Out&About – Page 2 – thegreenerdream

A green perspective.

July 29, 2018mariamayfleming

If you are a regular visitor to our blog you will know that we have a lot of colours everywhere in our home and garden. Flowers, mosaics, vegetables, fabrics, flowering trees and shrubs fill almost every available space creating an ever changing palette throughout the seasons.

Yesterday we visited a garden that was very different to ours but breathtakingly beautiful and creative. We were lucky enough that it was raining for as we were to find out, the diffused light created a magical illumination that intensified all the different shades of green, making them shine as if they were lit from within.

A bed for the Fairy Queen.

June 10, 2018June 10, 2018mariamayfleming

It has been unusually warm here in the West of Ireland and one day last week we found ourselves close to the shores of Lough Key. We remembered a magical day a few years back when all six of us rented two rowing boats for a couple of hours and went for a picnic on a very special island, so we decided to recapture some of the magic of that day.

A brief visit to Paradise.

May 20, 2018mariamayfleming

May is always a very busy month on the land. There are many seeds to sow, seedlings to transplant and plants that have a wish for world domination to keep in check. So a day away from the plot can be very uplifting and inspiring. But we would not wish to be too far from the natural world so spending such a day in a friend’s garden is a wonderful treat. We arrived for the first Open Garden Day this year at Carrick Gardens, Carrick Callow, County Mayo, armed with chocolate cake and comfortable shoes.

A composting master class.

April 29, 2018mariamayfleming

Because of our involvement with the Community Garden in Ballaghaderreen, we got invited to take part in the national Master Composter training course. It is developed by the EPA, Ireland’s Environmental Protection Agency, as part of the National Waste Prevention Programme. You can find lots of information on how to stop food waste and make you own compost on their excellent website; stopfoodwaste.ie.

The Nine Irons

April 16, 2018mariamayfleming

Sometimes things just work out. We have a good friend who is a blacksmith and he has taken the youngest member of our family under his wing. We are delighted that Finley can spend time with him, learning the trade and enjoying the company of a truly great craftsman.

Roots run deep…

March 30, 2018October 9, 2018mariamayfleming

As long as I can remember I have been fascinated and enthralled by the botanical garden in the town where I was born. Visby lies on the Island of Gotland, in the middle of the Baltic Sea.

A walk down memory lane.

March 25, 2018March 25, 2018mariamayfleming

As some of you know, half of our family comes from Sweden. This week we traveled back to the Island of Gotland, in the middle of the Baltic Sea and today we had the opportunity to visit the small Island of Fårö, where we all lived as children.

A cherished day.

February 24, 2018mariamayfleming

Recently I had the pleasure of venturing out on a trip with a friend to the beautiful Bellefield house and gardens, located close to Birr in County Offaly. We arrived around noon, in the brilliant spring sunshine to a world quite far removed from our home County’s of Mayo and North West Roscommon. Bees and bumblebees were buzzing around, the birds were singing in all the trees and the ground was carpeted in exquisite snowdrops and cyclamen.

Ballaghaderreen Community Garden.

October 20, 2017October 12, 2018mariamayfleming

We are fortunate and very excited to be to part of the creation of a Community Garden in our closest town, Ballaghaderreen. A few months ago we were proud to be invited as members of the committee and since then we have been working as part of a team to realize our shared dream. We are very happy as a piece of land has been kindly offered for our use by Duffy’s Supervalu. Work has started and we are meeting up every Sunday afternoon with a bunch of likeminded individuals to get our hands and wellies dirty but also to share laughs and cups of tea. We are always looking for more volunteers and you can find information about it on the Ballaghaderreen Community Garden Face Book page.

A journey through time at Brigit’s Garden

August 28, 2017mariamayfleming

We have wanted to visit Brigit’s Garden in County Galway for over a year, and a sunny morning last week we decided that it was time. It is a special place, inspired by Ireland’s Celtic past and partially designed by Mary Reynolds who is our favourite Irish garden designer. She believes just like we do, that it is time to go down a different path, one where we start giving back to the earth instead of always taking. You can read more about Mary and her work here.