Monthly Archives: May 2013

The dirty tactics of Rhododendron ponticum.

Posted on May 18, 2013 by The Holistic Gardener

One would be forgiven for thinking that chemical warfare is a relatively recent military lowpoint, perhaps beginning with the ‘mustard’ and chlorine gas of world war one, were an astonishing 100,000 tons of chemical warfare agents were released into the … Continue reading →

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Have courage plant some Borage

Posted on May 16, 2013 by The Holistic Gardener

My banner features the plant Borage (Borago officinalis) a true wonder and perfect plant to start this month for a whole range of benefits. Borage is a plant with long herbal history in treating depression and doubt and in promoting … Continue reading →

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10 good reasons or more to plant a tree

Posted on May 14, 2013 by The Holistic Gardener

There is the old saying “The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is now.” So here are some good reasons to act now. 1. Trees produce oxygen: We learn in school that … Continue reading →

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Imagine a garden

Posted on May 13, 2013 by The Holistic Gardener

Imagine a garden, filled to the brim with wonderful plants, lush foliage and exuberant blooms. There is an air of serenity, you can feel the warmth of the sun on your skin, a gentle breeze cooling your face, the fragrance … Continue reading →

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Do you garden for optimum health?

Posted on May 11, 2013 by The Holistic Gardener

My latest article in Sláinte Magazine is on ‘Gardening for Optimum health’ – visit http://www.slaintemagazine.ie/Health/Recent_articles.html for a sneak peak and a look back at other articles on gardening for health or with a health condition.

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truly blessed?

Posted on May 10, 2013 by The Holistic Gardener

The optimist sees the rose and not its thorns; the pessimist stares at the thorns, oblivious of the rose. Khalil Gibran I say – The gardener who can see beyond the greenfly is truly blessed. but if you cant.. then … Continue reading →

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getting a brew on – how to make some compost tea

Posted on May 9, 2013 by The Holistic Gardener

Making a tea of your compost or manure makes it go further. Compost tea is great as a foliar spray to feed plants and supress foliar diseases whereas manure tea is best as a soil drench to invigorate or rejuvenate … Continue reading →

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Letting the grass grow under your feet is no bad thing

Posted on May 9, 2013 by The Holistic Gardener

There is an old saying that the best thing about a lawn is that it provides a place where weeds can stand out and be recognized. And that myth of a high maintenance patch of green that exploded into weeds … Continue reading →

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looking nifty on the thrifty

Posted on May 8, 2013 by The Holistic Gardener

My latest article “the cosmetic garden” with SELFBUILD AND IMPROVE YOUR HOME has hit the shelves today. Heres an extract: The word cosmetic can conjure a notion of façade (concealer, lip plumper and other trompe l’oeil) or worse in the … Continue reading →

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Wonderful weeds.

Posted on May 8, 2013 by The Holistic Gardener

You might be thinking … Wonderful? Weeds? Really!!! But yeah I think they are wonderful, not just in how they conquer and adapt to situations but beyond their lesson in persistance, they have some great atributes that holistic gardeners can … Continue reading →

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