Sunday 27 May 2007

IRISH GARDENERS FORUM WEBSITE


CHECK OUT THE IRISH GARDENERS FORUM WEBSITE ON




OR CLICK ON THE TITLE FOR A LINK.


It has loads of useful information.


LINKS TO WEB SITES

Hi. These links were originally on the first page but got too large.

Construct Ireland- http://www.constructireland.ie/

Highland radio, Covering the North West of Donegal- http://www.highlandradio.com/

ICR. Inishowen Community radio- http://www.icrfm.ie/

Inishowen Summer Gathering- http://www.inishowensummergathering.com/

Local Planet newspaper- http://www.localplanet.ie/ S

trawbale building: http://www.strawbalefutures.org.uk/amazonails.html

Inish Times: http://www.inishtimes.com/

Environmental Protection Agency Ireland http://www.epa.ie/

Pauls web site: http://www.gomersall.com/

Living architecture, Peter Cowman Co. Leitrim :http://www.livingarchitecturecentre.com/

COMPARES Project, focussing on energy saving in Inishowen: http://www.inishowen.ie/

Organic Centre Rossinver: http://www.theorganiccentre.ie/

Building for a Future: http://www.buildingforafuture.co.uk/

Friends of the Earth: http://www.foe.ie/

Power of One: http://www.powerofone.ie/

Carbon Footprint (assess your carbon output) http://www.carbonfootprint.com/

Water Aid: http://www.wateraid.org.uk/

Asbestos regulations Ireland: http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/environment/environmental-protection/asbestos_regulations

OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) http://www.oecd.org/

Action Inishowen: http://actioninishowen.com/

Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association http://www.icsaireland.com/

Cleaning with soda crystals: http://www.soda-crystals.co.uk/

Freecycle: http://www.freecycle.org/

Chase Organics seeds: http://www.chaseorganics.co.uk/

Green Party Ireland: http://www.greenparty.ie/......................

Inishowen News: Offering an online news service covering the Inishowen area: http://www.inishowennews.com/

Local news from Moville: http://www.craicon.com/ Sustainable Ireland : http://www.sustainable.ie/

Irish Peatland Conservation Council: http://www.ipcc.ie/

Voice Of Irish Concern for the Environment. (VOICE) http://www.voiceireland.org/

Home Education Network (HEN) Ireland http://www.henireland.org/

North West Wildlife Park set up by Killian Mclaughlin from Buncrana: http://www.northwestwildlifepark.com/index.html

Western Organic Network: Training courses - advice for organic gardeners and farmers: http://www.westernorganicnetwork.com/

Buncrana.com: Local news from the town: http://www.buncrana.com/index.php

Inishowen online: http://www.inishowenonline.com/

National Climate Change strategy 2007-2012:


See more useful links here: MORE LINKS

Feel free to add your business or favourites!





ALLOTMENTS 4 ALL

Check out swaps on the Allotments 4 all forum site. http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php?board=10.0
or click on the title above.
Horticultural.

INISHINDIE FORUM PAGE


CHECK OUT THE FORUM PAGE ON :






RAPESEED AND HAYFEVER


Photo: Will the introduction of rape into the countryside mean an increase of hayfever?

Ian.
If rapeseed was grown more around the peninsula this would increase the suffering for people with allegies. Rape fields have been linked to adverse effects in asthma and hay fever sufferers. Some researchers also suggest that oilseed pollen is the cause of increased breathing difficulties.As a hayfever sufferer myself I could do without it taking over the landscape. R.K by e-mail

Reply
Hay fever is a very uncomortable affliction but research has shown that rape plants are unlikely to add to the discomfort as the plant is an entomophilous crop, with pollen transfer primarily by insects. Rapeseed in flower has a distinctive and pungent smell, reports have claimed that this causes sufferers to wrongly assume it is this that sets the allergy off because they can smell it.

Ian
The Monsanto Company in America has genetically engineered new cultivars of rapeseed that are resistant to the effects of its herbicide Roundup They have allegedly been vigorously prosecuting farmers found to have the Roundup Ready gene in Canola in their fields without paying a license fee even though it has been blown onto the land by accident. Would we have to suffer the same fate here if it was introduced? JH by e-mail

Environmental.




MORE ON JAPANESE KNOTWEED

LETTERS

Ian



Re: Japanese Knotweed article last week.


Laboratories have come up with a biological solution to keep the Japanese knotweed from spreading and hopefully keep it under control. The weed up to yet has no natural enemies in this country so the plant can spread undisturbed. This is changing as bugs and fungi that grow on the plants in their native country are to be introduced. The beetle eggs are injected into the stems and when they hatch they dig their way out into the open, the result of the tunnelling snaps the stems. The fungus will hopefully kill off the vulnerable plant

The other method that has been used for a while now is to cut each stalk and painstakingly inject each stem with herbicide, this will still take between 3-5 years to kill the plant. Regards. B.T Derry




Environmental.

JOBS IN MAY


JOBS TO DO



Prune early flowering shrubs as soon as they finish.



Remove rose suckers as they appear.



Plant water lilies and other pond plants.



Apply shading to the greenhouse to avoid scorching.



Plant greenhouse tomatoes.



Earth up early potatoes. If your spuds are not planted then make haste and do them now.



Keep an eye on those weeds. If the grass is growing strongly, you can guarantee other plants are!




Horticultural.


INCREASE YOUR PLANT STOCK

Photo:Pieris 'forest flame' Although not a bedding plant, does show new growth well !

INCREASE YOUR STOCK THE EASY WAY
As it is early in the season you can take cuttings of your favourite bedding plants to increase your displays. Nip out the growing tips of petunias and plant into potting compost. This will make the original plant bushier and give you more plants. Most other trailing plants can be propagated in the same way, just make sure you make the cut just below a node so roots can develop.


Horticultural.

HANGING BASKET PLANTS


There are hundreds of plants to choose from when it comes to planting up your summer baskets. Here are just a few suggestions for flowering plants to get you started. They are all available locally and should thrive throughout the summer in Inishowen if they are fed and watered of course.

Busy lizzie flowers well in partial shade, mostly pink, red or white.



Trailing lobelia in blue, white, rose or crimson.


Nasturtium bright flowers, mostly in yellow and orange.


Verbena lots of colours, the plants spread and trail from a basket.


Bidens vigorous trailing, spreading plant with yellow daisy flowers.


Brachycome small blue daisy flowers with yellow centres.


Fuchsias trailing forms with cover a basket.


Ivy leaf- geraniums ideal hanging basket plant, good foliage, vivid colours.


Diascia a profusion of pink flowers over a long period.


Petunia these are a favourite around the peninsula. They have an extensive colour range and a long flowering season.



Horticultural.

CORDYLINES FOR CONTAINERS



Summer bedding plants have appeared in the garden centres recently. When you are thinking about planting up containers you might want to consider planting a specimen plant in the centre for a bit of height. If you choose a cordyline these could stay in the pot for a couple of years before being planted out in the garden. Cordylines are a familiar sight around Inishowen and they are suited to coastal areas. The plants are native to New Zealand and are also known as the cabbage palm. This is because the large central bud was cooked in the same way as cabbage. When the plant is young it has just one central bud, but with age it produces side shoots. The strategy of producing one central bud is beneficial for the plant to reach up to the light but it does have its disadvantages. If the plant is damaged at all, it puts its energy into side shoots, which makes for a bushier specimen. Although the plant protects the central bud with layers of leaf bases they can be prone to frost damage. The result will be that the central bud dies and eventually the leaves all fall off the plant. Do not despair though as new shoots will come again from ground level. These plants don’t give up easily, which is why they are ideal for containers!


Horticultural.


Other stories

Related Posts with Thumbnails