We like homesteading as a practical way of connecting our busy lives to the land in an effort to transition from consumers to producers. Building systems to deal with supplies from the garden increases self reliance and quality of life. As many of you requested, here’s a video of our newest pallet innovation, the wood […]
2021 is now another year gone by, a productive year with lots of fruitful gardening and homesteading projects. Thanks to all of those that have helped, volunteers, neighbors, our customers, our audience and last but not least nature itself. The wheel of life is ticking over even now in mid winter, spring is fast approaching. […]
Yacon is a tuberous winter vegetable from the Andes with a crisp texture and a mild sweetness best eaten raw like an apple. It grows similar in structure to a Dahlia, but taller and with yellow daisy like flowers. Yacon is closly related to Jerusalem artichokes and the sunflower. It can easily be grown outdoors, […]
Mashua is a tuberous cousin of the garden Nasturtium. It’s been used by humans for over 8000 years and in cultivation for 1400 years in Peru and Bolivia. Leaves and flowers are mild and nice in a salad. Tubers can be harvested all Winter or left in the ground where the plant will continue to […]
Here’s a quick video tour of the poultry market in Roscommon. Lots of interesting breeds of chickens, ducks, quail and all sorts of other small animals. It’s on the first Sunday of every month, although we’ve been told that it’s a lot of less active over the Winter, but from February onward it will get […]
Harvesting Jerusalem artichokes is one of the most satisfying jobs, it really brightens up that dark time of year. It’s like going out into the garden looking for Easter eggs, you never know what you might find just beneath the surface. Jerusalem artichokes are a tuberous sunflower originally known as Giro Sol, to turn with […]
In this video we’ll show you what we’ve done with willow in our gardens and how to plant willow cuttings. Willow is a powerful and versatile tree, especially the fast growing variety with large flowers producing abundant pollinator food in early Spring. You can create a hedge, a shelterbelt or even a living willow structure […]
Birds and especially song birds are delightful to watch around the garden. They also play an important role in the local eco system by keeping insect numbers in check. We like keeping birds fed year around by planting all sorts of berries and ever increasing biodiversity in the garden. Creating nesting habitat for them to […]
Here’s a bit of video coverage of the Athlone Apple Day hosted by Fryry Orchard. A great day for the whole family, almost a harvest festival. A special thanks to the organizers for getting more people interested in producing their fruit by simply planting apple trees and to irish seed savers for coming along. The […]
Is mint underrated for it’s use in making tea (infusion)? Besides it’s many shapes and colours, there is a multitude of flavours waiting to be explored. The leaves can be quite ornamental and the flowers attract beneficial insects including a variety of pollinators. Once you plant mint in a corner of your garden you will […]