Gardening - Irish Examiner

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Gardening

Your home for gardening tips, inspiration, news and features.

<p>In the wild, once the autumn leaves have fallen, no one gathers them up or hauls them away; they're left to settle and return to the soil. File picture</p>

home and gardens

Peter Dowdall: Compost turns fallen leaves from what we once called rubbish into riches

'In the wild, no one gathers up the fallen leaves or hauls them to the dump. They’re left to return to the soil. By spring, they’ve become humus that feeds roots, fungi, and insects'

<p>A blackcap on holly berries. Picture: Alamy/PA</p>

home and gardens

These berries will make your garden a magnet for birds

<p>Good hygiene and airflow is key to tackling apple scab, a common fungal problem in warm and damp climates like ours, writes Peter Dowdall .File picture</p>

home and gardens

Garden Q&A: How can I combat the fungus that attacks my apple trees every year?

Pile of fallen leaves is collected with a rake on the lawn in the park. Seasonal gardening.

home and gardens

Garden Q&A: Should I clear up fallen leaves or let wildlife enjoy them?

Overgrown fruit garden with red apples and old water pump

home and gardens

Garden Q&A: Is October a good month to plant apple trees?

Red apple growing on branch in summer sunshine

home and gardens

Garden Q&A: Why's the fruit from my apple tree so small this year?

Autumn

Peter Dowdall: Putting your garden to bed for autumn and winter

It's time to consider what to cut back and what to leave

Sat, 27 Sep, 2025

Elegant Calla Lily Arrangement in Keukenhof, Netherlands

GARDEN Q&A: My calla lilies will not flower

Whether you're a gardening beginner or expert, Irish Examiner columnist Peter Dowdall has the answer to your questions

Sun, 21 Sep, 2025

Apple tree in old apple orchard horizontal.

Peter Dowdall: Planting memories, not just apples

As well as producing food, apple trees are rooted in our culture

Fri, 19 Sep, 2025

Joyful optimistic couple living together

How to create a dream garden if you’re renting a property

Chelsea gold-medal winner Jamie Butterworth has been a renter all his adult life. This is how he makes the most of his outdoor space

Thu, 18 Sep, 2025

Vibrant Colors And Beauty Of Springtime Flowers

Garden Events in September

Demonstrations, displays and garden club meeting dates for your diary

Sat, 13 Sep, 2025

Cultivation of spinach in the ecological family urban garden ready to harvest

Garden Q&A: What vegetables should I plant in September?

Whether you're a gardening beginner or expert, Irish Examiner columnist Peter Dowdall has the answer to your questions

Mon, 08 Sep, 2025

Verbena Bonariensis flowers

Peter Dowdall: Here's what to do in your garden in September

'We gardeners are nothing if not optimistic, and this is the month to plant for the future, to look to next spring and early summer'

Fri, 05 Sep, 2025

easter bunny

GARDEN Q&A: Rabbits are eating my flowers. Are there any they won't touch?

Whether you're a gardening beginner or expert, Irish Examiner columnist Peter Dowdall has the answer to your questions

Sun, 31 Aug, 2025

Group of small spring flowering bulbs planted in terracotta pots in a spring garden

Top bulbs to plant in autumn for spring colour

It’s bulb-planting season if you want a riot of colour in spring, from the vivid yellows and subtle creams of daffodils, to the rich purples of crocus and the soft blues of camassias.

Tue, 26 Aug, 2025

Sunset over lavender field

Peter Dowdall: Let's adapt our gardens to thrive in all conditions

We’re gardening in a time of change and extremes, but here are practical ways to prepare our plants to cope in both drought and deluge

Sat, 23 Aug, 2025

A break from pruning

How to get your garden ready for autumn and winter

The soil is still warm, while more rain and moist air help make this season one of the best times of the year to start planting

Tue, 19 Aug, 2025

Bergenia 'Pugsley's Pink' (common name: elephant's ears 'Pugsley's Pink') with its bright flowers and glossy leaves in May

Garden Q&A: Why hasn't my bergenia flowered in 10 years?

Whether you're a gardening beginner or expert, Irish Examiner columnist Peter Dowdall has the answer to your questions

Mon, 18 Aug, 2025

Hydrangea Paniculata Lime Light blooming in summer cottage garden

The secret to growing your best hydrangeas ever

Our mild, damp climate suits them perfectly, which is why they’ve become such a fixture of gardens here.

Sun, 17 Aug, 2025

Wool-Carder bee feeding on nectar from Sedum plant. Insect and wildlife conservation, habitat preservation, and backyard flower

Peter Dowdall: Why sedums are the stars of the autumn show in our gardens

Bees absolutely adore sedums. Stand by a clump on a warm afternoon and you’ll see honeybees, bumblebees and hoverflies practically queuing up to work over every tiny floret

Fri, 08 Aug, 2025

Rose ‚Gebrüder Grimm‘ and asters

Garden Digest: Dates for your diary in August

Check out all the garden visits, tours, talks, events, campaigns and online resources for the room outside

Fri, 08 Aug, 2025

Pink and Blue Hydrangea in Centennial Park Conservatory, Etobicoke, Canada.

Garden Q&A: Why have my hydrangeas turned from blue to pink?

Whether you're a gardening beginner or expert, Irish Examiner columnist Peter Dowdall has the answer to your questions

Tue, 05 Aug, 2025

Common ash at Leckhampton hill

Peter Dowdall: How to combat ash dieback in our gardens

Ash dieback has been moving through Europe since the 1990s but there are measures we can take to counter its spread

Sat, 02 Aug, 2025

Garden Q&A: Should I take cuttings from lavender and fuchsia plants in August?

Garden Q&A: Should I take cuttings from lavender and fuchsia plants in August?

Whether you're a gardening beginner or expert, Irish Examiner columnist Peter Dowdall has the answer to your questions

Thu, 31 Jul, 2025

stipa tenuissima beautiful grass that comes from America, specifically New Mexico. Ponytails is a compact, lower variety of this

Peter Dowdall: The joy of using ornamental grasses in the garden

Ornamental grasses come into their own at this time of year

Sat, 26 Jul, 2025

Garden Digest: Summer diary dates for the room outside

Garden Digest: Summer diary dates for the room outside

Check out all the garden visits, tours, talks, events, campaigns and online resources

Sat, 26 Jul, 2025

Colorful flower pot suspended in the air with small chains

Garden Q&A: Should I feed the flowers in my hanging baskets when I water them?

Whether you're a gardening beginner or expert, Irish Examiner columnist Peter Dowdall has the answer to your questions

Tue, 22 Jul, 2025

Fuchsia Flowers

Peter Dowdall: We associate fuchsia with Cork and Kerry, but its origins lie thousands of miles away

Peter Dowdall charts the horticultural history of the bloom so many of us take for granted

Fri, 18 Jul, 2025

Yellow dandelion flowers blooming on summer meadow in green sunny garden

Garden Q&A: What's the best way to deal with weeds?

Whether you're a gardening beginner or expert, Irish Examiner columnist Peter Dowdall has the answer to your questions

Tue, 15 Jul, 2025

Garden Q&A: Why are my rose leaves turning yellow and falling off?

Garden Q&A: Why are my rose leaves turning yellow and falling off?

Whether you're a gardening beginner or expert, Irish Examiner columnist Peter Dowdall has the answer to your questions

Tue, 15 Jul, 2025

Hardscape with Waterfall

Peter Dowdall: Garden design is more about editing than creating, so observe what it needs

'There’s a reason Japanese gardens are popular. Their sense of calm starts not with a spade, but with time spent simply looking'

Sat, 05 Jul, 2025

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