Category: Ionad Niamh Padraig - Gareth Austin Horticultural & Media Services

Scenic video of the Wildflowers of Gweedore

9/3/2014

Check out this wonderful irish language video made by Horticulture Trainee Ruth of the wildflowers that can be found on the walking trails developed by Ionad Naomh Padraig centre in the Dore area of Gweedore, North West Donegal....full details of all the participants including the musicians is found at the end of the video...well done to all involved...

Intergenerational tree planting in Gweedore

8/28/2014

Recently the students undertaking a Fetac 5 Major award in Horticulture through the Education Training Board in Gweedore led the way at a intergenerational tree planting event in Gweedore Day Centre.

The students joined forces with the kids from the Ionad Naomh Padraig summer scheme and residents of the Gweedore Day Centre to plant a mix of ornamental trees around the grounds of the Day Centre. This tree planting marked the last day of the Ionad Naomh Padraig summer scheme, and allowed the National Learning Network Horticulture trainees to showcase their practical skills, and leave another lasting legacy of their Horticultural training with the community. My thanks to the management and staff of the Gweedore Day Centre for some wonderful hospitality, and to Mary Coyle and staff in Ionad Naomh Padraig for joining forces with us on this event.

Solus Gweedore Team Challenge Garden

5/14/2014

At this years Garden Show Ireland in Antrim Castle Gardens the Solus Gweedore Level 5 students submitted a show garden in the 'Team Challenge' category. The students had been given a brief to create a Kitchen Garden based on the theme Old V New and in addition to this challenge they were to engage every pupil in Scoil Phadraig, every member of the Ionad Naomh Padraig Youth Club and the users of the Irish Wheelchair Association...and to make it even harder they had a month from concept to delivery...and only 1 day to build it (after 3 hours on the bud to get there!!)

The group had produced a fabulous garden, showing Old V New not only in kitchen garden but also in Energy Production, Music, Transport, People, Fishing, . The garden was full of lovely touches, made by the kids in the school, and every child had a chance to put their 'print' to it - a handprint in paint on the fence. Dobhar had a long standing partnership with Broughshane in Co Antrim and instead of using a Spanish Galleon the guys had used The Mayflower as a nod to their friends in Broughshane. The group obtained a Silver Medal for their garden, coming runners up to South East Regional College HNC Garden Design students.

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.

Launch of our TeamChallenge Garden

4/19/2014

A super turnout at the Ionad Niamh Padraig centre in Dobhair at the press launch of our Team Challenge garden for Garden Show Ireland. As a centre we're entering a Team Challenge garden, the theme for this year is 'Kitchen Garden' and the kids from Scoil Padraig came up their own theme for our garden 'New v Old'. This project will see Scoil Padraig, Ionad Niamh Padraig Youth Club, Ionad Niamh Padraig Community Garden, Irish Wheelchair Association and the Solas Level 5 Horticulture crew coming together to create this unique community project. Also included in the picture are representatives from Solas Gweedore and National Learning Network, Letterkenny - who are delivering the Level 5 Horticulture Programme for Solus.

Gareth Austin with Mary Coyle -Manager Ionad Niamh Padraig and Anne Curren- principal Scoil Padraig

Gareth Austin with kids from Scoil Padraig and students from Level5 Horticulture course

apart from the above the project is also being supported with help and expertise from O'Donnell's DIY and Garden Centre, Healthwise Pharmacies and Ourganic Gardens...so far!

Great plant for Bees...the simple Erica Heather

4/8/2014

When we think about plants for Bees our focus is largely on the summer stuff...the Lavenders, the Hebes etc and we sometimes forget about them bees emerging from hibernation that are looking for a feast in early Spring. Well I can tell you that you'll do a lot worse than plant some of these gorgeous Erica heathers in your garden, these plants are hopping with Bees in the Ionad Niamh Padraig Centre in Dobhair in Gweedore.

These Erica types of heathers ,although a great fan of a peaty soil, are tolerant of most soil types and will grow well in containers and pots, aswell in soil in the garden which as been conditoned with some peat or Lime-free compost