It is heartening to be asked to visit and speak at meeting all over Ireland where people are developing greater self-reliance in food growing, but also in energy management, sustainable employment and all kinds of ways to live in harmony with nature. Local people in Rush who are in tune with global challenges coming down the tracks have [...]
Archive for the ‘General’ Category
8 Dec
MAKING LEAFMOULD WITH HESSIAN SACKS – SECOND WEEK IN DECEMBER 2011
I was intrigued to be given a couple of commercially made leaf mould making sacks from Scotland, thank you Zoe. The company making them is called ‘Nutscene’ and the item is a pack of 2 ‘leaf composting sacks’ 95cm by 65 cm. As they are biodegradable as sacks, the question is will they remain intact long enough [...]
3 Dec
HUNGRY HERON CHECKS OUT THE GARDEN POND – FIRST WEEK IN DECEMBER 2011
The leaves have fallen from the apple tree in the back and the rowan trees are bare in the front. Vegetation has generally died down and the visibility for birdwatching during these shorter daylight hours is greater. The bird table stands out and the smaller birds can be spotted easily foraging and flitting in and out of [...]
27 Nov
PUTTING A STRING GRID IN PLACE TO SUPPORT BROAD BEANS – FOURTH WEEK IN NOVEMBER
The mild November (2011) weather has resulted in the Autumn sown broad beans growing faster than I expected. The plants are now tall enough to be blown over in a strong wind. Rather than stake each one and tie each plant to a cane (life is too short for that!), I have created a type [...]
22 Nov
IOFGA ORGANIC FARMERS’ CONFERENCE AT WINEPORT LODGE NEAR ATHLONE – THIRD WEEK IN NOVEMBER 2011
Having an organic growing licence means I am invited to the organic certification bodies’ conferences. This time however I needed to be there early as I was asked to chair the conference. The conference involved a 140 km drive to the lovely shores of Lough Ree and the very welcoming Wineport Lodge, near the picturesque village of [...]
14 Nov
GOING FROM A DAMP KITCHEN GARDEN TO A DRY GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE IN ISRAEL – SECOND WEEK OF NOVEMBER 2011
The possibility of a 10 day pilgrimage to the Holy Land in November was an opportunity not to be overlooked. The compost in Trevor’s Kitchen Garden needs to be dug out of the composter and the space refilled with the kitchen scraps and garden debris, but that can wait a week or two. In contrast to Ireland, [...]
31 Oct
CHARLOTTE POTATO PERFORMS WELL, PLUS BROCCOLI LEAVES VERY EDIBLE – FIRST WEEK IN NOVEMBER 2011
Purple Sprouting Broccoli leaves an unlikely dinner dish, but surprisingly good. I still have a couple of potato plants awaiting harvest. Each purpose made potato-growing bag with handles was sown with one seed tuber on a bed of seaweed topped with mixed soil and compost to a depth of 20cm altogether. Being early potato varieties, the plants [...]
24 Oct
PROTECTING TENDER HERBS FOR THE WINTER AHEAD – FOURTH WEEK IN OCTOBER 2011
This Winter, I want to have fresh parsley and tarragon, even if the weather turns harsh. It should be simple enough once steps are taken in time before any frost hits the garden. The parsley is oudoors growing away among the leeks. Rather than uproot in and plant it in a pot to take it indoors [...]
17 Oct
PLANTING UP WINTER GREENS – THIRD WEEK IN OCTOBER 2011
Three kale plants and one everlasting cabbage planted where the runner and French beans used to be growing last Summer. Time to say goodbye to the very generous runner bean and French bean plants which have provided many contributions to dinners throughout the Summer and Autumn. I read that the roots of peas and [...]
15 Oct
BALBRIGGAN FISH AND FARMERS’ MARKET TO GO INDOORS FOR WINTER – SECOND WEEK IN OCTOBER 2011
Friday 14th October was the week when most stallholders said ‘that’s it, colder weather will mean less customers’, and in my case, less fruit and vegetables. Time to find an indoor venue and come back to George’s Square in the Spring’. Paul Baxter and his local fresh fish stall can hopefully continue on the Square as [...]
