Author Archive: Annmarie
namental grasses such as Stipa gigantia, Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’ Grasses such as Stipa tenuissima – Pony Tail grass, Stipa arundinacea better to pull your fingers through and remove spent fronds.Better to wait until the soil warms up before dividing clumps of grasses and there is better new growth.
At the moment growth is very much ahead of itself, I would advise not to be complacent, remember St Patricks day last year — snow.Gardening Classes
Saturday 26 January.
GI Cooking for Weight Loss and Learn how to Plant your own Veg boxes 10 – 4 pm with Cathy Soroghan Nutrition and Fitness Training – ‘Women on the run’ and Annmarie Bowring
Gardening opens up and awakeners an awareness to our environment, the life and beauty it holds for us.
Growing our own food, harvesting our own flowers, sounds of life, swish of plants, what more could we need!
A healthy vibrant gardens add so much to us, here in Dalkey Garden School we inspire you to be the best you can, to enjoy and see what is all around us.What we do, how we garden does matter.
Classes are open to alland those who want to do more. Enjoyment and sharing are key and we will be starting on with Tuesday 29 or Thursday 31st January 10 – 1pm.
Happy New Year
Wow, the weather is so mild so if you are like me still have some tidying up in the garden get out now because winter will arrive.
Remember the snow last March ? If you are not lifting your Dahlias, cover with a nice blanket of mulch as deep as you can. Canas, Gingers , Aeonium,lift or if you can add a protective cover,or take cuttings.
Still time to plant tulips and garlic( they like a good cold snap).Have a good look at your garden, look up and check on crossing branches, prune your trees, for shape and protection. Crossing branches can rub each other and cause damage to bark.
I know it is nice to have a tidy garden ,even house but in the garden leave areas for our hibernating friends.
The garden will be opening to visitors in March and our first workshop will be on Saturday 26 January, Cathy Soroghan of Women on the Run will be with me helping us cook healthy meals which will help us with our energy levels, something I am always looking for. I will be showing you how to plant and choose salads, veg for a miniature garden.Hope you can make it and again HAPPY NEW YEAR.
Annmarie
Chrstmas Gift Vouchers
The gift of Learning. Gift vouchers can either be posted out or sent via email.
2019 Up Coming Workshops
Saturday Workshops 2019
All workshops include materials, light lunch and refreshments.
GI Cooking & Growing a container garden 10 – 4 pm 19 January
with Cathy Sorohan and Annmarie Bowring
Plant-Driven Design 10 – 4 pm 9 February
with Patrica Tyrrell
Willow weaving 10 – 1 pm 2 March
with Annmarie Bowring
Vegetable gardening and planning. 10 – 4 pm 23 March
with Klaus Laitenberger
Fabric Print with Garden Dies, 10 – 4 pm 6 April
with Freda O Dea
Easter Holidays Egg Hunting Season
Planting summer containers 10 – 1 pm 27 April
with Annmarie Bowring
Pests and Diseases 10 – 4 pm 4 May
with Ingrid Foley
Growing Herbs for Food and Nutrition 10 – 4 pm 18 May
with Joan Hanrahan & Annmarie Bowring
Summer propagation 10 – 4 pm 25 May
with Annmarie Bowring
Art in the Garden Botanical Plaster Casting 10 – 4 pm 9 June
with Dee Crofts
Art in the Garden Pen and Ink sketching 10 – 1 pm 16 June
with Mairead Byrne
Art in the Garden Plein Air Oil Painting 10 – 4 pm 23 June
with Orlagh Murphy.
Art in the garden Willow Sculptor 10-4pm 29 June
with Elaine Russell
Food Fermentation 10- 4 pm 28 September
with Gaby and Hans Weiland
DESIGNING YOUR CUT FLOWER GARDEN WITH FIONNUALA FALLON
With delight, I look forward to welcoming Fionnuala Fallon of the Irish Flower Farmer and Irish Times on Saturday 13 as part of Dalkey Creates writing festival. We will be here in Mornington Garden the home of Dalkey Garden School from 10 – 1 pm If you would like to come to call me now on 087 2256365. The cost for the morning is €45 SOLD OUT
.
What to Do Now in the Garden October
Top 10 things to do in
your garden now
1 Photograph your garden- it is amazing how we forget.
2 Visit garden centres to see what plants/shrubs are flowering now to fill in gaps
3 Divide large clumps of perennials – we get more plants, free up space and allow for better growth next year.
4 Take hardwood cuttings – this is when this year’s growth has become harder – firmer in other words not soft.
Take care to choose a healthy parent plant free from pests or disease and use a sharp, sterilised secateurs or knife. Careful labelling is key and should include the date the cuttings were taken, along with the name of the parent plant, use a compost 50 / 50 sand in a pot. Plant around the edges of the pot. Also, there can be a low rate of success so take lots. Unlike soft and semi-ripe cuttings, hardwood cuttings do not require bottom heat or a moist atmosphere. If you have space you can also simply dig a slit trench half the height of the cuttings and fill the bottom with sharp sand or grit.
Insert the cuttings vertically, to a third to half of their length and back-fill the soil, firming them in. You can use a hormone rooting powder, but this is generally felt to be unnecessary. Water well and label the cuttings so you know what they are. A cold frame can be placed over the top to encourage faster rooting if required.
Hardwood cuttings are very slow to form roots, so don’t expect them to root fully until at least the next spring. If rooted well the cuttings will sprout strong shoots and grow away.
Ideal shrubs for hardwood cuttings are Buddleia, weigela, privet (Ligustrum), Philadelphus, forsythia and willow, but you can experiment with any woody shrub that takes your fancy. Taking cuttings is free, and if they don’t succeed, no harm will have been done. Others plants eminently suited to being propagated from semi-hardwood cuttings include many shrubby evergreens such as rosemary, sage, lavender, box, escallonia, holly, viburnum, hebe, camellia, ceanothus, cistus and choisya. Good luck.
5 Plant bulbs for spring – wait till November to plant tulips. Think also of indoor bulbs for Christmas such as Hyacinths, plant NOW for Christmas. Narcissi Paper White take 6 weeks from planting to flowering and have an amazing scent to fill your home at Christmas when they are finished flowering plant them out into your garden the same with your Hyacinths.
6 Plan your flower borders for next summer — look at midsummer magazines etc for ideas also include spring as it will help you choose bulbs.
7 Get your leaf pile organised — you can’t buy leaf mould.
8 Trim lawn edges, scarify and repair lawn, use a low nitrogen law feed.
9 Cut your hedges before frosts – pruning at this time of year is for shape.
10 Veg garden plant garlic, onions, broad beans and green manures.
It is very nice to have a neat tidy garden with good structure but don’t forget to leave some areas for all the little creatures to hibernate in – so don’t be too tidy. Leaf and wood piles make great places for hibernation and shelter. I take down my hanging baskets and replace with bird feeders. Birds are essential for our gardens and they do need a helping hand. Containers with water can act as little ponds for frogs and of course sources of drinking water for our little visitors.
There are lots of other jobs to do as well, but try and get as much done now before it gets too cold to venture out.
5 Garden Herbs for Flu Season
5 Garden Herbs for Flu Season
A very good reason to have your own selection of homegrown herbs available, the very good reason for including them in your diet, a good reason to cook from scratch. Here in Dalkey Garden School feel that understanding how to get the most from your garden, terrace, patio and balcony is really worthwhile.
Sunday, September 30.Gardening Workshop covering the basics.
The garden is now going to sleep, and now is also the time to plan your beautiful garden for next year.
Seed sowing at this time of year can give you a head start on Spring, roots develop and are stronger. Division of plants- making more, moving plants to better positions, planting bulbs for spring and summer. Feeding your soil, protecting it for the weather ahead- drought, are a few of what we will be covering.