Garden Digest: Events for September 

Dates for your diary and ideas to make the most of your green spaces

September is already a busy month for gardening events.

Kanturk Flower and Garden Club will meet on Wednesday, September 6, at 8pm in The Temperance Hall, Strand Street, Kanturk (next to Alley Bar). The guest speaker is Hester Forde, Coosheen, Glounthaune, Co Cork — who will give a talk on “Autumn Bulb Planting — The Time of Year to Plan Ahead. It will cover what to plant from narcissus to alliums to tulips as well as advice on how to create the perfect bulb lasagne and have a glorious show next spring. Everyone is welcome and entry is only €5. Refreshments will be served.

Macroom Flower & Garden Club will host a floral demonstration by Ann Hester (AOIFA) entitled “Welcome Autumn” on Thursday, September 14, at 8pm at Coolcower House. Club competitions and sales table. New Members and Visitors are very welcome. Floral art classes will resume shortly. Contact the secretary for further details, 087-9821708.

Enrolments are now being taken for Horticulture and Sports Turf Management courses at Cork College of FET Tramore Road Campus. The courses include full-time QQI level 5 and level 6 in Horticulture and level 6 in Greenkeeping and Sports Turf Management. Apply online at www.csn.ie or contact Daniel Crowley for more information at 021-2067636 or [e-mail].

Cobh Flower and Horticulture Club is back after the summer break and its next meeting will take place on Monday, September 4, in Cobh Community Centre at 7pm. There will be a floral demonstration by Melanie Harris D.Dip AOIFA.

Glin Castle in Limerick will host an open day on Sunday, September 3. Admission is €10 per adult and gates open at noon. The open day will offer a tour of the ground floor of the castle and a tour of the gardens. You will get an opportunity to hear about the history of the FitzGerald family, view the superb interiors and admire the collection of Irish furniture and
paintings. There will also be guided tours of the magnificent formal gardens and kitchen garden. For those who would like to extend their visit, The Knights of Glin Visitor Centre is a resource located next to Glin Library on Lower Main Street. Entry is free and here you can learn all about the 800-year legacy of the Glin Knights, from when the first Knight, Maurice Fitzgerald, arrived.

Lismore Castle Gardens will host a talk by head gardener Colm O’Driscoll on the evening of Friday, September 29, from 7pm to 9pm. Colm joins Lismore from Airfield Estate in Dundrum, Co Dublin, where he spearheaded the transformation of the gardens from a part-building site to one of Ireland’s must-see gardens. A graduate of the National Botanic Gardens of Ireland, Colm has enjoyed a diverse career, gaining experience in many sectors of the horticultural industry, including landscape, retail, nursery stock, and organic food production. For booking information phone [phone] or email [e-mail].

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