HANGING BASKETS

I noticed a garden centre sign advertising an end of season sale this week. Just what season has ended? Spring, summer, fishing, grouse, who knows? I think the plant sellers are facing the same problem that I had last year. A few good weeks of sunshine and then dull wet weather. This means that the summer bedding grew really well and filled the pots. But now good weather is needed to motivate the public into buying the stock before it gets pot bound and beyond selling. I’m happy that I’m not growing bedding plants this year, as it gets a bit sad when you have to throw away hundreds of prized petunias onto the compost. So there should be bargains to be had in the garden centres though, as they want to shift their old stock to make way for the new arrivals. If you have hanging baskets, now would be a perfect time to start filling it up again for summer.

HANGING BASKETS.

I remember advising people in the past to keep the frost of their baskets over winter. There are usually a few plants, such as geraniums or ivies that will come back the following year. It made me chuckle when people complained that their plants had died over winter. I forgot to mention that if the baskets were put into a shed or garage they would need watering every so often. Six months without water would finish even the hardiest plant off! If you do have any plants that have survived, pull them out and check them very carefully for pests on the leaves or soil before you reuse them. You might have been first in the queue at the shops and bought yourself some spring plants for the baskets. If you have spring pansies or polyanthus, you will see that these are probably ready for pulling out so you can replace them with summer stock.

PLANTS FOR THE BASKETS.

You might be tempted to go for the baskets that are already filled in the garden centres. There might not be as many plants in them compared to baskets you make up yourself. Also the plants will probably be in full bloom so you won’t get as long a show of colour compared to making up your own. Choose plants that have a long flowering season to get the best out of the basket. Whichever plants you choose remember that they have been grown indoors and they will need a bit of protection against the elements for the first few days, so put them in a sheltered spot for a day or two. Try filling the basket with just one type of plant for a dramatic effect. Busy Lizzies; fuchsias or geraniums give a brilliant display until the first frosts. Avoid plants such as nemesia unless you can grow new plants at regular intervals as they only flower for a short period. Here are a few on offer that I found to be reliable in baskets:

Trailing lobelia. Very well behaved around the sides of the basket.

Pansies. The summer varieties will last all summer. Deadhead often, but save a few seed heads for planting up next spring.

Verbena. Loads to choose from here. Pick the trailing type and plant near the centre of the basket so they fill out before going over the edge. They take really easily from cuttings too.

Busy Lizzie. Bright display all summer. Again they root easily from cuttings.

Geranium. We’re spoilt for choice again with these. Upright or trailing, take your pick.

Bidens. These are very fast growing. They have yellow flowers and trail very well. Buncrana council use them to very good effect in their displays. Cuttings take very easily as well so don’t buy too many of them.

Helichrysum. These are grown for their silvery foliage. They trail very well and can be over wintered.

Begonia. Again, these will flower until the first frosts. The tuberous types can be over wintered.

When you are buying the plants try to buy the ones that aren’t in flower yet as these will give you a longer display. If you find yourself buying a plant that is pot bound then tease some roots out gently from around the root ball, this should help the plant to establish once it is planted into the basket.

CARE OF THE BASKET

Hanging baskets are very demanding things. Unless you have a very reliable relation, friend or neighbour you will not get a holiday in summer. Even on the driest days they will need watering at least twice a day. If you have a lot of baskets then you might like to consider a self-watering system. This will drip feed your baskets at a set time throughout the day and night by means of a twenty-four hour timer. For a regular house you could fit one of these systems for as little as 200 euro or less. You will be free all summer and the plants would thrive. A small price to pay I think.

When you fit the basket to the wall or a post, remember that they are heavy when full of water. Check the brackets are in good condition and that the chains are strong. The baskets can come down with a mighty bump.

If you do let the basket dry out then they are impossible to water in the normal manner, as the water will just run off the surface. Take the basket down and put it into a large container full of water. Leave it long enough until the basket starts to sink and pull it out. The basket is now fully watered.
Even if the basket has slow release fertiliser in it you will be well advised to still feed the plants at regular intervals. There just isn’t the soil in the containers to meet the need of all the plants. I find tomato feed as good as anything as it promotes flowering.

Horticultural.

MAKING UP HANGING BASKETS

The growing season is getting into full swing and the garden centres are starting to stock the plants that will eventually fill your baskets and containers (unless you are growing your own of course!) Old baskets and containers can be dusted down from their winter storage places. If you have left the containers full of old compost throw it on the garden or into the compost bin and start with a fresh mix. Check the condition of the baskets. When the baskets are full of plants, soil and water they can get very heavy. Make sure that the chains are in tiptop condition; if you are in doubt the DIY stores sell replacements (Coyles have some very nice wicker effect baskets with chains and liner attached for under 6 euro). Some plastic window boxes are prone to getting brittle, especially if you leave them outside to endure the elements. The edges can get sharp and could rip clothing as you brush past them so you might like to invest in some new ones this year if this is the case. Now that you have the containers you can think about filling them.

MAKING UP HANGING BASKETS
To get started making your own baskets you will need the following: A basket, basket liner or moss, plants, slow release fertilizer granules and some water retaining granules (optional).

First rest the basket onto a bucket or pot for a good base when working. Make sure the plants have been well watered before starting too. Line the basket. I used coco fibre liners last year; they have holes already in the sides, which saved me having to use my brain to get the plants evenly spaced. If you are using moss, then line the basket to halfway up the sides. There are no fixed rules on plants to use, but you won’t go far wrong putting three or six plants (or clumps if you use Lobelia) through the side of the basket. Trailing plants also look effective. Then line the moss to the top of the basket and fill with compost. Add slow release fertilizer granules and moisture retaining granules if needed.

Put a tall plant in the centre, such as a begonia or a pelargonium (geranium) and lower growing plants around it. If using trailing plants on the top of the basket, put them 6cm (2in) from the edge. They will fill out nicely by the time they trail over the edge of the basket. If you do buy the plants from the garden centres it is still early days for annual plants. Harden them off for a few days in a sheltered spot before you plant them up

Once planted, water thoroughly, allow to soak, and then water again. Protect from strong sunlight for a few days and take them in if there is a frost or a very cold wind like we had last week. Deadhead the flowers regularly and water them frequently (They will need watering even if the weather is cloudy and wet in summer) and liquid feed when the plants look as though they need perking up.

Tip- If you use moss peat and the basket does dry out, no amount of watering will wet the inside of the soil. Take down the basket and place it in a large container full of water, leave it until it is just about to sink, then pull it out. This sounds drastic, but it will save the plants! Alternatively you could use a John Innes soil based compost or mix some weed free garden soil into your peat. This will soak up the water without resorting to drowning the baskets in a bucket.

Horticultural.

WESTERN ORGANIC NETWORK

Check out the Western Organic Network site. The new course brochure is out now.

The group organises training courses for organic farmers, smallholders, and small food producers in Ireland. Participants include those aspiring to convert to organic production, and experienced organic producers who want to improve their skills or diversify into new areas.

Environmental.

ME AND MY MOTOR PADRAIG MCLAUGHLIN

This week Padraig McLaughlin took time out of his busy schedule to talk about his motor. Normally Padraig does a significant amount of mileage representing Inishowen as a County Councillor. As he is now a Sinn Fein candidate for Donegal North East, his mileage has increased dramatically. Donegal is a rural County and as a public representitive he realises the car is a crucial factor in our lives.

Name : Padraig McLaughlin

Address:Buncrana

Car: VW Polo 5 door saloon.

How long have you had the car?
Three years

Any plans to change?
Not in the immediate future

Is it reliable?
Yes

Best thing about the car?
The radio! Seriously, I use the car as a mobile office at the moment.

How often do you wash it?
I usually wash the car once a month. It gets a rinse when it rains too. I usually take it down to Donal McKinney at Pit Stoptyres in the town.

If you were the minister for finance what would you do to help motorists?
Remove the unjust VRT tax and have a tax incentive for bio-fuel.

What would you really like to be driving around in?
I quite like the Toyota Prius. The car seems to be practical and it has a good reiability record, but it would have to be able to cope with the high mileage!

Motoring.

DROP A PEBBLE

Hello Ian.
I thought the readers might like this poem about water. It was written by James Foley. Regards JB Carndonagh.

DROP A PEBBLE.

Drop a pebble in the water; just a splash and it is gone.But there's half-a-hundred ripples, circling on and on and onSpreading, spreading from the centre, flowing on out to the sea.

And there is no way of telling where the end is going to be.

Drop a pebble in the water; in a minute you forget.But there's little waves a-flowing and there's ripples circling yet.And those little waves a-flowing to a great big wave have grown.You've disturbed a mighty river just by dropping in a stone.

Drop an unkind word or careless; in a minute it is gone.But there's half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on.They keep spreading, spreading, spreading from the centre as they go.

And there's no way to stop them, once you've started them to flow.

Drop an unkind word, or careless; in a minute you forget.But there's little waves a-flowing, and there's ripples circling yet.And perhaps in some sad heart a mighty wave of tears you've stirred.

And disturbed a life was happy ere you dropped that unkind word.

Drop a word of cheer and kindness; just a flash and it is gone.But there's half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on,Bearing hope and joy and comfort on each splashing, dashing wave.

Till you wouldn't believe the volume of the one kind word you gave.

Drop a word of cheer and kindness; in a minute you forget.But there's gladness still a-swelling, and there's joy a-circling yet.And you've rolled a wave of comfort whose sweet music can be heard.

Over miles and miles of water just by dropping one kind word.

Environmental.

ORGANIC CENTRE ROSSINVER

(Click on the title for a link to The Organic Centre in Rossinver)

A few days ago the Inishowen Partnership Job Initiative put on a bus trip to an organic farm - the Organic Centre at Rossinver, Co Leitrim. As I haven’t been getting out much this summer, I jumped at the chance to squeeze into the sixteen-seater mini bus. The company was a lively group of people who are working around the peninsula on various community project, all of us sharing a keen interest in gardening and environmental issues.

The Organic Centre was set up in 1995 as a non-profit making company. The aim of the centre is to provide training, information and demonstrations of organic gardening, growing and farming. The centre is on a 19 acre site and provides:

· Demonstration gardens and growing tunnels showing organic methods of food production
· A wide range of training courses geared at all levels from the interested amateur gardener to a professional grower
· Information and advice for commercial growers and farmers
· A wetland sewage disposal system
· Display gardens open to visitors-including a children’s garden, a taste garden, a heritage garden, an unusual vegetable and salad garden, and an edible flower garden
· A willow sculpture area.
· Display of composting techniques
· An orchard and soft fruit area
· A shop and café (to be opened shortly)

The centre employs eight staff and has an award winning FAS training scheme aimed at people interested in a career in organic horticulture. At the core of all the activities in the centre is an educational and information focus. This means that whilst the gardens are attractive and interesting to the public it also aims to deliver a message about sustainability and good environmental practices to visitors.

The administrator at the centre took us around the new wooden building that will soon be the information centre, shop and café. The modern training rooms are already being used for courses including, basket making, building houses out of alternative materials to concrete (such as straw bales and wood), herbal first aid kits and cooking with wholefood. The building itself has an interesting grass roof that blends in well with the countryside; they only have to throw a goat up their once a year to keep it in shape! The building is also connected to the wetland sewage system that handles all the wastewater; this slowly seeps through the land, cleaning the water as it goes along. By the time the water has reached the pond a few hundred metres away it has been totally cleaned. The pond is teeming with wildlife! The system can cope with 200 visitors a day, so it’s very efficient. Next we were shown around the herb gardens, flower borders and vegetable areas. The healthy looking vegetable are sold from the centre as well as supplying an organic box delivery service around the local area. After a break for lunch (just over the border at the Lough Melvin holiday centre in Garrison, Co Fermanagh), we had a tour of the five polytunnels (whuch was just as well as the heavens opened with heavy rain showers).

When we got back to the centre we weren’t put off by the heavy rain showers as the next part of the tour was around the five polythene tunnels. At the doors were Calendulas (marigolds) in flower to attract greenfly predators and small ponds are placed in the corner of each tunnel to keep the slug hunting frogs happy. The organic tomatoes, beans, sweet corn and cucumbers were pest and disease free, as were the herbs used for cutting. We finished the tour by being shown around the fruit areas. Raspberries, gooseberries and currants were all planted in rows into grass areas then mulched with a thick layer of straw to keep the weeds down. The grass path makes picking the fruit easy and clean. No muddy boots here. The apple and pear trees were done in the same way. The centre is concentrating on re-introducing old varieties of apple trees that are in danger of disappearing. Most of these apples are very resistant to disease and have more flavour than a lot of the commercial strains. Before we knew it we had gone an hour over our scheduled guided tour. It’s surprising where the time goes when you’re having fun! The drive back takes between 2 to 3 hours. This soon passes when you’re in good company.

For further information contact The Organic Centre at: www.theorganiccentre.ie tel. 07254338

Horticultural,environmental.

PLANTING A HEDGEROW

Photo: Even neglected native hedging can be restored after thirty years with carful hedge laying techniques.

We all have boundary features such as a wall, a hedge or a wooden fence. A fence may be useful to keep out the neighbour’s dog or to stop someone looking into the house but they are a bit barren when it comes to housing wildlife and plants wildlife value. A dry stone wall has an important place in a wildlife garden especially as it gets established, enabling plants, algae and insects to inhabit the cracks.

A mature hedge also provides a thriving community teeming with insects and animals. At the same time, it gives you privacy, protection from the wind and garden security. Fences and walls might not be as high maintenance as a hedge but if you plant the right type of tree or shrub for your site you will only have to cut it back once or twice a year- what better exercise could you need? Now is the time to start looking at bare rooted stock. You will find this at a fraction of the cost of pot grown plants, making the process far cheaper. There are the usual favourites grown for flowers such as escallonia, privet (ideal stick insect food - we still have some to give away if you are interested), berberis and griselinia. Then there are the slower growing shrubs such as the box, lavender or pyracantha. If you have the room though it is definitely worth considering planting a native mixed hedge.

MIXED HEDGE

First find the plants. Bare-root shrubs are favourable but if you are not in a rush then consider collecting seed to sow this year that will allow a hedge to be planted next year.

Use native species, which are commonly found in our countryside hedgerows. A valuable wildlife hedgerow is species-rich. This is planted using 70% hawthorn and 30% of at least 4 other species selected from blackthorn, holly, wild rose, buckthorn, field maple and hazel. Add an occasional tree such as silver birch, rowan, bird cherry or field maple.

Plant a single row or if there is room, a double staggered row. For an effective wind break, the hedge will need to be as thick as possible.

Suppress weed growth for the first few years and water well in the first summer.

Once established, management is the key to success. For a thick hedge prune every 3 years and at an angle to ensure it is wide at the base. Cut a different section every year in rotation. Cut November - February.If the hedgerow is tall and gappy then hedge laying will extend its life, this is an acquired skill, but the main aim is to chop halfway through a main branch of a tree or shrub and than bend it over in to a gap. The side shoots then grow up to fill the spaces (I apologise for oversimplifying the hedge laying process!) This method will eventually encourage a thick bushy base and improve its security value.

Horticultural.

DAMSONS

I remember my mother always used to make damson jam in autumn. Although the taste was delicious my lingering memory was that occasionally there was a stone left in the jar that used to end up on my toast, or worst still cracking my teeth. Damsons don’t seem to be grown very much in Inishowen but I’m sure that our climate would be ideal for them to flourish. Damsons are members of the plum family and like rich, rather wet soil. They can also tolerate strong, cold winds. Damsons are older than the domestic plum and come from Eastern Europe and the western fringes of Asia and were also grown in the Middle East. They were then bought to Italy 2,000 years ago from Damascus, hence the name. They are not difficult to grow. Unlike an apple or a pear they will come true from a stone, so the type you plant is the type that grows. You will have to wait about fifteen years before it bears fruit though. You can speed things up a bit by buying a tree that is established. There are also varieties on the market that have been grafted onto rootstocks to control the growth. “Pixy” is a rootstock to use if small trees are required and “St. Julian A” would be for larger specimens. The largest of the lot is the “Brompton” which can be very vigorous. Size doesn’t always matter though as you can get a good yield off the smallest of trees.

Horticultural.