Monthly Archives: May 2013

Dye Invader Dye!!

Posted on May 31, 2013 by The Holistic Gardener

How about we harvest out the invasive species for their craft and industry potential. Some have good woods for turning but many yield dyes to get fashion-minded heads turning. A rose-tinted dye is reputedly obtained from the bark of those … Continue reading →

Posted in Plant profiles | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Alien attack… Invasive plant species and how to deal with them. Part 3

Posted on May 30, 2013 by The Holistic Gardener

Previously I blogged about gunnera spreading along canals and streams… well another riverbank monster is Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera)… But while the trend is to bash it, it has some good edible applications; The peppery seeds are wonderful in salads … Continue reading →

Posted in Plant profiles | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Alien attack… Invasive plant species and how to deal with them. Part 2

Posted on May 29, 2013 by The Holistic Gardener

So we are under attack, what is our response? Well if you are enlisting then the first rule of war is to know your enemy and I will equip you (within the posts on invasives) with all you need to … Continue reading →

Posted in Plant profiles | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Alien attack… Invasive plant species and how to deal with them. part 1.

Posted on May 28, 2013 by The Holistic Gardener

What is an alien species? You may well ask. It is not something that has crash-landed here from outer space or even from 1950’s Hollywood, although in some respects one could find similarities (and I have used that analogy in … Continue reading →

Posted in Plant profiles | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Rhod rides roughshod over Biodiversity

Posted on May 27, 2013 by The Holistic Gardener

Rhododendron ponticum  invades three habitats that are considered internationally important under the Habitats Directive: upland oak woods, bogs and heath. An individual Rhododendron ponticum  casts  such deep shade that it light-starves out existing native plant colonies at its base.  Insult … Continue reading →

Posted in Plant profiles | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Ireland’s Green Credentials

Posted on May 26, 2013 by The Holistic Gardener

Ireland is a country supremely well suited to sustainability. Our climate is temperate; our lush, green countryside is perfect for farming; ours seas are teeming with fish. Our dairy industry shares the lowest carbon footprint in the EU with Austria. … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Creating a low Allergy and Asthma friendly garden.

Posted on May 24, 2013 by The Holistic Gardener

oodles of emails following the last post on allergy gardening so a bit more on the subject. According to the European Federation of Allergy and Airway Diseases Patients Association, over 80 million people in Europe currently have some form of … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardeners Health | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Headache-free homemade rooting hormone

Posted on May 22, 2013 by The Holistic Gardener

Willows (salix spp) are famed as the precursor of aspirin and other pain relief medicines due to their content of Salicylic acid which works by inhibiting the production of those prostaglandins that sensitize nerve endings to pain. Within plants containing … Continue reading →

Posted in a healthier garden | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

breathe easy with top tips on gardening with asthma

Posted on May 21, 2013 by The Holistic Gardener

According to the world health organisation around 235 million people suffer from asthma. 470,000 people in Ireland have asthma – If you are one and you love to garden then visit http://asthmasociety.ie/news-events/top-tips-for-creating-an-asthma-allergy-friendly-garden to discover how simply it is to have … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardeners Health | Leave a comment

Bloom 2012 – An adventure in a horticultural playground

Posted on May 21, 2013 by The Holistic Gardener

Originally posted on Beyond the Wild Garden:
Although I was working while I was at Bloom this year, I did find a few stolen moments to meander around the tents and show gardens that were dotted around the Phoenix Park,…

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment