Rub them on a nettle sting. Apart from that what are dock leaves good for? Well, for a long time I have struggled to find a reason to allow a dock leaf to exist in the garden. Rumex obtusifolius the broadleaf dock is a deep rooted perennial, a thick tap root that is almost impossibleContinue reading “Dock Seed Wafers – Finally a reason to have dock leaves in the garden”
Category Archives: gardening
Aronia Jam
We walked under the spruce trees, passed the twisted hawthorn and down the slope. The long grass brushed our knees, the mild damp autumn evening surrounded us and calmed our senses. The small river trickled over rocks, a soundtrack to soothe as we walked in to the lower part of the garden. Here trees andContinue reading “Aronia Jam”
Kitero’s arrival and the cabbage that was loved
Amelie walked with her dad, or rather she ran ahead and he followed. Fueled by the curiosity and enthusiasm that only a young child can possess, running along the grass path and past the stone-walls she entered the vegetable patch. Calendula flowers made her exclaim, then she saw the heads of cabbage, firm pale green globesContinue reading “Kitero’s arrival and the cabbage that was loved”
Early morning in our garden in Co. Mayo – July 2012
Summer, oh where is the summer? This morning was a rare sunny start and I was up early to see the fog lifting its damp veil from around our plants. There is a saying in Ireland, “sun before seven is gone by eleven”. You really do have to get up early to get the bestContinue reading “Early morning in our garden in Co. Mayo – July 2012”
Well done to the rare un-staked! – Herbaceous Perennials that stand up for themselves…
I love gardening but there are some jobs that are laborious and feel like a waste of one’s good time if they have to be done too often, cutting the grass is one such task, staking herbaceous perennials is another. The former job is reduced by having less grass areas and more plants, and inContinue reading “Well done to the rare un-staked! – Herbaceous Perennials that stand up for themselves…”
Honey Berry, Siberian Blue Berry – Lonicera caerulea var. kamstchatica
This morning before I left to supervise the Royal Horticultural Society examinations taking place in our Galway centre today, I enjoyed a bowl of muesli topped with berries of Lonicera caerulea var. kamtschatica- it is so uncommon in gardens that there has yet to be a common name adopted for it; honey berry, blue honeysuckle and siberian blueberry. WhateverContinue reading “Honey Berry, Siberian Blue Berry – Lonicera caerulea var. kamstchatica”
Growing A Stir-fry part 2 – Chop Suey Greens
Chop suey greens are sometimes called chrysanthemum greens. They have a nice aromatic flavour, the leaves can be eaten raw or cooked. The young stems and leaves are great in a stir fry. Chop suey greens are types of Chrysanthemums, botanists have done a bit of chopping and slicing of the Chrysanthemum genus and theContinue reading “Growing A Stir-fry part 2 – Chop Suey Greens”
Ciaran The Gardener 