A GREEN-FINGERED welcome to a horticultural Bluffer’s Guide to Irish.
Tá sé soiléir - it’s obvious that people lucky enough to have a gairdín - a garden have been fighting against the dreariness of lockdown by planting flowers which are now beginning to bloom.
Last November, the GardeningExpress.co.uk website suggested which plandaí - plants would signify the end of winter and gave a list of plandaí a thagann i mbláth san earrach - plants that bloom in the spring,
So, bleibíní - bulbs and síolta - seeds have been developing away up to now and they are now ready to add colour and warmth to any garden.
Before all that of course, is the less uplifting task of ag glanadh suas duilleoga - cleaning up leaves and removing fiailí - weeds, ag lomadh na faiche - mowing the lawn to best show off your bláthanna - flowers.
“It’s important to choose the right bulbs to plant however, as only hardy bulbs, seeds and plants will survive the bitterness of winter,” said GardeningExpress and they recommended the following.
Bláth can also be used figuratively so you could talk about bláth na hóige - the bloom of youth or bláth na háilleachta - the flush of beauty.
Crócas is obvs a crocus.
These purple-mauve flowers bloomed i mí Feabhra - in February and are some of our earliest flowering plants.
Tiuilipí are of course tulips, from Amsterdam or not.
The long stem and unique shape of a Tulip makes it a great flower for any garden, flowering any time between March and May.
Daffodils have an Irish name that you wouldn’t guess - it’s lus an chromchinn or the flower with the bowed head. Nice, eh?
There are other flowers beginning with lus, from lus na bó - cucumber to lus na fola - shepherd’s purse.
Otherwise known as Narcissus, for many the bright yellow of a Daffodil signifies the end of dark nights and the optimism that spring brings.
And you can buy them at your local supermarket but they are very simple and easy to grow from a bulb.
The primrose has two names in Irish, buíocán because of it’s yellow colour or sabhaircín.
These add a splash of colour to help welcome spring, these early blooming plants will sit well in a planter or straight into your border.
Colours can vary from deep blues to fresh whites and bright pinks.
Then we have the hyacinth which has three names in Irish, the easiest of which is bú.
These plandaí crua - hardy plants can thrive both indoors and outdoors and will thrive in an area where they have full sun.
They will not flower in shade and need moist soil. Too wet or too dry and the bulbs will not grow into flowers.
One of the loveliest flowers you will see at this time of year is the plúirín sneachta - snowdrop.
Snowdrops are often the first bulbs to flower in the new year and despite looking extremely delicate are hardier than they look – even flowering in snow.
Enjoy them all, folks.
CÚPLA FOCAL
Tá sé soiléir(taa shay silyayr) - it’s obvious
gairdín(garjeen) - a garden
plandaí(plandee) - plants
plandaí a thagann i mbláth san earrach (plandee a hagan i mlaah san arrakh) - plants that bloom in the spring
bleibíní(blebeenee) - bulbs
síolta(sheelta) - seeds
ag glanadh suas duilleoga(eg glanoo soois dilyawga) - cleaning up leaves
fiailí(feealyee) - weeds
ag lomadh na faiche(eg lumoo na fwyha) - mowing the lawn bláthanna(blaahana) - flowers
bláth na hóige(blah ne hoyga) - the bloom of youth
bláth na háilleachta (blah ne hiylyakhta) - the flush of beauty
crócas(crocus) - crocus
i mí Feabhra (i mee fwaowra) - in February
tiuilipí(choolipee) - tulips
lus an chromchinn (luss un khromkin) - a daffodil
lus na bó(luss ne baw) - cucumber
lus na fola (luss na fawla) - shepherd’s purse
buíocán (bweeakaan) - primrose
sabhaircín(sowerkeen) - primrose
bú(boo) - hyacinth
plandaí crua(plandee crooa) - hardy plants
plúirín sneachta(plooreen shnyakhta) - snowdrop