The New Growth Project is a charity project that we have started with The Garden School to provide free horticultural training to unemployed people. The first course shall take place in our garden in Co. Mayo. There are no course fees and the course does not receive any goverment funding. We are going to growContinue reading “The New Growth Project”
Author Archives: Ciaran Burke
Sea buckthorn berries make good jam!
I was getting ready to do a talk to the North Mayo Garden Club today, and as I was going through my presentation I remembered that I had a few pots of delicious apple and sea buckthorn jam left. Sea buckthorn berries are a super health food; one small berry can have a Vitamin CContinue reading “Sea buckthorn berries make good jam!”
GOING WILD ABOUT WILD BLUE BERRY JAM IN FINLAND
I have been in Finland for the last couple of weeks with my wife Hanna, a native of this beautiful tree filled land. Finland is the most forested country in the EU. Approximately 74% of the country is covered in forest. One gets the impression that even the biggest towns and cities are living areasContinue reading “GOING WILD ABOUT WILD BLUE BERRY JAM IN FINLAND”
Kanaviilokki – Finnish Chicken Curry With Blackcurrant Jam
Next week I will be visiting Finland. Each year my wife and I visit her homeland and her family and friends. I like Finland, in the summer the nights are long, the weather better than Ireland and in the winter the deep snow and cold crisp weather is refreshing. The Finns are nice people, politeContinue reading “Kanaviilokki – Finnish Chicken Curry With Blackcurrant Jam”
AN FEAR GORTA TEA AND GARDEN ROOMS
It is not unusual for a public garden to have a good coffee shop or restaurant, less usual is for a restaurant to have a good public garden. An Fear Gorta (The Hungry Man) Tea and Garden Rooms in the Atlantic coast town of Ballyvaughan in Co. Clare is one such exception. Located right onContinue reading “AN FEAR GORTA TEA AND GARDEN ROOMS”
Snails for dinner! L’Escargot With Onion and Pinhead Oatmeal
Snails, slime trails and munched leaves, hosta holes and devoured delphiniums, the ever-present threat, the garden terrorists. Innocent plant species, fresh from the secure haven of the nursery are easy targets for these ruthless slimy beings. How often have we gardeners gone to our gardens full of enthusiasm and optimism only to have our dayContinue reading “Snails for dinner! L’Escargot With Onion and Pinhead Oatmeal”
ELDERFLOWER AND APPLE JAM- A DELICIOUS TASTE OF SUMMER
Despite the less than summery weather over the last while I do feel that summer has indeed arrived. The reason, the ederflowers are in blossom. Sambucus nigra, common elder, is a native shrub/small tree to Ireland and all throughout the countryside its creamy white flat heads are to be seen. Apart from its medicinal usesContinue reading “ELDERFLOWER AND APPLE JAM- A DELICIOUS TASTE OF SUMMER”
Ciaran The Gardener 