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 What benefits birds, also benefits humans, as those of our readers here in Thurles and Co Tipperary, who supplemented their garden’s birds’ diet, during the recent unprecedented harsh weather, can attest. By feeding the birds in your area, there is an automatically important knock-on effect for the flower lover and organic gardener, as birds will quickly get used to searching for food in your garden and will simultaneously search for pests such as greenfly, caterpillars and snails, all the year round.
By the way this video was captured on the new Flip Video Camera. Latter fits into the palm of your hand, easily fits in your jeans pocket while letting you record high quality HD footage with the greatest of ease. The rectangular shaped camera is the size of a standard mobile phone and can captures 2 hours of HD video at a time, so is ideal for the local football match, the confirmation or the children’s birthday party. On the Flip Video camera front is a zoom lens and microphone, while the back contains a 1.5 inch viewing screen, plus four directional arrows, a delete and a play button. A USB plug flips out from its side allowing you to connect it directly to a computer or laptop USB port, without the hassle of attaching messy cables, thus allowing you to play your captured content immediately without rendering. As you can see from this video, this tiny camera delivers a remarkably high quality picture on a device that any unskilled individual can use. I find it especially good in situations like observing nature, as with the aid of a tripod, it allows me to get up close and personal without being intrusive. (This extraordinary HD Video Camera is also very affordable, at around €170 .)
After the glut of each years Summer and Autumn fruits have passed and when insects are diminishing, winter is most certainly the correct time to feed our local bird population, but when should we stop?
With regard to this question, there are possibly two schools of thought. Some says you should stop gradually, once winter is over and more natural foods become available. Other state that stopping suddenly increases stress to birds, when they are already under pressure both defending territories and building their nests. There is possibly some truth in both schools of thinking, but it is true that allowing blue tits to feed their very their young babies on peanuts is likely to cause their deaths, as very young Blue Tits can’t digest the nuts fed by their parents. You could however, switch to other foods during the period, perhaps hanging up a meat bone, left over from your main meal, which offers to the birds a high protein food. There will be plenty of natural food available in your garden in Summer, with greenfly, caterpillars and snails, of all sizes, in much abundance.
The different species of our birds life have different feeding habits. Hanging food is ideal for sparrows and members of the Tit family, using a peanut or seed dispenser as shown in this video attached.
Continue reading What Benefits Birds Can Benefit Humans
An open day will take place on Sunday next, July 25th at Matt Fogarty’s tree farm and nursery near Ballinderry, Nenagh, Co Tipperary.
Matt’s Tree Nursery holds a wide range of both native and exotic species and he has visited woods and arboretums around the world, the evidence of which can be seen growing here in Ballinderry.
 The nursery is situated between Terryglass and Ballinderry close to beautiful Lough Derg. There are over 12 hectares of hardwood trees, hundreds of species, in varying sizes. The Deer and Pheasant run freely here and there are also an abundance of wild fowl living in and around the on-site pond area.
Matt won Farm Forester of the year in 1995 and Amenity Forester of the year in 2000. Warning however, Matt and Mary Fogarty’s passion for Mother Nature is very highly contagious, as seen when they guide groups, families or individuals through the tranquillity of their tree heaven.
As stated, there are over 12 hectares of different species to be admired and studied: e.g. Walnut, Oak, Copper Beech, and Spanish Chestnut, to Maple, Hornbeam, and the magnificent California Redwood, plus many others in different stages of maturity.
Imagine, If You Can, A World Without Trees
The American Soldier, Journalist and Poet Alfred Joyce Kilmer probably best described our love of this perennial woody plant in this simple poem.
“Trees” by Poet Alfred Joyce Kilmer (1886–1918)
I think that I shall never see – A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest – Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day – And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in summer wear – A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain; – Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me, – But only God can make a tree.
Another American poet Frederic Ogden Nash (1902–1971) well known for his light humorous verse, slightly changed the wording of this poem, lamenting the unnecessary destruction of our forests and the erection of massive wooden highway billboards, both adding to the destruction of our scenic environment.
“Trees” By Poet Frederic Ogden Nash (1902–1971)
I think that I shall never see, – A billboard lovely as a tree.
Indeed, unless the billboards fall, – I’ll never see a tree at all.
So if you are out and about this Sunday, you fancy a tree to enhance your dwelling place, don’t miss this opportunity to learn, at first hand, how you can grow a wide range of wonderful trees, many of which you will not be familiar, but which are very well suited to our Irish climate.
 The prize winning pupils in the Agri-Aware’s nationwide Incredible Edibles competition gathered in Dublin Zoo yesterday to receive prizes worth over €5,000 to help them develop school gardens.
Monastery Primary School (Scoil na mBriathre 3rd class) in Tipperary town was the nationwide winner out of thousands of primary schools which took part in the competition to grow their own potatoes, onions, baby carrots, lettuce, spinach and strawberries .
Agri Aware’s Mairead Lavery stated:
“The competition has given tens of thousands of children the thrill of growing their own food and understanding from whence their food is derived. They also understand how important it is for their health and the effort it takes to actually grow their own ‘five-a-day’.”
Next meeting of GIY (Grow It Yourself) Thurles will be held on Thursday next, March 11th, at 7.00pm in the Thurles Library building, The Source, Cathedral Street, Thurles.
As we have now officially entered into Spring, it’s time to start thinking again about growing our own vegetables.
With St Patrick ’s Day approaching fast, don’t forget to set your early potatoes.
 Tipperary Organic Food The GIY networks team aim to take the ‘self’ out of ‘self-sufficiency’ by getting garden growers together on a regular basis to chat and learn the tips of the trade from one another.
Note: The meetings are free and open to people interested in food production at all levels, e.g. from growing a few herbs on the balcony to complete self-sufficiency for beginners as well as old hands.
For more information on the GIY Network visit www.giyireland.com
And talking about healthy food, congratulations to “Omega Beef Direct“ in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, who won an environmental award for its sustainable farming and production methods.
Joe and Eileen Condon’s organic farm is close to the Knockmealdown mountains here in Co Tipperary and they scooped their top prize in this years annual food awards presented by the Irish Food Writers Guild, Dublin.
This is the 16th year of the awards, which seek to promote the highest quality of produce, and craftsmanship.
 Growing your own food can be an isolating experience particularly when you are a novice and you just don’t know where to start.
Those dreaded words “Economic Recession” and “Unemployment” have brought about a huge revival in gardening and vegetable growing and also a sense of true community, particularly through the use of available public allotments.
Allotment gardening reduces stress, especially when it gets you away from the pressures of modern urban living. The health and social benefits of allotment growing can offer a particular advantage to individuals, particularly those who suffer with physical and mental health issues.
You can developing new skills, pick up new tips from other gardeners, whilst chatting and passing the time of day. Old experienced hands pass on the tips and skills which in the future you can use to mentor other newcomers. Through meeting and sharing experiences with others you will soon begin to rediscover a sense of community that’s appears to have gone missing from so many of our lives today. Anyway there is something spiritual about bringing your hands into contact with the good earth.
A “Grow It Yourself” group is about creating a grower’s community so that people can come together in their locality to learn from each other and exchange tips, knowledge, produce
“Grow It Yourself” Thurles is taking part in an event run in the Tipperary Institute Thurles as part of Aontas Festival Week, on Tues 23rd from 8.00pm – 9.30 pm.
The following is the format for the evening:-
Each of the groups named below will be giving an introductory talk lasting 10-15 min .
Grow It Yourself (GIY)
Green Energy
Allotments
Tipperary Menu
Fairtrade
Farmers Market
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