Gardening Books

OOOOH. IT’S JUST WHAT I’VE ALWAYS WANTED

Most of my family probably don’t agree, but I actually enjoy getting presents. Over the years I have somehow managed to give everyone the impression that I am not bothered about receiving gifts. This is more than likely due to the fact that if anyone asks me what I would like for Christmas, I usually shrug my shoulders and say “I’m not bothered.” Which really means, “Use all of your imagination to bring me something that will entertain me for longer that ten seconds, improve my quality of life and of course make the world a better place.”

WHAT DO YOU FANCY?
It started when I was a young lad, my mother used to ask me if there was anything particular I wanted, but as you all remember, there wasn’t really anything to buy in the 60’s and 70’s. After the bike, all three changes of clothes for your Action Man, a train set and a Scalextric there wasn’t much left apart from the ubiquitous hand knitted jumpers and jigsaws. I did get a top of the range Scalextric set one year which was fantastic, it was called “You Steer” which gave you the illusion of being in control and helping the cars around the track by turning a large steering wheel stuck to the controller. This turned out to be a very limited option though as the cars were still embedded into the track to ensure the metal strips made an electrical contact. This was my first real disappointment at Christmas. The box had lied to me.

TOLERANCE
Toys teach you all sorts of things. I once overheard one of Julie’s self help cd’s that said the primary function of toys is to teach children tolerance levels in life. I am sure if we could read children’s minds they would be full of questions such as, “How hard can I hit this?” “What will happen if I push this in here?” And “Will this cause a reaction if I throw it at dad?.” So don’t be too upset if your youngsters break most of their toys before the New Year, they will be all the wiser for it.

I have a great photo of me last year hugging a pair of socks with all of my might. I had a massive smile on my face and looked so pleased to be getting a pair of socks with no holes in (the days of darning socks have well and truly gone in our house). This photo was shown around the family and everyone was convinced that I have a look of over enthusiasm with a hint of sarcasm at receiving the gift.

I’ll tell you now. It was genuine. As was the smile on my face when I received the jar of pickled onions, (even the fact that my mother in law put the jar inside of an iPod box didn’t dampen my joy), curry paste, a giant saltcellar and a pack of sun-dried tomatoes. These are great gifts and fulfil all of my criteria for a good gift (apart from making the world a better place maybe).

GARDENING BOOKS
Gardening books are something that I don’t really get as presents anymore, perhaps they think I am a bit of a know it all when it comes to gardening or perhaps they know I use the internet to answer my gardening questions rather than books these days. In the past though I relied on printed material for my horticultural education. In the past a good present one year was an annual subscription to Gardeners World and the Irish Garden magazine. These were great for keeping up to date with what’s going on all year in the garden and all the latest gadgets and trends.

Other books I was reared on were the Hessayon “Expert” books. My first copies were off my father who bought them in the early 1960’s and still had his scribbled notes on the pages from when he was planting his crops and dealing with vine weevil. The Rose Expert, The Lawn Expert and Pests and Diseases were three that I remember and these are still in print although they are a lot thicker than the originals. Maybe there’s more to learn or more pest and disease than in the olden days. I doubt it; maybe they just have bigger pictures.

IMAGES
I like pictures in books, I tend to go for the coffee table types, the RHS A-Z book helped me immensely when I was selling plants as I could just turn to the page and show the customer how big a plant would get and where would be the best place to plant it. It was so well used that the covers fell off and it was all dog eared. You would be surprised to see just how big most shrubs can grow. It made customers realise that you don’t need as many plants as you would think in the garden. In hindsight, that’s probably not the best idea when you are selling something, oh well.

There were two other books that I got a lot out of. Garden Design by John Brookes helped me no end when I was studying. Another favourite that I inherited was The Lazy Gardener, which was printed in the 1940’s. This small paper backed book followed the exploits of an extremely practical pipe smoker, dressed in a very smart suit who spent most of his time relaxing in a hammock with a gin and tonic in hand telling us what to avoid doing in the garden….I have always been a great advocate of do less, accomplish more whilst working outside and thinking back ‘The Lazy Gardener’ was definitely a strong influence in my formative years.

Happy New Year. May your garden grow productively and beautifully in 2010.

Holiday tree

A FINE TREE AND TOTALLY FREE
I’m up a ladder doing my best to lop the top off an overgrown conifer in the garden. It’s that time of year again when the front room gets taken over by a prickly tree top festooned with lights and chocolate sweets, yes, it’s the Christmas tree, or as it’s called in some areas of America the Holiday Tree, (for fear of causing an offence).

WIND BREAKS
We have decided not to go down to the local farm this year to buy a tree. We have so many evergreen Norway spruce trees being used as wind brakes around the garden I thought it would be more environmentally sound (and cheaper) to get our own.

Ronnie and I took our time wandering around to see which treetop would suit us the best. Most of the conifers have been lopped off at some stage of their lives and now have double heads on them. The two shoots look good together but only have growth on one side when they are separated so we eventually found one with just the one main trunk.

GETTING HIGH
I am not brave enough to reach the heights alone on an extendable ladder so Ronnie offers to hold the bottom rung for me as I climb. I wobble my way all of the way up but realise it’s not going to be high enough. “I’m going higher.” I call down to Ronnie who just manages to dodge the rusty bow saw I am using at it slips out of my hand. “Sorry about that, are you all right? I shout down. “Yes,” replies Ronnie, “It missed me by millimetres.” With a sigh of relief I tentatively climb down a few steps to get the saw back then I make my way up again. This time I leave the top rung of the ladder in order to get more leverage. I step carefully onto an upper branch levering myself into a position to get a better cutting angle.

ROUGH CUT
The saw has seen better days but obliges by roughly cutting either side of the trunk and after a lot of grunting and rasping (me, not the saw) the top comes crashing down past me and onto the ground. I’m clinging onto the flimsy upper branch that is bouncing up and down with the release of the weight of the tree top. I have broken out into a sweat and with pine cones tickling my nose and needles having made a home down the back of my shirt…suddenly €20 for a tree from Coillte sounds like a bit of a bargain.

TIMBER
“You all right Ronnie?” I ask nervously as I look down. The ladder is still in place, so is Ronnie and thankfully the treetop came down well away from where he was standing. “Yep.” he says calmly He is looking at the tree with a critical eye that he has inherited from his mother. “It’s a bit on the big side,” he comments, as I start to make my way back down to earth.

“Up there it looked quite small.” I say picking the tree up and sliding it onto the drive. “I thought it would be about six feet.” I say as I stand next to it.

“You can double that, it’s at least twelve feet,” says Ronnie as he takes my photo.
I feel like I am posing along side a giant shark that I have landed after a lengthy battle in the Atlantic.
It feels good.

After the high of the successful hunt, I slide the tree over to the back of the house and put the trunk into a bucket of water, this will keep it fresh until tomorrow when it will take pride of place in the front room until the last needles drop off in to the carpet after the New Year.

After the twelfth night, try these ideas to save the trees going to landfills….

WAYS TO RE-USE THE TREE

1. Cut the branches off and lay them over perennials in your garden. This will provide protection.

2. You can cut the branches up into smaller pieces and use them to mulch your beds or garden paths. I am trying not to mention burning the tree this year, it seems to be frowned upon by environmentalists and the fine needles do tend to flare up very quickly, making them dangerous.

3. Once you've used all the branches, you'll be left with a trunk. This can be used as a bird feeder pole or to make teepees to grow beans on or a rustic fence pole.

4. Provide a home for the birds. Remove the decorations, replace with bird feeders and place the tree, stand and all, out in the garden.

5. Cut the branches off and use them at the base of a fresh compost pile. It's a good idea to have coarser materials, like tree branches, at the bottom of the pile because it helps increase airflow to the pile.

6. Sink it in a pond. A tree can offer refuge to fish. Only do this if you’re sure the tree hasn’t been treated with chemicals that could harm the aquatic ecosystem.


Happy Christmas and don’t forget to have a walk around the garden over the holidays.

Bringing Christmas indoors

FLAUNT YOUR SKILLS
The Christmas period is the perfect time to flaunt your indoor decorating skills. There are plenty of opportunities to be creative, either by home baking or making decorations. Maybe not everything you see lying about outside is suitable for hanging on the tree or decorating the walls, but, it’s amazing how an everyday item can be transformed with a bit of glitter and some cotton wool. Evergreen shrubs are ripe for picking just before the holidays and make a wonderful addition to the table.

Here are some other fun and unique ways to bring the outdoors inside.

COLLECTING ALL YEAR
Start collecting things now. For the best decorations keep your eyes open year-round. My mother in law has the same principal for buying the presents, if she sees something at any time of year it goes into the present’s drawer, if only I had that discipline. Items that can be found in the wooded areas or countryside include discarded bird’s nests, large seed pots and pine cones. Flowers, herbs and berries can be picked and dried early.

STRING THEM UP
Try stringing popcorn to make a garland, stale popcorn works the best. Add pine cones, plain or spray-painted in plain colours or glittered. Or just add fake snow to cap them with.

Sliced citrus fruits make beautiful homemade stained-glass windows when hung from the branches of the Christmas tree. Simply slice the fruit, place on baking tray and put in the hot press. If you are in a rush (and who isn’t at Christmas?) then put the slices in a warm oven. Sprinkle with sugar or varnish or just keep them as they are to enjoy their natural colour as the winter sun catches them.

Large nuts and seed pots are easily sprayed with gold paint or glitter, adding to the much-welcomed sparkle.

PINING FOR SCENT
Baskets filled with pine cones are beautiful around the fireplace, near the backdoor, or as a centre piece on the dining room table. Since many pine cones drop early in the year, the scent may need to be refreshed with evergreen or cedar oil. A few drops will do the trick. Pine cones also can be dipped in egg whites, then rolled in cinnamon and other spices. These make unusual gifts or as an aromatic pick-me-up just before guests arrive when you throw them on the fire (the cones, not the guests).

An inside wreath created with flowering herbs, twigs, and berries not only is a graceful addition to your own wall, but it makes the perfect gift. The key to creating a wreath is to forget about being perfect. Any holes can be filled in later, and every wreath has it’s own appeal.

CHRISTMAS HOUSE PLANTS

No festive Season would be complete without some indoor house plants to freshen the air, soften the hard edges of a room and give an extra splash of colour. Here are some easy to look after varieties that are all widely available. The Poinsettia’s are going for next to nothing in the shops. They probably won’t last as long as the ivies or ferns but that doesn’t matter because they give us so much pleasure over the short Christmas period




Cyclamen - this winter to spring flowering plant is excellent for indoor use and is available in a variety of colours, red, pinks, purple and whites.

Winter Cherry (Solanum) – These have brilliant orange/red berries.
Christmas Cactus (Zygocactus truncatus) is another great plant to use in your home and will flower for weeks.
African Violet - One of the most popular houseplants here in Ireland and so widely available in a variety of colours with great velvety green foliage.

Ivy (Hedera) - Small ivies make great houseplants.

Ferns – Try the holly or maidenhead ferns, both make excellent indoor plants.
Osmanthus - Commonly known as 'False Holly' it is a great Christmas display.

Primrose (Primula) – These give colourful clusters of flowers a range of yellow, red, pink, white, orange and purple.

Poinsettia – Red white or cream, they will compliment any Christmas theme.

Azaleas - Colours including white, red, pink and purple. They don't like being hot and dry, so keep cool, which is good advice all around at Christmas……


NOT EVERYTHING IS SUITABLE
I mentioned earlier about not everything outside being suitable to be used as Christmas decorations, or ornaments at any other times of the year. This got me thinking about the times when I carried unusual (or dangerous in some cases) things into the house thinking “It seemed a good idea at the time”.

I have decided to do a Top Five list.

1. When I got my first house, I wanted to look sophisticated so I bought a load of old books from a charity shop to give me an instant bookcase full of “Old Classics” These classics had bookworm issues, which put the woodwork of the house in danger and made me look really daft when anyone asked me what a particular book was about, having not read any of them.

2. A friend of mine bought a fresh oyster each for us to enjoy. He guzzled his down making horrible guttural noises, which frankly made me feel ill. I therefore kept my new pet in a bucket in the front room for three weeks simulating the tide with my hands and feeding it fish food. I eventually had to throw it out as it was becoming a health hazard and the neighbours were complaining about the smell.

3. Like many people of my age, I have (when much younger and more foolish) come home with a traffic cone, usually on my head and had a road sign in the bedroom.

4. I was getting fed up with the wallpaper in my front room one day and decided to change it. The paper came off really easily as it was vinyl, revealing some older wallpaper from the 1940’s. It looked OK to me so stayed there until I moved out four years later.

5. A friend of mine wanted to spend a couple of nights sleeping on my settee…He ended up living there for two years.

Floods

COPING WITH A FLOODED GARDEN
More and more people are getting concerned about flooding and the damage it causes. No house is really safe, although the severity of the floodwater will differ depending on where you are. Although we escaped the severity and distress of the damage, there have been floods in Inishowen with Greencastle being the worst hit. The issues of why this is happening are open to debate…Global Warming and the fact that we have been building on flood plains are just two theories. Whatever the reasons our hearts go out to the families who have been so affected by the floods. When the waters recede and it is time to clear up and count the costs there will also be some work to do in the garden.

HERE COMES THE FLOOD
I used to live in an area where the bottom of the garden got washed away every year. It wasn’t that the area was low lying though, it was because the storm drains were not sufficient to carry away the water fast enough. The result was the manhole covers used to pop off of the drains and the water would come out like a very powerful fountain. It wasn’t just the water of course as the drains were also linked to the sewage pipes. Having sewage in the water is why so many household items have to be dumped. Veggies contaminated by sewage couldn’t be eaten either.

AFTER THE FLOOD

After the water level has gone down there are some steps you can do to bring the garden up to scratch.

· Add some slow release fertiliser or well-rotted manure to the soil (beds and lawn) as nutrients will have been washed away. Don’t disturb unti it has dried, then gently aerate the soil with a fork.
· Put some coarse lime-free sand into the holes as well to aid the drainage.
· Most garden plants will survive a day or two under water so don’t panic and start digging everything up straight away.
· Wash down hard surfaces and collect up debris to prevent drains blocking, soil surfaces being covered, and pollutants or contaminants lingering in the garden. Wear gloves and overalls to minimise contact with pollutants.
· Remove damaged shoots from affected plants.
· Consider planting trees on a slight mound.
· Grow plants in raised beds.
· After flooding, edible crops near to harvest are best not eaten: no assurances can be given that root crops will be safe to eat, so they should be discarded. Plants eaten raw should be discarded too, and it is prudent to avoid growing salads and other uncooked crops for two years in case disease spores remain in the soil. However, the following year after flooding, it should be safe to grow crops that are to be cooked.
· If you know in advance that a flood is coming then try to gather everything from the veggie patch that you can before it comes.

Here are a few other things you can do:

· Roofs converted into living green roofs absorb storm water and release it slowly.
· Move any items kept outside such as garden furniture to higher ground. Remember that floodwater could get into your garage so move any chemicals or fuel to ensure that they do not spill into the floodwater and cause damage.
· Close off the flow valves on propane tanks, oil drums, or other fuel containers that supply your home through pipes and fittings.
· Unplug any exterior electrical connections such as outdoor lighting, pond pumps and filters.
· Turn off the water supply to the garden.
· Tie in climbing plants.
· Check tree ties are secure on any newly planted trees.
· Anchor fruit cages and coldframes against storm damage or dismantle them if time permits.
· Take valuable or sentimental items and store them indoors or move them to higher ground.
· Empty petrol lawn mowers.
· Lock gardening tools away.
· If there is somewhere for water to go, drainage can be installed. Or, where appropriate, it may be worth digging out a ditch or seasonal pond at the lowest part of the garden to catch surplus water and let it soak in slowly.
· Choose permeable surfaces when laying drives, paths and patios to allow rain to soak in.

REMEMBER:
Floodwater will often be contaminated, usually by untreated sewage, spilled chemicals, silage from farms or dead animals.

· Always wear protective clothing when working in or near floodwater.
· Wash all cuts and cover them with waterproof plasters.
· If you receive a wound during a flood you should go to a doctor and get a tetanus injection.
· Small children, pregnant women, elderly people and those with mobility difficulties or other health problems should be kept away from floodwater.
· If you feel unwell at any stage or if you ingest floodwater you should contact a doctor.

If you would like some more information about how to cope with flooding then go to
www.flooding.ie.

CHRISTMAS TREES

I inherited a mantelpiece Christmas decoration a couple of years ago from my mother. It is a collection of moulded together resin figures that have a frequency sensitive snow effect backdrop, which automatically plays a selection of Christmas carols at totally inappropriate moments. It gave my mother loads of enjoyment, as she would leave it on all year round to irritate the carers that come to visit her when she was ill. I tried to keep the tradition going in my own house after she died, but the rest of the family know where the off switch is on the back. However once the Christmas season comes it takes its place at the heart of the trappings and decorations of the season. Apart from this ‘Christmas tat’ as my 14 year old son calls this family heirloom with a look of patronising disdain, the other favourite decoration in our house (and in many others) is the Christmas tree. Now Although our family tend to put up our tree sometime in the week before Christmas, I have noticed many families locally put it up in the first weekend in December. So what are the options when choosing your tree?


SELECTION AND CARE OF YOUR TREE
You might be opting for the synthetic tree, which have their merits. Every year our family debates the merits of synthetic versus real. In practice this means I try and persuade Julie to have a practical, tidy, non needle dropping, reuse every year synthetic one and every year after politely listening to my great oratory powers, Julie goes out and gets a real one. When you are selecting your real Christmas tree always bear in mind where you are going to place it in the house. Check that the size suits your home and the room you are going to put it into. For most modern homes a 6ft Christmas tree is very suitable.

Check that the stem is straight and the tree has even, dense branches and a fresh colour. When you bring your Christmas tree home, cut an inch or two off the bottom of the stem and stand it outside in a bucket of water. Shake off any loose needles before you bring it inside and stand it in a special Christmas tree stand or in a bucket of wet sand with a water bowl to which you should add a pint of water daily (avoiding the electrics). Try not to let the tree dry out, as the base will re-seal itself and stop taking in water. Water is important as it prevents the needles from drying and dropping off and the branches from drooping. Water also keeps the tree fragrant. Place the tree in the coolest part of the room away from fires and radiators, as central heating is the worst enemy of a tree.

ROOTED TREES
If you have a big garden, then why not consider buying a rooted tree in a pot. Rooted trees in pots have the best chance of survival if they are kept in the house over the Christmas period. If you water them well they should still be alive at the end of the holiday and you can plant them outside in a half barrel in the garden ready for next year. I have known people successfully re-use their trees for a couple of years this way. They were planted into a bigger pot every year and it was a good while before the trees got too big for the house. It can be a lot of work keeping them watered in summer though.
Christmas trees to plant outdoors

Maybe you would like something Christmassy in the garden all year round. There are a few trees that would be suitable. Don't plant Norway spruce though unless you have a very large garden. It grows to about 30m (100ft) and drops needles all year. Instead, try:

· Abies koreana - grows to 12m (40ft) and therefore more suitable for the smaller garden.
· Abies procera - silvery-blue, fragrant tips, smooth, grey bark, and good needle retention.
· Abies fraseri - soft needles, which also hold well, and strong boughs that are ideal for supporting heavy ornaments.


TREE SAFETY
Make sure your tree is properly secured and positioned clear of doorways, stairs, heaters and open fires. Christmas tree lights can be dangerous if not properly wired. There are a lot of different types to go for in the shops. Look for the approved safety standards sign on the box and go for the low energy ones like the Buncrana Christmas Lights Committee have done this year. Remember to unplug tree lights and other decorations when out of the house or going to bed at night. And if you have a cat, make sure that it doesn’t jump up the tree to get to the shiny baubles and bring the whole lot down.



TREE TYPES

The most popular types of Christmas tree sold include:

· Norway spruce - the traditional choice and usually the cheapest. It has fallen from favour in recent years, as it tends to shed needles quite heavily. Nevertheless, if well watered and kept away from radiators it will drop fewer needles.
· Nordmann fir - the most popular tree these days due to its needle-holding qualities. It has strong, straight branches clothed with thick, flat needles with a silvery underside. But it's the most expensive as it's much slower growing.
· Fraser fir - this has a good shape and excellent needle-holding qualities.
· Blue spruce - this tree has a silvery-blue colour to the thick needles and an aromatic, citrus scent.
· Scots pine - a little more unusual, but a wonderful, bushy tree, with extra long needles that don't drop as readily.

WINTER GARDENING FOR KIDS

MEETING YOUR NEEDS

I never noticed, or remember bad weather days when I was a child. I also can’t imagine being hot when my toes feel like icicles. It’s no doubt a safety feature we have built into us so we don’t suffer unnecessarily. Imagine being able to feel toothache when you don’t have it…not nice at all.

There must have been days when I just couldn’t go out though and I also must have found things to do to occupy myself. I remember having a day off school because of an illness when I was about six. This must have been one of the longest days of my life….. My mother had to put me on the settee, throw a blanket over me and left me there until teatime when she got back from work. I must have been ill because I didn’t move all day other than to see if there were any children’s programmes on the television. There weren’t. The only programme on was a schools programme called “Meeting Your Needs”, or Needing Your Meats as the producers so cleverly called it by altering the title in this edition. That phrase has haunted me ever since and I can’t help but think of it when I hear meat being mentioned. I was glad to get back to school the next day I can tell you and realised that you miss nothing if you stay off school. From then on I dragged myself in every day until I left.

GARDENING FUN FOR THE CHILDREN

Gardening fun doesn’t just have to be in the summer months. So, how can we generate a bit of horticultural interest in children and get them away from the snappy catchphrases of daytime TV and the relentless Christmas advertising? Here are a few ideas.


1. If I had a hammer: If you are handy with a hammer and nails, how about giving the children a hand making a bird house. The wood yards around Inishowen are very good at cutting wood to the right length for you if you are not too confident about cutting it yourself…It’s only a question of fixing it together with a few nails ..check out the internet for a plan.

2. Windowsill Gardens: When the relentless rain and winter cold keeps children inside, try cultivating a windowsill garden. All you need is a sunny spot and a few containers of soil. Herbs are an excellent choice for windowsills and you can plant bulbs now (just about).

3. Garden crafts: There are several projects you can try, depending on their age and interest. Hand-painted plant markers or homemade whirligigs to put between rows to frighten off birds. Check the internet for more ideas.

4. Garden Centre Visits: Plan a visit to the local garden centre to buy seeds. Or let your child help select varieties from the seed catalogues. Then start seeds indoors to plant outside after the last frost. Ask the experts at your garden centre or check the internet or your favourite gardening book to determine when to start seeds.

5. Carnivorous Plants: What child wouldn't be fascinated by an insect-eating plant? Many garden centres sell Venus Flytraps in their houseplant section.

6. Watch Seeds Sprout: Put some paper towels into a jar or on a saucer. Sprinkle on some large seeds like courgettes or smaller seeds like mustard and cress. Keep them moist and leave them on the kitchen windowsill. Seeds should sprout in a few days.
7. Potty People: Draw or paint faces on small clay pots, then fill with soil. Plant grass seed, water, and watch the "hair" grow. The other idea is to make a grasshead. Make a ball from a pair of old tights and fill with a mix of wood shavings and grass seed at the top, before tying up the end. This can then be made into a face and watered.
8. Paint and Decorate: Let children indulge their natural creativity by painting inexpensive terra cotta pots to use next spring or for repotting houseplants this winter. They also make nice birthday and thank you gifts. If you use water based paints (recommended if you are doing this inside) then a coat of varnish after the paint has dried will seal in the colour.

9. Worm Farm. Line a large cardboard box with a dustbin liner bag. Fill it with soil, organic matter, and a few worms. Keep it shady and moist, but not too wet. Add vegetable kitchen scraps to the top of the pile. Worms help teach children about the interdependence of plants and organisms as they turn vegetable kitchen scraps into valuable compost. Get them to hold one as well…..

10. Terrariums. Carefully place some soil and a few mosses and plants (with roots) inside a clean mayonnaise jar. Keep your indoor garden moist with a plant mister, and cover the opening with clingfilm.

11. Feed the Birds. Stock up on birdseed and suet at your local garden centre, and feed the birds this winter. Have your child keep a record of all the species of birds that come to the feeder and what date each first was spotted.

Toys

TOYS FOR THE BOYS

I’m at the RDS in Dublin at the Toys for Big Boys weekend. The event is highly publicised and as I think of myself as a young lad still, I thought it would be interesting to see what was on offer. I’m not here to do a review on the event, so don’t stop reading just yet if you are worried that I will be talking about Chieftain Tanks, racing car simulators and Ferraris, which are here I might add, but well fenced off….

I did think that some gardening tools could be classed as Toys, chain saws, strimmers, ride on mowers and anything else with an engine, so I am looking around for something innovative. The closest that I have come to so far in my hour of squeezing through the crowd, is a fork (not a garden one I might add) with a battery operated swivel head for twisting your spaghetti around. I am one of those people who don’t mind twizzling pasta, so that doesn’t really appeal to me much. I have also spent most of my time looking in the opposite direction to the hoards of sales staff that have been set on to do a hard sell to the Christmas shoppers looking for gifts for their loved ones.

I am not fast enough though…..

FREEBIES – AT A PRICE

“Take this complimentary gift bag.” A young girl passes over a paper bag advertising the event in big red letters. Something for free at last, I think, and take it. It’s a bit like a grown up version of a Lucky Bag so I get out of the flow of people and have a peep inside to see what companies are trying to impress me with. First out of the bag is a national newspaper, not too bad, I can read that on the Dart journey later. I’m delving again. This time I pull out a tin of tuna, well it could be worse I suppose. Next out, a bag of crisps, followed by a small sample of anti-perspirant for men. I’m not impressed but delve deeper. Next is a free sachet of Brylcreem, as if I have a need for that. I suppose I could lubricate the door hinges with it at home, but I can’t see there being a place for it on my head. Rattling around the bottom of the bag was a couple of packets of chewing gum. I didn’t think it was possible but the bag is nearly as disappointing as I remember lucky bags being, this one didn’t have any jelly sweets either. It’s the anticipation before hand that is the fun part.

NEW INNOVATIONS

There are some great innovations in the gardening world at the moment but this isn’t the place to showcase them. I am heading upstairs where the foot spa’s, jewellery, aromatherapy, massage and teeth whitening stands are…..Maybe I am not the boy I thought I was.. fun never the less.

I don’t need a massage to start a reverie and as I have a cup of tea my mind starts to consider new innovations in the gardening world. One is growing dandelions on a large scale. Most of us have been managing to grow these for years in our own gardens, but this plan is to grow them commercially for natural latex. If you break open a dandelion stem, a milky sap comes out. This liquid is similar to the latex harvested in large quantities to make natural rubber. The latex gives elasticity to things like wheelbarrow tyres. Most of the latex is harvested from Asia, but during the Second World War, when supplies were cut off, attentions turned to the dandelion and this was used as a substitute. Rubber trees are experiencing a fungal disease at the moment and plantations are being wiped out so a natural solution is becoming vital. Rubber made with the dandelion latex seems to stop the problem of allergic reactions, which will make wearing rubber gloves to pick nettles that bit easier. If the plants were grown on a large scale every hectare would produce 500-1000 kilograms of latex per growing season, it would also make finding the plants to feed to my voracious guinea pigs a lot easier.

Another innovation that has have caught my eye recently are the new wave power farms that collect energy underwater by underwater turbines. They are unseen above ground and the tide is are really reliable. It doesn’t stop like the wind does.

Another ambitious project is to create and encyclopaedia all of the world’s species. (check out www.eol.org). This maps the appearance and movement of creatures that could either benefit or destroy plants. So now we can see those pests a-coming and get prepared. It’s interactive and free to go into (unlike most things at this exhibition).

STAR WARS

I digress though, and after resisting the urge to whiten the few teeth that I still have left, I decide that it’s time to leave. My goodie bag is full of leaflets offering me 10% off of helicopter rides and free paint balls when I sign up to a weekend of adventures in the woods.

“David Prowse will be here later this afternoon.” A voice is telling me. I look around and am confronted by an army of stormtroopers complete with guns. I’m not too worried though as I don’t think that a Stormtrooper actually managed to shoot anyone in any of the Star Wars films, they were pretty poor shots. “He plays Darth Vader in the Star Wars films and he’s here to sign autographs.” They tell me in a robotic voice. I am tempted, but decline the invitation to wait around for another two hours. I have some dandelions to grow.

AN HOUR TO SPARE

Photo: Coming out with flippant remarks on a forum site could get you bitten.

What do you do when have a spare hour, but it’s too wet to go outside and do some work in the garden? One job I tend to do in the wet is sorting out the shed. Have you ever noticed that any space you have is soon taken up with stuff…when I say stuff I mean old packaging for recycling, newspapers, old clothes, furniture, machinery. In fact anything your imagination will stretch to usually gets dumped in the garage, shed, or any other corner of the house. You might have experienced the phenomenon if you ever tried to keep a spare room clear for any length of time.

CHECK OUT THE WEB
This can get a bit tedious though, moving rubbish from one shelf to another, so if its really bad outside I’ll check out the web. For a fleeting moment I got hooked on the social networking sites like facebook. Trouble is I’m not really that sociable and got a bit tired of all of the interacting. My lads use this method of contact far more effectively than me; it’s easier for them, probably because they have loads of friends from school to chat to.

GARDENING FORUMS
I do occasionally get involved with a couple of gardening forums from time to time and occasionally contribute something. I tend to be a bit flippant with the answers though and don’t take things too seriously, which doesn’t always go down very well. I have had my wrists virtually slapped a few times when I am asked how to sort out weeds in a garden and I suggest concrete.
Odd quirky remarks are best kept to a minimum when giving advice to total strangers.
For every gardening question posted onto the forum sites, there are as many answers as there are people reading it. I think that’s why I tend to hesitate when anyone asks me what is the best way to grow vegetables or cut a hedge, it can be very much down to the individual or circumstances.

IT’S NEVER TOO WET FOR WEBSITES
I also like checking out e-bay when it gets too wet to be outside in the garden. I don’t buy much but there’s no harm in looking and occasionally offering silly money for something…well, you never know, the seller might just say yes even though my dad used to say that a bargain isn’t a bargain if you don’t want it…..

GETTING READY FOR WINTER.
I like checking out the gardening equipment but with the way the economy is, it is probably better to take care of the metal tools that I have. I use WD40 to spray over the metal as I find dipping the lawnmower into a bucket of sand mixed with old oil a bit cumbersome (see what I mean about getting into trouble with being flippant). I would recommend running the mower out of petrol or emptying the tank and pipes totally before parking it up, so that the petrol doesn’t get the chance to go gloopy in the machine. I never seem to actually stop cutting the grass though, it was done last week and is already long enough to cut again. I’ll be out on St Stephen’s day – I just know it….maybe even Christmas day if it gets too noisy in the house.

SLIPPERY
Check your footwear has good grip. I say this because I went outside in my slippers the other day (yes I have started to wear slippers) and went over on the concrete slabs outside. They didn’t look slippery but they were like glass in the wet. I will be cleaning them with a stiff brush (the concrete that is, not the slippers) and some natural cleaning fluid, or even better, I might get a bargain pressure washer off of e-bay and clean all of the outside areas including the decking. There’s no point putting up with dangerous surfaces until spring, especially if I keep wearing inappropriate footwear. Clearing the area will also give the opportunity to tidy away all of the frost sensitive pots you have around the outside of the house. Take out the summer bedding in the hardy containers and get some winter colour such as pansies, polyanthus and heathers. Maybe you can pick some up cheap on e-bay….I’ll just go and have a check…..

Pruning trees

Photo: The Major Oak in Sherwood Forest needs to be supported by steel poles to stop nature taking its course.

MAJOR TREE PRUNING

Our driveway is disappearing very quickly under a thick layer of leaves. We have a few trees that give a glorious show of colour…nature’s fireworks, with their bright foliage. Other trees, like the array of conifers we have as a windbreak, like most evergreens drop their dead needles onto the driveway all year round as soon as the wind blows.

Just because deciduous trees are becoming dormant, that doesn’t mean that we should ignore them though, there are certain things we can be doing to ensure they stay healthy. Trees such as hazel and willows have their life expectancy shortened if they are not coppiced and most trees need their overgrown branches or dead bits cutting out.

Don’t go too far with this though. The Major Oak in Sherwood Forest is trussed up with steel poles, nature would have let bits drop off of the tree, but for the tourists sake they are being preserved. You used to be able to walk into the hollow trunk of the tree and hide, like Robin Hood was supposed to have done when the Sheriff of Nottingham was looking for him. You can’t go anywhere near the tourist attraction now for fear of damaging the roots, I wonder what it would be saying if it could talk…maybe that Robin Hood is a fictional character and if he was around it would have been 100 years before the acorn sprouted the famous tree…. We don’t have to be so precious with our trees though and need to get up close to see what needs doing.

PRUNING THE TREES


· Most deciduous trees are best pruned when dormant, in late autumn or winter. Pruning in early spring could cause trees to bleed sap as it is rising from the base.
Exceptions
· The exceptions to the 'deciduous tree' rule are maple, horse chestnut, birch, walnut and cherry trees which all bleed extensively, even towards the end of their dormant season, so prune these in mid-summer after new growth has matured, this slows down the bleeding and there is less chance of infection from the wound.

Conifers
· Conifers require little or no regular pruning except the removal of dead or diseased branches in late summer. Ours need cutting back purely because they are starting to block the view from the house


Caution
If you have trees that need chainsaw work or you need to get up high on a ladder, get a qualified and registered tree surgeon in, for your own safety and also for the long-term health of your tree.


PRUNING TIPS

Shaping young trees

· A feathered tree such as a sorbus has an upright trunk and a balanced pattern of horizontal branches running from top to bottom.
· Each year, check for shoots growing at odd angles, extra shoots growing from the top of the main trunk, or basal shoots (strong shoots coming from the base which deprive the tree of nutrients).
· All of these shoots need to be removed.
· Young standards like cherry trees are trained in the same way, but the lowest branches are cut off until a clear trunk has formed.
· In the first year remove the lowest third of the tree's branches, and shorten those in the middle third by half. Remove these latter branches in the following year.
· By the fifth year the trunk should be developed, so prune branches out from the tree's crown to produce an open pattern of branches.
· Some trees, especially those grafted onto special rootstocks, produce suckers, which are secondary shoots growing from the roots. As these may exhaust the tree, pull each one up while it's still small, after first exposing the point where it joins the root.

Ornamental trees

· Pollarding and coppicing are traditional techniques that are used for timber production, but they're also useful when pruning ornamentals which are grown for decorative bark or leaves. It can also be used for keeping trees trimmed to a fixed height.
· Coppicing involves pruning growth back to, or near, ground level in winter and is used for coloured willow and hazel varieties.
· The same trees respond to pollarding, which is a taller version of coppicing with growth cut back to a short trunk.
· Eucalyptus and lime are often pollarded every two to three years to maintain a compact size or smaller foliage. Remember to feed your tree after pruning to encourage plenty of new young growth.

Conifers

· Most standard conifers develop without the need for pruning, but you may need to prune out any damaged or distorted growth.
· This is best undertaken in autumn or winter. If a tree forms two stems, select the strongest, most upright shoot and cut out the competitor at its base.
· You should remove any plain green shoots that appear on variegated conifers, and any abnormally-shaped shoots on dwarf and prostrate conifers.
· Patches of dead or brown foliage need to be taken out and any gaps can be disguised by tying nearby shoots together so they grow across the pruned area.

Tree Preservation Orders

I am always shocked to learn that there are NO tree preservation orders given out in Inishowen. Never the less, if you are talking a big job on a mature tree, check with the council before commencing work.

WINTER PLANTING

Photo: Our pumpkins are primed and ready for the celebrations later this week, they just need hollowing out.

Our veggie patch is looking a bit battered at the moment. I got a bit of a shock today when I went out to see if there were any courgettes still coming on and found that all of the plants had just disappeared. Not disappeared as in stolen, but because we had a frost last week which caused them to die off. There were no courgettes but I did notice that our pumpkins were coming on nicely. We have had a couple of them already and they make a delicious addition to any meal, particularly curries. We fry them up in oil and add garlic and pepper….yum.

The pumpkins still in the veggie patch are going to be used for the Halloween celebrations. Shop bought pumpkins are not really grown for eating, they are grown for size to make a dramatic effect when they are carved. Ours are solid all the way through so it’ll take quite a bit of scooping to make room for the candle. We should get a few meals out of their innards though. The other difference is that they are yellow skinned, but in the spooky evening glow of Halloween I doubt anyone will notice.

Our leeks have perked up since they were transplanted into their own holes a few weeks ago. These are filling some of the bare spaces the spud crop has left since we dug them up. More areas are appearing late on in the season as things die down, this gives us an opportunity to plant something else. There are crops that can stay in the ground over the winter, such as broccoli, spinach, cabbages and brussel sprouts, but tender plants like the peas and beans are leaving bare patches. It’s not too late to plant green manures on your ground. These will help to keep the soil in place and also feed the ground ready for next year.

TYPES OF GREEN MANURE

The optimum times for planning are between September to November…. in other words…now…Here are the most common types that shouldn’t be too hard to get a hold of:

· Red or Crimson Clover – improves soil structure and nitrogen content. Smothers weeds.
· Mustard White Tilney – helps soil with moisture retention, structure and organic matter.
· Forage Rye – Good for heavy clay soils and suppresses weeds.
· Winter Field Bean – Fixes nitrogen in all soils. Flowers, then dig in the spring.
· Forage Pea – Up to 1 metre tall, fixes nitrogen in the soil for spring.


WHAT CAN WE PLANT NOW?

There are other crops that can be planted now. Some of the seedlings will need to be grown under horticultural fleece for protection or started off in a cloche to protect them from the frosts.

Overwintering or autumn varieties of Broad Beans can be put in now for harvesting in June and July. Try –

· The Sutton – A dwarf variety good for smaller and windy plots. Produces a small crop.
· Super Aquadulce – A tall variety that requires staking, produces a good long pod crop.
· Aquadulce Claudia – Early maturing with long pods and good crop.

Peas can also be grown overwinter for harvesting in May to June. Some choice varieties are:

· Feltham First – A quick growing variety with good crop of pods.
· Douce Provence – An organic sweet french variety with a good crop.
· Meteor – An early growing compact variety with very good crop.
· Pilot – A hardy fast to mature variety which gives a good crop.

Spring Onions can be sown all year round for a spring harvest. There are plenty of types to choose and will grow happily in containers.

· White Lisbon – Quick growing, crisp strong salad onions requires no thinning.
· Laser – Slim pickings from a tasty quick to mature variety.
· Winter White Bunching – A good bulb onion that overwinters well.
· Evergreen Hardy White – These are skinny onions and can handle severe winters.

ANYTHING ELSE?

There are other vegetables that will do well if planted now. Autumn Planting Onion Sets can fill a space and the Pak Choi if planted now could be harvested for Christmas. Garlic, mustard greens, winter lettuce, endives and winter spinach can all be grown too. Even winter variety radishes will be ready for eating in January.

Covering the ground in the veggie patch is a great way to conserve the nutrients and even put a bit back for next year. There is also the added benefit of suppressing the weeds that, as we all know only too well, don’t bother to stop growing over the winter….

BULB PLANTING

SPRING BULBS
I’ve been digging up some dahlias this week to store for next year. Dahlias store best in moist, cool areas with plenty of air moving around them. I lost a few last year because of the frost, so this year I am going to wrap them in newspaper and then put them in the shed. There are other things I could do such as cover them in sawdust or wood shavings, but the guinea pigs have got all of that for their bedding. Talking of bulbs….

Planting the bulbs now
If you want to fill your garden with colour next spring, plant bulbs from now until December, before the first frost. Daffodils, tulips, crocus, aconites, grape hyacinths and fritillarias are just some of the plants to choose from. The bulbs need to develop a root system to take up water and nutrients from the soil so the earlier they go into the ground the better.

In the Herbaceous borders
Planting bulbs in a herbaceous border will help to fill in gaps and provide colour and interest before perennials and shrubs begin to grow in early spring. Drifts of single species can be planted to blend in with the general planting scheme of the garden, or try mixing different varieties to create an even and striking effect of bright colour.

Best tool?
One of the best tools to use to plant your bulbs is a spade, after saying that, if you were to dig a separate hole for each bulb you will still be in the garden by the time they are in flower, there are quicker ways to get the bulbs into the ground. Pick an area where you want to plant the daffodils and did out a comma shape or something curvy, a straight line can look a bit regimental. When the shape has been dug out, stand with your back to the hole and throw the bulbs over your shoulder. If they haven’t ended up in next-door’s garden you should have the bulbs settled nicely in a naturalized manner like the bluebells at the Convent in Buncrana. The settled bulbs can then be covered over with soil.

Planting and buying tips
Most bulbs have a long dormant period, requiring little attention for much of the year. When buying bulbs check they're healthy and as fresh as possible, or you won’t get the glorious displays in spring.

Avoid any that are damaged, shrivelled or feel soft, and go for plump, firm bulbs. Aim to plant within a week or they’ll start to sprout. When possible, check that the plants have been obtained from reliable growers, rather than from stock that has been collected from the wild.

Try to keep the “pointy” end facing upwards as this is where the leaves and flowers come from. This isn’t really critical though as the bulbs have the ability to set themselves upright underneath the soil, plant them sideways if you are not sure…..

If the ground is wet work some sand or wood shavings around the bulbs as they mostly originate from dry soils and tend to rot if they sit in water for any length of time. Put bunches of bulbs of the same colour for maximum impact. If you are doing more than one patch let a few of the next batch of different colours mingle at the edges. The other option is to go for a mass of colour. Plant the bulbs in layers, the largest ones go in first then throw on some soil and then smaller bulbs can then be planted. Try to go for bulbs that flower at the same time so you aren’t left with yellowing leaves when the later flowers come out.





In the grass
If you fancy planting bulbs like crocus into the grass then dig up a sod and tuck the bulbs underneath and replace the sod. In spring they will come right through the grass and look as though they have always been there. The same can be done with daffodils but they will need to be planted a bit deeper. If they are too shallow rodents can munch away at the bulbs, the flowers tend to be smaller and if there is a heavy frost you can say goodbye to them altogether. As a general rule, plant bulbs two to three times their own depth and around two bulb widths apart.

Under the trees
Many spring-flowering bulbs are ideal for brightening up the base of trees before they come into full leaf. The soil beneath trees is moist and light, offering the perfect growing conditions for scillas, anemones, erythroniums and crocuses.

In pots
If you want a great patio display, try growing bulbs in pots. Keep it simple by planting a variety on its own or several of the same variety packed closely together for a bumper show. Several types can be planted together, but, like I mentioned earlier, it’s tricky to get the flowers to appear at the same time.

Feeding
After planting you can sprinkle a little bonemeal or other slow acting organic fertilizer over the area, this will help them establish in spring. While the plant food is in your hand it would be a good idea to give any other bulbs a feed if you can remember where they’re planted of course, which isn’t always as easy as it sounds to find them. Failing this you can wait until spring when the tips of the leaves start to push through the ground and then feed with a fast release nitrogen fertilizer, I have my comfrey juice already made up ready.

BTCV

MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR

I’m getting onto a bus with 11 other volunteers who have turned out at eight in the morning for voluntary duties with the British Trust For Conservation Volunteers (BTCV).

The BTCV are large well established group and work with up to 300,000 volunteers a year throughout the UK and Ireland. One of BTCV’s guiding principles is to improve the environment positively and sustainably, and at the same time increase ecological awareness and motivate the long term unemployed back to work.

OSIER BEDS
We were told to bring sturdy boots, a waterproof jacket and a packed lunch for the day, as we will be out for a while. It’s a bit of a magical mystery tour as no-one has been told where we are going. The bus has picked us up from the centre of Nottingham and headed out into the countryside where the mystery was revealed. We were to do some maintenance work on an osier bed 14 miles away. Osier beds are traditionally areas of very wet ground that have been set aside to grow willows for basket making. I know exactly where we are heading because it’s on the outskirts of the town where I grew up and spent most of my summers when I was an irritating teenager.

Cue the wobbly images and music as I float back to my childhood again and have a flashback within a flashback…….

The osier beds are an area of about 5 acres and are a ten-minute walk from the main road and civilisation. My friends and I had a spot in there where we would pitch our tents at the beginning of the summer holidays and keep them up for weeks, using them as our second homes. It was a very handy place, as I could still get home everyday for my tea and have a bath. It might have felt like living wild but the home comforts were never far away.

SIMPLE PLEASURES
We had haystacks to sit on and regularly had a campfire and occasionally did a bit of cooking. A friend of mine tried to heat up a tin of soup one day…. without opening the tin. The results were very dramatic as it blew up in his face spraying him with molten minestrone. When his parents asked what the injury was, embarrassingly he told them he fell off of his bike and scraped his face across the tarmac, as if that would make the parents feel better. They didn’t question it and lessons were learned.

Camping out gave us an ideal opportunity to get up to late night mischief too. For some reason we thought it was hilarious to get ten of us into a phone box then set off a smoke bomb. They weren’t actually smoke bombs as such; they were fumigation tablets for killing pests in greenhouses. How we survived I don’t know. I realise now that the police cleared us out of the small metal booths because we were poisoning ourselves, not because we were being public nuisances…another lesson learned.

BACK TO THE BEDS
The osier beds were a haven for us and if you kept to certain areas, you didn’t sink. The closest place I can think of that reminds me of the woodland is Enagh Loch in Derry near Strathfoyle. There’s an area there where a World War 2 plane crashed and was never found as it sunk into the water and mud.

Well coming back as a volunteer, we start to empty the van of slash hooks and sandwiches. Our job for the day is to clear the brambles. I couldn’t believe the difference in the area. It was dry, very dry. There was a road going to the edge of the osier wood, put in by the Boots Company that had built a factory next to it as it was a good area logistically to the motorway system. The factory had no windows as it was used for developing film so the workers there were in darkness all day. The designers probably thought that the staff needed something pretty to look at in their break times so a small lake, complete with fountain, had been dug near the main doors. To feed the lake, the water had been redirected from the osier bed, and not surprisingly, the marshy area had turned into a regular woodland.

The BTCV organisers were well aware of the situation, but that made no difference to their enthusiasm in up keeping the area maintained. I think they knew that the Boots factory would come and go, and when it did the osier bed would get it’s water back.

At the end of a long day I carried the slashooks back to the van and in my enthusiasm I had far too many of them in my arms “You are an accident waiting to happen” one of the leaders told me as I struggled to keep the sharp blades away from my legs. “Take your time, it’s not a race. Carry less and make more trips.” They advised. Another lesson learned…..


GETTING INVOLVED
The BTCV organisation has quietly been helping to re-establish a lot of neglected corners of the country. Starting in 1959, they are celebrating 50 years of environmental work. The closest group to us are in Derry on Hawkin St. Because of the economic climate, voluntary work is on the increase and hopefully groups such as the BTCV will benefit from people having more time on their hands. If you fancy getting involved and taking part in voluntary environmental work, you can ring them on +44 28 71262664 or e-mail I.Black@btcv.org.uk

Zen

THE ART OF ZEN

“Junk is something you’ve kept for years and throw away three weeks before you need it.” I’m at Alan’s house in Dublin. Alan is a friend of mine who has, up until recently, been a bit of a high flier in the pharmaceutical industry and has now retired. He is taking things easy and being middle aged and single seems to have adapted to it very well. His flat is very uncluttered, or you could say it was minimalist in design. “I got rid of most of my things when I finished work” he tells me. “I always aspired to Percy Shaw (the man that invented the cat’s eyes on the road). He made his millions with a simple invention and lived in an empty house with a tea chest for a chair and a telly, which has always sounded good to me.” He laughs.

Alan doesn’t think much to domesticity either. “I have so little clutter in the house that the only type of housework I need do is to sweep the room with a glance.” He’s not joking as following in Percy’s footsteps Alan has just a couple of chairs, TV and stereo in the room with a scattering of magazines and a coffee table. “The table keeps things off of the floor and I don’t have to bend too much to pick things up.”

RELAXING
Alan’s job was stressful so he certainly makes the most of any time to relax. “I was a bit worried that I wouldn’t have enough to do when I stopped working” he continues “I decided to clear out the garden and it’s turned out to be the best alternative therapy I could ever wish for.” Alan opens the double patio doors into the garden and proudly shows me his work…a simple Zen Garden.

Alan’s garden is about 100 square metres and surrounded by a high wooden fence, which helps to create a feeling of privacy. Gone is the lawn and in its place are four very simple raised beds, which have been dissected by straight paths. “Here’s it is,” Alan says proudly as we walk into his outside room. “It is only when you start a garden like this that you realise something important happens every day.” He says philosophically.




AS INDIVIDUAL AS YOU
“They are really easy to make, you don’t need any woodworking skills as the wood yard cuts all the planks for you, all I did was nail them together.” Alan goes into a bit more detail. “There are several types of Zen gardens, the most prominent being the dry rock type, called karesansui, literally meaning dry-mountain-and-water gardens. Gravel and rocks have been used to denote sacred areas of Japan since time immemorial, so I thought that’s what I’d use.” Alan’s raised beds have been filled with sand, fine gravel and larger rocks, which have been placed off centre in each bed and a few choice statues.

The only greenery to be seen are three small bamboo’s in pots, which help to break up the paths straight edges. “Water is often represented with sand or pebbles; mountains with stone; and islands with masses of moss or rock material” He says, “All I need to do is rake it every day.”.

“I spend at least an hour a day raking the garden.” Alan confesses. “As part of the Zen daily ritual, the sand and gravel is raked in the pattern of a flowing river.” “It’s very neat and tidy” I say, “You can tell you don’t have any pets”.
“Or children.” Alan agrees with a shudder which makes me glad I left my two at home.

I look around, soaking in the tranquillity.

“The power of the garden is its silence and ability to still the mind; it’s a very peaceful place to be, even if the neighbours cats use it as a loo sometimes.” Alan shrugs matter of factly.

HUMBLE SIMPLICITY
I am very much impressed with this little oasis. Alan gives me a little bit of background. “Zen rock gardens can express humble simplicity and the passage of time, Zen priests often used distant mountains and views as design elements in their tiny gardens, a principle called shakkei (borrowed scenery). Zen gardens can create the illusion of a long journey within a limited space. Each turn or bend of my little garden offers an opportunity to look at a special object or symbol. The idea of this is to keep the stroller’s mind on spiritual matters.” I suggest that he has found enlightenment. “Enlightenment is just another word for feeling comfortable being a completely ordinary person, which I do.” He says without thinking and continues. “Strolling in gardens goes back to India, where walking around a temple symbolised walking around the spiritual centre of the universe. India’s so-called “stroll gardens” were adapted by the Chinese, who decorated their gardens with symbols of the Buddhist universe, purifying the mind with each encounter.”

COST
I change the mood by talking about money. “I used very good materials” Alan answered, “so it cost me a few thousand euro to put together, the lighting alone cost the price of a holiday.” The lighting was so discreet that I hadn’t even noticed it was there. “The lights are disguised as stones and they highlight the statues.” He tells me and continues. “You could put something like this together for a few euro though if you were inventive with the materials. Go for what you like the look and feel of. You can make the garden any size too. I have totally filled my garden with the design; other people might just want to put aside a small area for contemplation and meditation or to just be a talking point. There’s really no limit, but remember that simplicity and tidiness are key factors; the design won’t work if there are a lot of weeds about.

PRESENT
“Here’s something for you.” Alan steers me back into the house “It’s your own mini Zen garden, the scale is smaller but the principles are the same.” Alan passes me a small bag and a rectangular pot container. “ You can play with this in your quieter moments. “ I have a peep in the bag; there are a few small stones, a larger piece of sandstone and some sand. “Change the design every day and make patterns that please you, there are no hard and fast rules.” I nod and thank him for the present.

Alan then gives me another good piece of advice before we sit on the two chairs in the front room to drink our herbal tea. “Your mind is a garden, your thoughts are the seeds, the harvest you get can be either flowers or weeds.”

House Plants

JUST PEEL AND REVEAL
I moved into my first parent free house when I was 18. It was a small 2 bedroomed terrace and hadn’t been modified since the early 1950’s. Details like multicoured carpets, a pink bathroom suite and dark brown vinyl wallpaper didn’t bother me much as I had more interesting issues to deal with like working and going out on the town.

There were two things I did in the house to brighten things up a bit. The first was to peel off the 25 year old wallpaper in the front room. It came off really easily and underneath there was some more brown paper from the 1940’s. It looked good to me, so that stayed on the walls for another four years until I moved out. The other improvement I made was to add houseplants. I had more than 50 different types around the house and sprayed them all regularly, which is probably the main reason the house also needed a damp course putting in.

FERNS
I particularly liked the ferns in the bathroom and had them hanging everywhere. They all enjoyed the shaded light and humidity that someone who had at least one bath a week could offer. I tried to get as many different types in there as I could without the pots slipping into the bath when I was having a soak and covering me with soil.

Here are a few you will find in the shops. They can all grow quite large in the wild, but will keep to a manageable size in a pot.
Boston Fern
Boston ferns (Nephrolepis exaltata) are long-lived plants and the most popular for the bathroom. They can live for years with little attention.
Lemon Button Fern
Lemon button fern (Nephrolepis cordifolia) produces cute, golden-green fronds with rounded edges (that give them their button like appearance). It's an easy-to-grow fern that fits in well with a lot of decorating styles.

Maidenhair Fern
Among the most loved ferns, maidenhairs (Adiantum raddianum) offer fine-textured fronds on black stalks. The arching fronds emerge light green and darken a bit as they age.
Rabbit's-Foot Fern
(Humata tyermanii) This slow-growing fern offers dark green, fine textured fronds and fuzzy stems that creep down over the pot or along the soil. These stems are what give the fern its delightful common name.

Staghorn Fern
(Platycerium bifurcatum) Among the most spectacular of ferns, staghorns don't need to be grown in soil so you often see them mounted and grown on walls or posts.
Bird's Nest Fern
I found my plant in the road when I was coming home from work one day. It had been run over a few times but soon picked up in my fern sanctuary. It’s another favourite ofthe bathroom and mine lasted years. Bird’s nest fern (Asplenium nidus) is a slow-growing plant with bright green fronds that radiate from the centre of the plant, creating a vase or bird's nest shape.
Silver Brake Fern
(Pteris cretica)The crested fronds are almost spidery and bear a bright silvery stripe down the centre.
Kangaroo Paw Fern
(Microsorium diversifolium) This interesting fern offers shiny, dark green fronds in an unkempt mound reminiscent of Medusa's hair. Like rabbit's-foot fern, it bears creeping stems that may grow down the side of its container.

FRESH AIR TOO
Plants are just the thing to brighten the house up and freshen air. Check out the more common ones you can get locally, from the Peace Lily, Philodendrons, Dracaena varieties, Spider Plants, English Ivy, Ficus varieties, Bamboo, Aloe and Umbrella plants. They all filter impurities. My house must have had the cleanest air in the street.

There are big steps in architecture to bring greenery into heavily built up areas for this reason, not only into buildings, but on the outside of them too. The new ideas have been coined Vegitecture.


VEGITECTURE

Vegitecture or Vegetated Architecture is the use of organic materials such as plants as an element in construction. If done well it is an environmentally friendly way to add life to a city or heavily built up area. The Council Offices in Letterkenny made steps towards Vegitecture with their fabulous sedum roof, but it can go beyond that with more elaborate designs.





The Musée du Quai Branly in Paris has an 8,600 square foot vertical garden featuring more than 170 different plant species. The walls use a combination of sunshades, solar panels, and ventilation to catch water, making them self-sustaining ecosystems. The benefits aren’t just aesthetic; the walls reduce noise and provide natural cooling for the surrounding buildings because they soak up noise and heat, whereas concrete just reflects these.

The Irish weather is ideal to have these designs on buildings as we wouldn’t have to water them much, in fact rainwater can be harvested and stored and the correct plants will purify the air. There is also talk of a “vertical farm” where tenants of tall buildings grow their own fruit and vegetables on the walls and roofs. Looking at the images of proposed buildings and cities that will incorporate these ideas, they do remind me a bit of my old living room, except it would be outside, which would give the tenant more room to move around indoors.


NOT NEW
The idea isn’t new though. I used to deliver papers to a wooden house with a grass roof, which always used to amaze me, especially when they put the goat up there to keep the grass down. The living architecture idea goes back even further than my paper round in the 1970’s. There’s a well known Irish building that blends into the countryside perfectly. It was built at a time when there was only stone, mud and grass and is 600 years older than the pyramids. It’s Newgrange in the Boyne Valley with it’s grass roof, built in 3200BC and it hasn’t moved an inch since….I think we’ll see more on Vegitecture over the coming years, lack of space will soon be no excuse for not growing your own food.