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Gardening

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

<p>Independent garden centres are local businesses, run by people who know their stuff. File picture</p>

home and gardens

Peter Dowdall: Love your garden centre

Independent garden centres are local businesses, run by people who know their stuff, who often grow their own or source locally grown stock

<p>Caterpillars are essential to biodiversity. Picture: Alamy/PA</p>

home and gardens

Why caterpillars shouldn’t be viewed as garden pests

Peter%20Dowdall

Euphorbia: the reliable, adaptable plant for every garden

Gardening Hands

home and gardens

Garden Digest: Events to help you to enjoy your green spaces

Alpine Wallflower Golden Gem

home and gardens

Peter Dowdall: Don't be fooled by the pet days of March and early April

Five top garden flowers to grow for cutting and how to make them last in a vase

home and gardens

Five top garden flowers to grow for cutting and how to make them last in a vase

Dainty white and pink Viburnum tinus laurustinus 'Lisa Rose' in flower.

Garden Q&A: What's eating my viburnum, and what can I do about it?

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

Mon, 23 Mar, 2026

Green Ivy Climbing Old Timber Fence

Garden Q&A: Should I cut back the ivy on my hedge?

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

Sun, 22 Mar, 2026

White crocus blooming

Peter Dowdall: Crocus, narcissus and anemone signal it's spring

White flowers can lead the season, writes Peter Dowdall

Sat, 21 Mar, 2026

Garden Digest: Ideas to make the most of our green spaces

Garden Digest: Ideas to make the most of our green spaces

Here are some ideas on what to do in the room outside right now

Fri, 20 Mar, 2026

Garden Digest: Ideas to make the most of our green spaces

Garden Digest: Ideas to make the most of our green spaces

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

Sat, 14 Mar, 2026

Primrose in woodland

Peter Dowdall: Why so many of us love primroses

'I can't tell you how many people I have spoken to recently who have told me their favourite flower at this time of year is the simple yet beautiful, common wild primrose, Primula vulgaris'

Thu, 12 Mar, 2026

Fresh Potato Harvest

Spring is in the air — here's how you can take biodiversity action from your garden

With spring in the air, more people are getting out into the garden and keeping wildlife in mind by opting for eco-friendly and organic products

Thu, 12 Mar, 2026

Beautiful garden with ornamental grasses

Garden Q&A: Is it too late to cut back grasses and perennials in March?

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

Mon, 09 Mar, 2026

Garden Digest: Events to help you to enjoy your green spaces

Garden Digest: Events to help you to enjoy your green spaces

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

Sat, 07 Mar, 2026

Garden Q&A: Is March too early in the year to sow grass seed?

Garden Q&A: Is March too early in the year to sow grass seed?

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

Tue, 03 Mar, 2026

It's time for social media and relax.

Peter Dowdall: Reconnect with nature and boost your wellbeing in the garden

'It isn’t just about tidying borders or sowing seeds; it’s deeper than that. After months of short days and damp air, we have been living at a remove from the natural world'

Mon, 02 Mar, 2026

File photo dated 23/05/22 of Dame Mary Berry during the RHS Chelsea Flower Show press day, at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, London

Mary Berry: 'My garden is a great solace and a place I love to be'

We know her best as a food writer, chef, and TV presenter. Now the former 'Great British Bake Off' judge has penned a book on her love for her room outside

Mon, 02 Mar, 2026

Garden Digest: Ideas to make the most of our green spaces

Garden Digest: Ideas to make the most of our green spaces

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

Fri, 27 Feb, 2026

Purple and Pink Hydrangea Flowers

Peter Dowdall: When to cut back hydrangeas and how to prune ornamental grasses

'Both are signs in February that the switch is going off within us, and we need to get outside to the garden once more'

Thu, 26 Feb, 2026

Garden Digest: Events to help you to enjoy your green spaces

Garden Digest: Events to help you to enjoy your green spaces

Here are some ideas on what to do in the room outside right now

Fri, 20 Feb, 2026

Five of the best gardening jobs to boost wellbeing in spring

Five of the best gardening jobs to boost wellbeing in spring

Kathy Slack found solace in gardening after she left her fast-paced job in advertising. Here she shares the tasks she believes boost wellbeing this season

Wed, 18 Feb, 2026

Hummel flies over Heath

Peter Dowdall: Winter-flowering heather adds life to every garden

Year after year, this plant earns its keep. Right now, it's in full colour, glowing against the dark, wet soil and bark, asking for nothing more than to be left alone

Wed, 18 Feb, 2026

Overgrown grass in a garden

Garden Q&A: How should I deal with rushes growing in my lawn?

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

Mon, 16 Feb, 2026

Pruned rose bushes in a country rose garden after winter. Leafless rose stems await summer. Soil insulation with sawdust

Garden Q&A: My rose bush is still bare in February. Is it alive?

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

Sun, 15 Feb, 2026

Garden Digest: Events to help you to enjoy your green spaces

Garden Digest: Events to help you to enjoy your green spaces

Here are some ideas on what to do in the room outside right now

Fri, 13 Feb, 2026

bleeding heart

Peter Dowdall: The Valentine's Day plant picks that make perfect gifts

'Sometimes the most thoughtful gestures are the ones that last beyond a single day'

Thu, 12 Feb, 2026

Garden Digest: Events to help you to enjoy your room outside

Garden Digest: Events to help you to enjoy your room outside

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

Fri, 06 Feb, 2026

Mahonia bealei / Leatherleaf Mahonia / Beale’s barberry / Berberis Bealei

Peter Dowdall: What to do in the garden this February

'Colour is scarce, flowers are fleeting, and what’s left standing has to earn its place. The plants that matter now are the ones that give shape, shelter and continuity'

Mon, 02 Feb, 2026

Peter Dowdall: Our garden isn't separate from the world beyond the fence

Peter Dowdall: Our garden isn't separate from the world beyond the fence

The Garden & Landscape Designers Association seminar on February 28 will focus on how plants boost everything from soil health and water quality to pollination, climate regulation and human wellbeing

Sun, 01 Feb, 2026

Outdoor sitting area fire pit in a chilly New York backyard in the fall. Enjoy landscaping, foliage and beauty while staying war

Peter Dowdall: Winter is an ideal time add the wow factor to gardens

'Winter strips the garden back. The bones of the garden are suddenly visible, and the space naturally feels more relaxed.

Sat, 31 Jan, 2026

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