Search Results for 'Anne Byrne'

With November approaching, the bare root season is about to begin, so it’s time to think about how you can make the most of this if you’re planning any changes to the garden. First though, it might be helpful to explain what exactly bare root means for those not in the know as these terms can be confusing if you’re not of a horticultural bent!

You’ll be seeing a lot of pink this month and if you don’t know why, then lucky you. Most will know that in this part of the world, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month when pink is the order of the day to raise awareness of this dangerous disease and remind us all to be vigilant, as thankfully, when detected and treated early, outcomes for those affected can be much better than in times past. This month you’ll see magazines with pink covers, designers flogging pink frocks and all manner of products from phone covers to lipstick to kitchen utensils produced in limited-edition shades of pink, with many donating a percentage of proceeds to breast cancer charities both here and in the U.K.

Yay, it’s time to go shopping! Depending on your gender, this is either a cause for celebration or a reason to run away - far, far away – and hide until the danger is over. If you’re a bloke, don’t worry, it’s not clothes (or even worse, Things for the House) – it’s September and time to stock up on spring flowering bulbs to lift the spirits and bring colour and cheer to the garden after the grey dreary days of winter.

At this stage of the week I hope the hangover has eased if you joined in the celebrations on Sunday – and Monday – and Tuesday….although I’m sure the sense of euphoria throughout the city and county will last a good while longer, and rightly so. As the champions prepare to return to their well-deserved welcome in the City of the Tribes, as well as towns and villages throughout Galway, the green-fingered might like to consider showing their appreciation in a horticultural way. After all, flags and banners in the county’s colours of maroon and white have fluttered from windows and decked our streets for weeks. Why not include our window boxes, hanging baskets, front gardens and even roundabouts – all areas where the hard working members of our Tidy Towns groups do so much to cheer up and beautify our streets for everyone’s benefit.

Do you ever find your garden is lacking in late summer colour? Sometimes June and July can be the best months in the garden and by August and September, there isn’t much happening in the borders to bring colour and movement. Early flowering perennials have gone over and most flowering shrubs do their thing in spring and early summer, leaving them green and unexciting for the rest of the year.

What a thoroughly enjoyable eclectic event this has become — The 2017 Galway Garden Festival will take place on Saturday July 1 and Sunday July 2, at Claregalway Castle. This will be the eighth year of an unique and charming garden event which has developed a national profile. It will showcase a wonderful gathering of the very best of rare and special plant traders from all over Ireland, present a programme of expert talks, a fine artisan food and crafts arena including the best of ‘Made in Galway’, as well as a host of musical entertainment and open-air performance.

The 2017 Galway Garden Festival will take place on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd July, at Claregalway Castle. This will be the 8th year of an uniquely charming garden event which caters for specialist and eclectic tastes.

NUI Galway’s oldest living alumna, Anne Byrne, née Gannon, is being honoured by her alma mater next Thursday, 3 November at 6pm with a public interview about her time spent at the University, her life in America and her music.

If there is one kind of tree most of my clients ask for, it’s an apple tree. If you’re lucky enough to have the space for an orchard, there are many magical ways to incorporate such a wonderful feature, but even much smaller gardens can accommodate a fruit tree or two with careful planning.

As summer draws to a close, now is a good time to look around your garden, taking note of what worked and what didn’t, and planning for the rest of the year and indeed the year ahead. As everyone with school-going children knows, the rain soaked Irish summer tends to give way in September to calm, sunny weather just as the new term starts.