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Author Archive | G. Jolliffe

Growing Raspberries for Fruit and Fun

Growing raspberries has been easy here in Galway. Raspberry was one of the first soft fruit bushes we planted here in our rocky meadow. They were quickly joined by gooseberries, blackcurrants, loganberries and a solitary redcurrant bush. Apart from the redcurrant bush, the soft fruit bushes have been planted nearly four years now, but last […]

Gardening Again – Rediscovering the Pleasure

I am calling this post gardening – again because that’s what I wanted to be – for a long time. You see, since we moved here in 2012 I have had a lot of setbacks. Most of these to do with the leg bones I broke shortly after moving and the various complications that followed. […]

Glyphosate in Ireland

I was very sad to read that Ireland is backing the EU proposal to renew the license for glyphosate. This is a weedkiller also known as Roundup. It is available in many outlets and commonly used to control weeds in gardens and other areas throughout the country. Last year the UN World Health Organisation’s International […]

SEAWEED & NETTLE WINE

Seaweed is everywhere here on Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way and it is easily gathered with a rake and tub. So there is no excuse for me not to make use of this nutritious weed. I also mix it with some nettles as there are plenty of those around here too. Actually there are many things […]

FUNGUS

I wasn’t going to post today – St. Stephen’s/Boxing day, this being one of my designated non-writing days but the Galway weather has once again kept me from the garden so instead we went down to the woods where the dense trees provide such shelter you can almost forget about the wind and rain. As we followed […]

Happy Chistmas 2013

Well, like most gardeners in Galway bay at the moment I am downing tools and confining myself to looking through the window at the battering my garden is getting at the hands of harsh winds, driving rain and a large helping of sleet. I can’t say I mind being indoors on a cold day like […]

National Love A Hen Day

Hens apart, there’s not a whole lot going on in the garden at the moment. I have covered up the raised beds with cardboard, leaves and seaweed to mulch and nourish the soil over winter. I have just left one bed uncovered. I am feeling optimistic so packed it with some onion sets to develop […]

A Rainy Day in Galway Bay

I had great plans to spend today in the garden. I was going to finish clearing three of my four raised vegetable beds, lop some branches from the willow tree in the front garden. In addition I also needed to do a bit of mulching around the overgrown septic tank area which we hope to […]

GUERILLA GARDENER

GUERILLA GARDENER ON THE LOOSE My neighbours and I are very puzzled about this strange event. This lovely old water pump is just down the lane from me. I love it being so close. I pass it every day. I feel like it holds the shadows of people who used it over the last century […]

ROSEHIPS

ROSEHIPS DOWN THE ROAD Rosehips, the fruit of the rose, are abundant around Ireland this time of year and I only have to walk down the lane to find them. They grow wild and are mixed into the tangle of briars, hazel and blackberry that form the local hedgerows. These particular variety are the bright […]

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