Have a bloomin’ good time
Promoting care and an appreciation of the environment in kids is on all parent’s check lists, so what better way could there be than seeing some of the best of what nature has to offer?
Bloom is Ireland’s annual garden festival which takes place at the Phoenix Park in Dublin and is one of the top family friendly events in Ireland.
With kids going free, there are plenty of activities, food and garden fun for all ages. It takes place from May 30 – June 3.
The event includes spectacular gardens, horticulture, food, family entertainment, shopping and more.
A full price ticket is €20 while students and seniors (aged 66 or over) can buy tickets at a reduced €16. Children 16 years of age and younger can go for free – up to three children per adult. Tickets can be found on the Bloom website at bloominthepark.com
Bullying’s long term impact
Victims of bullying in secondary school have dramatically increased chances of mental health problems and unemployment in later life.
New research led by Lancaster University Management School researchers reveals stark consequences a decade on for pupils subjected to bullying. Those who are the victims of persistent or violent bullying suffer the worst consequences.
Emma Gorman and Prof. Ian Walker, of the Lancaster University Department of Economics, along with research partners Silvia Mendolia, of the University of Wollongong, and Colm Harmon and Anita Staneva, of the University of Sydney, found being bullied in school increases the extent of mental health problems at age 25 by 40%.
It also increases the probability of being unemployed at age 25 by about 35%; and for those in work, it reduces their income by around 2%.
The research, presented at the Royal Economic Society’s annual conference at the University of Warwick, analysed confidential data on more than 7,000 school pupils aged 14-16 from the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England.
A green thumb needs a flawless fork
For those who love to garden, a little dirt under the fingernails is a small price to pay for the meditative joy of working the soil, smelling the rich earth, planting seeds or young sprouts, and watching the miraculous growth into a beautiful flowering plant or a harvest of vegetables.
But there are things that can make your gardening experience that little bit easier.
Cork-based Fruithill Farm stock a high quality garden fork with a forged steel head made by the long-established German firm SHW, which is available in two sizes which are 240 x 160mm for its smaller border fork or 280x190mm for the larger model, available to order with either an ash T-handle or a rounded handle, from €35.90. There is also an adjustable ‘leaf rake’ made by the same firm that’s perfect for collecting leaves or creating a fine, crumbly tilth for seed sowing.
