pH. Two letters, one small, one big, not even a proper word. Yet, it is a term every gardener should be familiar with. Whether you grow vegetables, fruit or ornamentals, knowing the pH allows you to select the right plants for your garden and to maintain soil fertility at the optimum for better crops. pHContinue reading “Testing Soil for pH…its easy!”
Category Archives: Grow Your Own
Helsinki Granny’s Green Tomato Pickles
Yes, it is the end of the tomatoes, for this year. Cold nights have taken their toll. Limp leaves hang and slowly start to mould, soft under developed fruits drop to the ground and their is an air of melancholic resignation about the plants, their stems twisted around the twines. We plucked the last ofContinue reading “Helsinki Granny’s Green Tomato Pickles”
The New Season Starts Now- 5 things to do in the garden now…
Traditionally autumn is the harvest festival, apples have been picked, the jams made and as the nights get longer and the days cooler, we gardeners may be tempted into hibernation. Yet, there is lots to do in the garden. October is time to start planing and planting for next year’s harvest. Five jobs to doContinue reading “The New Season Starts Now- 5 things to do in the garden now…”
Wild Carrot Seeds- Spice up your life!
Adventure, variety and spice. Black tomatoes, orange tomatoes, red brussels sprouts, red onions, blue french beans, just some of the variety of vegetable that we grew in the garden this year. We let two fruit develop on our white fruiting red strawberry, admired the pink flowers on another variety, it is always nice to tryContinue reading “Wild Carrot Seeds- Spice up your life!”
Fruit of the vine- a gift of grapes means lots of grape jam
I got the call on Sunday morning,” I have friend of a friend who has a grape vine…”. The vine grower now lives in France, but the vine in question grows in Sligo. Nobody wanted the grapes, the caller thought of me, “would I like the grapes?” Yes, definitely. We arranged to meet on TuesdayContinue reading “Fruit of the vine- a gift of grapes means lots of grape jam”
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”
Ciaran The Gardener 