Checklist

Having your cake

There are certain comments people make in all innocence when you are young, and not so young, that have a marked influence on your lives. Off the top of my head I can think of two that stunted my already fragile development.
One time when I was straight out of school and working, a colleague of mine told me that he thought I didn’t have the “face for selling.” Just what that is supposed to mean I just don’t know, but it did put me off any type of selling in my job and private life. It’s a bit like being told that you have a great looking face for the radio. I realise now that there’s no such thing as a face for selling. If you believe in a product and don’t spit your dinner over someone when you talk, there’s a pretty good chance that you could sell anything.
Years before that in the days when I would get really excited when the iced cream van tootled down the street, I was at a family wedding and the cake was being handed around on a silver platter. It had been carefully cut into manageable slabs for people to pick up and attempt to get into their mouths in between swilling the beer and dancing rather badly to 70’s disco music.

I was offered the plate and without taking too much interest or notice, I picked a piece of cake and put it on my plate next to the left over chicken bones.

“Ooooh!” Exclaimed one of my inebriated second cousins. “Look at old greedy guts there”. I was totally at a loss. “Ian’s taken the biggest piece on the plate. Someone had to do it but trust it to be him.” My distant relation laughed proudly telling everyone in the whole room to watch their plates because I was doing the rounds. I was totally confused as all of the pieces looked the same to me.

Now if I’m given a choice of something that’s been divided up, such as a pizza (and someone’s looking) I’ll take a medium sized bit. Of course , if no-one’s looking I’ll take the biggest (and as I generally have the job of cutting them up I can also manipulate the slice so it has the most pepperoni on it).

Choosing Plants

When it comes to choosing plants, unlike pizza or wedding cake, it’s not always the largest size of plant or the one with the most flowers that are the best ones to choose. If you are buying bedding plants for the second time this year (due to the first ones being killed off by the cold winds) then picking the ones with buds instead of full flowering specimens makes more sense and you will get more enjoyment out of them staying in bloom for longer. Don’t assume that the bigger plants are always better. Many times the smaller specimens may be healthier and can transition into your garden without suffering from transplant shock.

So what to look for when choosing your plants. 

• How fast does this plant grow?
• It might look good now, but what will it look like in a month’s time?
• What am I looking for?
• How much time do I want to spend in the garden?
• What about garden safety -are they poisonous to children or pets or really spiky?
• How much sun/shade will the plants need and can I provide it in my garden?
• Does the plant look pest and disease free?
• Do the roots come out from under the pot? If so this is a sign that the roots are bound and overcrowded. If the roots are really matted, the plant could suffer.
• Will the plants survive after I buy it? Look for strong stems and healthy leaves.
• Do I really need another plant?
As your experience grows you will be able to assess what plants you really need and their quality without too much effort.

Just an afterthought about what I said earlier. I still get excited when the iced cream van tootles down the road.

COMPETITION

The 100 Best Gardens in Ireland

Have you ever picked up a book and thought “I should have written that”? I did just that today. I got hold of a copy of Shirley Lanigan’s book called The 100 Best Gardens In Ireland. As soon as the cover was opened, it sent me back to the late 1990’s when I was traveling around Ireland in my caravan visiting gardens of interest and writing down the findings on a little notepad.
At the time I was following a book called The Hidden Gardens of Ireland which highlighted the fact that there were unrecognised garden treasures that were not being publicised. It wasn’t until 2001 when Shirley Lanigan came out with her first book O’Brian Guide to Irish Gardens that a lot of these gems and a lot of others were brought to the attention of the public.

Expensive Business

It was visiting these gardens that gave me a fascinating insight into the determination and sheer financial burdens that keeping some of these stately properties and gardens in good order entailed. Most houses and garden owners were living hand to mouth to keep their places opened and I am sure nothing much has changed there.

Reference Book

The 100 Best Irish Gardens In Ireland helps to highlight some of these gardens both in the north and south of the country, and can be used a reference book for when you are travelling around and can’t get internet connection to Google the area you are in for gardens. Technology has certainly moved on since I was getting lost and ending up on one way laneways with the caravan in tow and having to do a 30 point turn to get on the road again. As Shirley points out in her book, the Sat Nav saved her hours of getting lost and scouring the countryside for the garden she was visiting. Included in the book are all of the opening times and admission costs to the gardens so you won’t turn up and find the place locked up for the winter.

Fun

The book was obviously a joy to put together and I can really appreciate the fun Shirley must have had talking to the owners and workers of the gardens. More recently I did an article for the local paper called “A Stroll in the Garden” The article consisted of me asking about twenty set questions such as “What is your favourite flower” “What is your favourite tool?” and “How do you cope with irritations on the garden?” The article you could read in two minutes, I was talking to the owners for at least two hours on average. I usually had an enthusiastic tour of the garden accompanied by tea and cakes. By all accounts it looks as though Shirley had the same type of experiences. As she says in the introduction “Visiting gardens is no job. It is pure pleasure.” Shirley goes into far more detail with the garden owners than I did in my light hearted newspaper article, delving into their historical pasts in a really interesting and concise manner.

Why I didn’t think of writing that book I’ll never know. Maybe I could do a variation called “Best 100 Vegetable Raised Beds.” You might be getting a call from me soon....

The “Must Have” book for anyone interested in Gardens

The full colour book “100 Best Gardens in Ireland”, takes us on an informative, interesting and pictorial tour of some of Ireland's most spectacular gardens, both north and south. There are hundreds of newly commissioned photographs highlighting the variety and beauty of Irish gardens.

Written by acclaimed journalist Shirley Lanigan, The 100 Best Gardens in Ireland explores the gardens histories, design, flora and fauna, and also includes interviews with owners, curators and gardeners. In addition, it acts as a practical guide, providing information on fees, opening hours, and has been designed as a handbook to take around the country whilst visiting these remarkable horticultural sights.

Building on Shirley Lanigan's previous book on Irish gardens printed in 2001, which was hailed as 'probably the most comprehensive guide to Irish gardens, North and South, published to date', The 100 Best Gardens in Ireland is for anyone who can appreciate the very best of Irish gardens, from the truly magnificent and celebrated to the never-before-seen secret gardens.

COMPETITION TIME

WIN THIS FABULOUS BOOK

Gardening.ie has 3 paperback books to give away in our latest competition.
To be in with a chance of winning “The 100 Best Gardens in Ireland” All you have to do is answer this simple question.

Q. Glenveagh Castle Gardens are featured in “100 Best Gardens in Ireland”. What county are these wonderful gardens in?
a. Antrim
b. Cork
c. Donegal

GO TO THE COMPETITION PAGE TO ENTER

closing date 29th July 2011

Guerrilla Gardening

On balmy summer evenings my mother and her friend would choose a garden to raid. It sounds exciting but this generally entailed walking down the driveway and taking a cutting from a plant they didn’t have and repotting it into their own gardens. They never got caught and in hindsight I think the garden owners’ probably just let them get on with it as their antics did no harm. The same could be said for the popular sport of Guerrilla Gardening. This is bit more organised than my mother’s misdemeanour and achieved a slightly different result. You are not gardening for yourselves, more for your community.

Guerrilla Gardening

Guerrilla gardeners transform scraps of public land into urban gardens. The sites are generally wastelands, lay-bys and pavements. For some people it’s about the love of gardening; for others, it is explicitly a political act, posing questions concerning land rights and the use of public space. The movement has spread its seeds far and wide in over thirty countries, with "cells" existing in places as far flung as Australia and Brazil. Indeed, any country that has a community of obsessive gardeners is likely to have an underground community of guerrillas, taking back public spaces. This seemingly glamorous, yet illegal venture risks charges of trespass or criminal damage, although as yet no-one has been prosecuted. Could you imagine the outcry of charging people for tying to improve a local eyesore? Council officials in the UK are even endorsing projects that have the backing of the community. Their main grounds for objection are that planting by night on a busy roundabout is a health and safety nightmare.

Night time Raids

Some guerrilla gardeners carry out their actions at night, in relative secrecy, to sow and tend a new vegetable patch or flower garden. Some garden at more visible hours to be seen by their community. It has grown into a form of proactive activism or pro-activism.
Richard Reynolds began his London based project in 2003. “I had no garden of my own but right outside my flat was a grotty bit of public land,” he says. Frustrated by the neglect, Reynolds armed himself with a trowel and set to work. “I just did it. I felt I was morally justified because no one else was. The fear about why and how we are doing it has diminished in the UK,” says Reynolds. “If you adopt a piece of land and go about it responsibly, there are no problems.”

Basic Tips

Richard has 12 basic tips for a successful raid, should you be brave enough to venture out one summer evening. Here is an abbreviated summary. For the full list go to his website guerrillagardening.org

1. Spot some local orphaned land.
You will be amazed how many little grubby patches of unloved public space there are. Neglected flower beds, concrete planters sprouting litter and untamed plants, bare plots of mud. Chose one close to home, perhaps you pass it on the way to the shops or work, and appoint yourself its parent. This will make it much easier to look after in the long term.
2. Plan a mission.
Make a date in the diary for an evening attack, when trouble-making busy bodies are out of sight. Invite supportive friends or perhaps enrol supportive strangers by announcing your attack on social networking sites.
3. Find a local supply of plants.
The cheaper the better. The cheapest plants are ones that are free so grow your own or see if the garden centres have any to give away for the cause.
4. Choose plants for front line battle.
Think hardy - resistant to water shortages and the cold, and in some locations pedestrian trampling! These plants need to look after themselves a lot of the time. Think impactful - colour, ever green foliage, scale. These plants need to really make a difference, for as much of the year as possible. In London Richard uses a lot of herbs like Lavender and Thyme, tulip bulbs and shrubs.
5. Get some Wellington Shoes.
Whilst protecting your feet from mud and providing good purchase on a fork, these rubber shoes also don't look too obviously "agricultural" as the usual boot, and blend in well with the urban environment.
6. Bag some bags.
Plastic bags, bin liners (not only can they keep your feet clean), but they are essential for clearing up afterwards. Weeds, litter, flower pots, and pebbles need to be carried away. For gentle work reuse wind blown carrier bags or for more serious gardening reuse compost bags or giant bin bags. The thick plastic does not rip so easily and you can lug a great deal in them to a nearby bin.
7. Regular Watering.
One of the responsibilities of a Guerrilla Gardener is ongoing tending. Water is short in many parts of the world, even in Ireland. The Guerrilla Gardener must usually carry water. Use drinking water bottles as these don’t attract attention.
8. Seed bombs.
For gardening those areas where access is difficult or a long dig is unsuitable, use a seed bombs (sometimes called green grenades) which are seeds and soil held in an explosive or degradable capsule. There are many different methods, some you can easily make at home out of seeds, compost and water. There are even companies manufacturing them now too.
9. Chemical Warfare.
Boost your plants with natural chemicals. Some guerrillas are lucky to have space for compost heaps. Collect the juices from wormeries too.
10. Garden with a member of the opposite sex
Richard feels that having a girl involved on his digs is a brilliant diversion should anyone pass by and get inquisitive.
11. Spread the word
Let people know what you have done with a few flyers under doors near the guerrilla gardening war zone, a poster taped to a lamp post or bus stop, a marker in the soil. Engage passersby in conversation, perhaps even bring a few spare tools. And welcome local media (particularly if they'll help towards the cost of your gardening, which many do).
12. Transportation.
If you are not guerrilla gardening within walking distance from your home (the ideal) you will need some transportation. Richard’s solution are spacious two seaters. Convertibles with big wide flat boots enable both trees and large trays of plants to be easily transported.


You can read more about Guerrilla Gardening in Richards book,

On Guerrilla Gardening: A Handbook for Gardening without Boundaries

Small Garden Design - Backyards

I’m letting the hedges grow a bit larger this year. By this time in June I have normally given the escallonia and leylandii a good trim so they don’t get out of hand. As much as it is irritating me, I can’t bring myself to do it. Mainly because it’s so good to see fresh healthy growth as opposed to the brown tinged leaves on most of the trees, still hanging on after last month’s cold winds. If the grass is kept short the garden still looks moderately tidy so I will be able to put up with it a bit longer. One thing that a larger hedge does is to draw the size of the garden inwards. A large hedge can make even the most sprawling urban garden look small. This brings me loosely onto this week’s topic.

Making the most of a small back yard
A lot of houses both in the past and recent present have been built with very small gardens. Some older houses that are in high density areas such as Derry city have only got tiny back yards surrounded by six foot walls, blocking out both the neighbours and most of the light. These areas can be very unattractive and once the oil tank is fitted into place and the wheelie bin pulled through the gate, there doesn’t seem to be much you can do with the place other than keeping the green mould from climbing up the walls. That’s what we would think, but there are some steps to take to brighten up the yard and make it a place that doesn’t make you shudder every time you go into it, even if it is too small to put even a small lawn in.

Nothing hidden
Nothing much is hidden in a small yard. The wheelie bin can be covered with a screen maybe but apart from that there won’t be much mystery and intrigue. This need not be a disadvantage as careful planting can give a feeling of calm and wellbeing.

Mimic
If you are lucky enough to have patio doors onto the small yard, the area can be made into another ‘room’ of the house by choosing paving or decking that is similar to internal floor. This will give a feeling of space.

Boundary
Painting the boundary walls or fences black can effectively make the boundary invisible, giving the yard more depth. If the yard is dark and doesn’t get much sun you might like to paint the walls/fence white to reflect the light. The colour green will also push the boundary back. Other screening could be used to prettify the yard made from bamboo or heather.

Living fence
Try growing vertical ‘green walls’ out of narrow climbing plants that can secure themselves to wire mesh fastened to the boundary.

Planting
When planting near the walls put narrow leaved plants next to the wall then put plants with larger leaves in front of them. This will give the garden more depth and a feeling of perspective.

Minimal
Keep the design simple. Too much clutter in a small space will look like you are setting up a car boot sale.

Enlarge
Have a look over your boundary to see what the neighbours inadvertently have to offer. They might have some lovely climbers, shrubs or trees showing themselves or coming over your wall. You can use these to your advantage. If the neighbour has variegated leaves, you can do the same to keep the flow and continuity going onto your own garden. This will give the garden a much larger feel to it.

Planters hanging baskets
Planters and hanging baskets will be a quick and easy way to brighten up the yard in the summer months. Both of these methods of planting can also be used for growing vegetables, although the baskets are more suited to tomatoes, they can be planted up with strawberries or even herbs.

Have fun with large accessories
Just because the garden is small it doesn’t mean that you can’t have fun picking ornaments and furniture. Sometimes one large piece can set the garden off beautifully.

Mirrors
A few mirrors carefully placed on the perimeter walls can give the feeling of space. Grow plants around the outside of the mirror to give an impression that there is something beyond the wall and your eyes will fall into the distance.
Plant choice
Remember that a lot of shrubs can grow very big-very quickly. Check the labels in the garden centres to see the growing habit before you choose or the yard could soon become overgrown.

Vegetables.
Mould raised beds around the shape of your garden for growing vegetables. They need not be very big, or tall. The inclusion of a couple of beds will break up the harshness of a rectangular shape and add a flowing feeling. You might not be self sufficient with the crop but a few tasty treats of fresh peas and salad plants will make it all worthwhile.

Lighting
Don’t forget to add some soothing lighting around the yard. Solar charging would save you any bother putting in cables. Highlight areas near the perimeter for a feeling of depth or have them so they reflect into the mirrors. The further away the lights are from the mirrors, the more the illusion of depth .

Water feature
Adding a small moving water feature would give the feeling of movement and serenity. There are small features that could take up less than 1 square foot on space.

Check out the John Brookes book: Small Garden