Glenavon Riverchapel Garden Visit 27th June

We have arranged an evening visit to Glenavon Japenese Garden on Wednesday 27th June. We are meeting outside the RC Church at 1730hrs and will be travelling by car share. Further details from Nicholas Ryan.

Garden Competition 2012

This year’s garden competition gets underway in the week beginning Monday, July 2, 2012.

Entry forms can be downloaded from this site, or from Redmonds Newsagents, Main St, Bunclody.

These paragraphs will hopefully give further explanation with updating of competition.

The Garden Competition is open to all members, with no restrictions on distance from Bunclody. Non-members are restricted to a 10 kilometre radius of Bunclody town. 

The purpose in saying it gets underway on the Monday is in case judging cannot be completed in the one day due to the number of entries and how distant the gardens are scattered around the counties, Carlow and Wexford. And, of course, due to possible inclement weather conditions. Gardens don’t often look well in atrocious weather, and wet and cold judges and assistants don’t make perfect arbiters. Further information is included on entry form.

This year we have made a few changes to the competition with the purpose of encouraging entries, and to award entrants who have gone to a lot of trouble to erect special features and are conscious of the need for biodiversity.

Special Features include specimen trees/shrubs, flower borders, colour, arrangements, gazebos, summerhouse, nest boxes, insect hotels, sculptures, mirrors, unusual displays, scarecrows, ponds, water features, etc. While the garden, overall, might not win a First it could be worthy of Meritorious Mention for which we intend to award a Special Merit Certificate.

Biodiversity is an area which may not lend itself to the formal aspects of  a ‘Show Garden‘. Usually we associate biodiversity with ‘wild habitats’.  However, we are conscious of the need to lay out our gardens in a special way and grow plants which will encourage insect life. Pollination is the key to a continued healthy environment. In rural towns and country where farming is increasingly one of mono-culture we need to be conscious of  how we can compliment the landscape with plants which will provide bees, hoverflies, birds, etc, with a habitat which will ensure their continued existence. Without our pollinators there is so much food we would not enjoy, and not only honey, but apples, plums, pears,  to mention a few.

Garden Size: We have taken on board suggestions that there may be an unfair advantage in different garden sizes competition in the same class, eg, the Best Ornamental Garden. So, this is why we have decided to include semi-detached, terraced and detached houses with gardens under ¼ acre in size, and Best Ornamental Garden over ¼  acre. Two reasons here: smaller gardens might be easier to maintain and prepare for judging; bigger gardens might lend themselves to bigger and better features. 

Rita & Eamonn Butler's Open Day Sunday, 1st July

Once again Eamonn & Rita are holding an open day in their garden to raise funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Society of Ireland. Everyone is welcome to come along, besides being able to walk around and admire their extensive and excellent gardens, there will be plants for sale and tea, coffee and refreshments will be available. A great day out in aid of a worthy cause. For further details, time, location etc please click here

The Chelsea Chop [or in this case 'Nibble']

The Chelsea chop [so called because it is usually carried out at the end of May, coinciding with the RHS Chelsea Flower Show] is a pruning method by which you limit the size and control the flowering season of many herbaceous plants. 
This year rabbits have carried out their own 'Chelsea Chop' on a number of new Lupin plants grown from seed. They have eaten all the leaves but left the stalks! However - these plants have now started to put on new growth a lot faster than those that the rabbits had missed. As this is obviously a radical new way of improving the growth of new plants as well as established ones, I am offering rabbits free of charge to anyone who wants them - just come and catch your own in my garden, there are generally 40 or 50 to choose from....... 

Garden Competition

Closing date for entries for this years Garden Competition is 29th June, so make sure you have your entry form submitted in plenty of time. Entry forms can be downloaded from the Garden Competition page or are available from any committee member.


There are classes for:

• BEST ORNAMENTAL GARDEN (large, over 1/4acre approx)
• BEST ORNAMENTAL GARDEN semi-detached, terraced or detached house with
  garden (under 1/4acre approx)
• BEST COUNTRY STYLE GARDEN (over 3/8th acre) which includes fruit, vegetables, flower beds, shrubs, trees, etc
• WINDOW BOXES AND/OR HANGING BASKETS

Something for everyone then, so there is no excuse for not entering!!!