March 2024
And still it rains...
March came in like a lion - with snow on the first day of March. if the old saying1 is true. we should really be getting warmer weather here at the end of March. And I suppose that it’s a bit warmer - but that rain - it feels like it hasn’t stopped raining since last July.
The garden is so wet! And while the water does drain away fairly quickly, more rain comes, and we are back to puddles everywhere. I started a deck project in February, which left me with a large area to plant - I have managed to get some plants into the cardboard/mulch topping, but the weather has been just too horrible to spend much time outside.
Lough Owel is the fullest that I can remember - when we head out to the diving board for a dip, I am out of my depth even at the short ladder, and the water is almost over the jetty. This is of course much better than a very low lake at this time of the year, but I would love to see a bit more dry weather!
Here’s the response to the poll that I ran last month:
Not a huge number of responses, but thanks to all that did respond. Here’s the link if you’d like to add your vote, I’ll close the poll in a week or so. And I’ll look to schedule a fruit preserves and chutney course towards the end of the summer!
As you may have noticed, the Refill Mill closed after 4 years in business. Here’s our final instagram live. I will miss dropping into Eibhlin and having the chats - but we recorded our first podcast and will be uploading that soon to YouTube and to other platforms real soon.
I’ll still be running workshops - Cuige Studio and Water Street Association have both agreed to accommodate me, and I’m really looking forward to collaborating with both community groups.
The first quarter of the year is nearly over - I feel like I have been very busy, but working on lots of things that may or may not come to fruition that I can’t talk about yet. It may turn out to be a very busy year!
Seasonal Activities
While I identify as a flower farmer, I’m also very fond of eating, so I have been focussing on tomatoes, chillis and potatoes to the detriment of the flowers. Here’s one of the chilli plants (dragons tongue) in a cider can - it’s thriving!
I do have plenty of seedlings coming along in the tunnel. the Ranunculus are doing well, as are the anemones. And tulips naturalising under trees. I had a few bouquet requests earlier in the month that I was just able to fulfil.
Coole Meadow
We are getting back into the swing of things in Coole Meadow. We planted first and second earlies on St Patricks weekend. Late last year I had covered some grass with cardboard and manure, kindly donated respectively by the local hardware store, and some neighbours. We covered that with old composted hay, and planted the seed potatoes into the manure. We will add some compost to this - we just got a load delivered from Michael Dolan, who composts all the organic material that we put into our brown bins here in Mullingar.
We ran out of space in the no-dig area, so some of the seed potatoes got planted directly into the arisings from last years scything. I saw something like this somewhere else - I have no idea if it will work or not, but always good to be experimenting. We tucked some in at the sides, and also planted some on top. We will keep adding grass as it’s cut, and I suspect that there will be some weeds to pull out also, as the spuds grow.
Workshops
I didn’t deliver any workshops this month! I facilitated a ProSilva webinar that is now online. The panel were discussing the latest grants for Continuous cover forestry, and how you might go about establishing a CCFF forest.
Lots coming up in April and May though!
Flower Farming
So, the garden is beginning to pop. Perennials and biennials are starting to show some signed of life. Cerinthe is looking great in the hellstrip. Wallflowers are in bloom and while they are not very showy blooms, their scent is exquisite. The ranunculus and anemones in the tunnel have been producing blooms since mid March, but I planted very few of these, which of course I’m regretting now.
There are tulips scattered here and there, Over the years I have grown tulips in pots or crates and then dumped the spent bulbs under deciduous trees where they enjoy the dry summers, leaf litter and spring sunshine.
A few warm days in a row and I’ll have blooms aplenty, and lots of germination in the tunnel. It’s starting to get busy - and exciting!
Learning
For National Tree week, I went for a public walk at Tullynally. Wonderful to learn from Thomas Packenham and to feel his deep connection to the tress on his estate. There were lots of magnolia in bloom and more to come.
And apparently you can pickle Magnolia flowers for later use. I’m going to have to try that…
Next month the Flower Farmers have arranged for us to attend a Charles Dowding no-dig workshop at Swainstown farm. I have been practicing no-dig for a decade or two, so I’m unreasonably excited to meet the main proponent of this method. Also, I’m very excited to see Swainstown Farm! And of course meeting up with fellow flower farmers, having the flowery chats and maybe swapping surplus plants will be great too!
Upcoming events
I was delighted to get some funding from Creative Westmeath to run workshops in Cuige in Mullingar and in Water St in Castlepollard.
Cuige workshops:
On Sunday afternoon, April 14th, you can learn how to add fresh greens and sprouted seeds to your menu. You don't need a garden to grow healthy food - you'll be operating a 'windowsill to plate' system.
Click here to book your place:
https://www.bigskyflowers.ie/product/growing-microgreens-course/
On Tuesday evening, 14th May, my next workshop at Cuige will demonstrate cold process soap making. You'll bring home some 'castille' soap that you'll make yourself, scented, coloured and amended to your exact specification, You'll then get creative with packaging, wrapping cured soap that I make in advance of the class.
Click here to book your place:
https://www.bigskyflowers.ie/product/soapmaking-in-cuige-may-14th/
Water St Workshops:
On Saturday, April 27th, I’ll be running a composting and no-dig workshop at the Water St Community Garden. If you have ever gotten me talking about composting, you’ll know that I’m passionate about this topic, I’m really looking forward to sharing my passion with this community. Also, I really love no-dig growing - it takes less of a toll on my body than digging, and it’s much faster to get started with converting a lawn into a productive growing space. Plus it’s much better not to disturb the soil structure and all the critters living below ground that help plants to grow healthily.
Click here to book your place on this workshop.
https://www.bigskyflowers.ie/product/composting-and-no-dig-water-st/
On Tuesday 28th May 7-9pm Nadia Pickersgill will be teaching Fermented food techniques. We’ll learn about sauerkraut, kimchee and how to ferment a wide variety of foods. Participants will go home with sauerkraut, kimchee or pickles. Fermentation is a great way to preserve food when there’s a glut, and eating fermented foods have health benefits.
https://www.bigskyflowers.ie/product/fermented-food-water-st-28th-may/
And I’m really excited about a collaboration with Pure Space (fka Pure Camping) in Co Clare. on the Saturday of the May Bank holiday weekend, I’ll be teaching no-knead sourdough bead making. On the Sunday morning Brian will be doing a scything demo, and there’s a currach regatta in the afternoon. You can come for one event, or for many, and you can stay over if you don’t live close by. And it’s a Bank Holiday!
Sourdough Bread Making - May 4th, Pure Space , Co Clare
There’s a new festival coming to Mullingar - it’s called Bailiú- more details here. I’ll be running a seed saving workshop in Cuige on May 8th - 7-8:30pm. I’ll share a booking link with you as soon as I have one! I have loads of seeds to share, and early May is the perfect time to get some easy to grow flowers in the ground!
And - our podcast is live! I’m working on getting it onto lots of platforms, but for now, you can listen on Spotify or YouTube. Please leave a comment and tell us what you think.
I’ll finish with some music as always - this is something that I quite often sing to myself if it’s a sunny day when I’m out digging in the muck.
March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb.