I would like to wish all my students al who attended workshops throughout the year. You are all my inspiration and a huge thank you.
2019 is proving to be a very exciting New Year with many wonderful guest tutors returning and coming for the first time to Dalkey.
The gift of Learning. Gift vouchers can either be posted out or sent via email.
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
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
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
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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.
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.
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.
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.
Sunday, October 7 10- 1 pm
Sally Horn florist extraordinaire.
Sally will show us how to use Seed heads, fresh flowers, greenery to make pleasing Winter displays. How to condition your flowers and greenery to get the longest life from them.
If you have a container you would like to use bring it, and we will also have some for you to use also.
All materials will be provided.
Saturday 20 October 2018
10am – 1pm
Ever wanted to try making your own fermented food but don’t know where to start? Come along to this demo and learn all about fermenting food and drinks, nature’s probiotics! Learn how to make milk and water Kefir, fermented vegetables, sourdough bread, labneh cheesecake and more. It is a fantastic way to introduce natural probiotics into the body. Walk away with your very own sourdough starter, recipes and a confidence to make them all at home.
