gardens

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

<p>Wilted plants, browning lawns and crispy plants — here's how to revive your garden and how to prepare it for the next time it's hot</p>

outdoors

Even plants that look terminally crispy can revive: How to rescue your garden after a heatwave

Our gardens took a battering lately from high temperatures. But you can repair the damage — and prepare better for next time

<p>Birds haven’t abandoned your garden for a better peanut feeder, nor is it likely that anything is wrong. In fact, explains Birdwatch, it’s completely normal for birds to disappear for a while at a certain time: “In summertime, the natural world is brimming with foodstuffs. With insects, seeds, fruit and more in abundance, birds are simply spoiled for choice! For this reason, they aren’t as reliant on bird feeders as they are in the winter."</p>

outdoors

Donal Hickey: Why have the birds abandoned my garden?

<p>Feeding birds in wintertime helps many to survive when wild food is scarce: blue tits, robins, finches and starlings are all small songbirds that can be spotted in urban environments as well as rural gardens</p>

outdoors

How to help birds survive in winter and why cleaning bird feeders can prevent disease

Pea 'Douce Provence' pods growing on plant

outdoors

Sow peas now for an early harvest, but beware mice, slugs and birds

home and gardens

Garden Digest: Events returning following summer breaks

home and gardens

Peter Dowdall: Why sunflowers shine in our autumn gardens

Peter Dowdall: Welcome to Ireland's very own rainforest

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

Sat, 29 Jul, 2023

Close up of a cornflower with raindrops on a rainy day

S Peter Dowdall: Use natural balance to keep greenflies and other aphids in check

Creating a diverse ecosystem encourages natural predators to thrive and keeps aphid populations in check

Fri, 21 Jul, 2023

Garden Q&A: Could anti-fly spray be causing my lupins to die?

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

Tue, 18 Jul, 2023

Bee on colorful rose petals isolated in garden with copy space. Rose isolated background wallpaper.

Garden Q&A: What's eating my roses and can it be stopped?

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

Sun, 16 Jul, 2023

Peter Dowdall: All roads will lead to Mullingar as it hosts plant fair

It's even got a Jealous Wall: Belvedere House and Gardens will turn the horticultural world green with envy on July 22

Fri, 14 Jul, 2023

Stylish and luxurious outdoor room garden design in London

How to make even a tiny garden look and feel larger this summer

The experts and pros share their secrets to making the most of the smallest of outdoor spaces

Wed, 12 Jul, 2023

How to choose the perfect hose for your garden this summer

Go with the flow with our guide to tempering your irrigation to work with, not against, any water restrictions

Wed, 05 Jul, 2023

Save or Splurge? Placemats we can use indoors and outdoors

Multi-functional items mean we spend less on items that need less storage. Tableware and accessories that can migrate between kitchen and garden are ideal

Tue, 04 Jul, 2023

Garden Q&A: Why does my hedge have brown patches?

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

Tue, 04 Jul, 2023

These look good enough to eat: The prettiest edible plants

Garden designer, grower and social media star Lucy Hutchings shows a selection of edible garden plants which will also add a splash of colour and plenty of texture to any ornamental border

Tue, 27 Jun, 2023

Gray tabby cat sniffing catmint in the summer garden

Peter Dowdall: How to ensure a garden is catnip for biodiversity

Irish Examiner garden columnist Peter Dowdall shares his secrets to creating a haven for all creatures great and small

Fri, 23 Jun, 2023

Garden Q&A: My lupins have finished flowering. What should I do with them?

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

Mon, 19 Jun, 2023

How to make your tiny garden look and feel bigger

Mirrors, zones and outdoor or bespoke furniture are all fun ways to expand our summer living space

Thu, 08 Jun, 2023

Here’s why we should stop weeding. Learn to love our dandelions and brambles

Weeds protect the soil and nurture insects and birds — now they are finally having their time in the sun

Mon, 01 May, 2023

Sustainable gardening: How to make your garden a multilayer food forest

Tom Massey promotes natural ‘forest gardens’ with biodiverse planting to create wildlife havens

Wed, 05 Apr, 2023

6 unusual herbs to grow this year

Some fun alternatives to parsley and thyme...

Thu, 02 Mar, 2023

Hedgehog in Summertime, inside a clay drainage pipe with colourful flowering herbs

7 ways gardeners can help wildlife and make a difference

Ahead of World Wildlife Day on March 3, here are some actions that really do benefit our regular garden visitors

Mon, 27 Feb, 2023

Behave like pigs in your garden to attract robins

And when it comes to 'love', it is the female who assesses all the factors and makes the final choice of mate

Wed, 14 Dec, 2022

Juanita Browne: Brighten things up with bulbs for bees

Plenty of tips on how to get the most out of your bulbs here — but remember that in terms of value for wildlife, tulips or daffodils are like planting plastic flowers outdoors

Tue, 01 Nov, 2022

Rewilding is not always the answer — says Alan Titchmarsh

"I'm not embarrassed about being a gardener," says the gardening guru and broadcaster who has mixed views about the rewilding trend

Mon, 31 Oct, 2022

5 pollution-busting trees to plant

'The point about hedges is that they are at the same height as the pollution so if you think about cars on a main road, if you have a really tall tree it's not going to absorb the same level of pollution as a hedge. Because of its density the pollution is caught more on the leaves'

Fri, 09 Sep, 2022

There's a hedgehog living in my garden — can I feed it bread & milk, and how can I keep it safe?

The hedgehog's Irish name is ‘Gráinneog' which means 'ugly one' — but up close their beautiful faces and bright eyes are just lovely. Here's how to look after your 'guest' if one visits your garden

Tue, 24 May, 2022

Weekend Loves: Bloom garden celebrations; summer sandals; Irish clothing brand Naya

Ruth O'Connor's guide to bright ideas and beautiful things

Sat, 21 May, 2022

Covid disruption has helped us reconnect with nature

Confined to our houses and localities because of lockdowns, we have learned to observe and appreciate beauty in our gardens

Fri, 08 Jan, 2021

Dublin homeowners could receive €25,000 per square metre for gardens lost in new bus plan

Dublin homeowners losing gardens to the proposed Bus Connects project could get compensation worth €25,000 per square metre.

Wed, 13 Jun, 2018

The winning gardens with stunning displays at the Chelsea Flower Show

Peter Dowdall on the NSPCC winner and other stunning display’s at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show.

Sat, 02 Jun, 2018

The wonders of roaming around a Wicklow garden tour

Rose Martin finds herself gushing during a two-day garden tour that was full of colour and sunshine.

Sat, 02 Jun, 2018

Turning your garden into a winter wonderland

A touch of frost and a hazy shade of winter can transform your garden, says Peter Dowdall. 

Sat, 02 Dec, 2017

Any kind of legumes will make for an ideal green manure

Planting a green crop and digging it back into the soil can be done before autumn, says Fiann Ó Nualláin

Sat, 02 Sep, 2017

Allergen-proof your garden with plant and design choices

Fiann Ó Nualláin looks at how you can allergen-proof your garden in plant and design choices

Sat, 29 Jul, 2017

Take a break from the cooking and prep smart by making the most of beans

Valerie O’Connor on how to make the most of beans whether it’s with beer or burgers — even if the weather doesn’t play its part

Sat, 29 Jul, 2017

Timber - What life is made of

Rose Martin picks up a copy of William Hall’s latest block buster, which frames the building materials that make up our world. This time he concentrates on timber.

Sat, 20 May, 2017

Play towers are the new treehouses, don't you know?

When is a tree house not a tree house? When it’s a play tower, says Rose Martin, who went to the village of Glanworth to see what you can do when you don’t have a tree to hang a house on top.

Sat, 20 May, 2017

Richard Collins: Bumblebees on a learning roll

At school in the 1950s, we were taught that only humans were capable of using tools writes Richard Collins. 

Mon, 06 Mar, 2017

Donal Hickey: US culling system has merit

Stories regularly circulate about crashes and near misses involving motorists and out-of-control deer which get onto public roads from Killarney National Park, writes Donal Hickey. 

Mon, 06 Mar, 2017