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A kiss under the mistletoe!

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By Debby Looney, gardening expert

Almost as evocative of Christmas as the Poinsettia is the Christmas cactus, or the Schlumbergera truncata and with its flat, succulent, jointed leaves and colourful flowers, which brings cheer to any room.

These plants are indigenous to the Brazilian rainforest and are actually epiphytic, meaning they live high up in the tree canopy, nestled in the limbs of great trees. They therefore enjoy moisture, and relatively cool temperatures. Buds and flowers will drop off if the plant dries out completely, or if it is over or near a radiator or other heat source.

This is a plant which will survive for generations, there are some over a hundred years old handed down like heirlooms in families!

The trick for getting them to flower at the right time is to have them in a room where they get up to 16 hours of darkness in every 24 hour period, as well as giving them more water with a very small amount of feed added. It is important that there is absolute darkness, not even an occasional switching on of a light. When the buds appear you may move them to a different place. During summer months, keep them out of direct sunlight, as they scorch easily, causing the leaves to redden. Keeping in mind the fact that they are rainforest natives helps when taking care of them!

Mistletoe

Another epiphytic and parasitic tree dweller, equally synonymous with Christmas, is mistletoe. Popular for the tradition of kissing beneath a bunch of it, many gardeners ask me how they might grow their own. We are a romantic bunch! Mistletoe grows on host trees, such as apples, poplar, hawthorn, lime and many others. The berries are sticky and white, favoured by many birds. It is possible to grow it. You will need some fresh berries, preferably picked in March when they are ripe and a tree at least 15-years-old.
Those sold at Christmas are not ripe yet and will not germinate. Any younger and it will suffer due to the parasitic nature of the mistletoe. Simply take a good branch, make a little slice under the bark and insert the berries, maybe three or four together. Wrap with hessian or moss to prevent them falling out, and wait... About one in five should germinate, but the first year you will see nothing as it is only a root and a hypocotyl which grows. The second year you will see a small sprig, and after about five years you will be able to cut some for the house. It is a bit of a wait, but hopefully that kiss will be worth it!

I would like to wish all gardeners and readers of this column a Happy Christmas, and many thanks for all the positive and beautiful comments over the past year!

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New Streetscapes murals launched at College Square

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A colourful collaboration between the Kerry Local Creative Youth Partnership (LCYP) and the Architecture Kerry Festival at Kerry County Council launched yesterday evening at College Square.

Titled Streetscapes, the open-air public art installation officially opened at 5pm on Thursday, accompanied by a performance from the Killarney Youth Drumming Band THUMP! under the guidance of Urs Wenk from Drum Dance Ireland.


The public art project features a series of wall murals depicting Killarney through the eyes of local children, exploring freedom, play, and potential future evolutions of the townscape.

The artworks reimagine Killarney’s iconic landmarks and streets, blending youthful imagination and curiosity.


Supported under the Creative Ireland Programme, the installation is mounted on the gable wall of Reen’s Life Pharmacy in College Square, where it will remain on public display until March 2027.


Speaking at the launch, Daniel O’Shea, Youth Development Officer at Kerry ETB, stated: “Streetscapes is a wonderful celebration of how children see things. Their creativity brings new perspectives to the townscape, and we are proud to support their ideas and their art through this public artwork.”


Deirdre Enright, Co-Ordinator of the Local Creative Youth Partnership at Kerry ETB, acknowledged the community support behind the initiative: “We are very grateful to Reen’s Life Pharmacy who have shared their built space with us. Huge credit is due to the artistic team from Me+The Moon whose dedication to creativity and to children’s art shine through in this work.”


The project forms part of the annual Architecture Kerry Festival and receives funding through Creative Ireland and the Department of Education and Youth via Kerry ETB and Kerry County Council.


Victoria McCarthy, Festival Organiser and Architectural Conservation Officer at Kerry County Council, welcomed the continued inter-agency project: “It’s always a great event for Architecture Kerry and we are so pleased with this collaboration between public sector organisations. It remains a key feature of the Architecture Kerry programme.”
See next week’s Killarney Advertiser for full photographic coverage of the event.

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Dr Crokes stalwarts enjoy lake cruise

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Dr Crokes stalwarts enjoy lake cruise

Dr Crokes stalwarts enjoy lake cruise

Dr Crokes GAA Club hosted a special day out for its senior members on Monday, this week, taking a group aged between 70 and 90 on a cruise across the Lakes of Killarney.

Organised by the Dr Crokes Healthy Club committee under its Crokes Cruisers initiative, the event was held to recognise the lifetime contribution made by long-standing members who continue to support club activities behind the scenes.
The group travelled on two vessels, including An Cathal, an open boat operated by local brothers Tony and Mike Fleming. Built to preserve the traditional Killarney lake boat style, it is the only purpose-built, fully accessible boat on the lakes, allowing members with mobility issues and wheelchair users to safely join the two-hour trip.
Following the lake tour, the party gathered on shore for coffee and refreshments provided by Derric McMahon and Harry Clifton of the Ross Castle Garden Cafe.
The initiative forms part of the club’s ongoing community work as a Gold Award winner in the GAA Healthy Club programme.

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