough enough to resist frost. If shrubs or heavy plants are to be used, then choose a large pot and put stones in the bottom to stop them blowing over.

Terracotta pots- these are less likely to blow over but much more likely to dry out faster than plastic. Some are frost hardy but some aren’t so they will have to be put inside in the winter.
Concrete pots- Concrete can dry the soil quickly too. Soaking the empty containers thoroughly before filling with compost helps. This goes for the terracotta pots too.

Planting up a container
Place small stones or broken polystyrene pieces onto the bottom of the container to cover the drainage holes.

Bubble plastic can be used on the sides of the containers to protect the roots from frost in winter if shrubs are being planted. The plastic reduces the need to water terracotta pots in summer too.
Use good quality compost and put in the plants of your choice (A few trailing plants are always an attractive addition) When the plants are in place, leave a gap between the soil and the top of the pot to avoid the water running over the sides.

The container can be raised off the ground by placing small blocks underneath. This will help with drainage.

Looking after your containers
Never allow the containers to dry out. It may be necessary to water in the morning and evening in hot weather

Feed regularly now and in summer. Granular feed can be used on containers with shrubs already in place. This can be sprinkled on the top of the soil. Liquid feed can be used once a week in summer. It may be a good idea to add some slow release fertilizer to the compost when you make up the containers too, as the small writing on the back of the compost bags tells you there is only enough plant food to last for four weeks.

Remove dead flower heads, weed regularly and keep a close watch for pests such as greenfly.

Tip of the Week
As the seedlings you planted outside come up such as veggies or your summer bedding, thin out the weakest plants to allow the stronger ones room to grow and thrive.

Horticultural.