Ciaran De Buitlear | Gardeningwell
@gardeningwell
Author of Nature’s Acre. Founder, Gardeningwell.ie — wildlife gardening in Ireland (Stamullen, Co Meath). Walled garden + school/community projects. Peat-free, pesticide-free. Native plants, pollinators. Media: gardeningwell.ie/press/media
Would you like to read Nature’s Acre while supporting an independent Irish bookshop? Several wonderful bookshops around Ireland now have it available to order directly from their own websites. I’ve gathered the links below. 🌿📚
If you grow your own tomatoes, then you will know. If you don’t, that’s a real pity.
The Beara Peninsula has a way of slowing you down. Ancient mountains, quiet coves, old tracks and the Atlantic stretching to the horizon. The scenery is extraordinary, but the real gift is the time it gives you with the people you’re walking beside.
A gift just received. Thanks Fiona!!! Ancient burr elm and diamond dust pen hand made by Seán O’Ceannabhain. Finally I have a “signing pen”! killarneypens.com
Caring for a place changes both the place and the people who care for it. When enough people care for enough places, the world changes.
It is unusually warm with temperatures of up to 30°C most days this week. It actually hasn’t rained since we got here. We’ve been here four days.
Tomorrow I'll be in Polly's Bookshop, Castletownbere, talking about Nature's Acre. My mother's family came from Bere Island, so this feels a little like coming home. If you're nearby, I'd love to see you. 🕓 4pm 📍 Polly's Bookshop
Hiked 12k from Castletownbere to Allihies over the Slieve Miskish mountain range. This is a picture of us at the top. Yes It was hot!
Look what I just saw in the window in beautiful Castletownbere?
Delighted to see *Nature's Acre* in the front window at Ennis Bookshop. 🌻 Huge thanks to the team for supporting Irish authors. If you're in Clare, do call in. If not, you can order online from Ennis Bookshop too. www.ennisbookshop.ie/p/ciaran-de-...
This is the front garden of our ordinary suburban house. What would you say if you lived next door?
Six years ago this was mostly grass. Today it hums with bees, hoverflies, butterflies and birds. It’s an ordinary Irish garden supporting more life every year. Imagine if thousands more gardens did the same. #biodiversity #gardening
Things alive at the garden but I don’t even know what they are! :-).
It takes a very good book to make you question how you think. Gardens That Can Save the World by Lottie Delamain did exactly that. Beautifully written, beautifully produced, and full of ideas that show gardens can tackle some of humanity’s biggest challenges. gardeningwell.ie/gardens-can-...
Look after one place. In one place are all places.
Gardens are where many of my stories begin. They rarely end there. I’ve brought together my essays, articles and book into one place exploring nature, place, community and stewardship. gardeningwell.ie/nature-writing
Water harvesting project done on the hottest day ever.
I’m gifting the ebook version of Nature’s Acre to 5 people tonight. Just can tell me why you want it.
After a recent school visit to Nature’s Acre, one fifth-class pupil wrote: “The garden makes me feel like I’m in my happy place.” I can’t think of a better reason to keep opening the gates.
💧 This is your Insect Week challenge. Put a shallow dish of water outside with a few stones or pebbles so insects can land safely to drink. It takes two minutes, costs nothing, and could make a real difference on a warm day. If you do it, post a photo below. 🐝🦋
🌼🐝 It’s Insect Week. You don’t need to rewild your whole garden to help insects. Just do one small thing this week. Small actions, repeated by thousands of people, can transform nature far more effectively than a few perfect gardens.
That above is the view to the left of me. This is the view to the right of . You wouldn’t think there a house about 20 feet straight ahead of me, another one 10 feet to the left of our house and a row of houses across the street.?
Tomorrow is Father’s Day. The best thing my father gave me wasn’t something he bought. It was time spent outdoors together. If you can, spend an hour outside with your children tomorrow. Years from now they probably won’t remember the present. They’ll remember the day.
There’s a smarter way to mow. If you don’t need to walk on it or play on it, you don’t need to cut it. I think it looks great this way.
Wildlife doesn’t need more awareness. We’ve spent decades raising awareness. It needs more people doing one small thing. What will you do?