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Daffodils are possibly the easiest bulbs to grow

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By Debby Looney, gardening expert

With autumn comes the promise of spring. In other words, once September is here, we have the joy of planning, colour coordinating and choosing the bulbs which are going to bring us out of the long winter months and into the bright new beginnings of the gardening year.

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Suffice to say, I love bulbs. I also marvel at them each year, how such a dry, shrivelled little item can produce such blooms. I must admit, when I buy bulbs, I promise them as well as myself, that I will not spend money again next year, that this is the last time I will plant bulbs, that I now have the most beautiful choice there is, and so on. However, once the season starts, and I am faced with the photos on the boxes, not to mention the choice my ‘inbox’ receives, there I am buying again. There are always some pots or new areas that need filling!

Daffodils are one of the largest groups of bulbs and possibly the easiest to grow. They are split into 13 divisions – but no, I will not detail each one, that would be tedious! The proper Latin name for daffodil is Narcissus, named after the Greek mythological Narcissus who fell in love with his own reflection, and who, on realising this love could not be returned, melted away and turned into a flower. The most common divisions are; trumpet, which would include the common yellow daff, large and small cupped, and the pheasant eye daffs would be an example of the smaller cupped division. Tazetta are the daffs which produce more than three flowers per stem, such as paperwhites. Bulbocodiums have dominant coronas, while jonquils are generally small with five to seven flowers per stem.

How to plant them

When planting daffs, or any bulbs, make sure to plant them the right way up! The pointier side goes up – now, this might seem like common sense, but first timers and children are not always too sure. Plant the bulb down three times its own depth with a little compost or grit in the bottom of the hole. A teaspoon of bonemeal can be added in the bottom also, but make sure the bulb does not touch it. All bulbs prefer well drained soil, though daffodils do put up with fairly wet conditions.

Some great varieties to try are: ‘Avalon’, a large cupped variety with big lemon yellow flowers. The corona is paler and fades to white with age. ‘Golden Ducat’, an old and reliable double yellow daff, ‘Pink Paradise’, one of my favourites, a double daff, which is white with pink. It is also scented. ‘Merlin’ is white, with a small, bright orandge corona – it spreads well. ‘Minnow’ is a very popular dwarf daff with three pale yellow flowers to each stem, growing to about 20cm. ‘Tete-a-tete’ also remains a popular dwarf variety, it naturalises well. ‘Rip van Winkle’ is another small variety with spikey double flowers. It will not tolerate wet! ‘Thalia’ is a beautifully scented, delicate looking white variety bearing two flowers on each stem. ‘Mount Hood’ is probably the most popular and reliable large trumpeted white daffodil available.

It is well worth looking out for unusual varieties – I certainly think it is worth paying a bit extra for something different, but do put them in pots, or a special spot, where you can appreciate them!

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Over 3000 turn out for Nathan’s Walk

Thousands of people across eight locations in Kerry took part in Darkness Into Light, the annual fundraising event organised by Pieta and supported by Electric Ireland, on Saturday morning. One […]

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Thousands of people across eight locations in Kerry took part in Darkness Into Light, the annual fundraising event organised by Pieta and supported by Electric Ireland, on Saturday morning.

One of the biggest in the county was the Killarney edition held in memory of Nathan O’Carroll. Over 3,000 people took part in the Killareny walk making it one of the biggest in the country. 

His mother Marie organises the walk locally each year.

She thanked the many business and individuals who made this year’s walk possible.

They were: Electric Ireland; Killarney Racecourse; Killarney National Park; Sheahan Group,; Daly’s Supervalu; Emergency Services and Order of Malta; MC Brendan Fuller of Radio Kerry; Videographer Dan Devane; Photographers Marie Carroll O’Sullivan and Konrad Paprocki; Samantha Nagle for Instagram and all the volunteers and supporters.

Stephanie Manahan, Pieta CEO, said: “We are beyond grateful for the thousands of people who supported the event this year. To see so many people come out each and every year is truly inspiring and each and every person makes a valuable contribution in enabling Pieta to provide free, professional therapy for suicide prevention and bereavement in Ireland. On behalf of the entire team at Pieta, we want to thank every single participant, volunteer, and supporter. Thanks to you, we can continue to support those who need us most.’’

Meanwhile in London, Aghadoe native Tara Cronin was the lead organiser of Darkness into light, Cricklewood. TV celebrity Laura Whitmore also took part in the London walk.

The annual helps to raise almost €4m nationally to fund Pieta’s lifesaving suicide prevention services. This figure is expected to increase over the coming weeks as public fundraising and corporate donations for the initiative continue.

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Brand new look for Killarney Magazine

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Hot off the presses! This years Killarney Magazine is out from this weekend.

Killarney’s premier tourism magazine is back on the streets with a fresh look.

The magazine has been reimagined by the Killarney Advertiser and KC Print team. The theme is ‘We are Killarney….Explore It Like We Do’ is packed with the best experiences our amazing town can offer.

Lead by the Killarney Advertiser team, the magazine is a vibrant reflection of the changing nature of the tourism market focussing on experiences, food, festivals, and craic.

This year’s magazine builds on the last seven editions of the Killarney Magazine first launched in 2016. It has become a must read for visitors and this edition is packed with experiences that are world class. Celebrating our unique town is a full-time job for the team and in this year’s edition the energy is hopping off the page.

Speaking about the magazine, Sales Manager Chris Davies explained that “bringing a fresh new look was important considering that so many businesses upgraded their offerings for the new season. This year we focused on the experience side of Killarney, and I think the content and listings showcase all of the great experiences our town has to offer”

This coffee table publication will be available from all hotels, restaurants, bars, and tourism spots from this weekend on.

It will be distributed weekly throughout the summer and is sure to be a massive success with visitors and locals alike.

The magazine is free, and to make this possible it is through advertising by businesses in our community. Thank you to all those who advertised this year, and, in the past, it would not be possible to represent our town in its awe-inspiring wonder without their support.

Grab a coffee and enjoy this year’s edition. Click here to read online!

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