FOYLE RIVER DERRY

Derry might be busy with last minute shoppers,but there is still peace and quiet on the River Foyle walk out of the city.

ACCORDING TO THE LITTLE COUNTER, THAT'S 1000

Hi

It’s Party time!!

According to my little counter in the corner, this is the 1000th entry in the Inishindie Blog.

I have enjoyed working on this since last March and have learned a lot about how Blogs are put together. I realised from early on that this isn’t really a Blog as such.

Most Blogs have a daily account of goings on but Inishindie is more a catalogue of articles that I wrote over a five-year period, all mashed up together into one big ball.

Inishindie therefore doesn’t read as a diary. Some of the articles I now find a bit embarrassing as I feel I have learned a great deal since they were written. I have still printed them as a reminder of where I came from (A bit like a diary I suppose!)

I only just recently got the hang of hyperlinks too. So there are not that many links on the pages. The other interesting thing I have enjoyed is the networking to increase traffic into the Blog. There are so many ways from joining Forum sites, to clicky button s everywhere on the page

I really enjoyed setting up the Forum (I would like to point out here that my forum site Up the Garden Path is open and looking hopefully for new members)

If you have been following my progress over the year, I thank you, and I also would like to thank all of the other Bloggers for making my year so interesting.

Thanks

Ian

IT ALL STARTED WITH A LOST DOG

A little over seven years ago I lost my dog on the shorefront in Buncrana. Thankfully she turned up again, but not before I popped into the Inish Times office to put in a lost Dog notice. There I met Kevin Callaghan, the then owner of the paper, who suggested it might be a good idea to do a local weekly article on gardening as the topic wasn’t covered at the time. I accepted straight away and have enjoyed writing the articles ever since. In that time I have seen the newspaper grow from a fledgling copy to the thick tabloid that it is today.

But like all good things my time with the paper has come to an end. A decision has been made by River Media and it is now time for me to hang up my gardening gloves and spade for the last time.

I have learnt so much being involved with the keen horticulturalists of Inishowen. Meeting all types of very inspirational gardeners with all manner of techniques to get the most from their plot.

I would also like to wish my successor all the best for the future and hope that they get as much out of writing for the paper as I have.

KEEP IN TOUCH
If you would like to keep in touch with local gardening issues, I have set up a Forum page called Up The Garden Path on my Inishindie blogsite. If you have any questions or think you can contribute to the topics in any way, then please pay me a visit!

I would love to hear from you.

ME AND MY MOTOR

Paul Roe with his Beauford

SEE MORE ME AND MY MOTOR ARTICLES

BUNCRANA SUNSET

Check out A STROLL IN THE GARDEN

PLANT USE

Peach Blossom

Tree paeony

Weigeila

Tulip

PLANT USE IN THE GARDEN
Plants themselves can be important design elements, though few gardeners actually use them this way. If you have an artistic nature you can have great fun playing with where you put plants or how you prune them to bring out a certain look in your garden. The arching branches of a well-pruned cherry tree can frame an entire garden. The repetition of soft, grey-leaved plants or spiky foliage can be used as a theme in a long border. If you take the time to notice and experiment with the form, texture, and colour of plants, you will discover a whole new palette of design elements with which to work from. This is a three-dimensional consideration that takes into account the shapes and volumes of the plants in your garden. A variety of different forms make a garden interesting, but too much diversity creates visual confusion. Trees and shrubs have characteristic forms that should be carefully combined to avoid clashing. Flowers, too, have characteristic shapes: the rounded heads of alliums, verbena, and globe thistle; the vertical spikes of delphinium, snapdragons, and veronica; and the strong architectural lines of a large cordyline. Experiment by grouping plants with the same form into a drift, or by repeating a pleasing composition of different forms several times.


Texture: Plants have a tactile quality that can be used as a valuable design tool. Think about how the glossy leaves of holly, magnolia, and roses contrast with the suede-like foliage of lamb's ears, heliotrope, and coleus. Or how the fat and fleshy leaves of a sedum differ from the needle-like foliage of rosemary or the quilted leaves of a blue-green hosta. Flowers also provide textural interest. They can be rich and velvety like a rose, or as thin and translucent as a poppy. Even tree bark contributes textural interest - especially during the winter months.


Colour: Entire books have been written about using colour as a design tool. You can approach colour as a technician, using the colour wheel to create harmonious combinations, or you can use your own eyes and emotions to guide you in creating the look and feel you want. Combining colours in new and interesting ways offers a lifetime of exciting possibilities.


As a general rule, red, orange and yellow are colours that jump out at you. They are lively and stimulating, and give the impression that they are closer to the eye than they actually are. If you plant too many hot-coloured flowers, and don't balance them with cool-coloured, less assertive plants, your garden will be a jumble of blaring trumpets. Green, blue, and violet are cool colours. In the garden these flowers create a more soothing, restful feeling, and tend to recede into the distance.

BUNCRANA PIER