News
It’s time to clean up the garden
By Debby Looney, gardening expert
This weekend was a happy time for many gardeners – I certainly heard a lot of lawnmowers on my walk!Many lawns might be damaged, so it is a good time to take the opportunity to rake out thatch, apply mosskiller or lime and tidy up the edges. There are many feed and weed products available but if your moss is not a huge problem, I always advise going with a product which does not contain any iron (feric sulphate). This will cause your soil to become acidic, which in the long run promotes moss growth. However, if you have a thick layer of moss, using sulphate of iron will kill it - however it will turn black and it needs to be raked out.
Make a newspaper pot
Applying a good quantity of lime afterwards will counteract the acidity and prevent regrowth.
Glasshouses and polytunnels should be disinfected, and any pots and seedtrays cleaned and disinfected also, if not done yet! If you are wondering what to do on a wet afternoon with the kids you could make a stack of newspaper pots. These are simple to make, just cut the top off a 500ml plastic bottle. Take a sheet of newspaper, fold it in half, wrap it around the bottle and tuck the ends into the open end. Then you can slip it off the bottle and hey presto, a pot! Free and very handy! Ideal for sowing peas, sweet peas, beans, lupins and a host of other large seeds. The pots decompose so there is no transplanting involved, keeping the roots undisturbed.
If there are any water features in your garden, it is an ideal time to drain them and clean them. Ponds can also be cleaned out. I notice that a lot of my water plants and aerators died during the cold spell, so they do need to be taken out of the pond to avoid problems later on. When you remove them, just leave them at the side of the pond for a few hours, so any water creatures can crawl out and return to the water! You can use it directly as a mulch then, as it will be fairly rotten anyway. All pond plants can be cut back and tidied up, and water lillies can be repotted if necessary. Always use special pond baskets for pond plants and aquatic soil. Cover the top of the pot with gravel and lower gradually into the water to avoid everything drifting up and out.
I notice quite a lot of frogspawn already, so take care not to disturb it too much! Wait until the weather is warmer, around 12 to 15 degrees before replacing the aerator. Also, check pumps and clean out the filters, as they may have clogged up over the winter.
BREAKING: Move finally underway at new Killarney Community Nursing Unit
The HSE has confirmed to the Killarney Advertiser that the long-awaited move to the new Killarney Community Nursing Unit is officially underway.
Earlier today, HSE staff began transferring resident belongings and medical equipment into the newly built multimillion-euro facility on Lewis Road. The phased relocation of residents from St Columbanus Home and Killarney District Hospital will take place over the coming days, with the first residents expected to be settled into the new hospital by the end of this week.
This development marks a major step forward for the facility after a long series of false starts, including a recently missed target date of Monday, August 10.
In a statement issued today, the HSE confirmed the commencement of the transfer and outlined the scale of the operation.
“HSE South West is this week beginning the process of moving to Killarney Community Nursing Unit, on a phased basis,” the statement read. “This is a significant logistical operation, involving the move of a significant number of residents with varying levels of needs. There are a number of factors which will affect how long the move will take, however we are working to move all residents safely and in the shortest possible timeframe.”
Private dog park to open near Gap of Dunloe
Killarney and its surrounding areas are set to gain a long-awaited dog park, though the new facility will be a privately operated venture rather than a municipal amenity.
Located in the Gap of Dunloe near Kate Kearney’s Cottage (Eircode V93 K7N2), the enclosed park has been designed to provide a safe space for dogs to run freely.
Co-owner Declan Casey said that the facility will cater to both open socialising and private bookings, allowing owners of nervous dogs or restricted breeds to reserve the space exclusively for hour-long sessions.
The private initiative comes after repeated calls for a public dog park in the area over recent years. In May 2021, Councillor Brendan Cronin put forward a motion requesting that the Municipal District build a facility in town, citing a similar successful scheme in Lucan, County Dublin.
At the time, council officials noted that while the project had merit, local authority land was unavailable and discussions with the National Parks and Wildlife Service would be required.
The issue was raised again in January 2023 by Councillor John O’Donoghue, who highlighted the growing number of dog-friendly local businesses and the rising demand for dedicated space. However, Kerry County Council stated it had no plans to construct a public facility due to challenges around funding, location, and ongoing maintenance.
BREAKING: Move finally underway at new Killarney Community Nursing Unit
BREAKING: Move finally underway at new Killarney Community Nursing Unit The HSE has confirmed to the Killarney Advertiser that the...
Private dog park to open near Gap of Dunloe
Private dog park to open near Gap of Dunloe Killarney and its surrounding areas are set to gain a long-awaited...
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