A Jam-packed September

...and getting ready for Spring!

I know, Spring is a long way away! But a little work done now can make your Spring garden lush, fragrant and prolific with helpful co- workers. And yes, I did make jam.

Lots of your plants are probably dead or dying, and there’s a temptation to remove the dead seed heads and stalks. But I’d like you to leave some of them exactly where they are. They will give you some height when everything has died back in the dead of winter, and frost will leave them shimmering silver. A garden of dead things is an aesthetic that we should to get used to, so just give it a try. Plants like artichokes have hollow stems, and these are a cosy domicile for bugs like ladybirds. Leave them standing, or if you really have to cut them down, leave them under a tree or a hedge so that the bugs can safely overwinter. If you are lucky enough to have teasel, you’ll have finches coming in winter to feed on the seeds. And when spring comes, you’ll be happy the see lots of ladybirds, and early aphid infestations will be dealt with quickly.

You might want to collect seeds from some of those seed heads for next year - if you’d like to learn more about doing this, I’ll be teaching a seed saving course in the Refill Mill on October 6th. Message me to book your place.

The trees are starting to lose their leaves - if they fall in your garden beds leave them where they fell and the worms will use them to enrich your soil. Sweep up the leaves on the path and put them into mesh bags to break down and become a wonderful soil addition in a year. Maybe even take contributions from your neighbours! And you’ll be sequestering carbon in the soil.

And for spring colour and feeding pollinators, think about planting some bulbs soon. I like to grow bulbs in a pot for the first year, and then when the leaves have died back, I dump the bulbs and compost under a tree to naturalise. Bulbs like to be a bit dry in the summer (especially tulips) and under a (deciduous) tree is perfect. The bulbs will push up green leaves tin spring before the tree leafs up, and create a wonderful display for you, and pollen for the hungry bees. You can skip the pot step and plant directly under the tree now if you like. Tree roots may be close to the surface, and hard to dig into, so instead cover the bulbs with cardboard, and a couple of inches of compost or bark mulch. The bulbs need to be covered with something to grow and thrive. The tree will thank you for this feeding too! Many bulbs double every year if you leave the leaves to die back naturally, so a small selection of bulbs now will become a dramatic showing in a few years.

Lots of good stuff happened in September - let me tell you all about it! We placed an order for 100 trees to plant in the field in Coole. Trees on the land run a scheme every year that can scale as needed. Anyone can apply - the deadline is 16th October.

I got some of my biennials into the ground - Sweet William, Hesperis, Honesty, Foxgloves. Still more to plant, but I was late sowing the seeds, so fingers crossed it will work out. Similarly with hardy annuals, you could sow those direct now, and hope for a mild October.

Spring colour with foxgloves

I ran 2 courses in September. Seed saving in Athlone Library was great fun, lots of hands on play with botanicals. Participants went home with loads of seeds and instruction on how to save them, and grow them in the future. If you are looking to fill a garden with colour and easy to grow plants, seed saving is a great way to accomplish this. Low cost and zero waste! (Mullingar Course Oct 6th in the Refill mill!)

No-Dig was the topic covered in Mullingar Library later in the month- we veered off into composting too. A great discussion with participants able to share lots of ideas from their experiences. And great to meet people who are as passionate about worms and soil as I am!

My second visit this year to Brookfield farm for Crops, Crafts and Creativity was brilliant! As always the food was amazing, and I did some basketmaking with rushes, a bit of stone carving, and made a wreath with dried oats and docks.

Jam jar covered with rush weaving

I had a little sun holiday mid-September - I don’t fly much, but whenever I do I feel good about the 40 acres of trees that I planted in 1995, and the carbon that they are sequestering, and I don’t feel too bad. If you are flying anywhere, you might consider planting some trees yourself, or pay someone else to do it for you? Of course the best solution is not to fly - take the train or a ferry, but that isn’t always possible. If you fly for work, maybe you can discuss planting trees on corporate property?

Having lunch in in the wind coming off the Med.

Earlier this week I spent a blissful 2 days with my fellow flower farmers at MountainView in Kilkenny (a lovely wedding location) . Sabine Darrall taught us about installations, event floristry, wedding bouquets and wearables. No floral foam, and sustainable techniques. We used only Irish grown flowers to spectacular effect. Being part of community that shares values and can leverage our scale to have events like this is so nourishing.

The cascading wedding bouquet that I made

Finally, I have 4 workshops coming up at the Refill mill - I’m very excited to see some of you at them - Eibhlin has built a lovely community around her shop, and the conversations that we have as part of these workshops is very special. Drop into the shop for some mini-eggs (or regular eggs) and book your place.

And, inspired by todays weather, and by the dusty rain that I saw in Spain (boy do they need composting) I leave you with this classic.

I’d love to hear from you!