In this week’s news from the innovative SOLAS Eco Garden Centre in Portarlington, creativity takes centre stage once again with the eagerly awaited SOLAS monthly Craft Market, set to dazzle visitors this Sunday. Showcasing a vibrant array of locally handmade crafts and creations, the market boasts over 20 stalls offering an eclectic mix of art, candles, vintage items, knitted ornaments, handmade lamps, resin art, jewellery, wooden gifts, and trinkets.
Meanwhile, the SOLAS plants area has been abuzz with activity, expanding its range to include a diverse selection of plant pots, planters, and hanging baskets, perfect for injecting some vibrant spring colours into your garden. With expert horticulturalists on hand to provide guidance, visitors can rest assured they’ll receive the assistance needed to create stunning container garden displays this year.
In conjunction with the new range of baskets and planter SOLAS with has rolled out its offer for local businesses. Co-owner John Carey explains: ‘Here at SOLAS we are perfectly placed to be able to offer great deals on hanging baskets and garden planters. We have access to a huge range of garden containers and well as the know-how and experience in creating bespoke planting displays and floral schemes, so we thought why not offer this service to local businesses. We are offering 30% off planters and baskets as well as 20% off any of our plants used in the schemes and you will get expert advice on what plants to choose for a unique and colourful display’’. The offer is available to local businesses including bars, restaurants, schools and tidy towns.
Not to be outdone, SOLAS’s outdoor food court continues to flourish, drawing customers back with an enhanced food offering. Chef Allan Hendry and food manager Daniela Vacarus have been hard at work devising a tantalizing new menu, featuring daily specials crafted from fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Whether opting for the set selection of sandwiches and pizzas or indulging in the daily specials
UPCOMING EVENTS
SUNDAY 7th APRIL
Vintage and Craft Market. 11-4pm
Get ready to step into a world of timeless treasures and handmade wonders at our upcoming Vintage and Craft Market!
Sunday 7th April. If you are a vintage trader or crafts person and would like to join our market, please email events@thegardenshop.ie.
SATURDAY 13th APRIL
Herbalism and Natural Beauty Workshop. 2-5pm -Vintage Lounge
Come join Rachel from Wild Soul Beauty & Laura from Yarrow lane for a relaxing afternoon of self-care & self-love.
Laura will guide you through the benefits of herbal oil & then you will blend & make your own custom facial oil blend to take home.
Rachel will guide you through a Facial Gua Sha Ritual, to encourage embracing our uniqueness, she will use Ancient Traditional Chinese techniques.
Contact Laura to book.. https://yarrowlane.ie/
Food @ SOLAS
Looking to try something different? Join us this weekend in our heated food court and try All’s Cajun Chicken and smoked cheese Chimichanga, topped with sour cream, guacamole and served with chips…it’s hot, slightly spicy and made with passion for food.
And if you are visiting us on Sunday for the busy Craft market, we have available the Grab & Go sambos, with crips and any drink for only 10€, no more waiting for the food, grab it and go browsing our monthly market.
Solas Heated Courtyard open daily Monday – Friday 10-4pm and weekends 10-5pm.
(last food order 30 minutes before closing).
Product of the Week @ SOLAS
One of SOLAS and The Garden Shop best selling products is the very own range of raised beds. Coming in 3 different sizes these flat pack raised bed kits are ideal for growing your own vegetables and salad crops with minimum fuss.
Raised beds offer many growing advantages including; the ability to alter the soil to your specific growing needs, the ability to prevent pests such as slugs and carrot fly attacking crops and the raised nature make maintaining crops and weeding much easier.
SOLAS loves there raised beds so much they want as many of their customers as possible to use them and that is why they have extended their 30% off offer until the 15th of April.
Plant of the Week @ SOLAS
Erysimum – Wall Flower
A member of the Brassica family, like it’s cousins Broccoli and Brussel Sprouts, it prefers to be grown in light, well-draining soil in full sun.
Erysimum has a delightful fragrance complimenting it’s delicate flower that comes in a variety of soft pastels and vibrant colours.
To get the best out of your wallflowers, give them a haircut mid-summer to keep them compact and full.
SOLAS Weather April showers take a brief pause and it looks like a dry weekend ahead at SOLAS. When the sun does make an appearance temperatures are likely to reach a comfortable 12 degrees with will hopefully help to dry up what has so far been an exceptionally wet spring in the midlands.
Join us for a special weekend at SOLAS Eco Garden Centre, situated in Portarlington, Co. Laois R32 RPX8. We extend a warm invitation to visit us daily from 10 am to 6 pm. We can’t wait to welcome you!