Home - Gardening in Summer

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#Home - Gardening in Summer

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

<p>Cats love playing with catmint, nepeta. Planted at the foot of your alliums, it will fill 'the understorey' with a soft haze of grey-green, hiding everything beneath while the great spherical heads float above it as though suspended in mid-air. File pictures </p>

home and gardens

Peter Dowdall: Why these plants are catnip to every gardener

Alliums are bulbs we plant in autumn and come spring, they make us realise we've done rather well. They combine beautifully with catmint, nepeta, and geraniums

<p>Red robin hedge. </p>

home and gardens

Garden Q&A: Our hedge has black, withered leaves. What will help?

<p>Get to know your garden bees (Alamy/PA)</p>

home and gardens

How well do you know your garden bees?

Friends eating lunch at backyard

home and gardens

Your guide to sustainable outdoor entertaining and barbecues

Garden Q&A: My rhubarb has thrown up a flower spike. Should I cut it off?

home and gardens

Garden Q&A: My rhubarb has thrown up a flower spike. Should I cut it off?

Hedgerow of wild Montbretia on the Wild Atlantic Way West Cork Ireland.

home and gardens

Peter Dowdall: Beware the beautiful bullies when choosing garden plants

Hot stuff: Top picks of gas barbecues and portable grills

Hot stuff: Top picks of gas barbecues and portable grills

Kya deLongchamps offers a sizzling selection of the latest gas barbecues and portable grills for summer

Thu, 23 Apr, 2026

Save or Splurge? Two gas barbecues with the recipe for success

Save or Splurge? Two gas barbecues with the recipe for success

Should you pay a standard or scorching price for that outdoor cooker? Bear in mind that additions can also cost more

Mon, 20 Apr, 2026

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

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

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

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

View through the hammock

Jennifer Sheahan: Summer garden accessories with the fun factor

Jennifer Sheahan takes it outside as she jazzes up the garden with must-have summer accessories

Tue, 22 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

flower

Garden Q&A: I'm moving to Cork from Kerry. Is it wise to move my hydrangea now?

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

Wed, 02 Jul, 2025

Strimmers that make the cut and how to use them effectively and safely

Strimmers that make the cut and how to use them effectively and safely

Strimmers are an essential bit of kit for most gardens with any lawned area or steep grassy banks

Mon, 30 Jun, 2025

Beautiful red and green leaves of Photinia fraseri 'Red Robin' shrub in city park Krasnodar or landscape Galitsky park in sunny

Garden Q&A: How should I treat mildew and blight on 'Red Robin' shrubs?

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

Wed, 25 Jun, 2025

Save or Splurge? We try two metal garden furniture sets

Save or Splurge? We try two metal garden furniture sets

Lightweight metal tables and chairs are perfect for Ireland’s changeable weather

Mon, 23 Jun, 2025

Wild herb and field or wild flowers with iron watering can. English cottage style gardening picture. Gardening concept of a r

Garden Q&A: Should I be feeding my plants regularly?

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

Sun, 22 Jun, 2025

Lupin flowers in bloom at Lake Tekapo

Peter Dowdall: How to give lupins the TLC they need to thrive

These shortlived perennials can be tricky, fussy about conditions, and prone to attack from pests and disease

Thu, 19 Jun, 2025

Garden Digest: Summer events for your diary

Garden Digest: Summer events for your diary

Exhibitions, shows and demonstrations

Sun, 15 Jun, 2025

Flowers on the mountain field during sunrise. Beautiful natural landscape in the summer time

Peter Dowdall: How to create a wildlfower garden rich in biodiversity

'We must manage expectations when planting a native wildflower mix. What emerges might not be a Hallmark image of a meadow, but something that looks more like a ditch, and that’s exactly the point'

Fri, 13 Jun, 2025

Why are our gardens being invaded by aphids?

Garden Q&A: Why are our gardens being invaded by aphids?

A warm spring has encouraged rapid and early colony growth, with many aphids to be found now on acers, roses and honeysuckle

Tue, 10 Jun, 2025

Summer garden

Garden Q&A: What flowers should we plant for colour at a July wedding?

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

Mon, 09 Jun, 2025

Colorful garden

Garden Digest: Ideas and club events for your June diary

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

Sun, 08 Jun, 2025

Backyard with barbeque and dining table

Barbecue glow-up: Budget-friendly ideas for outdoor entertaining

Here are six super ways to get the summer party started. They're cost-effective, trending, and will elevate your al-fresco experience

Sat, 07 Jun, 2025

Lemon ice tea

Peter Dowdall: How to grow your own summer cocktail botanicals and garnishes

You don’t even have to have a large garden — a few well-chosen pots on a sunny windowsill or patio can give you everything you need

Fri, 06 Jun, 2025

Six ways to use mirrors in your garden or outdoor space

Six ways to use mirrors in your garden or outdoor space

Mirrors can reflect your style in any type of outdoor zone from a tiny balcony to a sprawling yard or patio area

Thu, 05 Jun, 2025

Home Q&A: What's the most sustainable real-flame heating for outdoors?

Home Q&A: What's the most sustainable real-flame heating for outdoors?

When you burn anything outside, including timber, it produces carbon dioxide, and therefore it has a carbon footprint

Thu, 05 Jun, 2025

Lupines on the shore of Lake Tekapo

Garden Q&A: What causes holes in lupin leaves, and what's the remedy?

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

Tue, 03 Jun, 2025

How a pergola adds drama and focus to your summer garden

How a pergola adds drama and focus to your summer garden

A pergola can also serve year-round, as an airy overhang on the patio or free-standing, marking out a sitting position

Fri, 30 May, 2025

Peter Dowdall: Action stations at Mallow Home & Garden Festival

Peter Dowdall: Action stations at Mallow Home & Garden Festival

We sampled the atmosphere at Mallow Home & Garden Festival as it took up Chelsea Flower Show's 'resilient gardening' baton

Mon, 26 May, 2025

Tomatoes

Garden Q&A: Why are the leaves on my tomato plants curling?

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

Mon, 26 May, 2025

modern garden with colourful flowers and plants

Peter Dowdall: Why gardening boosts our mental health

'May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and surely now, it’s time we recognise gardening not only as a hobby or a passion, but as an antidote, a treatment, a lifeline'

Fri, 23 May, 2025

Colorful garden

Garden Q&A: How often should I water newly planted shrubs?

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

Tue, 20 May, 2025

Royal visit to Chelsea Flower Show

How sustainability is transforming RHS Chelsea Flower Show

Eco-conscious floristry is changing the way bouquets are grown, sourced and designed

Tue, 20 May, 2025

Save or Splurge? Pick a perch in one of these hanging egg chairs

Save or Splurge? Pick a perch in one of these hanging egg chairs

Nabbing a bargain hanging egg chair is such a craze that dawn queues outside stores are common. These are our two favourites

Mon, 19 May, 2025

Peter Dowdall: Next stop Mallow for home and garden festival

Peter Dowdall: Next stop Mallow for home and garden festival

Summer is the super season for garden festivalgoers and the fun starts now

Sun, 18 May, 2025

Garden Q&A: My purple-leaved cherry and lilac shrubs don't flower

Garden Q&A: My purple-leaved cherry and lilac shrubs don't flower

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

Wed, 14 May, 2025

A pathway through vibrant flowerbeds in the springseason

Garden Digest: Summer shows, festivals and club events

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

Sat, 10 May, 2025

Jennifer Sheahan: I have a tiny garden. Here's how I maximise every square millimetre

Jennifer Sheahan: I have a tiny garden. Here's how I maximise every square millimetre

We need to be creative when our outdoor space is a bijou patio, small courtyard or a balcony. This is the advice that works in our Irish climate

Fri, 09 May, 2025

Peter Dowdall: Wisteria walkway time tunnel will take in Cork-Kerry road closed in 1910

Peter Dowdall: Wisteria walkway time tunnel will take in Cork-Kerry road closed in 1910

'Work is underway on what will be Ireland’s largest wisteria tunnel. Even though it's currently only 30% complete, it’s already a striking sight'

Fri, 09 May, 2025

Close-up image of blossoming Firethorn (Pyracantha), neatly pruned Niwaki style cloud tree topiary branches in an ornamental gar

Garden Q&A: What's the best way to prune pyracantha?

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

Tue, 06 May, 2025

Peter Dowdall: Billy Alexander to go for Kerry gold at RHS Chelsea Flower Show

Peter Dowdall: Billy Alexander to go for Kerry gold at RHS Chelsea Flower Show

No stranger to the podium at the London event, Billy Alexander of Kells Bay Gardens returns to the 2025 flower show with his sights set firmly on a third gold medal

Sat, 03 May, 2025

Image of outdoor lounging area at night illuminated by string fairy lights, hardwood seating with cushions, wooden table top wit

Garden lighting: How to illuminate your outdoor space this summer

Kya deLongchamps shares the seven heavenly secrets that will let you shed some light on your very own garden paradise

Thu, 01 May, 2025