June Gardening Newsletter – New Project
Dear Fellow Gardeners,
We are so excited to embark on a new adventure in our life – Tilled Earth. We bought a plot of land (7 acres) in Mayo between Mulranny and Achill and plan to develop it into a beautiful garden where we can run gardening courses, experiment with new crops, save seeds and create a beautiful space for people to come and visit and learn.
The land includes an old Scots Pine and Alder woodland (about an acre) which we plan to extend into an edible forest garden. There are also 5 acres of bogland going up to a mountain and an acre around the dwelling and an old flat –roofed pub.
Our short-term plan is to create a small walled garden which would serve as a teaching garden including a greenhouse. We will also restore the pub to make it into a classroom and conservatory where we are planning to run gardening courses next year.
Our longer term plan is create “A garden of a thousand edible plants”. I always felt strongly that we should grow a much wider range of food crops and not just specialise in just a few crops. These will include unusual fruit, herbs, salads, vegetables and even gourmet mushrooms. This would be much better for the land and also for our own health.
This may well become our life-time project and could take a few years to complete. What we really want to achieve with this project is to show people how to grow an abundance of food in their own gardens.
In the vegetable garden we witness the constant miracles of a germinating seed or the bounty of a bean harvest. And it’s not always all rosy – there are the slugs and aphids to deal with and the weeds that strangle your crops. This is very much part of it, that is what makes you a part of the garden.
On top of our land is a spring with the purest of water which we will lead down. Until not long ago – all the neighbouring houses were using this water. On my Nuffield trip to Peru and Bolivia a number of years ago I came across an ancient Inca growing method which they had only re-discovered a few decades ago. It’s called the Waru Waru system and since then I always felt this would be a wonderful technique for the wet areas. I won’t explain more at this stage but it is something I am very excited about.
Joanna, myself, Thien (17) and Elsbeth (13) are really looking forward to sharing our experience in developing this project with you and hope to see you there once it is up and running.
We will post photos or even videos on our instagram:
#klauslaitenberger
Upcoming Gardening Talks, Workshops and Festivals
Date: Friday 14th – Sunday 16th June 2024
Garden Show Ireland
Venue: Antrim Castle Gardens
Book now on www.gardenshowireland.com
We’ll be there for the entire weekend. It’s always such a wonderful festival and we are so looking forward to it. Amongst others you’ll also meet Diarmud Gavin and Marie Staunton.
Date: Thursday 20th June 2024
Open Day at IRD Duhallow in Newmarket, Co. Cork – Social Farming and Community Garden
I can’t wait to see this garden next month and hopefully meet some of you there.
For more information contact Rachel Budd on [email protected]
Date: Friday 28th and Saturday 29th June 2024
Course: Grow your own food in healthy soil
Venue: Wexford
This course may be booked out already? For more information contact Jenny Barry on Facebook @ Jennifer Jenny Barry
Date: Saturday 6th – Sunday 7th July 2024
Galway Garden Festival
Venue: Claregalway Castle
Email: [email protected]
Date: Saturday 20th July 2024
Course: Grow your own healthy vegetables
Venue: Irish Seed Savers Association, Scarriff, Co. Clare
For more details contact Gillian on [email protected]
Date: Sunday 21st July 2024
Course: Growing in Polytunnels
Venue: Irish Seed Savers Association, Scarriff, Co. Clare
For more details contact Gillian on [email protected]
Date: Wednesday 31st July
Talk: Carlow Garden Festival
I’ll give a talk at the beautiful Shankhill Gardens during the festival.
Date: Saturday 24th August 2024
Day Course: Grow Your Own Vegetables
Venue: OURganic Gardens, Gortahork, Co. Donegal, F92 TV06
Cost: €70 – €90
For bookings please contact Milo on 086 1088397 or email on [email protected]
Happy Gardening,
Klaus and Joanna
Twitter: http://twitter.com/KLaitenberger
Instagram: #klauslaitenberger
