SUMMER IS HERE!

Photo: Get the mower out!

We have some great growing weather now that things have warmed up and it is officially summer time! Last week saw a surge in activity with the sunshine and showers. The lawn needs a weekly cut now as when left too long it is very time consuming to bring it up to scratch. There is a new mower on the market that is promising to take the strain out of lawn maintenance. The device is made by Electrolux and goes under the name of the Automower. The idea is that the machine constantly cuts the grass whilst you laze in the hammock. Sensors are put around the perimeter of the grass and the mower stays within that area, painstakingly cutting every inch of the lawn. The sales pitch is good and the benefits seem very convincing.

The machine mulches the grass, which feeds the lawn.

Unlike us, the mower will happily work in the rain.

The machine is virtually silent so your siestas won’t be disturbed.

It mows up hills.

Pets are safe; they guarantee that the machine will not shave the cat as sensors detect obstacles.

The machine works by inputting a security pin number, which hopefully will deter people from

pinching it.

The mower costs about €2,000 which is a high price to pay for lounging in the sunshine!

Electrolux don’t mention the fact that going out and cutting the grass is good exercise though!

Horticultural.

GOMERSALL HISTORY?

I’m going to talk about trees this week (I have put this in the autumn section). But firstly going to make a tentative link to another sort of tree… the family tree. (I’ve been itching to talk about a great bread-making machine that we bought a while ago but I can’t for the life of me think of any similarity between gardening and a bread maker). Anyway, my eldest lad, asked me what our surname meant recently. Having never really thought about this I was stuck for a reply, so I delved into the World Wide Web to see if I could find some answers. The results were very interesting, and somewhat confusing. First of all I found the family crest with three steel gauntlets, a hatchet and a crescent moon on it. It looks very fierce but I have no idea what it all means. I do know that the name Gomersall is a town in Yorkshire (minus one L) and it is confusing as to what came first the town or the name. I contacted a very informed Victor Gomersall from Australia on the Internet who has traced his lineage back to the fifteenth century. The name has been traced back to the eleventh century though, to a William De Gomersall, who owed some tax to Henry ll. Victor goes on to tell me that we are probably of Norman origin or “North Man” as it translates. There are loads of us around the world and to trace the family line I would have to visit a lot of graveyards, though this wouldn’t really help me find the actual meaning of the name Gomersall, so after the history lesson I still find myself at a loss as to what to tell Ronnie about the meaning of our name. So Instead I have resorted to telling him stories from our more recent ancestors such as his great granddad who was called John Garnet Blackburn Gomersall, or “Gas Bracket Joe” for short as he had a tendency to swing on the old gas lamps on the street after having drink taken at the local hostelries. And his other great grandfather who decided to retire after going bald at the age of thirty, and proceeded to recuperate in Switzerland, breeding greyhounds and whippets (he won best of breed at Crufts dog show for his whippets apparently). Then there was his great grandmother who was the child of a French Count and Countess who spent thirty years living in an hotel in southern England, enjoying the sea breezes and being waited on hand and foot.……… Great role models eh?

Horticultural.

ME AND MY MOTOR-TOMMY CUNNINGHAM AND RYAN TURNER

THE CAR’S THE STAR

Tommy Cunningham and Ryan Turner from Carndonagh own two very special cars; the Starsky and Hutch Ford Grand Torino from 1976 and the bungling County Sheriff car driven by Rosco P.Coltraine in the Dukes of Hazzard. Both cars have been refurbished to a very high standard replicating the original machines complete with flashing lights and sirens in perfect working order

Tommy has been an avid Starsky and Hutch fan for over thirty years. His interest started with a set of magazines.

“I used to go to PH Doherty’s shop in Carn every month and collect the official magazines. I still have the whole collection of 35 copies” Tommy explains. “I took it a stage further a few years later when I commissioned Gordon Smith in town to refurbish a Ford Granada to replicate the original ‘striped tomato’ paint job from the series.”

The Starskey and Hutch Ford Grand Torino has a large V8 6 litre engine that gives that familiar V8 growl when the engine is running. The car also has Huggie Bear’s signature on the dashboard.

“In the Dukes of Hazzard Sheriff Rosco never really caught up with General Lee in Hazzard County, which was surprising as the 78 Plymouth Fury has a 5.8 litre V8 engine.” said Ryan. “Whilst filming the series the production companies could work their way through as many as six cars in every episode. You mostly saw them flying through the air!” he concluded

The car attracted a lot of attention recently when it was hired out for a wedding at the Millbrook Hotel in Donegal town.

“We are working with a company called Star Car Hire.co.uk who are based all around Ireland. They hire out eye-catching cars for special occasions. As well as our two cars, Star Cars can supply the Trans Am from the A Team, General Lee’s car, a pink Cadillac, as well as Herbie and the Knight Rider car or K.I.T.T. as it was better known”

Both of Tommy and Ryan’s cars are available to make any event special and memorable. Check out the website for more information www.starcarhire.co.uk or ring Tommy on 087253 4202 for more information about car hire.

If you are not too familiar with Starskey and Hutch but you would like to know more, Sky are re-showing the series!

Motoring.

MAY FLOWERS AND FOLIAGE 3

Photo:Lily of the valley

Photo:knautia

Photo:Iris sibirica

Photo:Heucera 'Palace purple'

MAY FLOWERS AND FOLIAGE 2

Photo:Hellebore foetedus seed pods

Photo: Aqualiegia,grannies bonnet

Photo:Geum borisii

Photo: Geum

Photo:Euphorbia

JAPANESE KNOTWEED ADVICE LEAFLET

Ian,

I read your article is last Wednesday's Inish Times regarding the control ofJapanese Knotweed.

Clare County Council and The Heritage Council haveproduced a leaflet with advice on the control of Japanese Knotweed.

Copies are available free-of-charge from the County Donegal Heritage Office at the address below in case your readers may be interested.

With best regards,

Joseph Gallagher

Heritage Officer,

County Donegal Heritage Office,

Donegal County Council,Station Island,Lifford,

County Donegal.

Telephone: (074) 917 2576

E-mail: heritage@donegalcoco.ie

Horticultural.

GROWING ROSES

Ever had problems growing roses? Well, if you’ve answered yes then fear not because this week I will talk about the basics for growing great roses. I used to have a bit of an aversion to the spikes on rose bushes. The reason for this was because I used to charge into gardens to do the work and if there was a spiky plant it would get me. As I have slowed down a bit I can now appreciate why these plants are so popular.

GROWING GREAT ROSES
If you are just beginning to grow roses, select a healthy specimen from your local nursery. Nurseries generally choose plants that do well in the North West and have healthy stock. Roses can be purchased bare-rooted or in a container. They should have 2 healthy, green stems, minimum. Pay attention to the root system. Does it have 4-5 thick roots and multitudes of smaller, fibrous roots? If so you are picking a good one

A rose will become a permanent member of your garden. Therefore it is important to choose a site that takes this into consideration. A rose should receive at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily in order to thrive. Morning sun is preferable for most plants, including the rose. Avoid planting your rose in areas that receive high winds. You can protect your roses by planting them near a fence, wall or other barrier. Don't plant roses too close to other shrubs or trees. These will compete with the rose for nutrients, sunlight and water. Roses do not like to stand in water so make sure they have proper drainage.

Prepare your soil. Roses prefer heavy clay loam that has been thoroughly tilled and enriched with organic matter. Organic fertilizers can be bought. These should have the three basic elements - nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium or NPK. The ratio should be 6-2-1, not exceeding 15. You can also custom make your own organic matter by composting and add this to the soil. Failing that just throw your old banana skins around the plant. The drainage, aeration and moisture content will all be improved with the addition of organic matter. Add lime to very acid soils and add organic matter to alkaline soils.

WHEN TO PLANT
Plant bare-rooted roses preferably in the late autumn or early winter and if you must, in the early spring. If planting is delayed, keep the roots moist and store in a cool, dark place. Plant as soon as possible. Container grown roses can be planted any time of the year as long as the soil is not frozen.

Plant your roses correctly. First, make sure your roots are thoroughly wet by letting the bare roots or container soak in water up to an hour before planting. Prune off any dead, damaged or diseased roots and top growth. Dig a hole deep enough to accommodate all the roots comfortably. Holes should be around 12-18 inches deep and 15-18 inches wide. They should not be crowded. The bud union (the place where the roots and top growth meet) should rest approximately 1 inch below the soil's surface. At this time you could add bone meal or compost. Make a small mound of dirt at the bottom of the hole. Spread the roots around this mound making sure that bunches of roots, clumps, are separated. Cut off any scraggly roots. Generally on new rose bushes, the canes sprout mainly from one side. To produce a well-rounded plant, place the rose with the sprouting side facing north. The southern exposure will help to stimulate growth on the bare side of your rose. Depending upon their final size, in general, roses should be spaced 1 foot from the edge of the bed and 30 inches apart. Rose bushes should be provided with at least 2.5 to 4 feet of space in which to grow. While miniature roses only need about 12 inches in which to grow. Plant climbing roses in the same manner but provide them with support from the very beginning. Finally, fill your hole in with soil, packing firmly around the base of the rose. Water the plant thoroughly. Do not mulch until spring.Feed and water your roses regularly.

Horticultural.

DESIGNER ROSES

NOVELTIES AT A PRICE
CK Jones is a company that specialise in interesting rose bushes. They are advertising a new rose by the name of Hot Chocolate. This shrub is a medium grower reaching in the region of 3ft high and 2ft6" wide, clothed with glossy dark green leaves and topped with clusters of smokey chocolate orange flowers, 7 out of 10 for perfume, a must for flower arrangers and anyone who likes something out of the ordinary. Owning new roses isn’t cheap though. The total delivered price for a potted rose is about €40 from July onwards, this stunning rose will be launched at Hampton Court but supplies are strictly limited.

For bare root sales in November and December the price will be about €20 including delivery. Check out the website for more information www.jonestherose.co.uk

Horticultural.

GARDEN DESIGN-STYLE- FLOW

Photo: Planters ,Buncran shore in May

Week three of looking at garden design.




Last week we were playing with ideas on a piece of paper. If the thought of putting the ideas down is a bit daunting here are a few pointers.

STYLE
Try to keep to one style. I mentioned this last week, it is a good idea to look at the style of the house and it’s surroundings to get some pointers. If you have a formal house with straight lines you might want to keep the idea running through the garden.

FLOW
A garden is more pleasing if there is a natural progression from one area to another. A path is a good way to join areas up. Think about how you would like someone to walk around your garden and view it. Focal points such as a sculpture, tree or captivating view will help to draw the eye and pull us into a new space.

SCALE
Here is an area that can go seriously wrong. Scale is about proportions-how the size and shapes of things relate to one another. A tiny shrub bed the size of your bathroom would look a bit out of place on a two-acre lawn for example. If in doubt when you are planning I find it is better to be bold and generous with the dimensions of the borders. The same goes for paths, they look a bit odd if they are too narrow.

RHYTHM



By repeating plants and materials you can bring a sense of rhythm to the garden. You might want to repeat certain plants throughout the garden or concentrate on certain types of plants such as grasses to give a soft feel to the garden. Try not to go overboard with repeating things though. As in music, variations on a theme can be very pleasing.







Horticultural.

GARDENING CATALOGUES

Photo: Church Buncrana with Laburnum tree

(Click on the title for a link to Sap Nurseries)

I am getting the gardening catalogues through the door. Most of them are trade ones from companies that I dealt with when I was growing plants. One that I received called me Ian Gomersall, Landscaping services…. those were the days! The company that sent that particular brochure is called Sap nurseries and they are based in Cahir in Tipperary. They were one of the favourites for me to get bare rooted trees and shrubs from. They have a great range of trees. For example you can get an acer platanoides 60cm high for 25 cent, or a 1.5 metre oak tree (quercus robur) for the paltry amount of €1.10. As interesting as this is if you were planting woodland my eye wanders to the larger specimens that the company has to offer. Let’s look at some of the bigger specimens.

You can get an Acer Platanoides ‘Emerald queen’ with a trunk measuring 40-45cm around for €1,850 or a multi stemmed Acer saccharinum for €950 which measures 5-6 metres from top to bottom. You wouldn’t want your dog lifting his leg up on those when you planted them in your garden!

The thing that caught my attention most of all though was a couple of new things Sap have to offer. The first are Pleached Tilias. These trees have been grown over 8 years and have their bottom branches taken off. They have reached a height of 2m and the leaves on the top 40 cm form a dense screen when planted 1.5m apart (imagine a leylandii hedge with the bottom leaves cut off after the wind has killed them) These are a bit more costly though and would knock you back €495 each. These are trade prices remember, so you would be getting them at a bargain price! Better still you can make an arch out of 2.5 metre high Betulas that have been trained to keep their narrow shape. These are €750 each. Take into consideration that you need two to form the arch every 2 metres down your garden and you have an arch that costs €1500 every three footsteps. If you want a couple of dozen let me know. Don’t forget to add V.A.T. at 13.5%. Alternatively, push some willow sticks into the ground and wait a year or two!

Horticultural.

QUARRIES

I am going to talk about quarries this week. I’ll try to link the subject to gardening somewhere along the way. For the past two weeks the headlines of the Inish Times has been about the possible mining around the peninsula of gold and other valuable metals. There are arguments for and against the idea of mining and no doubt the issue will be ongoing for a while until a compromise is found. I’m usually quite opinionated about environmental issues but in this case I will just talk about my own experiences of quarries.

QUARRIES

I grew up in an area in England that was heavily involved in excavation and mining. For a start there was a disused sand quarry at the bottom of my garden. Most of my childhood was taken up enjoying the varied wildlife and plants that grew in the hollows left after the sand was removed. There were large ponds that housed frogs, newts and small fish and I spent many a happy hour trying to catch as many as I could to put in my bucket.

Disused stone or sand quarries can be a haven for plants and animals. Take the Eden project over in southern England for example, that was built on an old gravel quarry. I progressed from just playing in the sand and went to work for the company who owned the quarries, this time I was working in the offices of a working quarry a few miles down the road. For seven years I looked out onto massive heaps of washed sand from the office window. When the weather was dry and the wind blew, everything got covered with very fine silica sand. This wasn’t seen as a problem at the time but since then research has been done to link silica with serious lung problems. The quarry was in the country when it started so it wasn’t a problem, well only to the workforce, but over the years the town has moved out to meet it. Many arguments are ongoing as to the responsibility of the dust falling in and on the local residents. The quarry owners are using the argument that they were there first, so ultimately are not responsible for any ill health or structural damage caused.

The disused quarry behind my old house is now a huge housing estate. Some of the properties have the unusual feature of a 40-foot sheer sandstone wall at the bottom of their small gardens. (There, I made a link to gardening)

The other form of mining in the area was “Black Gold”, or coal, as it is more commonly known. Some coal was excavated by using an open cast method. This entailed massive earth scrapers running along the ground and scooping the coal up. The slurry, or fine dust mixed with water was put back onto the land and then covered up with topsoil. These areas are now arable land used for grazing cattle. The colliery industry more or less shut down in England, some twenty years ago and when it did I went to work for a company that took advantage of the situation. Whilst the industry closed down, private companies in Wales opened up their own small mines. They needed equipment to operate and the company I worked for sent people into the old closed down mines to salvage the old chocks. (These are the large hydraulic machines that hold up the big tunnels that are produced when the coal is extracted.) The chocks would be refurbished and then sold to the new mines in Wales.

The collieries in England never really made it their policy to refill the vast holes left underground, this causes a lot of problems. If you think about a hole collapsing, it eventually finds it’s way to the surface, causing a hollow in the ground. The mines were usually flooded with water after use but the ground would still collapse. I lived in an area affected by subsidence. The houses were about seven miles away from the nearest mineshaft, but the tunnels stretched out so far that they ran underneath our house. This area had one of the worst records of ground subsidence and I remember actually being thrown out of bed at night when the subsidence struck. Some mornings we would wake up to see a six inch wide crack in the walls. The problem is still ongoing for the residents who are affected, but trying to get compensation from a company that no longer exists can be a bit of a problem.

The landscape is changing all the time. It wasn’t that long ago that Ireland was covered with trees, there’s only one percent of tree cover at present. Look at the urban sprawl of housing, is that any more attractive than looking at a quarry? Think about the effect landfills have in the area piled high with unnecessary plastic packaging leeching toxins onto the land. When and if Tournigan Gold Corporation comes to Inishowen for exploration we need to be well informed about the environmental impact if they proceed with the mining. Not only when they are working the mine but what happens after they have gone.
Twenty years isn’t a long time to be here as a working company in the grand scale of things, it’s about as long as the peat bogs are going to last if they are mined at their present rate!

Environmental.