Blog Archives - Gareth Austin Horticultural & Media Services

Wonderful Summer Sowflakes

4/26/2014

Summer Snowflake in my own garden

The Summer Snowflakes in my own garden are just at their peak, their big bulbous flowers stand out against the nearby Comfry and Astrantia plants

Over the past week I've seen Summer Snowflake used brilliantly en-masse, firstly planted in quantity in Glenveagh Castle and then at the roundabout at Pramerica in Letterkenny, where the entire center of the roundabout has Summer Snowflake naturalising through the grass.

Lecojum or Summer Snowflake is easily sourced in Garden Centres in Autumn (same time as Tulip and Daffodil bulbs)

Close up of Summer Snowflake flowers

clump in Glenveagh Castle

Our Courgettes plants from BBC Radio Foyle

4/26/2014

Here's some 2 week old Courgette All Green Bush coming into life in the Polytunnel of Ionad Niamh Padraig in Gweedore.

These seeds were dusted with Mycorrhizal Fungii then sown in some Multi Purpose Compost, with some Vermiculite incorporated.

A few of these were re-homed in the Mark Patterson Show garden area at BBC Radio Foyle, you can listen back to Fridays show here, between 2.45-3 we're on chatting Courgettes..

Seedlings of Heavenly Blue coming along

4/26/2014

These are some 2 week old seedlings of Morning Glory coming into life in the Polytunnel of Ionad Niamh Padraig in Gweedore.

Morning Glory is an excellent summer flowering climber for a sunny spot in the garden, Morning Glory differs from the normal climbers such as Clematis and Honeysuckles in that its an Annual, so you sow it every year from seed (the same as Sweet Pea) and it flowers wonderfully in the summer.

The seeds were dusted with Symbio Mycorrhizal Fungii and sown lightly into some Multi Purpose Compost mixed with Vermiculite.

Catch up onions have...eh.. well caught up!

4/26/2014

These are the onion sets we started off 2 weeks ago in the Polytunnel of Ionad Niamh Padraig. They've come along great and are now ready for planting outside...a nice job for next week.

Grounds of Solis Lough Eske Castle Hotel

4/23/2014

We had a super walk around the grounds of the Solis Lough Eske Castle Hotel just outside Donegal Town, the Solis Lough Eske Castle Hotel is a fabulous 5 start Hotel located in picturesque Lough Eske.

There is great history of Lough Eske Castle on the Solis castle website.

The last time I had a 'proper' walk around here was back about 10 years ago when it was still a ruin (it was a ruin since a fire in 1939), and this is the first chance I've had to properly explore the new grounds.

Below is a selection of pictures from around the gardens and grounds....the garden is just awakening from after its winter slumber...so it'll only fill out more and get more colourful as the days go on.

More details on the statues used around the grounds can be found on the Solis Lough Eske Castle Hotel website

New bed area all planted...

4/19/2014

We started this bed many a month ago (It was a new flower bed at the front of the North West Regional College Springtown Campus), well we finally got it all planted. This has been a slow process, due to a wait for screened top soil, but hey we got there in the end. Lots of different groups worked on this bed, from the St Josephs High School Yr11 & Yr12 groups who organised all the soil and did some planting, to the Level1 Horticulture Group who installed all the timber edgings to the Level2 group who designed the planting scheme, grew plants for it and then planted it all up. Plants featured include Geum, Pansy, Japanese Maple, Standard Roses, Dahlias, Orchid Lilly, Peony, Carex, Camelia, Crocosmia, Oregano, Euphorbia, Curry Plant, Foxgloves, Agapanthus, Astrantia, Grannys Bonnet and Astilbe.

Setting the summer garden, with help from Desmond Knox

4/19/2014

Myself and Mark Patterson did a special piece 'Setting the summer garden' during the week for BBC Radio Foyle. As part of the piece we visited Campsie plantsman Desmond Knox - owner Knox's Garden Centre. We choose some plants to add a third dimension to Marks garden, and some seasonal gems. See more pics on the Mark Patterson Show Facebook page.

Listen back on the 15th April Mark Patterson Show on BBC Radio Foyles catchup service.

Immense sunny day...perfect for an outside broadcast

4/19/2014

Friday was a beauty of a day, so the Mark Patterson Show came live from the Guerilla allotment in the grounds of BBC Radio Foyle...our spuds were showing, aswell as the goings on in our other few wee tubs...

Listen back on the BBC iplayer - check out about 2.40pm...

Blue Borage...only surpassed by the blue skies!!

4/19/2014

Some super Borage in glorious full flower. Borage is easily grown from seed (Borage Seeds), and where planted will self seed and multiply quite readily (the plant is adapted to survive in poor gravelly soil so it'll easily sprout amongst your gravel path!), so pick the flowers off and make borage ice cubes with them, or at the least pick and eat them...they have a wonderful cucumber flavour. A great plant for the garden...whether its in the kitchen garden or in the flower garden.

Pesky Pigeons...keep 'em netted!!

4/19/2014

Pigeons love brassicas...fact, whether its cabbage, cauliflower, sprouts whatever...if its in the brassica plant family then pigeons will gobble them up. Above is some cabbages planted side by side, one bed covered with a basic anti-bird netting, one uncovered and you can see the effects of wood pigeons after 1 night. Basic anti-bird and butterfly netting is easily sourced, such as here in Gardening-Naturally.com Cabbage and Butterfly Netting.