BOGWOOD AND TURF IN INISHOWEN

BUILDING WORK IN MOVILLE

WINTER TREES

If you feel the urge to buy a Monkey Puzzle tree(Arucaria Arucana), make sure it is far away from the house... They get very big!!

STAKING
If you’re buying trees at this time of year and they are larger than a couple of feet tall, then you will probably have to stake them. I was at our local school garden this week, which is surrounded by a ten-foot wall for wind protection and noticed one of the trees had been blown over in the recent winds. The tree is a Hawthorne (Crataegus) and is supposed to be a hardy variety called “Paul’s Scarlet”. The stake had rotted at ground level and the tree, which is at least ten feet tall, was lying on its side. To keep this tree secure over the winter there will probably have to be two or even three stakes secured around it to hold it securely in place to keep the trunk stable so the roots can develop. Because it is the dormant season we may be able to save the tree.

WINTER PROTECTION
Most trees are hardy to our wet and windy weather, but some new trees, especially evergreen conifers need a bit of protection in winter. Conifers tend to suffer from scorching of the leaves, so in really cold weather they could be wrapped up in bubble plastic or an old sack. If you have small conifers in containers it would be an idea to move them to a sheltered spot until late spring

PRUNING
I’ve noticed some tree surgeons with chainsaws around the peninsula pruning the large trees that are overhanging onto the roads. For some trees such as the Oak, Willow and Mountain Ash, now is an ideal time to trim back the dead or old branches. There are some trees that will suffer because of fungal disease though if they are pruned now. Poplars and all the ornamental trees such as plum, peach, pear and cherry should be pruned in late summer so wait until next year before tackling those.

HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS

We made good progress with our front garden this week. The willow fence is bedding in well and we have created a border around the edge to start our planting. I dug the curved beds out of the grass and turned the turf upside down to keep the nutrients in the soil. Then, I covered the dug area with newspapers to suppress any grass that might try to grow and topped it with lashings of rotted cow manure and some more topsoil. I have put in sweet peas and sunflowers as well as some veggies – beans and courgettes. The sweetcorn will go against the wall when the seedlings are more established and of course perennial cottage garden plants for a splash of informal summer colour.


HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS

Last week I was in Iris Doherty’s garden and plant nursery admiring her wide range of herbaceous perennials that are out in force at this early stage of the growing season. I have chosen three here that I think would be an asset in any garden as they are easy to grow and like me, very undemanding!

Geum borisii; Photographs never do justice to the vivid colour of this easy to grow perennial. Single bright orange-scarlet flowers grow in profusion throughout the summer and autumn which are good for cutting. They prefer moist soil and can be split every three years to encourage lots of flowers.

Lily of the valley: Here is a very easy to grow plant, ideal for ground cover. It has attractive white flowers and is used widely as a herbal medicine. Lily-of-the-Valley is fairly easy to cultivate and likes well-drained, rich, sandy loam, and wet ground.


Iris sibirica: This iris likes full sun or partial shade and the roots need to be kept damp. The purple flowers are glorious and the whole plant is resistant to deer should they be a problem in your garden! They are easily propagated by dividing clumps or offsets.

INCH ISLAND

Inch Island fom Lisfannon beach

ME AND MY MOTOR-DAREN LALOR

Daren Lalor from Umricam has been a Sinn Fein councillor since 2004. I met up with him in the new offices up above the An Tuath Nua bar, West End on Upper Main street in Buncrana to talk about his 1999 Ford Galaxy 1.9 diesel. “The offices are a great resource for the party and there is also a room that community groups and resident committees can use free of charge. At present we also have Irish Language classes running. Irish is a growing language and this is highlighted by the new secondary school, Cineal Eoghain that has recently opened in Tullyarvan mill.

Daren also feels that it is important for people to set up residents committees on housing estates in the town “Forming a committee gives areas a stronger voice when lobbying for improvements. Community groups can also help with the integration of people who are new to the area. Like all countries, we have a very rich culture and it is important that we share customs. It is important that we do not make the same mistakes as other countries when it comes to integration” Daren can be contacted at his office 93 42160


How long have you had the car?
I have had the car for nearly four years. It was the newest car I have ever owned.

Any plans to change?
Not at the moment. It is a familiar part of the family and as we have four children it is ideal to have the seven seats. (One seat for the carrier bag to hold all of the rubbish that accumulates in the back!)

Is it reliable?
It has served me very well. It did let me down once when I was driving to Birmingham. The clutch cable snapped. I carried on regardless as I had the children with me and didn’t want to be stuck on the hard shoulder.

Best thing about the car?
The space inside is fantastic for the kids.

How often do you wash it?
I usually wash it when the children complain that they can’t see out of the windows!


What would you do to help motorists given the chance?
Abolish VRT and then refund members of the public that have been conned into parting with their money.

What would you really like to be driving around in?
A newer version of the car I have would be fine for now.