Native Wildflower Seeds

2011-10-15T11:18:00.002+01:00

15th Annual Permaculture Design Course Online

Cycle 15 of the annual Elfin Permaculture Design Course Online begins in January 2012.
contact
Dan Hemenway
permacltur@aol.com

www.barkingfrogspermaculture.org

http://www.barkingfrogspermaculture.org/onlinepdc.htm

wildflowerambulist

2011-10-03T22:02:00.001+01:00

wildflowerambulist section: wildflower-ambulist     one who walks or wanders wildflower

wildflowerize     wildflower-ize     to cause to be or to become wildflower
wildflowerist     wildflower-ist     one that performs, produces or believes in wildflower
wildfloweroid     wildflower-oid     having the appearance of wildflower

wildflowerologist     wildflower-ologist     one who studies wildflower
wildflowermetric     wildflower-metric     relating to measurement of wildflower
wildflowerology     wildflower-ology     science or study of wildflower

wildflowering     wildflower-ing     action, process or art of wildflower
wildflowerism     wildflower-ism     action, process or practice of wildflower
wildflowerambulist     wildflower-ambulist     one who walks or wanders wildflower

corporwildflowerism     corpor-wildflower-ism     action, process or practice of body wildflower
wildflowerferous     wildflower-ferous     producing or containing wildflower
wildflowerably     wildflower-ably     performing in a manor worth of wildflower

wildflowerable     wildflower-able     capable or worthy of wildflower
wildfloweress     wildflower-ess     a female wildflower
wildflowerist     wildflower-ist     one that performs, produces or believes in wildflower

wildflowerphyte     wildflower-phyte     plant wildflower
wildflowerisation     wildflower-isation     process or result of doing or making wildflower
mulitwildflowerferous     mulit-wildflower-ferous     producing or containing many, much wildflower

wildflowerform     wildflower-form     having the form of wildflower
wildflowerish     wildflower-ish     of, relating to, or being wildflower
wildflowerize     wildflower-ize     to cause to be or to become wildflower

wildflowerary     wildflower-ary     of or relating to wildflower
wildflowerium     wildflower-ium     chemical element or group wildflower
semiwildflowerible     semi-wildflower-ible     capable or worthy of half or partial wildflower

2011-09-13T18:05:00.002+01:00

When to cut and manage a wild flower seed meadow
by Mr Sandro Cafolla, seed grower at Design By Nature - Irish wildflowers at http://www.wildflowers.ie

All meadows can be cut once per year, always remove all cuttings.

An Irish Wildflower meadow grown from seed

The first year, if there is a lot of growth cut after flowering, it can be cut.
or if sown late or the flora is small, cut it by the following spring. As the birds will eat the seeds, even if you cut it seed will be shed for the birds

Year two, cut fertile meadows to top grass in April, and maybe again in may if the flowers havn't poked through
in mid to late summer in the second year, the main flush of flowers will be over and the meadow can be cut, esp for sites where grass is likely to re-invade or was sown with seeds.

A two year old wild flower meadow in May

Other 2 year old meadows can be left uncut until the wild carrot, mullein or angelica has flowered in august/ early sept and set seed.
any meadow can be cut at any time. always cut 2 year old meadows by September at the latest.

the best advice is to top to 5 inches after the ox eye daisy and or yellow rattle seed has set .
then cut all away in Autumn but not too late.
Keep grasses out of young meadows and watch for dock and thistle.

A fully mature meadow after 10 years of short cutting on reasonably fertile late moist soil that warms up slow and dries out, the species range from acid wet loving buttercup, to dry alkaline loving pink Musk Mallow, the pink Ragged robin is in the foreground, with purple selfheal and white clover in the mid to near photo.st johns wort looks like ragwort, amongst the ox eye daisies, A band of annuals is resown each year in the far distance against the hedge

Year three
all meadows are cut at least once or twice, up to early may and again in September,
where grasses invade, cut twice by August
Tall meadow seed mixtures, no cut and short cut meadows, and mixtures of wildflower for fertile soil, will have there own instructions
the rule is, once established from seed, wildflowers can be cut, some don't like cutting but if you don't cut too low say to 4 to 6 inches, then most will survive to year three, which by then is the make or break year.

Look at the density of Plantain, the straight narrow leaf, even red clover cannot stop it as it locks up nutrients and attracts scratching birds to every DBN wildflower meadow mixture

Is there too much grass? aim for from 40% soil and flora to 80% to 90% total non grass cover
Is the soil too bare, have at least 40% bare soil after cutting and removing dead grass
has one species dominated? ox eye and carrot should dominate many mixtures in year two, they lock up nutrients,
Yarrow, trefoil and clovers will arrive shortly after, with cowslip, scabious, st johns wort and more arriving next,
meadowsweet, fleabane, bluebell, primrose, violet, and a few other choice species can take from three to seven years to flower from seed.

Yellow Rattle Wildflower Seeds

Try to maintain a healthy population of Yellow rattle, eyebright and or Bartsia as grass suppressors
Plantain and clovers are essential meadow species, meadow buttercup is supplied but not creeping buttercup.

If white clover and or creeping buttercup invade your meadow read the instructions for short cut meadows and mow the buttercup just as it starts to flower to 3 inches, mow the clover as it flowers to 5 inches and then see what arrives in your meadow from June to September


This is a real meadow grown from Irish native wild flower seeds at www.wildflowers,ie, the full photocase study of this >10 year old 2 acre meadow sown in Cabinteely Park, Co Dublin, owner:Dunlaoire Rathdown Co Council, can be see on our picasa web

Mr. Sandro Cafolla.
T/a Design By Nature
Monavea,
Crettyard,
Carlow.
Ireland.

TEL; 00353 56 4442526,

Email: , info@wildflowers.ie
Web site http://www.wildflowers.ie

Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/IrishWildflowerGrowers
Video: http://www.youtube.com/user/seedpic

Blog: http://wildseedy.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SeedPic
Facebook: http://en-gb.facebook.com/Seedpic

also on linkedin

Design By Nature - Irish Native Wildflower Seed Grower host 21 years of case study and work at Picasa, Google's Photo site and on You Tube

2011-09-03T11:46:00.002+01:00

Celebrating 21 years this year,
Design By Nature has hosted much of its digital collection of the works compleated since 1990.
From large multi -mullion pound gardens and road infrastructure projects to small gardens and customer photographs, from lizards to seed houses, combines to field crops.
from Open days to videos of meadows.

See what wildflower seed growers and harvesters Sandro Cafolla, Peter Cafolla, June Treacy, Sol Roller, Monica Fleming and John Conroy, Wal Brodrick, Fionnula and Jonathan Spazzi, Wil Campion, Afke Peirtsie, Chris Pollack, R Prout, A Harper, Peter Hyland, Smiths Family Farm, and many more have achieved with Design By Nature (Ire) since 1990.


Irish native Wildflower meadow seed mixture MM06

Wildflower Growers Photos on Picasa

Wildflower growers videos on You Tube

September is the last real wildflower seed sowing time for 2011.
So if your ready to sow your wildflower seeds, email me and sow them as early in September as you can.
We supply mail order, nationwide to 32 counties Ireland.

If you are not ready to sow sit back and enjoy 21 years in business and a lifetime in horticulture.
follow thise link to Google picasa web and see the wildflower growers of ALL Ireland.
I have not yet got around to scanning in the full CV since last century before digital photos, but we are starting to organise the materials.

When you grow another generation of wild flower seeds you directly help save species from extinction

Design By Nature Remembers our time in New York before and after 9/11

2011-09-01T23:37:00.000+01:00

Irish Hunger Memorial Garden 9/11 at the twin towers Manhatton 2000, 2002

11 Sep 2011

we were asked to have wildflowers specially flown into Canada, where they were quarantined along side some seed of species which were allowed into NY., and USA.

The design team visited use here in Ireland to get afeel for the place and Mayo, and they visited our seed house, which at the time was a poorly old hay shed, in need of repair.

Anyway, I went over before 9/11, met staff who worked in offices about the twin towers and I was there for the opening, hence the different set of photos from 2001 to present.

Wildflower photos, Sandro's meadows creations from seed

2011-08-26T22:49:00.000+01:00

Design By Nature.
I came across an old photo, of when DBN created this show garden for a small Dublin Garden Festival sometime after 1997 when I started using digital cameras.,
The photo is part of a larger collection of Irish native and naturalised species arranged in a garden fashion.

Our web site will lead you to further links of many of our past works, from roads to rooftops, from landfill to parks, from gardens to estates.

All the species were raised at my monavea garden

This photo, of a small garden moss and bog pool shows the blue Bugle, a moisture/shade loving species growing happily beside Sweet Rocket which likes dry shade.
Ragged Robin in the upper left centre of the photo marks the end of the pool.

Greenside Up: Walking in Wildflowers

2011-07-28T11:12:00.000+01:00

Read what the blogs say about our 21st birthday celebration Wildflower and herb growers Open Day

Greenside Up: Walking in Wildflowers: "Poppies When did you last walk through a field of wildflowers? I'm searching through my memory bank and can only think of a hand..."

Wildflower and Herb Growers Open Day.

2011-07-19T17:01:00.003+01:00

Event announcement: 2012
A Talk and Open Day Walk in 4 h.a of crops. 2012

see http://www.wildflowers.ie for further details or email info@wildflowers.ie

Host: Mr Sandro Cafolla (Design By Nature) A talk on growing crops of wild herbs and wildflowers. the results of 20 years research

see Youtube video of 2011 Open Day

Admission; 40 spaces. Free to customers, Admission Eur 40.00.
Date: July 2012.
Time :10.30 am to 3pm and later
Meet at Mary Willies Car park Urlingford. Co Tipperary. (Off the old N8 south of Urlingford)
The crops are just around the corner from Mary Willies bar Car park.

If you wish to attend this free day , please email about open day. mailto:info@wildflowers.ie

As the day is free, and in a field we are not providing any refreshments. it will be a simple field walk through 4 Ha. of crops to discuss herb growing and wildflowers.
Please bring your own sangers and Flask, Boots and raingear.

Foggy Notions

2011-07-19T16:52:00.000+01:00

Dear David Shortall and Barry Lupton

I was disappointed when I recently read an article in the first issue of Grow Trade. entitled 'Chasing Cowboys.'

in the paragraph; Foggy Notions,
There is a line "Everyone from seed suppliers to contractors are now full service providers." relating to landscape design in the context of the GLDA.
As one of the very few seed suppliers also supply design advice and services, I feel that this sentence is aimed at me. And that more of the article could if that what is intended, be applied to my business,
Shame you didnt name me in person. And if it isnt me, which of the very few designer/seed suppliers are you talking about?, because some real cowboys went out of business between 2007-10 and anyone left would consider themselves professionals.
As a non GLDA designer and seed supplier I find the article offensive and suggest that Mr Shortall reconsider the wording, direction and tone of his article.

May I remind you that as in all professions and arts, some of the worlds greatest, in this case, landscape designers have neither design nor horticultural training. Nor do I. not that I am great, but I have earned a right to work unhindered or free from Blacklisting as a cowboy in horticultures latest print offering..
Mine is the work of a wildflower fairy, tip toeing through meadows so as not to cause damage. No collage course taught those skill. they were self learnt from an early age. That's why Dr Lamb called me the new Robinson. Why Mr Hoban of Ballintubbert Gardens called me a genius.
But a cowboy? If that is your judgement, I will have to withdraw all my free design assistance to the ordinary members of the GDLA who I fully support until either the article is retracted or my name and my industry is cleared as accused as being of "Everyone from Seed suppliers to contractors are now full service providers and by the tone of the article implied as cowboys" To bunch me with or imply that I am a fly by night cowboy is wrong and unfair as you and the media team company basically control the media side of the business. If you wish to tap my phone as well the number is on my website. www.wildflowers.ie.

I myself have devoted my entire life to horticulture, design and plants, not that it matters but, I read hundreds of websites/books on design, studied permaculture before it was profitable nor popular and I have visited many gardens from which to learn.
The only upset I ever had, in landscape cowboy disaster terms was a 'set up' also experienced by others in the nursery and landscape business, who have confirmed the 'stichup' re:a certain property with an eroding shoreline where it seams that the same tactics are used with every contractor who works there, so as not to finish paying the bills.

As a designer I ask many questions, give great value, designing for free, often daily and much advice is free by phone to customers, which include nearly every major qualified landscape architect firm and small design business in Ireland for 20 years as well of thousands, yes to thousands of gardeners amongst the general public.
I have lectured in UCD, the Bot's and many other places. I even part funded the GLDA's first meeting in UCD.
The GDLA need to be careful that the cowboys don't decide to elect themselves the official cowboys and start certifying themselves,
or is that what has already happened, judging by the cheap shot of its chairperson?

The whole article and more telling the photograph, makes claims that "through ignorance and profiteering that design continues to be devalued."
David says we need to chase down the cowboys....I agree..but I don't agree that unqualified designers are the only cowboys and gals, nor can self certification guarantee success, just look at the banking system where they is a lot more at stake to realise that.

We'll David you have acted like a cowboy journalist, sloppy work, unresearched and your 'by your own critiria' unqualified to write for a publication claiming to represent Hort journalism. and Barry to let it pass without asking for editorial balance in the article is also to let your side down.
And to the Mediateam and Growtrade

Had the article looked at even one great unqualified designer, I would have understood.
but to name sectors of horticulture where there are able designers and bunch them with the cowboys is wrong..
And there was space to do it as the lead in paragraph to the article is a waste of 2 columns of space, a lot of space, where good examples of great unqualified designers could have been added for balance.and a nod to natural flare.
Sure was the GLDA not set up to certify some of the unqualified?.

Give me 'natural flare' most times, over some of the trained so called qualified designers. For natural flare is of the 'now' and some designers who have qualified are clearly from the 'then' or even worse the 'dont know where' school, confined by rigid exam rules and no doubt often from the cash rich classes able to send there kids to college.

It is my view that a reasonable amount of so called qualified designers lack any art, especially the art of the moment where brilliant designs are often created, missing from your certified piece of paper is the uncluttered freedom of intuition to allow common sense and and a sense of place to prevail.

The elitist in the landscape design trade may not think they have an ivory tower, but I can assure you, judging by the attitude expressed in your article, that you have created a 'Pod' that glows brighter than any ivory tower.

This article now appears on my blog and other social media sites, it will be withdrawn as soon as a retraction is printed and my name and that of my is industry is cleared.

Your sincerely

--

Mr. Sandro Cafolla.
T/a Design By Nature
Monavea,
Crettyard,
Carlow.
Ireland.

TEL; 00353 56 4442526,

Email: , info@wildflowers.ie
Web site http://www.wildflowers.ie
Pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/IrishWildflowerGrowers

Sowing wild flower seed mixtures with native Irish wildflower seeds

2011-06-14T22:19:00.001+01:00

The best meadows are started well in advance of sowing wildflowers.

Create a weed free soil on well-prepared firm (well rolled) ground. Once the soil is free of weeds you can sow the seeds.

To prepare the ground, kill and remove all weeds and grass and large stones.
Clear the ground of any weeds before sowing by using a systemic weed killer &/or cultivate it 'organically' by tilling the soil repeatedly during the dry summer months.

Sowing an Esker

Remove anything that will get in the way of cutting machinery to be used later.
Some customers just spray with systemic weed killer, wait until the area is dead before sowing, others burn off dead vegetation with flame

Fire: If fire or heat is used to clear ground, depending on the site, there may be no need to cultivate, , taking care to slowly burn around the outside first, to create a fire break, if burning meadows have a few people handy with shovels to control the fire and burn into the wind so the fire burns slowly and into the roots, burning with the wind will burn to fast and get out of control, fire also burns fastest up hill.

Seed Fiddle

The Wildflower Grower's aim is to create a fine, firm weed free seedbed.
If you wish, plough &/or rotavate, harrow &/or rake the soil when the weather is dry.
Do not work wet soils, it will ruin them for sowing seeds by compacting the soil.
If you allow time for two weed killing operations, you can sow a meadow in 4-6 weeks from start to finish.

Horse drawn harrow

It is essential to kill all weeds. Kill Dock, Couch grass, Nettle and Thistles.
Destroy all vegetation (unless natural wild flora) & remove >3" stones.
It is best to 'weed kill' or cultivate the ground twice to kill weeds.
Kill off the first flush of weed seeds prior to sowing.
Carefully burn away or remove any dead grass left on the surface, so that you can cultivate, rotavate, harrow or easiest of all sow directly on to the soil. (As long as the seed gets covered)

After you have killed off the vegetation, cut or burn off the grass down to the bare soil and follow by a light raking or harrowing to get the seedbed ready for the seed.

Seeds germinating

Create a fine seed bed.
Prepare a fine 'seed bed' (2-3mm worked soil)
For large rotavate areas a harrow will finish the seed bed preparation.
Some types of soil will need stones picked at this point.

A level seedbed is not required as long as the seeds come into contact with the soil. See that the soil is firm, yet fine and crumbly for the seed to send out its tiny roots. Before you sow apply a light raking or harrow to finish the bed and create a freshly moved soil or 'ferment', to increase the soils biological activity. Roll after sowing. Seeds take up to eight weeks to germinate. So if dry, it helps to keep a seed bed moist.

Create a firm 'seed bed' with a crumbly layer of soil across the surface.
The seedlings will then be able to send out their tiny roots to find food and moisture.

Two years after sowing wildflower seeds

For small areas use a rake, get the soil as level and crumbly as you can.
Make the seedbed, firm when walked on. Sand can be spread on clay soil.

Using Weed killer? Please read and follow any safety instructions.
While weed killer will clear ground quickly, I find it takes four sprays over 14 months to totally kill all the roots of weeds.
Weed killers are toxic especially to the user, even cloths contain the toxins and should not be washed with other cloths, always read and follow the instructions and always follow the mixing rate as recommended, do not guess amounts to mix with water.

Organically Cultivate the soil.
If you cultivate the soil ' Organically' about three times in dry weather, you will kill weeds.
Tip; Always sow plants, trees or shrubs bigger than the weeds that grow on any site.

No need to plough except for specific reasons.

A plough will only turn the weeds over and will not kill Nettles, Dock or Couch Grass, no matter how deep you plough.
If you must plough, kill the weeds first and then rotavate after ploughing in dry weather. 'Turn over' the soil and 'turn up' the weeds on to the surface to dry them out, repeat rotavation again two weeks later and then re-spray any growth with weed killer or continue organic cultivation's.
A plough can be used to 'turn up' the subsoil which helps to reduce fertility on fertile sites.
After any cultivation evaluate any re-growth of weeds and destroy all invasive weeds.

Advice for Gardeners
To create a longer lasting flowering meadow you can use two mixtures of wildflowers. A tall one without grass for the back of the wildflower bed (cut late) and for the front of your planting scheme sow a lower growing mixture of grasses and wild flora, one that can be regularly cut.

I usually recommend that you do not use grass sown with wildflower seed, as you will get better flower displays without grass and more flowers in the first year.
However in many cases you will want a green looking frontage to your meadow, so use 20% grass mixed with 80% wildflowers
I also suggest a strip of normal lawn at the very front without flora.
Erect a wildflower meadow sign to let folks know you are capable of keeping the garden tidy but has chosen otherwise.
Always remove the grass cuttings and use it as compost or mulch under hedges or where grass or wild seeds will not spread.

All this may rain

2011-05-21T22:59:00.000+01:00

20th May 2011,
After the dry April, which didn't help the germination of wildflower seeds, we get a cool wet May which dosent help either, but seeds are germinating,

I have been sent a lot of photos of gardens where our seeds have been sown, this is a typical photo of what a meadow should look like
.

last day tp sign protest

2011-04-30T16:46:00.002+01:00

EU: 1 Day to Save Herbal Medicine!

http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_herbal_medicine_ban/96.php

As concerned EU citizens, we call on the Commission to amend the THMPD Directive, suspending the draconian measures against herbal medicines and removing all barriers to traditional remedies with a long history of use inside and outside Europe. We further call on our governments to refuse to comply with this Directive until it is amended. We have a right to choose among all remedies and medicines that can keep ourselves and our families healthy.

my work.

2011-03-22T22:52:00.001Z

I have uploaded photos and text of our business since 1990 - growing wildflower crops
upload march 2011
https://picasaweb.google.com/SeedPic/Botanicals#

Permaculture in Ireland, a few links

2011-03-22T22:41:00.002Z

Permaculture Ireland
To promote permaculture across Ireland, in the form of positive solutions to environmental problems, towards the creation of greater sustainability and a …
http://www.permacultureireland.ie/

Permaculture Wicklow » Free Energy Truth: The Irish Connection
18 Feb 2011 … Promoting Permaculture in the Garden of Ireland … The second video is interesting for Irish Permaculture enthusiasts for two obvious …
http://www.permaculturewicklow.com

Full Immersive Permaculture Design Certificate Course
The Permaculture Design Course in Cloughjordan offers the unique …. an Irish based economic think tank and was a Fellow of the Post Carbon Institute. …
http://www.cultivate.ie

Designing and Planting Constructed Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment, Stormwater Runoff and Habitat Enhancement – for home-owners, developers, councils, industry and agriculture.
FH Wetland Systems Ltd. is an environmental consultancy company based in Co. Clare. FH Wetland Systems started in Cork in 1996 with a particular emphasis on designing and planting constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment, and now also offers a range of environmental services including Sustained Urban Drainage Systems, habitat and catchment management, pollution control consultancy and edible landscaping nationwide.
http://www.wetlandsystems.ie/

Growing Oats in the West of Ireland…Permaculture Blog …
About Bealtaine Cottage and Permaculture Smallholding, Ireland · Archives · RSS Feed …. Permaculture Notes from an Irish Cottage. …
http://permaculturecottage.wordpress.com/2010/10/14/growing-oats-in-the-west-of-ireland-permaculture-blog/
the blog site is slow to download as there are hundreds of beautiful photos , esp before and after shot of planting the garden, well worth a slow visit and a glass of home made ..what ever your having your self..

http://zone5.org/permaculture/
course co-ordinator on the 2-year Practical sustainability Course at Kinsale College of Further Education, teaching Permaculture, Woodland Management and Green Building.
Introduction to Permaculture, Northern Ireland – Permaculture …
17 Apr 2010 … Glenhordial Permaculture FarmNorthern Ireland. UK – England. Course Type: Introduction to Permaculture. Summary: …
http://www.permaculture.org.u links may need research and update,

Permacultureglobal.com – the interactive map and database of the PC movement…
extract from database: Cornflower Response (Ireland) the Utilisation and conservation of native species …. We had started the first Irish Permaculture Design Centre to practice, then we were raided by the state police and they destroyed our first national collect of species and dug up our composting toilets. needless to say 20 years later we still hardly recovered….
http://www.permacultureglobal.com/projects/181-cornflower-response-ireland-the-utilisation-and-conservation-of-native-species

Facebook = permaculture Ireland
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=110049375684729
Permies of Ireland unite!!
The purpose of this group is to provide a link between people in Ireland who are interested in and practising Permaculture principles, design and philosophy,
It is intended to facilitate communications between the aforementioned, and to provide information about relevant events, courses, gatherings etc taking place in Ireland. Facebook Privacy type: Open: All content is public.
Resources – Glenhordial Permaculture Farm Courses and Events
Permaculture website … film ‘Guerillas Planting’ An Irish permaculture project
http://www.glenhordialpermaculturefarm.com/resources.html

Leave No Trace Ireland
Leave No Trace Ireland is a network of organisations and individuals with an interest in promoting the responsible recreational use of the outdoors. As increasing numbers of people seek the beauty and exhilaration of outdoor recreation, our collective mark on the environment and its natural processes, increases. Litter, disturbance to vegetation, water pollution, wildlife, livestock and other people are all indicators of the need to develop a national ethic that protects both natural and cultural heritage. Techniques designed to minimise the social and environmental impacts to these areas are incorporated into the Leave No Trace Outdoor Ethics Education Programme as seven Principles.
http://www.leavenotraceireland.org/Default.aspx

Permaculture Practitioner: Richard Webb
Richard Webb & Associates
Contact Richard Webb
Address Springfield
Ballywaltrim Lane
Co Wicklow

Slí na Bandé: Irish Organic Resouces
24 Oct 2010 … Organic Matters is published bi-monthly by the Irish Organic Farmers and … To promote permaculture across Ireland, in the form of positive …
http://slinabande.ie/manifesto/archive-2010/food/irish-organic-resouces/

Irish seedsavers
Heirloom varieties esp fruit, old Irish vegies and more
Our aim is to:
* Protect, conserve & utilise Irish plant genetic resources including rare heritage seeds, grains, vegetables & fruit.
* Promote agricultural biodiversity for food security.
* Educate the public on agricultural biodiversity and food security through information and workshops
* Research seed, grain, vegetable and fruit varieties suited to Ireland’s temperate maritime climate.
http://www.irishseedsavers.ie/

Biography
A blow in from city to country. …..Interests permaculture
Doing my best to live in a sustainable fashion, I enjoy ; growing our own fruit & veg, rearing pigs & goats for meat & milk, sharing what I have learnt, and continue to learn, with others, woodwork & crafting, playing my fiddle, jumping at any opportunity to be spontaneous whenever possible, dreaming of the surfing days.
http://www.sallygardens.typepad.com/

Educational Charity
The Unicorn Foundation Trust was founded in 1991 as an educational charity, with the aim of proving that humanity can live in a sustainable way without making compromises on the quality of life, or paying more money for the privilege.
In 2000, after a lot of hard work, we established ourselves in the hills of Cork on a 150-acre site. Our dream of establishing an educational example of living comfortably with ecological and sustainable concepts, or permaculture, had become a reality. We began to develop the site as a micro-model, trialling a combination of new and old ideas that could be replicated on a larger scale, and built the first of our ecologically sound houses. Teaching Centre at http://www.unicornecofoundation.org/index.html

Kinsale College of Further Education was established sixteen years ago to provide a range of Post Leaving Cert courses. Kinsale is exploring alternative economics
Our Courses provide exciting alternatives to normal educational experience, opening new opportunities for training and work.
Learning methods are based on active discovery methods.
Successful graduates pursue careers in their chosen areas or use the FETAC qualification to continue education in other third level institutions.
http://www.kinsalefurthered.ie/permaculture_course_level2.htm

An Irish Permaculture Business:
Design By Nature (est 1990) Trained By Dan Hemenway and Bill Molison 1986.-89
Design services and wildflowers. Native species seed mixtures and bespoke solutions for agroforestry, polycultures, green roof, roads, NRA, SSI’s Via NPWS, Co Council Parks and Biodiverse habitats. Duchas, OPW, Irish waterways, NDP’s, Landcap, Swales, Keyline, nature sites, genebank and crops of wildflowers, wildflower seeds, botanicals, Irish networker, access to research stations, senior civil service, Daff, Teagesc, BordBia, Hort div’, Bord Bia Marketing Promotions, all skills applied to real green movement targets, direct action to intervene for nature and abundance. Not to protest but to do better then the destroyers of the earth and guide them, all be it with the voices of clouds and the movement of a thousand spiders across a freshly laid mulch garden. for some of my work check out http://picasaweb.google.com/IrishWildflowerGrowers
for my business http://www.wildflowers.ie/

Coillte ends it long term organic forestry practice:

2011-03-13T08:33:00.000Z

Coillte ends it long term organic forestry practice:
A recent tender spells the end of Coillte returning organic tree waste (brash) to Irish Forest soils. this signals the start of policy that will remove essential nutrients normally returned to the soil.
It may be argued that it will reduce fire hazard, but that's not the reason the brash is to be removed.
Ireland's forest company is signalling the start of industrial mining of the landscape.

Coillte, the Irish forest service are requesting expressions of interest for the provision of a forest brash bundling service for circa 20,000 tonnes annually (circa 60,000 brash bundles). The main elements of this service include the bundling and extraction of forest brash on Coillte clearfell sites within a 60 mile haulage distance of Clonmel, County Tipperary, Ireland. Coillte will manage the delivery of the brash bundles from the forest. The successful candidate will be paid per bundle extracted to forest roadside.
Candidates must have proven track record in timber harvesting operations.

Introduction to Agroforestry Design http://www.celtnet.org/

2011-03-07T12:36:00.003Z

Introduction to Agroforestry Design - http://www.celtnet.org/
Wed 30th March and Thurs 31st March meet at Caher Rice,
Caher, Co.Clare, 9.45am Wed 30th
(Half mile up Tulla / Maghera mast road from near Caher cross).

Visiting 4 different sites near Feakle with Sandro Cafolla (Design by Nature) to look at design of different agroforestry systems that will give different results.

Fee 60 euro (40 euro concessions).

Sowing wildflowers Spring 2011

2011-02-27T17:30:00.002Z

March, April and May are the ideal time to sow wildflowers in spring.

Clean up all weeds, but there is no need to turn soils if they only had weed free grass, instead kill off the grass and cut the dead grass away, rake the soil and sow.

We are now advising by phone and email customers who are sowing we offer free advise to get you started and maintenance advice once you have sown.

visit http://www.wildflowers.ie

Growing Fish in Greenhouses

2011-02-27T17:14:00.000Z

SpringTime 2011, Irish wildflower growers

2011-02-02T13:08:00.000Z

We are now open for business for 2011.
After a great harvest 2010, we are ready to sell our wildflower seed mixtures
for price list : http://www.wildflowers.ie/a_dbn_trade_centre/2_seed_mixture_pricelist.htm

Harvesting wildflowers

2010-08-12T16:45:00.000+01:00

We are harvesting wildflower seeds most days, in the sun or showers.
so if you phone. leave a message, or email.

Seed mixture spec' for green roof

2010-06-12T07:31:00.000+01:00

I get a lot of calls for green roof seeds, here's my recipe.

Product Name: Wild Flora for Stone Walls and Green Roofs.
This seed mixture is a speciality in the range. (EDEN Project Roof Garden Choice 2009 - 2010)

Sod Roof Gardens: DBN has supplied specialist mixtures for 'Green Roofs'' since our start up in 1990, indeed we have used the following species to cover roofs for The Office of Public Works on Heritage Centres at the New Grange Centre which is an example of one of our sod roof gardens
Growing flora on 'Green or Sod' roofs or on roof gardens is now becoming increasingly popular, we have supplied major protects world-wide and have a number of recent customer in Ireland who sow green roofs.
Stone Wall Flora Establishing a flora on a wall requires certain conditions, the best is a flat capped wall with limestone soil or peat. In addition a paste can be made of dried seaweed and manual, some use porridge to splatter across dry stone wall faces, where there is crevices between the stonework.

Species List: This species list shows species from which a mixture may be designed. Limited stock available unless grown to order.

Common Bent Grass
Burnet Saxifrage*
Century*
Wild Chamomile*
Corn Pansy*
Cowslip
Eyebright*
Lady's Bedstraw
Ox-eye Daisy
Red Bartsia*
Yellow Rattle*
Selfheal
Sheep's Bit Scabious
White Stonecrop
Blackstonia*
Fairy Foxglove
Sea Campion
Ivy Leaved Toadflax
Quaking Grass
Wall Pennywort
Storksbill*
Thyme (Wild)
Sweet Violet
Dog Violet
Allium carinatum*
Harebell
Cat's Ear
Sand Spurry*
Corn Spurry*
Fairy Flax
Lesser Yellow Clover or 'shamrock'*
Wallflower*

Phone for quotation and advice: ++353 (0)56 4442526
Post for quotation or advice: Design By Nature (Ire) Crettyard, Carlow, Ireland.

Seed Mixture Specifications:
Origin: Native Irish Origin, Wildflower Seed Mixture. EC11
Suitable for soil type: All types of soil, Clay, Loam, Sand, Light Soil, preferably not heavy soil
Moisture Level: Dry, Normal, Moist, but not Wet
pH range: Best between 5.5 - 7.9
Aspect: Sunny or slightly shaded for part of the day.

Morphology:
Life Cycle: Annual / Biennial / Perennial.
Height Range: <2cm to >60cm
Flowering Period: April to August.
Fertility Range: Avoid fertile soil.
Wintergreen: Yes, depends on situation and if sown with grass.
The main species which should persist in this mixture:
Common Bent Grass, Cowslip, Lady's Bedstraw, Ox-eye Daisy, Ivy Leaved Toadflax, Selfheal, Sheep's Bit Scabious, Lesser/Yellow Clover 'shamrock'.
Annual Species: Blackstonia, Century, Sand Spurry, Corn Spurry, Fairy Flax, Eyebright, Corn Pansy, Red Bartsia, Yellow Rattle.
Biennial Species: Storksbill,

Sowing Specification: As Normal, Splatter, hydra-sow or roll or rake into surface to keep out of reach from birds. Click here for more details

Soil Preparation: Walls and roofs will require specialist advice.

Ensure a totally weed free fine tilt or press the seed into clean soil.
Optimum Sowing Time: Early spring, early autumn, when the soil is warm.

Sowing Conditions: Normal, do not let the site dry out once sown, wall tops dry out in hours, 'sod roofs' suffer wind desiccation and this will kill emerging seedlings.
Sowing Method: 'By hand' is recommended, if using seed spreaders be careful to insure the small varieties of seed do not drop to the bottom of the seed spreader and get sown all in the one place. Can be Hydrasown. Click here for more details
Fertiliser: None, unless very poor fertility such as sand or limestone dry fill. Powdered or liquid seaweed will aid germination. Click here for more details

Seed Sowing Rates:
Normal sowing rate = 1.5 to 2 to 4 grams per metre.
Sowing rate with additional species of specialist grass seed: Add 1 gram per metre.

Grass seed or nurse crop requirement:

Nurse Crop: No nurse crop is required.
Grass Seed Requirement: n/a, use Bent and Creeping Fescue species
Sow with or without grasses: Either / With Grasses / without grasses
Sowing rate with grasses: Add 1 gram grass seed per metre.

If sown without grasses, this mixture: Will not require a nurse crop.

Seed Specification:
Total number of seeds per gram: 7870
In normal conditions (mainly in early Autumn and Spring) this mix should germinate 6 weeks after sowing, from then on provided the sward is kept open and a 'Thatch' is not allowed develop, species will continue to germinate and emerge, through to the third year.
Up to 50% of all seed should germinate in the first year.
Up to 70% of all species should germinate in 12 months.
Up to 80% of all species should have flowered by the fourth year after sowing.

Performance:
This seed mixture will be slow and difficult to establish

Persistence if unmanaged: Medium
Tolerance of Cutting: Medium
General Cutting Time: August. Cutting may be hazardous on roofs, no cutting should be required on walls, instead tidy the dead foliage and hand weed.
Specific Cutting Time: n/a

Management: Control grasses and weeds until well established.

Most species in this mixture are 'wind' resistant.

May 2010. Wildflower Growing, planting seeds and maintenance

2010-05-04T09:09:00.000+01:00

There is still time to plant your wildflower seed mixtures. Mixtures containing Annuals will flower later from Late July through to October, in mild areas they will flower until December.

Maintenance can still be carried out, cut grasses meadows back to 4 inches.

45 people attended my wildflower seed talk at Belvedere House

2010-04-21T09:39:00.000+01:00

45 people attended my wildflower seed talk at Belvedere House at the self sufficiency show lst weekend.
We discussed sowing seeds for small, rural and large gardens as we as maintaining wildflower meadows.
As usual I gave away lots of free seeds and we chatted about growing wildflowers, most folk were starting new gardens, but a couple of experienced wildflower growers turned up.
All in all it went well.

Sunny springtime.

2010-04-11T15:22:00.000+01:00

Stating the obvious, but this sunshine is great, time to plant seeds and do some gardening.

A Wildflower Meadow Mixture for clay soil

2010-04-07T14:28:00.000+01:00

Hi, thanks for the enquiry...

Product Name: Wild Flora for Clay Soil and Gley (sticky top soil)

Product Code: MM02

Description:MM02 - Is a top selling timeless standard seed mixture.

This mixture will grow on any heavy soil, (usually moisture retentive) MM02 is a medium to tall mix best suited to moisture retentive sticky clay soils found throughout Ireland. It will perform even if the clay dries out.

This mixture will grow very well on old well worked clay soils or new gardens with builders clay compacted after the builders have finished.

For acidic gley, clays and daub basic soils. On clay soils, after an initial cleaning of the seed bed, weeds and grasses may re-invade, wait a few weeks and clean up the weeds again.

MM02 needs careful attention to secure a meadow. In the second or third year, do not let the grass out-grow the wildflowers, cut the meadow back to 12 -16 cm and remove the cuttings.

Clay soils tend to be fertile, even when you think it's not (yellowing grass can be a sign of cold weather or poor drainage and not poor fertility), to control rampancy the meadow should be cut in spring and late July or August and if you have the time again in Autumn. Always clear the cutting and do not let any more fertility build up on clay soils.

Red Rattle if it appears is a 'rare gem' of a species, please tell us if it grows on your site.

MM02 will be at its best in July. The tall Meadow Buttercup will provide great spring colour to start the season Do not confuse Meadow Buttercup with Creeping Buttercup, which is not included, but may be present on many a clay soil. Cut the meadow just before the Creeping Buttercup flowers, if the problem gets worse over-sow the meadow with grasses to control infestations.

Poppy tends not do well on acid clay soil.

Mixture Specifications:

Origin: Native Irish Origin, Wildflower Seed Mixture.

Moisture Level: Not for very dry soil, best suits normal, moist heavy clay..

pH range: Best between 5.5 - 7

Aspect: Sunny

Life Cycle: Annual / Biennial / Perennial.

Height Range: <30cm - >200cm

Flowering Period: May to August.

Fertility Range: Will grow on any soil, suits fertile top soil.

Wintergreen: Moderate to poor.

Total number of seeds per gram: 1480

Species List:

Birdsfoot Trefoil, Black Meddick, Bladder Campion, Corn Chamomile, Corn Marigold, Corn Poppy, Corncockle, Cowslip, Devil's Bit Scabious, Eyebright, Meadow Buttercup, Fleabane, Greater Trefoil, Lesser Knapweed, Scented Mayweed, Meadowsweet, Ox-eye Daisy, Purple Loosestrife, Ragged Robin, Red Clover, Ribwort Plantain, Selfheal, Sorrel, St Johnswort, Water Avens, Wild Angelica, Yarrow, Yellow Agrimony, Yellow Flag Yellow Rattle, Red Rattle.