This mild and still weather after the ‘shock and awe’ of the BIG FREEZE really makes me appreciate the occasional foray into the garden. I was recently at an organic gardening talk by local experienced grower Nicky Kyle who asked me to pull a few raffle tickets as part of a fundraiser for disaster relief [...]
Posts Tagged ‘winter’
27 Jan
PRUNING BLACKCURRANT BUSHES WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM AN ORGANIC EXPERT – THIRD WEEK IN JANUARY 2010
18 Jan
THE PLEASURE OF PLANTING ROSES ON A MILD SUNNY SUNDAY – SECOND WEEK IN JANUARY 2010
After the rain, snow and ice, a dry weekend, not to mention a still and sunny Sunday was in relative terms, heaven on Earth. Although growing fruit and vegetables is my main activity in the kitchen garden, the cultivation of roses is very rewarding. For anyone concerned about ‘carbon footprints’, the sad reality about roses is [...]
6 Jan
RECOVERING FROM NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS WITH SOBER LOOK AT A FEW SEED CATALOGUES – FIRST WEEK IN JANUARY 2010
Having survived without sprain or injury on the ice while heralding in the New Year, I was relieved to get a chance to sit down and see what seeds I had for the forthcoming planting season. With the ground frozen, the ordering of seeds is the ideal garden related activity for this time of year. [...]
1 Jan
PARTIALLY FED AND WARMED OVER CHRISTMAS FROM THE GARDEN – FOURTH WEEK IN DECEMBER 2009
With guests invited for Christmas, the prospect of depending on the few leeks, carrots, onions and herbs from the garden, to create the meals I had in mind would have meant very small helpings. So thankfully the Balbriggan Fish and Farmers’ Market was open late before Christmas to allow me augment my larder with fresh local produce. As [...]
17 Dec
GARDEN FIR TREE BECOMES CHRISTMAS TREE INDOORS – THIRD WEEK IN DECEMBER 2009
Not much time for gardening with late Dáil sittings. I just about manage a few minutes in the garden to bring vegetable, fruit and kitchen paper waste out to the compost tumbler every couple of days. I notice the garlic cloves sown a couple of weeks ago are sprouting and the green shoots of new [...]
10 Dec
COLLECT LEAVES AND BAG THEM TO MAKE LEAFMOULD – SECOND WEEK IN DECEMBER 2009
There is certainly a shortage of money in the country but there is no shortage of leaves, in my garden atleast. And as the Mamas and the Papas would say ‘all the leaves are brown’. Time then to make leafmould. Leafmould is similar to composting. However on a forest floor it is fungi more than [...]
2 Dec
SEEDS SPROUTING AND CUTTINGS GROWING EVEN IN THE FIRST WEEK OF DECEMBER 2009
Before I began kitchen gardening, I was very clear that seeds were sown in Spring, grew in Summer, were harvested in Autumn and during Winter was the time to oogle seed catalogues and plan for the next round of seasons. This week I’ve been forced to realise life is not that straightforward. Out I went [...]
