Muintir na Tire School Garden Competition

Upcoming training course in  Social and Therapeutic Horticulture , aimed at people working with children and young people. It is  accredited by Thrive , the UK-based charity with over 40 years’ experience in the area of therapeutic horticulture. This 2-day course will take place on  Sat 13 th  and Sun 14 th  April in the Cork Association for Autism in Carrigtwohill, Cork. Further information and booking details can be found at this link  https://shop.giy.ie/products/ 2018-11-10-usingsthyoung2day

Parsnip Why Grow It? Earthy and homely, parsnips really do provide the quintessential taste of winter.  Worth growing just for the smell you get when you pluck a parsnip from the soil on a cold winter’s day.  Unlike carrots, they are relatively easy to grow (once you have persuaded them to germinate), needing very little attention.  They will also stay in the ground quite happily (through even the worst winter weather) until you’re ready to eat them. Sowing Dig bed deeply in winter but do not manure (causes forking in roots).  Break down clods, rake well and add an organic fertiliser a week before sowing.  Most parsnip seed packets will tell you to sow them in February - don't do it.  Far better to leave it until late April or early May.  The seeds won’t germinate in cold, wet soil and later-sown parsnips are less likely to get canker.  Germination takes up to three weeks.  Make a drill 1cm deep – if soil is dry, dampen.  Sow three seeds every 6 inches in rows 12 in

Reminder Closing Date for School Garden Project 2019 entry is 19th of April. We are looking for Gardens that include Art and colour   Using art  and Colour in the garden to enhance its  features and characteristics . Try using upcycled materials Imaginative use of limited space.  For schools with very limited space ie. Small Courtyards,  Limited Soil Space, Use of  Tubs, Containers, Window Boxes, Paths, Borders, Walls etc.   Innovation and Creativity  In recognition of the Creative Ireland Programme, this category encourages innovative garden elements, using new and unique features to  inspire others Fun and Play The degree to which the garden contributes to opportunities for fun and play in the school Learning experience The degree to which  the garden is used as a learning tool within the school and the amount of children who participate. Planning and Community Involvement The  degree to which the wider community  support the  original design, construction an

National Tree Week 2019 runs from March 31st  – 7th April. Plant a tree this weekend.  National Tree Week is a time to celebrate all positive aspects of trees in our lives and environment.   In Ireland , We have beautiful trees in our landscape, planted by our ancestors. We too need to plant trees for the future generations to love and appreciate.  Our wonderful country and Wildlife needs every generation committed to Growing Trees This weekend, lets come together as a family or community and plant a tree .   What a beautiful way to celebrate our wonderful world and Mothers, By taking time as a family to  planting a tree .  With sum a large Range of trees, Choosing the right one can be difficult.  Here are a few to consider : Acaia Dealbata : Mimosa A small to medium growing evergreen tree, Acacia dealbata is  relatively fast growing and has grey-green fern-like foliage and fluffy fragrant yellow flowers in Winter and Spring. The Silver Wattle wil

Radish Why Grow It? Try eating a raw radish with a bit of butter and some seasoning and you have all the reasons you need to grow them.  Crunchy, peppery and delicious.  They are tremendously easy to grow and mature quickly so there’s a quick return – ideal therefore if you are just starting out.  Don’t dismiss them as a one-trick veg though – there are dozens of varieties including turnip-sized winter radishes which can be stored over the winter. Sowing They can be sown pretty much anywhere – often thrown in among other veg and even in partial shade.  Always sow directly in the soil – they don’t fare well when transplanted.  Sow a small number of seeds regularly (every two to three weeks) from April on.  Sow thinly 1cm deep and thin to 3cm apart. Growing Water regularly in dry weather but don’t over-water as it will encourage too much leafy growth. Harvesting They will be ready to eat withing a month which is one of the fastest growing times of all vegetables. 

Grow your Veg from Seed Growing vegetables from seed is fun, and it’s a great way to save tons of money on gardening! There’s nothing like being able to walk out into your backyard and harvest fresh vegetables to feed your family! Benefits Of Growing Your Own Vegetables We all know that starting vegetable seeds is cheaper than buying garden starter plants in the spring. But growing your own vegetables is also one of the healthiest things you can do, and it’s OH SO satisfying (not to mention all the money you save on groceries)! Plus, there are way more varieties of vegetable seeds for sale at garden centers than there are starter plants. So you can grow a nice variety of vegetables that you can’t buy at the store. How To Choose Vegetable Garden Seeds. Sometimes choosing which seeds to buy is the hardest part. It’s easy to get excited about all the cool vegetables you can grow, and forget to think practically. So, how can you narrow it down and choose what to grow? S

National Tree Week takes place between March 31 st  and April 7 th  2019 and is organised by the Tree Council of Ireland, supported by Coillte. To be part of National Tree Week, the Tree Council of Ireland invites Community groups and organisations, schools and people everywhere to organise or participate in one or more events for the week. As well as tree planting ceremonies, the range of events can include forest and woodland walks, nature trails, workshops, woodturning displays, listening to the trees and what lives in the trees. Talks, tree climbing, broadcasts, launches, poetry readings, exhibitions and dramas, and other similar ideas and events are all welcome. Thanks to the support of the Tree Council of Ireland, Cork County Council, through its Environmental Awareness Office and Heritage Unit, will have a number of native trees to give out to local schools, community groups and organisations on a first come first served basis, which can be planted during local Tree Week Event

   The Arts Council is seeking to expand its panel of  Creative Associates  to support the delivery of the  Scoileanna Ildánacha/Creative Schools initiative .   Creative Associates are artists, creative practitioners and teachers with a deep understanding of creativity and its potential to transform the lives of children and young people. They come from a range of creative professions, such as artists, designers, teachers and craftspeople.  Whether from the arts, culture, heritage, creative industries, education, science or other sectors, they challenge, support and sustain new practice in schools in the field of the arts, culture and creative learning. Creative Associates will match the needs of schools to arts and creative opportunities in their locality. They will identify potential areas for improvement and will inspire, energise and drive schools forward in addressing these. Through this pioneering initiative Creative Associates will have the chance to shape the place of the

   Opportunities for an additional 150 schools to begin participation in Creative Schools in the 2019-20 school year are still open. More information is available online at:  http://www.artscouncil.ie/ creative-schools/schools/ . Interested schools are advised to register their school today to ensure they will have time to complete the application by  March 21, 2019.  Creative Schools is a flagship initiative of the Creative Ireland Programme to enable the creative potential of every child. Creative Schools is led by the Arts Council in partnership with the Department of Education and Skills and the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. Creative Schools, formerly Arts Rich Schools/Arís, draws on the commitments set out in the Arts in Education Charter.

     Tá Conradh na Gaeilge ag obair i gcomhpháirt le Comhairle Contae Chorcaí i mbliana le comórtais scoile a reáchtáil mar chuid de Chlár Éire Ildánach agus an Oifig Gaeilge de chuid Comhairle Contae Chorcaí. Conradh na Gaeilge have partnered up with Cork County Council this year to run some great competitions, open to every school in the county, as part of Cork County Council’s Creative Ireland Programme and with the support of the Irish Office. Tá dhá comórtais ann – 1 – Gaelfhiseán na Bliana, agus 2 – Comórtas Ealaíne. There are two competitions – 1 – for a music video as Gaeilge and – 2- for a drawing/picture. Tá no sonraí shuas agus is féidir le daoine níos mo eolais a fháil ar   https://www.peig.ie/ comortaischorcai .  Details above or visit the website for more information.   

YOUNG GENERATION ARE  KEY  TO SAVING THE PLANET Launch of Cork School Garden  Project Watched by Deputy Mayor Cllr. Joe Harris Queen Bee Sherife Hayes shows pupils from Gaelscoil UÍ Drisceoill DunKettle Faye Ni Fhoghlu, Helen Ni hEalaithe, Aoife Ni Chonghaile and Faye Ni Chonaill how to make seed bombs for Wildflower meadows at the Launch of the Muintir na Tire Schools Garden Project in Griffins garden Centre Dripsey Part of the large crowd attending the Launch of the Muintir na Tire Schools Garden Project  in Griffins Garden Centre.  The sun shone brightly in Dripsey and the team at Griffins Garden Centre pulled out all the stops to get everything ready for the official Launch of the seventh  Muintir na Tire Cork School garden Project. Mr Seamus Forde County Chairman Muintir na Tire was on hand to welcome the large crowd to the launch .  Muintir na Tire, Cork County Council Environment and Heritage Sections and Griffins Garden Centre have all come tog

Celery Why Grow It? Good question – though growing celery has been made a lot easier with the arrival of self-blanching varieties, it’s still a tricky enough prospect to grow well.  But stick with it and it will reward you well.  Celery is incredibly good for you and is a staple “stock-pot” veg.  It tastes great raw and freezes well.  Traditionally, growing celery was incredibly labour intensive because trenches had to be prepared to grow them in and then the celery had to be regularly earthed up to blanch or whiten the stems.  Most GIYers now grow self-blanching (green) celery which does not require earthing up or trenching.  Happy days. Sowing Dig the bed in the winter and add plenty of well rotted manure or compost.  Add organic fertiliser (e.g chicken manure pellets) before planting.  Slow to germinate so grow in module trays and then transplant.  Sow in March for planting out in May (when they have four to six true leaves).  Harden off before planting out.  Self-bla