TV show is a celebration of Irish horticulture

Home Grown is a brand new TV series which celebrates the Irish Horticulture industry, presented by two of the sector's dedicated advocates, Kitty Scully and Colm O’Driscoll.

Kitty and Colm travel all over Ireland in search of stories that celebrate Irish Horticulture and growing in all its variety. Ireland is a world leader in mushroom production. The GAA has its own farm where turf is grown for the pitch. Cut foliage grown in Tralee is used by high end florists in London and other parts of Europe. Grapes grown in North Co Dublin are being turned into wine. As well as stories about the different growers and producers, there are visits to inspirational gardens which are open to the public. This recognises the fact that, partly as a result of Covid, there has been a surge of interest in gardening.

Horticulture is the science and technology of plant cultivation. The horticulture industry in Ireland encompasses both food production and the production of ornamental plants and trees. The horticulture industry is an important economic sector in Ireland, with an estimated 6,600 people employed full time in primary production activity, and a further 11,000 employed in value added and downstream businesses such as wholesale, retail, distribution, landscape and garden design; and construction as well as local authority and county councils and parks and landscaping services.

In next Monday’s programme (RTÉ One, 8pm) Kitty meets an apple grower Con Traas in Tipperary and is surprised to learn that 90% of the apples we eat in Ireland are imported.

Colm heads for Wexford to Jimmy Kearns Fruit Farm in Enniscorthy where Jimmy has found ways to extend what used to be a six to eight week season to as much as nine months.