Garden Digest: April events for your diary

Demonstrations and events to note

• Clonakilty Flower Club will hold its April night on Monday, April 8, at 8pm, in the GAA Complex, Ahamilla, Clonakilty. The demonstrator is Mary Keogh, AOIFA. The club will have the usual competitions, raffle and refreshments. All are welcome.
• Cobh Flower and Horticulture Club will hold its next meeting in Cobh Community Centre on Monday, April 8, at 7pm. The speaker for the evening will be Dominic Cullinane and he will give a talk on gardening. There will be plants on sale. Visitors welcome. Admission €5.
• Devonshire Day will be held in Lismore Castle on April 7. Devonshire cream tea will be served in the Pugin Room, a talk on the history of the castle will be given by the head butler and there will be a guided tour of the castle gardens. Tickets are available on Eventbrite and through the Immrama website, lismore-Immrama.com.
• Skibbereen Flower and Garden Club will hold a demonstration in Abbeystrewery Hall on Wednesday, March 10, at 8.15pm. It is Margaret Ahern's final visit to Skibbereen as she is retiring this year.
• Kinsale Garden & Flower Club hosts the demonstration Naturalistic Spring. The demonstration, by Nora Gallagher, AOIFE, takes place on Thursday, April 11, at 8pm in St Multose Hall.
• Youghal Flower and Garden will hold a gala demonstration by Jasmine O'Gorman, AOIFE, in aid of AsiAm Ireland's National Charity on Wednesday, April 10, at 8pm in Brú na Sí, P36 H265 adjacent to Youghal GAA Pitch. Light refreshments served. Admission €15.
• Cork Flower Club will be meeting on Tuesday, April 16, at Douglas GAA Club, Douglas West, Cork, at 7.30pm. Brian McCarthy of the Rooftop Garden, Cornmarket Street, Cork, will be giving a talk on how the garden was created and its ongoing development. There will also be a selection of plants, Bric a Brac and preloved flower arranging containers and sundries for sale on the night. All welcome. Visitors €5.
• The Festival of Gardens and Nature is a new gardening event founded by Catherine FitzGerald and Minnie Preston which takes place in Ballintubbert Gardens and House in Stradbally, Co Laois, on the weekend of April 20 and 21. It is being described as Electric Picnic meets Gardeners’ World.