Life

Casual Gardener: Resolve to do better in 2016

At the beginning of the year every gardener resolves to do better. John Manley pitches some ideas that may help make this year's pledge become a reality

John Manley

John Manley

A relative late comer to journalism, John has been with The Irish News for close to 25 years and has been the paper’s Political Correspondent since 2012.

Gaillardia and other annuals will deliver an explosion of colour
Gaillardia and other annuals will deliver an explosion of colour Gaillardia and other annuals will deliver an explosion of colour

:: GET to know your garden

According to the old maxim, familiarity breeds contempt. This does not, however, apply to your garden, as the more familiar you are with your space the more you understand its strengths and weaknesses, what flourishes or dies in a certain place, and what parts you most like to relax in. There’s no set way to familiarise yourself with your garden so basically spend as much time as you can in it and don’t rush in to major landscaping.

:: Get a greenhouse

To many people it’s the sign of a real gardener, a second home outside to which you can retreat in all weathers. Even an unheated greenhouse will extend the growing season significantly for edibles and it’ll inspire you to raise your own ornamentals too, whether from seed or cuttings. If you want to be really ambitious, consider a polytunnel.

:: Sow some annuals

Gardening is not easy and at times can be very taxing. However, if there’s one project that will deliver great results for relatively little labour then it’s sowing a bed of annuals. They can be native wildflowers if you so choose but I find it best to mix a few cultivars with native species to guarantee a explosive display. Great for both insect life and lifting your spirits but watch out for weeds.

:: Get a water butt

The last couple of months’ incessant rain wouldn’t exactly support the thesis that we need to conserve water but the received wisdom is that good old H2O won’t run free forever. Even discounting the conservation argument, I find a butt – in my case it collects water from the greenhouse guttering – is much more convenient than a hose or tap.

:: Make compost

A gardener who doesn’t make their own compost is akin to a master baker buying pastry from a supermarket deep freeze. Whether in a bin or a heap – ideally you should have both for kitchen waste and garden waste respectively – garden compost is great asset for planting and enriching the soil in beds and borders. Everything from egg boxes to egg shells will rot down over time into a crumbly, fertile substance.

:: Do a gardening course

While night classes and other courses at local colleges are being cut back, most gardening courses are managing to survive – albeit just about – thanks to a resurgence of interest in all things green fingered. Whether it’s to get a formal qualification from the likes of the RHS or just to broaden your knowledge, in my experience gardening courses are fun, informative and great for socialising.

:: Swap plants

I’ve always found gardeners to be a gregarious bunch who just love chatting about their favourite past-time. They are also a generous lot, who are usually more than happy to share their spoils. Whether it’s so-called ‘Irishman’s cuttings’ (divided perennials) or young plants they’ve raised from seed, there’s always a garden surplus that can be shared or swapped.

:: Mini pond

I’m a bit evangelistic about water features though I tend to steer clear of anything that involves pre-cast concrete or cherubic statues. If you have the space, go for a full-blown pond and watch as wildlife activity in your garden goes into overdrive. If space is limited, a half barrel or similar sized receptacle is more than adequate for attracting frogs and other creatures.