GIY Week

Interested in Growing your own Food this year?

Interested in growing your own food this year? GIY Week (March 12^th to 19^th) is the moment you have been waiting for! GIY is a not-for-profit organisation which started in Ireland, that aims to make home-grown food the norm – during GIY Week the organisation is trying to encourage people that have never grown anything at all to sow a seed for the first time. Whether you would like to be self-sufficient or just want to grow some herbs and salads on a windowsill, GIY wants you get growing!

GIY Week 2011 is timed to coincide with the start of the 2011 growing season - GIY groups around Ireland will be hosting events, demos and meitheals to provide would-be GIYers with the skills that they need to grow their own successfully. On Facebook, GIY plans to get over 100,000 people to take a pledge to grow something they can eat (www.facebook.com/giyireland).

To mark GIY Week, GIY patrons such as Clodagh McKenna, Ella McSweeney, Klaus Laitenberger and Joy Larkcom are all hosting events. There will be expert web-chats each evening on the GIY website; a "meitheal Mor" in Seven Oaks Community Garden in Dublin; yoga for GIYers in Darthmouth Sq in Dublin; new GIY group launches in Offaly, Drumcondra, Leitrim and Donegal (including the first off-shore GIY group at Árainn Mhór). GIY will also be at the Inish Food Event in Donegal (organised by the Irish Food Bloggers and Harry's Restaurant supremo Donal Doherty) and the Potato Day in The Organic Centre, Rossinver, Leitrim. There will also be visits to some of Ireland’s most inspiring vegetable gardens, including Mount Congrieve in Waterford and the OPW’s Victorian Walled Garden in the Phoenix Park. Local GIY groups will also be working with schools around Ireland to support them as part of the Incredible Edibles programme.

About GIY

GIY is a registered charity (CHY 18920) that inspires people to grow their own and gives them the skills they need to grow successfully. They do this by bringing GIYers together in the community and online so that they can learn from each other. There are now nearly 100 GIY groups around Ireland and approximately 7,000 people involved between the groups and our online network.

GIY group activities include monthly meetings, talks and demos; garden visits, seed and seedling swaps; produce bartering, mentor panels and grower’s meitheals. Meetings and membership are free of charge, and open to all – beginners and experts, young and old.

GIY Ireland was founded by author and journalist Michael Kelly. Patrons of the organisation include Diarmuid Gavin, Darina Allen, Duncan Stewart, Ella McSweeney, Klaus Laitenberger, Clodagh McKenna and Joy Larkcom and the organisation is proudly supported by The Arthur Guinness Fund, Woodies DIY and Garden Centres, Ashoka and AIB. For more information visit www.giyireland.com. To take the GIY Pledge, visit www.facebook.com/giyireland.

GIY Week Activities:

• Tie-in with Agriaware on the launch of Incredible Edibles Initiative in Schools – local GIY groups helping school-kids to grow their own

• GIY Groups hosting events, talks, meetings during that week

• Live GIY expert web-chats each evening on the GIY website

• Guided Tour of the OPW Walled Garden in Phoenix Park

• Butter-making demo with Ella McSweeney, Live Streaming to GIY site at 7pm on Wednesday

• Meitheal Mor in Seven Oaks Community Garden in Dublin

• “Grow Your Own Vegetables” author Joy Larkcom talk in Cork

• Yoga for GIYers in Darthmouth Sq in Dublin with Victoria Mary Clarke

• “Grow your Own” talk with Klaus Laitenberger in Bray

• “Grow it/Eat it” event with Clodagh McKenna and Klaus Laitenberger in Offaly

• Inishfood Event in Donegal

• Potato Day in Leitrim

• New GIY Group Launches in Offaly, Drumcondra, Leitrim and the first off-shore GIY group in Arrain Mhor

For more information on GIY Week Events, visit www.giyireland.com/markets/events

New Garden Centre open in Cork

It is close to the official first day of Spring - although it is hard to believe with the temperatures we have currently - and we all are thinking again of our kitchen garden. We have started to dig the ground again, started uncovering the strawberries (which I should have not done as the frost set in again after that, grrr) and the first seeds have been set in propagators. The greenhouse has been tidied up and the tools are out again.

And just on time, a new garden centre has opened nearby. Maria and Billy O'Connor have taken over the old Phelan's Restaurant and B&B and transformed it into a family friendly garden centre and restaurant. The garden centre includes a kid's corner where a big bronze gorilla is watching over the kids. The corner includes a pet zoo with chickens and rabbits - more pets to be added - and 2 big blackboards where kids can amuse themselves while mum and dad are discovering the centre itself.

Maria has created a beautiful gift shop which is in calm light colours and full of wonderful art and craft items. If you are on the lookout for a lovely gift for a special person - this shop is a must. Walking through the shop, you will come into the bar area with its open fire. The restaurant is located off the bar in the conservatory - with a fantastic view over the garden centre.

The menu is aimed at families as you have a good selection of dishes to suit all tastes. Starters include homemade soup of the day (€4.00), Seafood Chowder (€5.50) and Egg Mayonnaise Salad Plate (4.50). Main courses have a Roast of the day (€9.95), 6oz Steak Sandwich (€12.95) and Seafood Parcels (€9.95). The vegetarian options are not an afterthought but carefully put together. You can have Vegetable Curry (€9.95), Pasta in creamy Garlic Sauce (€9.95) and Vegetables Tarts (€9.95) - let me ensure you these are more options than you get in most restaurants. The Kid's menu includes Half Roast of the Day (€5.00) and the usual favourites of sausages, burgers and chicken goujons - all served with chips (€4.95). Desserts and cakes are homemade ( I tried the carrot cake - yum).

Billy himself has years of professional garden experience behind him and his selection of plants are based on season rather than beauty. He has already broad beans, peas, cauliflower and leafs ready for you to set out as soon as the frost is gone. Expert advise is also available from Aidan who is looking after the plants.

The whole atmosphere in the garden centre, bar and shop is relaxed, friendly and inviting - a great day out.

The centre is just off the Cork-Mallow Road. Coming from Cork, take the Blarney Exit and follow the signs. Coming from Mallow, take the Blarney exit and turn right at the corner.

Q & A with Joy Larkom

Q & A
with
 Joy Larkcom - GIY patron and veteran vegetable grower
who has spent 40 years or so encouraging people to grow their own,
to be adventurous about what they grow
and not to be put off by having a tiny plot.

15th March 7pm, Crawford Art Gallery, Admission 5 Euro

Joy Larkcom is the author of Grow Your Own Vegetables, the Organic Salad
Gardener and Creative Vegetable Gardening