Community Gardening

April is the start of the gardening season for me and I've been back up at Antrim Castle Gardens volunteering weekly in the gardens. The grounds are owned by the local Council and the space is wonderful to work in with very beautiful surroundings.

Last year we developed a new Cottage Garden that has been developed for the most part from recycled materials (logs, old castle gate, etc) and from plants that have been donated. This is really its first year and we're looking forward to seeing how it looks this Summer. Its a work in progress, particularly as our budget is very limited.

Poppies grown from seed collected from plants in the garden.

We started sowing seed in March and things are really growing well - won't be long until we will be planting out.

We also have a Heritage Garden that we've been developing over the last couple of years.

We've a core group of 15 volunteers and others who dip in and out. It has been really enjoyable gardening with other enthusiasts, and I'd highly recommended community gardening projects! 

Copyright: All words and photos are property of Kelli's Northern Ireland Garden.

Sunshine and hail stones

This morning I was volunteering at Antrim Castle Gardens in the community gardens and the weather was gorgeous and sunny. I harvested radishes (which are tasty in stir fry), and prepared a new veg planting area where I'll plant climbing beans, a selection of courgette (zucchini) / squash, and a range of veg, grown from seed.

Heading home, I thought, 'happy days, I'll get out into the garden.' Suddenly the skies turned grey and a shower of hail stones came down. Typical of this time of year in Northern Ireland.  You can see the hail stones in the photo above, in my low maintenance garden area.

Once again, there goes my plans for a day of gardening. Oh well, I'll do a bit of indoor garden planning!

Copyright: All words and photos are property of Kelli's Northern Ireland Garden.

Community Gardening Update

Even though summer feels like it's coming to an end, there's still lots of harvesting (and deadheading to be done) with flowers, herbs, fruits and veggies still available and many plants thriving.

The community garden at Antrim Castle Gardens has looked well this year. We're a small group of volunteers who give a few hours each week to keep areas of the gardens 'under our care' looking good and productive.

This year our greenhouse contained several varieties of tomato, cucumber, and a grapevine - with our very first bunch of grapes! One of our volunteers made a sign, writing with chalk on a piece of slate, to help encourage donations from passer-bys in exchange for a plant. This has worked well as a way to raise some money for projects.

  

One of our members had an idea of a 'cut flower' bed so we developed this area earlier in the year, growing plants from seed. It has turned out to be an eye-catching area, which contains plants like sweet pea, cosmos, snapdragon, asters, and dahlia. 

Last year we noticed one of our flower beds was in a shadier section of the garden so this year we developed a 'Woodland' flower bed. Many of the plants were donated to our group from some of the plant nurseries that attended the Garden Show Ireland (Northern Ireland's largest gardening event). 

Above and below: The flower beds bring lots of colour throughout Spring, Summer and Autumn with their mix of perennials, herbaceous plants, bulbs and some annuals.

Above and below: This year we have also been fortunate to have obtained a polytunnel. This will allow us to grow more plants from seed, and soon it will be filled to the brim!

Our group never seems to rest and our current project is developing a Cottage-style planting scheme that will run across an area approx 30 feet by 10 feet. This well keep us busy over Autumn and into the New Year.

For more info on the volunteer gardening group, click here. 

Copyright: All words and photos are property of Kelli's Northern Ireland Garden.

30 Days Wild Overview

Pictured: Discovery Walks.

During the month of June I took part in The Wildlife Trust's '30 Days Wild' Campaign which aims to get as many people as possible outdoors and appreciating nature /  our natural environment. 

Its been a great month and I’ve really enjoyed discovering  new walks, and some beautiful areas that I hadn’t known existed. I made an effort to appreciate wildflowers and wildlife and to take time out to listen to the birds and enjoy the sights and sounds around me whether at the house, or out walking in a meadow or along the beach. Here's a little summary of some of the highlights....

This month I was captivated by the beauty of weeds. Many of our weeds have valuable attributes. Dandelion leaves can be used in salads and add a bit of zing, and, of course, dandelion tea is popular. Nettles can be used to make soup, tea, or feed for the garden. Daisies - I'm not sure if they have any benefit apart from being pretty. However, sticky weed can make a refreshing summer's drink; simply put into water, and it tastes similar to cucumber water.

I enjoyed beach walks this month - looking for shells, watching the birds, and seeing some jelly fish.

I enjoyed watching bees and insects on foxglove and chives. The hawthorn trees were in flower and looked fab this month, and in my walks I enjoyed seeing orchids and other wildflowers.

I really love trees and I took lots of forest walks this month to enjoy birds singing, creatures crawling and simply appreciating being outdoors.

The good news is that we can enjoy getting outdoors all year long, but for some inspiration you might have a look at Random Acts of Wildness ideas.

Of course I didn’t quite get through all my plans  for the month. However, I will continue getting ‘wild’ with nature over the rest of the Summer and beyond. 

Copyright: All words and photos are property of Kelli's Northern Ireland Garden.

30 Days Wild and Around the Garden

Beach walk included admiring a jellyfish, shells and seaweed.

From the 1st of June I've been taking part in The Wildlife Trust's '30 Days Wild' Campaign which involves getting outdoors every day and enjoying nature /  the natural environment. 

I've been taking walks in the evening, listening to birds sing at lunch time, and I've enjoyed taking time out for beach walks and noticing the beauty of wildflowers/ weeds in bloom this month.

Evening walks have been amazing. I discovered this wonderful forest walk is only a 10-15 minute walk from the house. Funny how it took over a year to discover what was on my doorstep. All it takes is trying a new route rather than taking the same path all the time.

Meanwhile, in the garden....

The flowers are bringing in bees and insects. From chives to wild floxglove, the pinks are looking lovely this month!

And lots of things to come, including strawberries, onions, apples and potatoes!

The foliage around the garden is looking fab too!

If you're interested in going '30 Days Wild for nature' for the rest of June, check out the Random Acts of Wildness ideas.

Copyright: All words and photos are property of Kelli's Northern Ireland Garden.

Update on Community Gardening Project

Every once in awhile I do an update on the community gardening project I'm involved in, at Antrim Castle Gardens. Through a very dedicated team of volunteers we look after various areas of the garden. Currently we're working on projects coming into the Summer, as well as keeping the areas tidy and looking good for the prestigious Garden Show Ireland which is taking place over three days 8-10 May. (Click on the photos below to enlarge.)

Above: We've been sowing seed from March and are growing plants for new projects we're developing in the gardens - a cut flower bed and a cottage-style garden. We also grow veg and herbs. We're getting a polytunnel this month, which will help us manage the pricking out and growing-on process.

Above: This is our fruit growing area, where we have apple and pear trees, gooseberry bushes, rhubarb, strawberries,etc. Some of our members are keen scarecrow makers and, of course, visitors and children to the gardens love seeing scarecrows!

Above: A Cut Flower Bed (under development) - the tripods have been planted with sweetpea; paths have been made out of wood/willow and 'volunteer labour' and will be filled with stone. A range of flowers from dahlia to cosmos will be planted in this new area.

Above: This view shows some of the areas that we maintain as volunteers in the Gardens. Many of the plants are donated by the Council as the garden is located on Council owned grounds and is open daily to the public. It is a beautiful location to volunteer and we enjoy the interaction with the public (who always have very positive comments).

Above: A view of other areas we look after. The main flower beds don't look particularly interesting at this time of year (something we are looking into). However, the beds are mainly for Summer interest, and many of the plants are still to emerge from their Winter slumber. Come Summer, there will be some wonderful plants on display such as eye-catching Verbena and Astilbe Purple Majesty, which will attract wildlife such as bees and butterflies to the gardens. 

Copyright: All words and photos are property of Kelli's Northern Ireland Garden.

Tinkering with garden designing

It's been a busy couple of years in the garden. From volunteering weekly with a gardening group, to keeping up with growing my own veg and plants from seed, I've also been designing my first garden, a low maintenance garden... that started with a grassy / weedy area that looked sad and was in need of some TLC (tender loving care).

I've always had some interest in garden design and have done a short design course etc. Recently I took on my first project, starting with drawing out ideas and doing a bit of research on plants, etc. Its been fun and hard work as I've been involved in the digging etc (my back has not liked this).

Here's a little sneak preview of one of the areas that is almost finished, with a before, during and after shot.  More on the garden design project (and its progress) at a later date.

Above: Work in progress - some hard landscaping on a low budget.

Above: The starting point - an area of grass and weeds.

Copyright: All words and photos are property of Kelli's Northern Ireland Garden.

The Beauty of Old Ireland on St Paddys

It's St Patrick's week and a great time of the year to remember the beauty of Ireland / Northern Ireland, with its rolling green hills, traditional farming background, and rural  countryside cottages. 

These photos reflect the traditional dwellings and beauty of our landscape. Ireland / Northern Ireland is a great place to visit, with lots to see and do. Highly recommended!

Left: Fisherman's Cottage.

Above: Corradreenan Farm - cottage circa 1802, a simple two-roomed house with a kitchen and a bedroom.

Above: Coshkib Hill Farm - a hill farm circa 1850 from Glenballyemon, one of the nine glens of County Antrim, comprised mostly of moorland and mountain grazing (sheep and cattle) and hay, oats, and potatoes grown.

Above: Ballydugan Linen Weaver's House. This is a replica of a mid-19th century traditional dwelling.

Above and below: Peat fires with its distinctive smell were and still are a common way to stay warm on cold days. The cutting of peat (called 'turf' when cut) for fuel began in the 17th century; more on this can be read by clicking here.

Above: The Old Rectory Cottage - This thatched-roofed house is an example of English rather than Irish building traditions; the skills and techniques to build this style were brought into Ireland by English settlers. Through studies of the roof timbers, the house is thought to have been  built in 1717. Original location: Lismacloskey townland, Toomebridge, County Antrim.

Above and Below: Inside the Old Rectory Cottage it's furnished as the home of an established clergyman, and represents the rural or small-town home of the period 1890-1910.

Above: 1800s McCusker’s Pub - public houses were, and still are, a centre of social life in many Irish towns.

Above: Basket Maker's Workshop - a traditional countryside skill of willow tree basketry.

Above: Sheep and Spring lambs abound in Ireland this time of year. Photo taken on the North Antrim Coast.

Most of the photos of cottages and farms above are part of the historic display at Northern Ireland’s Folk Museum, which was created to preserve the rural way of life and keep it from disappearing all together with increasing urbanisation and industrialisation. The 170 acre Folk Museum and its cottages / dwellings have been collected from various parts of Ireland / Northern Ireland and rebuilt, brick by brick, in the grounds of the museum. If visiting Belfast this is a fantastic museum to spend a day ‘going back in time’ and experiencing life from around 100 years ago. 

Copyright: All words and photos are property of Kelli's Northern Ireland Garden.

Simply enjoyable weather

A little seasonal arrangement (pictured left) has lasted and lasted. It's simply a plastic  pot with some twine tied around it, and bit of greenery/pine covering the container and pushed into the sides. 

It's planted with a few daffodil bulbs and pansies. It also has a few shrub cuttings stuck into it. I've been amazed at how long the pine and shrub branches have lasted considering they are just stuck around the edges of the container (no roots on them). This little seasonal container has been outside since before Christmas and it looks like there will soon be daffodil blooms as well as pansy flowers to keep it going.  

I'm afraid I didn't make it. It was bought for £5. A good idea for a low cost container!

Its been a bit colder  lately with some snow. 

Perfect weather for walks. Pictured: Cushendall, County Antrim, Northern Ireland.

Of course, no snow on the beach, but very cold! Cushendun, County Antrim

Copyright: All words and photos are property of Kelli's Northern Ireland Garden.

Community Gardening Update

Just a few late summer photos of the flower beds and vegetable/ herb beds at Antrim Castle Gardens where we have a group of approx 20 volunteers who give time regularly to maintain areas of the grounds.

As you can see, the blooms are still going strong. We've had a good year and are hoping to secure a polytunnel in the Spring, to help us develop further and grow more plants from seed.

Above: Our flower beds contain a mix of perennials, grasses and annuals. (We don't maintain the shrubs/tress in the photo.) Popular plants with visitors to the gardens include Salvia Purple Majesty, Verbena and annuals such as begonia. 

Above: The heritage kitchen garden, in its first year, contains several different beds, one for brassicas, another for salads, and another for medicinal herbs. We added box hedging and used some marigold  borders to create edging. Unfortunately some of the box seems to have box blight and marigolds are now coming out for Winter.

Above: We've grown lots of veg throughout the Summer and have shared our crops with visitors to the garden (most give a donation). Popular items inlcude potatoes, swede, beetroot, lettuces and parsley.

It's a lovely environment to volunteer!

Copyright: All words and photos are property of Kelli's Northern Ireland Garden.