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Gardening

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

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home and gardens

I hated leaf blowers, now I love them: A convert's guide

What you need to know to blast bothersome leaf fall into submission

<p>The frost has done what frost always does, signalling the end of the season for dahlias, writes Peter Dowdall. File picture</p>

home and gardens

Peter Dowdall: Frost signals season's end for certain plants. Here's how to manage their downtime

<p>Mushrooms show us that the soil is rich in life, writes Peter Dowdall. File picture</p>

home and gardens

Garden Q&A: Mushrooms are popping up in my lawn and flower beds. Why?

Peter%20Dowdall

Work with the weather: The dogwoods, willows, and irises that thrive in waterlogged Irish gardens

Verbena Bonariensis flowers

home and gardens

GARDEN Q&A: Is it okay to cut back perennials

Snowdrop flowers blooming in winter

home and gardens

Garden Digest: Winter flower demos and gala club events

Camellia flower fallen leaves

Peter Dowdall: Stars of November shine brightly in our gardens

All the fluff and fuss of summer has gone now, and what’s left is structure, scent, and some real top performers

Fri, 14 Nov, 2025

How to create the perfect winter garden

How to create the winter garden of your dreams

From frost-hardy plants to bright-coloured foliage, here's how to grow a winter wonderland outside your own home

Wed, 12 Nov, 2025

Planting spring flowers in the garden

Garden Q&A: Is there still time to plant spring bulbs in November?

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

Tue, 11 Nov, 2025

Daphne bholua 'Jacqueline Postill'

Garden Digest: Winter flower demonstrations and gala events

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

Mon, 10 Nov, 2025

Blue spring flowers (Scilla siberica) blooming in fresh soil amidst a garden setting

Peter Dowdall: Get out in the garden and get planting this weekend. Your future self will thank you in spring

If those bags of bulbs are still sitting by the back door, don’t feel guilty. November is the perfect time. The soil is still soft, and the temperatures are cool enough. Bulbs are wonderfully forgiving, and there’s still time for them to settle in

Fri, 07 Nov, 2025

Hemlock Water-dropwort - Oenanthe crocata

Revealed: The deadly plants gardeners and foragers need to know about

From the poisonous yew to beautiful blooms and the garlic lookalikes with lethal powers, here's what you need to look out for

Wed, 05 Nov, 2025

Autumn portrait of the little kitten wearing the pink-gray knitted scarf. Cat sitting outdoors on fallen yellow leaves in a gard

Garden Q&A: Should I still cut the grass on my lawn in winter?

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

Mon, 03 Nov, 2025

Close up of perennial sweet pea flowers

Garden Q&A: Why didn't my perennial sweet pea bloom this year?

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

Tue, 28 Oct, 2025

Autumn panorama in the mountains, in a remote rural area

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'

Sat, 25 Oct, 2025

Blackcap; Sylvia atricapilla; female on holly berries

These berries will make your garden a magnet for birds

Our feathered friends prefer some berry-bearing trees and shrubs to others when stocking up for the season. Here's what you need to know

Wed, 22 Oct, 2025

Apple trees in an orchard

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

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

Mon, 20 Oct, 2025

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

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

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

Wed, 15 Oct, 2025

Overgrown fruit garden with red apples and old water pump

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

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

Tue, 07 Oct, 2025

Red apple growing on branch in summer sunshine

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

Would thinning them out earlier have made a difference, and is there anything I can do to improve the size and quality in future?

Wed, 01 Oct, 2025

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

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