ME AND MY MOTOR-ROSE MCCARRON

It was love at first sight for Rose McCarron when she first set eyes on her Chrysler Crossfire 3.2 litre coupe. Rose who lives in Buncrana and works at The Mortgage Shop in the town has always been interested in eye-catching motors ever since her first car, a sports Mini. Rose has driven some lovely cars since then, but feels that none of them comes close to the exhilaration and driving pleasure of the Crossfire.

How long have you had the car?
I bought it about a year ago. I was in the dealer’s showroom looking at a Jeep when I spotted the car. I had never seen a Crossfire before and knew that it was the car for me. The car had only done about 2000 miles and still had that wonderful new car smell.

Any plans to change?
Not in the near future although if someone made me an offer I couldn’t refuse…!

Is it reliable?
Very reliable. I wouldn’t have cared if it wasn’t though, as getting the crossfire was emotionally based rather than a decision made on the manufacturers’ claims of reliability. The heart definitely ruled the head when it came to buying this car!

Best (and worst) things about the car?
I get a great deal of pleasure driving and owning the car so I like nothing better than taking it down to Pit Stop Tyres and getting it thoroughly cleaned. It’s wonderful to see the paintwork gleam before the dust settles on it again. I love the heated seats on cold mornings too! The only drawback with the car is the petrol consumption. But as I don’t do high mileage, that isn’t too much of an issue.

What would you do to help motorists given the chance?
Reduce tax on buying motors from over the border. The VRT is the biggest bugbear when buying a car.

Are there any other cars that you would like to be driving?
I think the Jaguar XK8 is a fantastic car. I have always had a soft spot for the Austin Healey two-seater sports cars too. Either one would do!

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NEW PARK FOR CARNDONAGH

Diarmuid Gavin looks all set to come to Carndonagh. He has teamed up wth Donegal County Council to help desighn a new park and play area at Barrack Hill. Ms Terre Duffy the public arts manager said "We see Diarmuid Gavin doing for playgrounds what Jamie Oliver did for school dinners." Local kids are to be given the chance to help in the design. For more details visit http://www.donegalpublicart.ie/

MORE WINTER JOBS

Nerine

Take hardwood cutting. Most shrubs will take if you cut a twig about a foot long from mature wood. Plant in the garden by making a slit with the spade and simply leave until next summer. Dig up and transplant into the final position where it is to grow.

Wallflowers can be planted now. They can be pruned back every year. Even though they are classed as biennials, they will give years of blooms if they are cut back after they flower.

Nerine bulbs are still looking good at this time of the year. If you want to dig some of these up from your friends garden then ensure that you don’t disturb the roots when you dig up a clump, as they don’t like being moved. Wait until the foliage has died down before you attempt this.

If you have a no dig policy in your vegetable garden then cover any bare soil with carpet or mulch such as straw. This will stop any nutrients being washed away in adverse weather and will give you a weed free bed to sow the spring crops.

Get the lawnmower serviced. If you are handy with the spanner then get cracking and get the mower ready for winter. Empty the petrol out, as it can get slimy if it’s left for too long. Check the spark plug and filters and change if necessary. The blades might need sharpening as well. If you are in any doubt then take it to a repair shop. It will be better to do this now than having to join the queue in spring.

Plant and seed catalogues should be coming through the letterboxes if you are on companies mailing lists and now would be a great time to look through them and plan what you want to order next year. You could always see if there is anything in the catalogues for your friends and family that would make useful presents at Christmas. I like to look through the Chase organic catalogue, as there are a lot of gadgets that you can use in the garden, the industrial flamethrower springs to mind, which would be very useful for keeping the weeds down! If you are buying products though, make sure the items are a good quality and will last the rigours of the outdoor world.

MICE AND RATS
The pesky rodents are back in the houses now the cold weather is with us. Let me know if you have any effective methods of driving them outside. We saw a white and grey one running around our estate last week. It stood up to two dogs and wasn’t scared of me. It is probably a pet that has escaped so if you have lost a fearless rodent please come and get it!

Horticultural.

JOBS TO DO IN WINTER

There was a great turn out for the Swilly Gardening Club last week. The fact that we were competing with a flower arranging evening didn’t seem to affect the numbers too much. Patrick McCartney entertained us with lighthearted banter with a few songs thrown in. Even though we are entering the depths of winter there are still plenty of projects to be getting on with. Here are a few of the topics covered on the evening.

Sow ripened seeds of hawthorns, cotoneaster, mountain ash and pyracantha. Squash the berries to extract the seeds, which should be cleaned of pulp before sowing. Sow in small pots filled with gritty compost and cover with a layer of grit. Water gently and stand pots outdoors, or in a well-ventilated cold frame.

If there is a sudden drop in the temperature, provide extra protection for your more tender flowering plants like Rhododendrons, Camellias, Azaleas and Daphne. You can provide temporary, emergency protection by driving in three of four stakes around the plant, and then simply covering the plant with some fleece or a sheet or an old blanket. Don't let this material come into direct contact with the leaves of the plant. Remove the cover completely, as soon as the weather improves a bit.

Sow seeds of alpine plants that require cold winter temperatures to germinate. Sow into shallow pots or trays filled with sharply draining gritty compost, and place outdoors.

Plant rhubarb in well manured ground, and cover established plants intended for forcing with a rhubarb pot or light-proof bucket. The best place to get rhubarb is from a friend who has some in their garden. Get your spade and dig out a healthy clump. Plant in an area that has plenty of well-rotted manure in it.

Horticultural.

REPAIR FENCES

Repairs
Repair fences, trellises and wooden features. Once annual climbers have died away and perennial ones have lost their leaves, treat timber with natural wood colour or preservative. Replace loose posts and those rotting at the base before they collapse and cause greater damage.

Horticultural.