One of the big pulling factors to Bloom each year for garden lovers like myself is the fountain of garden knowledge that is simply around every corner that you turn!
One of the best places to get some top class advice and gardening tips is at the Garden Expert Stage found in the Floral Marquee. The added bonus about going to one of the talks here is that you get to sit down for 30-40 minutes. So not only do you leave the talks brimming with new knowledge but you have a little bit more energy to hunt down more plants!
The talk I went to today was by the one and only Gerry Daly! If there was a rock star of Bloom I think Gerry would claim the title! Well judging by the large numbers of people that are always around him asking questions it seems like that!
Gerry does daily talks on the Garden Expert Stage and today’s one was called ‘Gardening made better and easier’. Now in my books anything that will make gardening better and easier at the same time is good in my books!
Below I have included some of the main tips that I took away from the talk that I thought would be good to share with you.
Gardening Made Better and Easier Take Home Messages from Gerry Daly
The best way to make gardening easier and better is by working with plants and instead of forcing it to do what you want it to let it do what it wants to do.
Plants have their own agendas in the garden and by allowing them to meet their goals we will reap the rewards in the long run with healthier plants, better flowering and overall a more enjoyable plant to have in the garden.
Nature covers the main needs of plants but the most important one, position, is dictated by us the gardeners so we must be very mindful of this when gardening.
It is important to think, not just of the plant we have today, but the plant we will have in 15 years when it is mature when deciding on position and spacing in a border.
DO YOUR RESEARCH! Gardeners have a fountain of knowledge at their fingertips both online and in books so their is no excuse for not know your plant before you buy it or plant it.
Know your soil and save time. Knowing if your soil is acid or lime based will save time when selecting plants and ensuring they will work in your garden. Checking will allow you to pick plants that will work well and not struggle.
Don’t just stick with a plant when it is not working just because it is planted in the ground. A weed by definition is a plant in the wrong place and so these can be seen as big weeds. Remove the plant and put something in that will work in the position better instead of spending time trying to make it work.
Lawns are the most time consuming part of the garden. Having a wildflower lawn instead will save time, as it does not have to be cut as often, and is better for the environment. A wildflower lawn is not a meadow though, it is simply a lawn where wildflowers are encouraged and fertilisers or weed killers are not applied.
Cutting down the size of a lawn will also make for time saved and more space for better quality plants.
My Name is David Corscadden and I have just finished my degree in horticulture from UCD. I have a keen interest in wildlife friendly gardens or as I like to call them “Wild Gardens”. I have in the last year taken a u-turn in what I thought I would do after college. I have moved more in to the literature side of horticulture and plan to do a masters in journalism next year.
