Refreshingly good

I know its been forever since I last wrote on here and I have so much to tell you about. I really need to boost myself and to get blogging asap and get out of this slightly stale (or perhaps lazy) rut. So where better for me to start than at a Green Campus meeting at University. Already the head is down and the mind is on overtime with assignment deadlines. Last year I missed 95% of the campus meetings due to lectures and clashes so when I received an email informing me of this get together I decided that I needed to make the effort and try again. As it turned out I really enjoyed it as we starting brainstorming ideas for the coming year and I'm delighted to say that we are involved in the Green Flag with An Taisce, applying to renew our flag (initially achieved in 2010) for spring 2013. So many activities we need to work on in order to do this and a revival of enthusiasm from the group is needed in order to relight the spark that has undoubtedly dimmed over the past year, probably with the arrival of summer exams.
It gives me that little kick to get back into the "Green buzz" that I had before but its also a reminder that we all slack off from time to time and lose sight of what we are trying to achieve. Also there is the feel that we are already doing everything we can so what more could we be possibly do? Tonight was great because I wasn't on my own but with an enthusiastic group putting our heads together and coming up with great ideas. They may be ideas to improve the campus but we mustn't forget that being Eco friendly isn't all about minding our own pockets or looking after our own lives and houses but spreading outside so that what ever we do makes a difference to the world we live in. If we can give a good presentation at the end of the year to show what we have done to make the campus greener and achieve that flag renewal then I will be proud, as the world will be a better place....even if it is only a little. It all adds up.

Put your thinking cap on and get thinking about what you can do to improve what you have already done. If you have slackened off then hopefully this will get you set up for the rest of the year.

Would love to get any ideas you may have to help with our campus and of course when you post them other people will see them and maybe include them in their goals. All ideas are welcome :) Get commenting!

A natural retreat

National Botanical Gardens, Dublin

It's been a while since I wrote about places to visit with the environment in mind but last week I was blown away by a visit to the National Botanical Gardens, Glasnevin in Dublin. I have seen the odd programme about them but there was nothing to compare with the real thing. The day was dry which of course made a difference but there are beautiful glass houses to wander around even if it rains with a cafe to pop in to as well. The rose garden was perfect and mu parents and I spent time sniffing many roses to see which were the best. Squirrels pranced about the paths not worrying about visitors at all and were happy to come very close to us. In fact we were reminded by signs that these confident rodents would bite and to be careful but they didn't bother us. The kitchen garden was my favorite with all sorts of mouth watering delicacies on show and I was comparing many of them to my own at home wondering how I had done. Of course I have long way to go yet!

Getting there may be an issue as it is not really walking distance from say, Heuston Station and perhaps a taxi is the best option but  no doubt if you ring up before hand you may get a handy bus number to hop on to.

Entrance is free and there is a car park, should you wish to drive, with a fee of €2.00 only for the day I believe  and should you wish to you could stay from the moment it opens until closing time, for as long as the weather is on your side I cant imagine why you would want to leave. To find out about opening times just click here and to ring them just dial + 353 1 804 0300

Here are some of our highlights from the day.

Mum and dad enjoying the sensory garden

The sensory garden with all its shapes, colours and patterns

Beautiful Glass houses containing some plants that have been around
 since the time of the Jurassic period!

Nothing like a water feature.

My own Olympic champions

A little chef for pollinators

I'm always wishing the weather was better here and we do seem to get such a lot of rain. This year of course has beaten the rest with some rotten weather and I have done my fair share of complaining. However, I have heard of some real disasters regarding the garden and on farms with many people suffering complete failures of potatoes from blight as well as other problems which must be so disheartening especially if you are only starting out. Our family did small amounts, mostly because of lack of space and it being our first time but as I type this I am reminded that when we went to get garden bits and bobs at our local centre this is exactly what the lady at the counter suggested. Too many people go mad and plant so much that when things go wrong they give up altogether.

Anyway I am rambling away from what I really wanted to say. All in all I am very proud of our efforts and have had some real successes in the veg patch even though the produce was in limited supply. In fact its been so rewarding that I am definitely going to try and grow produce over the winter months to keep some snack or two on the plate. It will take some real planning as I dont know where I will get seed at this time of year in Ireland as most people seem to grow summer veg as a novelty so I need to check this out.

For anyone who is like me and wants to start out on the path to sustainability (of some degree anyway) then I must recommend the "Grow it" magazine. Forgive me for name dropping but if something works for me then I believe in passing it on and apologies if I have mentioned it before (i dont remember doing it). This magazine is a little pricey at €5.98 but with 5 packets of seeds to try each time it really works out quite well and I would have been lost without it.

Here are quite a few pictures of what has been going on in our garden over the summer months despite the bad weather and what I believe were slug conferences on many occasions!

The Squash  Patty Pan having been put out in the soil
was looking well..

..and it continued to flower ..

Result! our first squash. The slugs attacked another plant
but this one held on and is now quite big

Our cold frame was adapted to protect the strawberries form birds and it worked . We now have trailers to get more strawberries next year.

Tomatoes looking divine on the chopping board

Tomatoes looking divine on the vine

Peas, mums favourite veg to grow

Mange tout size here but we have since picked a couple of full ones

Tasty little carrots 

Fabulously delicious potatoes which have since been eaten

Something for the wildlife

Saving a few pounds...or losing them

One of the things I like about being green is when I can do it and save money. As if we needed reminding we are going through a spot of trouble on the economical front and many cut backs have to be made. For example, when I had a job I loved going to the gym and taking a swim and a sauna not even stopping to think of the price I was paying per year and certainly not considering the electricity being

used (or perhaps wasted on the many occasions I was too lazy to go). I've loved seeing these outdoor gyms popping up all around the country. Yes they require more material that wont naturally break down but the only energy required is the energy that we put in manually. Not only that but we can get fit and take in the fresh air (when its not raining of course but who is to say that you cant train even then?). My hubby and I went to the next town to check out the outdoor gym for ourselves and although we didn't stay long as we were just taking a look, we will definitely be going back. No fees, instructions on how to use the equipment written up, fresh air and ...hopefully...a fit me by the end of it all.

Are you familiar with these Outdoor Gyms? Let me know what you think of them

A berry welcome present!

Its fair to say that so far this summer in Ireland it's been a toughy in the garden. So much bad weather hindering crop growth and the slugs appear to be in heaven as they chomp away on cabbage leaves and lettuce, marigold and ...well absolutely everything if i'm honest. Its been disheartening. However there have been some triumphs and as small as some of them were they were indeed quite satisfying. Popping out to the garden to pull fresh cabbage and be munching away on it 30 minutes later would put the happiest smile on your face. Last night as many of you may already know was horrific with torrential rain, thunder and lightening and floods in many of our well loved towns. Even more disappointing was to find that one of our trees on our estate had been vandalised and pulled to the ground putting me into a temper not so dissimilar to someone suffering very badly from PMT!!! Calming myself down and (slightly bitterly) telling myself that it was "their" loss as they destroyed a means to their own fresh air I thought I had better pop out to the garden and water some of the tomato plants in the green house who are also struggling due to lack of sun poor things. Lo and behold there was a little suprise waiting for me to renew the smile on my face and let me know that all was not bad. The berries are ripening and I was able to pick just a few that appear to be ready. Whenever a door is closed someone opens a window! :)

Its a kind of magic

We have been hard at work yesterday and today getting back into the garden and veggie growing. Exams and Uni have taken over my life this year and now I can concentrate on what I want to do and when I want to do it. Getting all the news that England are well under way with their growing season we are usually a little behind with ours here in Ireland and the same is true this year. However things are looking good and its very exciting. The peas we set haven't worked and I think we will try again over the next couple of days but overall I am delighted and look forward to some scrummy food in the near future.

BEAUTY-fully earth friendly

Breath of fresh air, almost literally.

Here's something refreshingly beautiful. A friend of mine found this little number in Boots chemist last week and I'm and delighted to get this picture that she took (Thanks Viv!). So nice to see that there are people working in the world of fashion and beauty who are also dedicated followers of the earth. I have just been checking out their website and they have a blog too. Their brushes consist of Bamboo and recycled aluminium and the bristles on the brushes are soft synthetic taklon. Its not just brushes though, they have cotton and hemp cosmetic bags and they try to make all their packaging reusable and their bath lotions and potions are all made with natural ingredients to look after you and the environment. OK OK so this is a bit of a girly blog then is it? Bored boys are you? Well you could always try and get something to impress a girlfriend by getting her a nice present of brushes or loofahs and bath pampering bits and pieces. Check out Boots if there is one near you and see what they have or better still check out their website for yourself. I know I will!

Click on the link to see for yourselves; Eco tools