17/07/09: On sale at B&Q now, various trays of vegetable plants (c. 8 plants unless otherwise specified):

04/07/09: The 2 Euro shop on Level 1 of the Square Shopping Centre has the following useful items in stock:
Weed control fabric, 5m x 1m, €2.00.
30 Peat pots (which look like they're made from paper), 8cm, €2.00.
48 Peat pots, 6cm, €2.00.
Plant protection fleece, 6m x 1m, €2.00.
Kneelers with set of gloves, €2.00.
2 x 50m twist wire with cutter, €2.00.
Heavy duty garden bag, 42cm x 42cm x 34cm, €2.00.
Propogater with lid, c. 18cm square, €2.00.
10 x 10cm plastic pots, €2.00.
6 x 12cm plastic pots, €2.00.
Combo spray bottle and watering can, 1500ml, €2.00.
900ml spray bottle, €2.00.

30/05/09: A new gardening for food course is starting on Wednesday 10th June for 8 weeks. It's based in Terenure and is given by a very experienced grower qualified in adult education. Check out www.plottopot.ie.

15/05/09: Newlands Garden Centre have some good value on herbs and compost at the moment, including:
Living Flavour Herbs €3.99 each or 3 for €10.
Farmyard manure €5.99. Buy 2 and get third free.
Multi Purpose 120L €8.99. Buy 3 for €20
Watch out also for tomato plants in flower and already fruiting pepper plants due in very shortly.

B&Q have ready-cut 'flat pack' sets of raised beds for €25.75. They measure 1.8m x 0.9m x 0.2m. They also have some organic vegetable plants in cardboard pots for €1.95 each.

12/05/09: Lidl will have, on 14/05/09, various vegetable plants such as cucumber, aubergine and peppers, well grown at about 45cm, €3.99 each. They will also have tomato plants, c. 20cm high, €3.99 each.

Johnstown Garden Centre have long-handled forks at €27.99 each, good oak handles. They also do the Wolf Garten range of tools, including their very nifty push/pull hoe head, much needed at this time of year. (See www.wolf-garten.co.uk for full range.)

Aldi will have peat-free compost for €2.99 for 40 litres on Thursday 14/05/09.

20/3/09: Mr. Middleton's Garden Shop on Mary Street in Dublin City has Sarpo Mira seed potatoes - the truly blight resistant potato. About €8 for 2.5kg. There are other varieties in stock too.

9/03/09: Hackett's gardening shop has reopened on Capel Street in Dublin city. They have lots of seed potatoes in stock.

Lidl got in a variety of cold frames, mini greenhouses, propogaters, tools etc. the week before last and still have some in stock. Heatons have windowsill size propogators for €4 and large trays of small pots for €5.

2/02/09: Newlands Garden Centre have onion sets in now, €2.50 for 50 for more popular varieties. They hope to have seed potatoes in during the week.

Homebase's 'Grow Your Own' range has onion sets in stock for €2.99 for 60, and the same price for 12 shallots. They also have garlic and Jerusalem artichokes. Three Grolin asparagus roots cost €5.99. There is a range of seed potatoes, costing €4.99 for 2kg or 1.5kg of the salad varieties.

Aldi will have soft fruit bushes on sale Thursday 5th February, €2.99 for three different varieties in each pack, including blackcurrant, redcurrant, raspberry, blackberry, tayberry or gooseberry.

Lidl will have fruit trees on sale Thursday 5th February for €6.49 each, including apples, pears, plums and a cherry.

20/01/09: B&Q now have onion sets for sale.

Aldi have ‘grow-your-own’ vegetable kits from Thursday 22nd January. Choose from: Tomato, Chilli or Pepper. Kit includes; ceramic pot, seeds plus planting compost. €5.99 each.

11/01/09: Newlands Garden Centre still has some spring cabbage plants left at €3.99 for nine plants. For the same price and quantity are Iceburg Lettuce plants. Pots of strawberry plants, rocket, parsley, thyme, cammomile, fennell, spearmint and chervil are all available for €3.99 each. Pots of rhubarb Timperley are available at €6.99.

B&Q have a selection of seed potatoes available now. Johnstown Garden Centre at Kill should have them in about a week's time.

The Ballyowen, Lucan, branch of Lidl still has in stock, as of 10/01/09, some plant propgators made of solid plastic holding 24 modules for €9.99.

South Dublin Allotments Association were delighted to receive the prize for the Environment Category at the Tallaght Person of the Year Awards on 16th November 2007, for the Association's work in promoting allotments. The award was presented by John Gormley T.D., Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, at the event held in the Plaza Hotel, Tallaght, organised by Tallaght Community Council.
Click here for a photo of the presentation.

The film previously mentioned as ‘The Allotment’ was actually released as 'Grow Your Own'. It only had a short run in Dublin City but is available to order through www.amazon.co.uk and other outlets, RRP 17.99 Sterling.

Mark Keenan, journalist with the Sunday Times (Irish edition) has been writing a piece about allotments in the Home supplement. Mark draws on his experiences as a first time plot holder on No. 34, and his informative and witty observances make recommended reading.

Plot 34 in May 2007.

A survey carried out by Waitrose supermarkets in the UK found that there are 300,000 allotment holders in England and a further 35,000 on waiting lists. This is a growth of nearly 40% in the last ten years. Even more interestingly, less than half are retired, 35% are under 50 and 16 % are women. The survey showed that there is a huge growth in people growing their own food. (Amateur Gardening, 2 December 2006) Judging by the waiting list of several hundred for allotments in Fingal County and numerous articles on home-grown produce in the mainstream media, the trend seems to be similar in Ireland.

For example, check out www.growyourownfood.blogspot.com for one Irish woman’s experience of being an urban farmer for thirteen years.