(Monday 6th June 2011) Our third Poultry Day this year and it is a great opportunity to buy your hen, ducks etc as well as gain advice on all things poultry. This is a great event as there is no fee to attend and you can have a cuppa and a slice of cake in …
(5th June 2011) Can we tantalises your tastebuds with this little beauty. Fresh in today the Pineberry which produces fruit which looks like a strawberry, but is white and tastes like a pineapple? Normally sold as pack of three for €15 however we will be selling one plant for €5 if you want to try …
A bag of bags an unusual title but this was exactly what I received from the guys at GreenSax, in fact four types of bags. My favourites the Kitchen Caddy and the Pedal Bin will have an immediate use as we already separate our vegetable peelings, tea bags, eggshells and other compostable goods into the …
A bag of bags: GreenSax Compostable Caddy/Bin Bags Read More »
Thanks to all our entrants to the Bloom in the Park Competition, however there could only be 1 winner: Congratulations to Valerie Healy, Cork – the tickets are on their way to her right now. With the good weather predicted we hope she has a great time! To see how Valerie was randomly picked see …
A familiar sight in late spring, the hybrid form ‘Vossii’ is by far the best variety of laburnum, producing a lavish display of extremely long clusters of yellow flowers. The poisonous seeds are not as abundant as on other varieties, and if removed it can ensure good flowering the following year. It can be …
We did it, and we did it courtesy of the comments and interactions from our likes so a big thank you. Roll on the awards on the 26th…..
Today the longlist of the nominees for the various categories in the 2011 Social Media Awards was announced. Certainly is a long list and includes some big names Toyota Ireland, Vodafone Ireland, Glenisk Organic and Meteor Mobile to name but a few. Well I am glad to see The Secret Garden Centre nominated …
(Sunday 8th May 2011) I became aware of this event last year, the day after and when I mentioned it on our facebook page last year it got some interesting reactions……. So with a weeks notice you can get yourself prepared for being in the buff on Saturday 14th May …
(7th May 2011) On receiving a surprise package of fantastic cleaning products from Malones addressed to this blog, my delight was at getting such a lovely gift and one which would come in very useful as well as be a product I would use as it has no harsh chemicals. For Sarah the pleasure was …
Composting Information Afternoon Saturday 14th May 1-4pm In association with Cork County Council Demonstrations & advice on all aspects of home composting, including wormeries. No entry fee plus free prize draw to win one of three compost bins. Sunday 15th May 2-5pm Advice on all aspects of poultry keeping. Poultry, feeders and feeds for sale. …
(23rd April 2011) What with all this gorgeous sunny weather, you could not visit the visit the garden centre and think of having an ice cream. For that reason we are delighted to be able to offer you the delicious and locally made Murphys Ice Cream. You will be able to have 125ml’s of pure …
(17th April 2011) Are you thinking of attending Bloom 2011 in the Phoenix Park from 2nd June – 6th June 2011? Well we have a great offer for any customer of The Secret Garden Centre whether your purchase is done online or when you visit. We will give you a voucher courtesy of Bord Bia which entitles you to …
Bloom 2011 Ireland’s Largest Garden Festival 2 for 1 offer Read More »
(10th April 2011) Well my ‘favourite’ journalist in The Sunday Times gets something right and something wrong in his feature entitled ‘No flies on my crops’. In summary the feature is about growing carrots and the issue of carrot root fly and how to prevent them. Well Mr Keenan gets one thing right his local …
No flies on his crop…..or how to deal with root fly Read More »
(7th April 2011) Provenance : The beginning of something’s existence; something’s origin. A posh definition of where something comes from and particularly important to The Secret Garden as we look to select local nurseries so we support local enterprise and also reduce our carbon footprint. Within 40 minutes of the garden centre there are 2 …
(26th March 2011) So at 20.30 tonight once again my lights will be going off in recognition of Earth Hour. This is the fifth time his has taken place and is a global response to climate change. A simple gesture where all lights are turned off and replaced with flickering candle light. To make even …
(21st March 2011) Double green we have been shortlisted for The Green Corporate Citizen Award and The Green Retailer Award in The Green Awards of Ireland. This is fantastic recognition of our strive to be a greener garden centre.
(18th March 2011) Announced today were the majority of the categories of the Green Awards 2011. Like last year we submitted our entry (although this year the sensible and far greener option of the paperless entry system was reintroduced) and waited with baited breath. Last year had seen us gain finalist status in both The …
(17th March 2011) When we moved here back in 2002 we arrived with two rescue greyhounds Mo and Mutley. Two very different dogs, Mo a very placid affectionate guy and Mutley our affectionate bruiser loved people but not great with small furry things. Shortly after coming here an offer of two ducks that needed a …
Filled with animals, birds and wildlife….it could be an animal farm Read More »
(26th February 2011) For this year we have altered our primary compost supplier as we have been looking to find a product which lessens the impact on the environment. For that reason we shall be supplying Bord na Mona’s Growise and Peat Free products. The Peat Free range speaks for itself and includes the Peat …
(25th February 2010) Delighted to see that today our new site finally went live and from the feedback received it seems that the look of the site has captured exactly what we were looking to achieve. Our previous site had been developed by a friend which we were very grateful for, both in terms of …
24th January 2011: In less than a week two journalists from the same paper have left me somewhat surprised by their comments. The first was Fionnuala Fallon, who did an excellent feature in the Irish Times on Thursday 20th, giving sound advice on growing potatoes. However at the end of the piece Fionnuala recommends a …
19th December 2010: Snow is something that as a child I craved, it brings back memories of making snowmen in the garden, great snowball fights and the pleasure of being sent home from school. On the close I grew up in, collectively adults and children would dig two tracks up the hill to every drive …
29th November 2010: On your marks get set start recording…..but not until the 1st December. Our most popular survey, the Garden Bird Survey (GBS) helps us to keep track of the fortunes of Ireland’s garden birds. It attracts over 1,000 submissions each year. As the Irish countryside changes, gardens are becoming increasingly important havens for …
27th November 2010 Delighted to see that my local ‘competitor’ from the Kiskeam area with the word ‘one’ in his name has joined Facebook. Thought they may have been a little more creative in their page description. They have copied and pasted our text and have just altered our name for their own. Not surprised …
8th May 2010: Sadly I saw this on Saturday evening. So due to lack of awareness and a cold breeze there was no naked gardening at The Secret Garden Centre. However on Mondays when we are closed I am glad we are in a secluded location…. Get ready for the Fifth Annual World Naked Gardening …
25th April 2010: It would be hard to find a more spectacular flowering shrub or tree than the Magnolia. The older soulangeana varieties herald the end of winter with their stunning mass display of purple and white flowers on the bare branches.In small gardens there is always a place for either the bushy star-flowering stellata …
27th March 2010: A small contribution can make a large statement. Dont forget to switch off. For more details http://www.friendsoftheirishenvironment.net/?id=26 The Secret Garden does earth hour by candlelight……
14th March 2010: ■ In mild areas, sow peas, broad beans, parsnips and carrots. ■ Continue planting lily bulbs. ■ Order onion sets, shallots and seed potatoes. Stocks are already running low. ■ Cut back hedges before birds start to nest. ■ Prune large flowered clematis. ■ Start to prune roses, removing dead, damaged or …
13th March 2010: As we all know gardening is not just for the weekend……… With the lighter nights we all want to be getting outdoors for some digging or seed sowing. For that reason we have returned to our normal closing time of 6pm Tuesday to Sunday. So you can visit whenever suits you without …
6th March 2010: After lots of deliberation we have come up with a very simple name for the building we opened at the end of the summer last year. It is going to be the T Room, as it is a place for training, therapy (both horticultural and retail) and of course tea. Just think …
