Many hobby gardeners don’t know where to start when it comes to their garden but a new series offering simple tips to help budding gardeners create a space in nature will encoruage you to find your green fingers.
The Love Your Garden Guide from Bord na Móna Growise encourages you to explore the myriad benefits beyond the end product, demonstrating how people can use their garden as a ‘Green Gym’, and a place to tap into mindfulness and wellbeing in the surroundings of their own home.
Celebrity chef and grow-your-own enthusiast, Lilly Higgins will take you through some helpful tips and tricks to make the most out of some smaller outdoor spaces. She will talk about the veggies and herbs that will thrive in Irish gardens and provide some edible (and organic!) treats for fresh summer salads.
"I can think of nothing nicer than getting my hands dirty in the garden, with the added satisfaction of knowing there’s a delicious ingredient at the end of it. Nothing beats the taste of fresh herbs from your own garden in a summer salad!" said Lilly.
"I grew up in the countryside surrounded by nature and I fell in love with food at an early age, topping and tailing gooseberries for jam. It doesn’t have to be complicated but getting out in the garden to grow your own, or even giving the window box a bit of love can be so rewarding!"
Alison Canavan will also provide an insight on how the garden, or even terrace, provides that perfect retreat or haven for keeping your mental health in check, encouraging us to take time for mindfulness and a necessary time-out from our busy lives.
Master gardener, Paul Martin, has even taken a break from his preparations for the Chelsea Flower Show to chat about ‘easy wins’ in the garden and the plants that will work best across seasons and different spaces. Paul so believes in the many benefits of gardening that he has themed his Bord na Móna sponsored garden around mindfulness and relaxation.
"With Chelsea preparations well under way, you could say things are at the slightly more hectic end of gardening for me at the moment but I’m a real believer in the garden as the “green gym” though – a place to escape the hustle and bustle and be mindful, but active at the same time," according to Paul.
"Everyone has it in them to create a little piece of green space; whether that’s planting some mint or herbs in a window box or something more ambitious in the garden, it’s all about the journey. Enjoy the process and the results will take care of themselves."
The Love Your Garden Guide features a series of simple videos and tips to help budding gardeners to make the most of their garden.
The first part of the Love Your Garden Guide can be found online here.
