Former Mayo pub to become organic garden school

A FORMER pub and dance hall between Mulranny and Achill Island is being transformed into an organic gardening education centre and edible landscape project.

The building, once known as The Way Inn, is now home to Tilled Earth, a new initiative dedicated to teaching people how to grow their own food, fruit, herbs and medicinal plants.

The project is led by organic gardener and author Klaus Laitenberger, together with his wife Joanna and their family.

The aim of Tilled Earth is to help people rediscover the skills of growing vegetables, fruit, herbs, edible flowers and medicinal plants in their own gardens.

“We want to show people that growing food is something everyone can do,” says Klaus.

“It connects us with the earth, with the seasons and with the food we eat.”

Visitors will learn how to grow vegetables, fruit, culinary herbs and medicinal plants - creating what Klaus describes as a 'natural medicine cabinet in the garden'.

Tilled Earth plans to welcome retirement groups, gardening clubs, community gardens, schools and people interested in therapeutic horticulture and nature-based wellbeing.

From mid-June, Tilled Earth will open for pre-booked tours, workshops and garden visits, with a focus on practical skills people can use in their own gardens.

“Once people discover how productive even a small garden can be, it becomes incredibly rewarding,” Klaus says.

THE STORY OF THE WAY INN

The Way Inn once played an important role in local community life.

For decades it was a lively social hub, known for music, dancing and gatherings. The building also housed a shop and post office, making it a central meeting point in the area.

Today, the old dance hall is taking on a new role as a classroom for gardening courses and visiting groups.

Around the building, the family are developing what they hope will become a Garden of a Thousand Edible Plants.

The vision is long-term.

“We are only starting,” Klaus explains. “Over the next five years we want to create a garden containing more than a thousand edible plants - vegetables, fruit, herbs, edible flowers and perennial food crops from around the world.”

The garden will show visitors that productive gardens can also be beautiful, diverse and full of wildlife.

FAMILY PROJECT

Tilled Earth is very much a family project.

Klaus Laitenberger is well known in Irish gardening circles as the author of four gardening books, including the bestselling Vegetables for the Irish Garden, which has sold more than 25,000 copies.

He writes for Irish Garden Magazine, contributes to the BBC gardening programme Gardener’s Corner, and works as an Organic Trust inspector, visiting organic farms across Ireland.

Klaus also teaches gardening and food growing at the CORE College of Natural Medicine in Castlecomer, County Kilkenny, and runs gardening courses throughout the country, including at Ballymaloe Cookery School and other educational centres.

His wife Joanna Laitenberger runs the family’s online seed company Green Vegetable Seeds, which supplies vegetable, herb and flower seeds to gardeners across Ireland.

Joanna manages the day-to-day running of the seed business and plays a central role in developing Tilled Earth.

“We want Tilled Earth to be a place where people feel inspired to grow wholesome food, reconnect with nature and leave with practical ideas they can use at home,” says Joanna.

The couple’s son Thien Laitenberger, a Ballymaloe-trained chef, will also contribute to the experience. On course days and organised group visits he will prepare home-grown, home-cooked meals using vegetables, fruit and herbs harvested directly from the garden.

“Cooking straight from the garden brings a freshness and flavour you simply cannot buy,” says Thien. “I’m looking forward to preparing seasonal meals that help people taste what this place is all about.”

“Good food is an essential part of the experience,” Klaus says. “People will be able to taste the vegetables, fruit and herbs they have just seen growing.”

RESTORING THE SITE

The family have already begun restoring the property.

The original 120-year-old stone dwelling has been carefully renovated, revealing its old stone walls and character.

A traditional red brick walled garden has been built and a Victorian-style orangery greenhouse now stands beside it, where tomatoes, peppers and other heat-loving crops will be grown.

Storm-felled trees on the land are being cut for firewood, while smaller branches are being used to create a large and unusual hügelbed, which is currently under construction.

Hügelbeds are raised beds made from layers of wood and organic material. They store carbon, feed the soil for many years and improve drainage.

“It’s quite a unique structure,” Klaus says. “It’s easier to understand when you see it. Come and visit - it’s difficult to explain.”

A nearby river running through the property provides a natural habitat for wildlife.

At a time when daily life is increasingly dominated by screens and technology, Klaus believes gardening offers an important counterbalance.

“Growing food slows us down and reconnects us with nature,” he says. “When you plant a seed and watch it grow, it brings a sense of calm and perspective. It can be a powerful antidote to the constant distractions of modern life.”

Over the coming years the Tilled Earth project will continue to grow and evolve.

The aim is to create one of Ireland’s most inspiring edible gardens, showing how food production, biodiversity and beauty can exist together.

“We hope people will come here, feel inspired and start growing food themselves,” Klaus says.

More information about seeds, gardening courses and events can be found at greenvegetableseed.com.