How to dyg

There are all sorts of reasons for buying Irish grown plants, and caring about the environment is only one of them. There is an increasing interest in where our food comes from, and ‘food miles’ has become an issue for many shoppers. The numerous farmers’ markets around the country are driving home the point that local is best. Is this the time that the horticultural industry – designers, landscapers, gardeners and retailers – should start applying some of the same principles to where their plants come from?

There are many reasons for buying Irish grown plants. First of all, it takes less handling to get them from the nursery to their final home in the ground. A Japanese maple from New Zealand or a mature, specimen plant from Italy has many more miles behind it – and therefore a far greater embodied energy - particularly as far as oil consumption is concerned. Secondly, plants grown locally have a far greater tolerance to the vagaries of our climate. They have grown up with the wind, the lack of summer heat, the salty air near the coast, and so on. Thirdly, local plants mean local jobs; nursery producers are a valuable part of the horticultural industry, and for them to suffer or decline while oil and transport are cheap may leave us with a depleted skills-base when the cost of transport rises beyond a critical point. And finally, there is the diversity which a local or small-scale nursery can offer: the chance seedling that is propagated, trialled and sold. These nurseries are not driven by economies of scale – and therefore offer a greater choice of material.

We are surrounded by it here, and gardeners and garden designers love it – the sea. 

It has challenges and rewards to test our skills: the challenges are salt-laden winds, unbroken gales and often poor soil. But the rewards are great too: we can demonstrate our skill in coping with this; the colours and textures of the sea makes it the ultimate foil for plants and, apart from the wind, the climate is more forgiving. The promise of no serious frosts has lead gardeners for years to ‘push the boundaries’ of what they can grow.

From a plantsman’s point of view, there are always ‘new’ plants which can be tried and tested. From a designer’s point of view, it’s impossible to pin any particular aesthetic on gardens by the sea, because our coastline is so diverse. There is the ‘golden coast’ of Dublin Bay, (Killiney Bay, after all, has been called the ‘Naples of Ireland’, with its grand houses perched on steep hills.) There’s the calmer, sandier coast from Wicklow to east Cork, with its rich agricultural hinterland. West Cork and Kerry have areas of lush woods, and on around to the exposed west coast taking in the Burren along the way, all the way up to Donegal. And there are the extraordinary pockets of calm and mildness in the north, such as Mount Stewart outside Belfast. The now ubiquitous Phormium, Hebe and Griselinia have had their day in the sun, and have made their mark on our coastline. The time has now come for people to make more informed and diverse decisions, and it's hoped that dyg can help in doing this.

Seaside mix: flowering shrubs planting scheme page... 

Seaside mix: flowers and perennials planting scheme page...

For many people, gardening takes place on balconies, terraces and rooftops, and there is no access to open soil. In some respects, this makes things easier, as there are fewer limitations imposed by soil conditions. Some plants do better in containers than others. Before buying plants, consider various aspects which will impact on your plant choices, such as wind, amount of sunlight, access to rain water and amount of space.

If there is one golden rule with plants in containers, it is watering. We have made several roof gardens over the years, and in all cases we felt it important to work out the logistics of watering early on. There is no point in going to the considerable effort and expense of buying plants and containers if there is no easy way to water them. Automated irrigation kits can be bought from DIY shops, or make sure you have a decent hose and attachments (never buy one of the commonly available, cheaper brands, as they kink hopelessly and will drive you mad!) If you don't have an outdoor tap on your balcony or rooftop, make sure you have a watering can. Our ready-made scheme of plants suitable for rooftops and balconies is designed to do well in containers, but it will still need watering!

The best thing you can do with your garden is to work with what you have. Endless hours can go into changing soil, changing drainage or getting something to grow that simply doesn’t want to. Even in a small place like Ireland, we have an endless diversity of climates and conditions – compare a boggy site in the Midlands with a seaside on the West coast. To garden successfully, the first step is to understand the predominant conditions which will ultimately determine what you can and cannot grow.

Shelter is important for any house and garden, and the first place to start is the boundaries. If you live in the countryside or an area which is essentially rural, by and large you should choose plants to match what is traditionally grown in the area. Typical plants for hedges are hawthorn, holly and blackthorn, and area ideal because they deter animals such as sheep and cattle, but encourage wildlife through their berries and flowers. Most areas of Ireland have particular plants which thrive in the local conditions: think of the Fuchsia hedges of West Cork and Kerry, or clipped hedges of Ash and Beech in Wicklow, Wexford and other counties on the East coast. In suburban settings the choice of plants for your boundary is far greater, and the thorns and spikes of some of the native plants are less desirable, can harbour litter and be difficult to maintain. There is less need to ‘blend in’ with the surrounding environment in urban and suburban areas where, to a degree, anything goes.

Mulch: the benefits of using mulch

This hasn't been a great summer for those plants which are sun-lovers, but ideal for anyone who has recently planted a garden - no need for watering. However, the rain has meant plenty of leafy growth, and some plants look great in the rain. In weather like this, adding a layer of mulch to the top of the soil is more important that ever. Mulch stops the soil from splashing up onto the undersides of plants, prevents mud splashing against buildings, and prevents nutrients from being washed away. Mulch can take many forms: gravel, slate, bark, manure, garden compost. Generally speaking, use a mulch such as gravel or slate for plants which like drier, warmer conditions (such as herbs), as these materials absorb and store heat, and ensure that the upper surface of the soil remains dry. Use bark mulch around the base of trees and shrubs, where it keeps down weeds and grass and will slowly be absorbed into the soil. For faster-growing plants such as perennials, grasses and vegetables, use a finer mulch such as well-rotted farmyard manure, composted leaves, or home-made compost. This will rot down quickly into the soil, or be pulled down by earthworms, making the soil lighter and more free-draining, whilst protecting the upper surface from the elements.

As a general rule, bark mulch and non-degradable mulch such as gravel or slate should be applied at the time of planting. Lighter, more degradable mulches such as compost or manure should be applied at the end of the year (late Autumn), when many plants are cut back, and topped up again in the spring if necessary. Take care when spreading mulch not to damage tips of new plants or bulbs. Depending on the type of planting, spread mulch to a depth of 1 - 3 inches.