Flowers – Wild and Garden! Paddy Tobin Book Review July 31, 2020 Lavish praise, a very generous book review, can be counter-productive for there is within us all that little streak of cynicism which says it may be too good to be true. This is my predicament with Spring Wildflowers of the Northeast, A Natural History by Carol Gracie for I […]
Author: Paddy
Visit to Finnebrogue House and ‘Collie’ garden
After a long time without a society event, on Saturday members were treated to a very enjoyable visit to the magnificent privately owned 1660’s mansion, Finnebrogue House, near Downpatrick, Co Down. Also to ‘Collie’ garden, a beautiful one acre country garden within the Finnebrogue Demesne, owned by members Agnes and John Peacocke. Here’s some photos […]
At long last!
At long last there is the prospect of a garden visit! It has been a long time without a society event and, given the present situation re Covid 19, arrangements will be a little different from normal and early booking will be essential. Find all details of this visit to Finnebrogue House and “Coille” on […]
The Wild Food Plants of Ireland – A Review.
Dining on the Long Acre – The Wild Food Plants of Ireland Paddy Tobin Book Review July 14, 2020 Reading Tom Curtis and Paul Whelan’s book, The Wild Food Plants of Ireland, has brought another layer, a greater depth of interest, to my wildflower wanderings along our road in recent days. The damsons on the boundary ditch of the […]
Summer Bulletin 2020
Dear IGPS member Events The restrictions of the past months are now starting to ease and it is becoming possible for slightly larger groups of people to meet outdoors while maintaining the recommended social distancing. However, despite the changes, two events which were scheduled for early July cannot go ahead and are cancelled. Both had […]
Britain’s Ferns – A Review
Britain’s Ferns – A Review. Paddy Tobin Book Review June 11, 2020 It works! Britain’s Ferns is intended to provide a practical and functional approach to the identification of ferns, and it works! I put it to the test with a number of local ferns and one horsetail and the identification keys, which are at the heart of […]
Coming Events
Dates for your Diary – but conditional on government guidelines on travelling and social distancing so clarification will be given closer to the dates listed. Annual General Meeting on 16th and 17th May which was to have been based in Westport Co Mayo has been postponed and will be re-arranged at a later […]
Coronavirus COVID-19
Dear Member, Due to the current health situation with Covid-19, it is with regret that we have had to cancel all Society events for the time being. This unfortunately includes the postponement of the AGM to a future date. After all the hard work that has been put into organising events, especially by the Leinster committee for the […]
Coronavirus Covid-19 Disrupts Programme
Unfortunately our programme of winter lectures has been interrupted by the restrictions of gatherings while the Coronavirus is with us. There may be further cancellations and we will announce these as soon as possible. For the moment, the following are cancelled: March 26th: Collecting Plants for a Better Garden – Carl Wright at The Old […]
AGM Update.
AGM Sold Out! All tickets for the AGM Gardens have now been sold. A Waiting List is in operation. If you would like to attend and have not booked yet, please add your name to this list. You can do this by following the link below to the Eventbrite site: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/agm-westport-16-17-may-2020-tickets-87794103527
Special Plants with Derry Watkins
Many thanks to Derry Watkins, owner of Special Plants Nursery near Bath, for two wonderful talks: Derelict Hill Farm to Garden, where she showed us the creation of her beautiful garden and Botanizing in Kyrgyzstan, the ‘Switzerland of Asia’, taking us on her recent exploration in the high mountains of central Asia. Derry grows and […]
AGM 2020 – You need to book quickly!
AGM 2020 Spaces for our AGM are filling up fast. If you intend coming to Westport please do not delay in booking: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/agm-westport-16-17-may-2020-tickets-87794103527 A very attractive rate has been negotiated with the Castlecourt Hotel. To book please phone the hotel directly +353 98 55088 and quote the special code 1045174. All details are on our website. […]
The Pollinator Victory Garden – A Review
The Pollinator Victory Garden…A Review. Paddy Tobin Book Review February 10, 2020 Small changes in our gardening can make an enormous difference to our world – The “Act locally, think globally” concept could never be applied so effectively! We can each, in our individual gardens, make small changes which will be beneficial to our environment, to the pollinators […]
Modern Plant Hunters – A Review
Modern Plant Hunters – A Review. Paddy Tobin Book Review January 31, 2020 Modern Plant Hunters – Dr. Sandy Primrose. Plant hunters have given our gardens the most wonderful range of plants; we are greatly indebted to these brave, courageous and daring people and Dr. Sandy Primrose’s account of our modern plant hunters is gripping and informative reading […]
Annual General Meeting 2020: Details Announced
AGM Weekend Westport, Co Mayo. 16 &17 May 2020 Booking: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/agm-westport-16-17-may-2020-tickets-87794103527 The AGM weekend is, for many of our members, the highlight of the year. This year IGPS Leinster has organised something very special….. For the first time ever, the IGPs is heading to Westport https://www.destinationwestport.com/on Clew Bay in Co Mayo. Six […]
Newsletter, January 2020
The January 2020 issue of the Society’s newsletter has been sent to members. It is an excellent issue with a strong emphasis on Irish plants and gardens – interesting plant portraits and news of Irish gardens. Well done to the editing committee for producing such a top-class newsletter! Contents: Welcome A Note from the […]
The Scentual Garden – A Review.
Fragrance lost its importance in our gardens. We drifted away from an appreciation of scent; became more visual in our judgement and selection and nowadays rarely include scent in a description of a plant. We have fallen out of the practice of appreciating one of the central and important aspects of our gardens, the fragrance […]
Bringing the Mediterranean into your Garden – Olivier Filippi
Olivier Filippi – Bringing the Mediterranean into your Garden. Paddy Tobin Book Review December 10, 2019 This is a remarkable book, a book of extraordinary depth and of marvellous inspiration. Olivier and Clara Filippi have run a nursery, specialising in Mediterranean plants, in the south of France for over thirty years. They have travelled the world to […]
T. J. Maher at Malone House – How to get the most from the Smaller Garden.
On Wednesday evening, around 100 members and guests attended Malone House, Belfast, and enjoyed an inspiring lecture ‘How to get the most from the Smaller Garden’ by artist T.J. Maher from Patthana Garden, Kiltegan, Co. Wicklow. T.J.’s photos of his 1/3 acre garden were wonderful, with his fabulous plant selections and colour combinations. There was […]
Great Talk in Cork!
Many thanks to Colm O’Driscoll headgardener at Airfield Estate for a wonderful lecture to IGPS Munster last night. An excellent talk, very interesting and greatly enjoyed by all in attendance. Photograph thanks to Margaret McAuliffe.