You’ll never look at a roadside verge the same way again

There are certain things in life that we glide past without ever really seeing them.

Lamp posts. Traffic cones. And grass. Especially grass.

For most of us, it’s simply the green stuff between the footpath and the road, or the thing that needs cutting every fortnight if you’re lucky enough to own a lawn.

Now the good people behind the Ellen Hutchins Festival, which celebrates Ireland’s first female botanist from Ballylickey, would like to gently point out that what many of us dismiss as “just grass” is actually a surprisingly varied cast of characters, each with its own quirks, habits and identifying features.

Which brings us to what might be one of the most charmingly niche events of the summer: Couch to Five Grasses.

Taking place in Future Forests in Kealkil on Sunday, August 23rd, the free workshop promises to teach participants how to identify five of Ireland’s most common grasses under the guidance of National Parks and Wildlife Service ecologist Clare Heardman.

The title, a playful nod to Couch to 5K, tells you everything you need to know. The ambition here is wonderfully modest: by the end of an hour and a half, you might simply be able to tell one grass from another.

There’ll be hand lenses, guidebooks and a few bonus grasses for anyone who discovers an unexpected talent for botanical detective work.

It’s free, you can stay for the full session or drop in, and it’s all part of this year’s Ellen Hutchins Festival. Reserve your free spot here.