September and October are busy months, so there’s quite a bit to get through in this newsletter!
We have now taken delivery of our bulb collection for this autumn – loose top-size daffodil bulbs, tulips, dwarf daffodils, snowdrops, alliums, hyacinths for indoor preparation amongst others. There are bulbs for meadows, pots and rockeries – a bulb for any situation! There are some lovely little gift items for under €5 including the bulb planter with bulbs inside.
There is a lot of confusion as to when you should plant bulbs – for your daffodils and snowdrops, you want to get them in as soon as possible. For tulips, although now is a good time to buy before all the best varieties sell out, the ideal thing is to hold on to them until November and plant them then. The golden rule of planting is plant the bulb at least 2 – 3 times the depth of the bulb, and if you’re not sure which way is up plant on its side – it’ll find its way up!
We are stocking up on trees & shrubs as well, in time for the peak planting season, and although we won’t take delivery of bare-root until November, we are now starting to price orders and reserve stock, so please call or email if you require prices or advice on trees and hedging.
On Sunday 19th September between 1 – 5pm we are holding a Craft & Farmer’s Market at the garden centre. Fingers crossed, the weather will be as good as last year, but we have the marquee at the ready if it looks like rain! We already have a lovely line up of stalls including Lorge Benoit chocolates, Dromcollogher Organic College (vegetables & preserves), artisan breads, Soap Dream, Herbalist Christine Best, plus a range of different craft stalls. Plus there will be poultry for sale on the day. We’ll make sure the Tea Room is well-stocked with cake…..
We are once again running a Gardening For Beginner’s Evening Course. Starting on Thursday 23rd September from 7.30 – 9.30pm. We will cover all aspects of basic gardening skills including planting, pruning, fruit, veg, soil, composts, pests & disease. We’ll include as many practical exercises as we can, and introduce you to a few choice plants as we go along. The course costs €100 for 8 weeks, which covers handouts and refreshments. The classes are relaxed and informal, and suitable for complete beginners as well as those with some knowledge. Booking essential.
In the spring we ran two workshops with Sinead Nealand from Dromcollogher Organic College, and she’s back for another on Saturday 2nd October, between 10 – 1.30pm. Autumn is actually a busy time in the vegetable garden – aside from sowing autumn veg, onion sets and garlic, there is a lot of work getting ready for the following spring. Sinead will walk you through the major tasks, and as before the workshop will be a small group only and take place outside in the veg garden. The cost for the half day is just €25 including refreshments, and booking with a deposit is essential as numbers are limited.
For those of you interested in Grow Your Own, there is a great day out happening on Saturday 18th September at the Cope Foundation Composter Demonstration Site in Quarterstown Industrial Estate in Mallow at 2pm. It’s the official opening of the site by Minister Batt O’Keefe, and the afternoon will be full of information and demonstrations. As part of the project we were invited to plant a Bee Garden, so Alan will be at there on the afternoon to give advice on bee-keeping. To say that the afternoon will be overcrowded with experts would be an understatement – any questions on composting, wormeries, allotments, growing vegetables or bee-keeping will be answered by one or all of them, and the much-loved Charlie Wilkins will be in hand to answer your gardening questions. The event is free to attend.
Finally, there are still a couple of places left on the Tea and Ticking course. The aim of this course will be to arm you with the necessary skills to revamp and update once-loved but no-longer-worn items in the wardrobe. But, being held in the T Room at The Secret Garden means that there will be chat, cake and china tea cups as well! This course costs €125 for 6 weeks, starting Tuesday 14th September. If you would like more details on this, please email me your phone number and I will ask course tutor Michaela Donegan to call you.
Almost forgot, Country Sound’s Peter Dowdall kicks off the season for Boherbue Flower & Garden Club on Wednesday 15th September at 8pm at the Pearse Memorial Hall. You can join for the year for €25, or just pay the entrance fee of €5, which also includes refreshments. There will be a prize raffle and plants for sale. There’s a great line up fpr the year, which includes Future Forests, John McNamara, a rose specialist, DJ Murphy, Dromcollogher and Deborah Begley amongst others!
Phew, that’s about it! – I will email again soon with more reminders and news of Poultry Roadshow and Apple Day, both coming up in October.
Happy Gardening!
Sarah & Brian
The Secret Garden
Aghaneenagh
Newmarket
Co Cork
029 60084
www.thesecretgardener.com
