In conversation with Hilary Fennell.

As more farmers become employers, the basics of staff supervision have been addressed by John Mulhern, principal, Teagasc College at the National Botanic Gardens, in an article in the current edition of the Teagasc/Agricultural Trust Today’s Farm magazine.

It’s no wonder that Peter Dowdall sees Powerscourt as one of Ireland’s jewels. And he thoroughly enjoyed a recent visit with head gardener Alex Slazenger, who embodies the change and continuity in this special place

Record numbers are visiting the country’s leading tourist attractions such as the Guinness Storehouse and the Cliffs of Moher.

New information from the Office of Public Works shows the costliest incident across a two-year period involving its property was the theft of a car parking ticket machine.

Matthew Jebb of the National Botanic Gardens will come to Salterbridge House, Cappoquin, Co Waterford on August 20, to give a talk as part of National Heritage Week and the Waterford Garden Trail.

Gary Graham had a dream. The reality is bigger than anyone could have imagined, writes Fiann Ó Núalláin.

Those applying for Teagasc’s agricultural and horticultural courses have until this Friday to submit their forms for the coming academic year.

Visitor numbers to national heritage sites rose 11% last year to more than 4.9m.

Fiann Ó Nualláin looks back at the life of Anne Elizabeth Ball, a botanist whose work is illuminating our future.

Peter Dowdall is due to run a Children’s Gardening Class next Wednesday, July 29, 10.30am. Suitable for children of five and over.

A voluntary group which engineered a huge increase in visitor numbers to Doneraile Park does not intend to sit on its laurels.

The Guinness Storehouse, the Cliffs of Moher, and Dublin Zoo had more than 1m visitors each last year as some of the country’s top attractions showed rising interest.

This year’s Blarney in Bloom Summer Garden Fair promises to be bigger and better than ever. 

Bandon Flower Club is holding an open work night in The Munster Arms Hotel on Monday, January 19, at 8pm. 

Kissing under the mistletoe is not a tradition in Ireland, partly because the plant is not native to this country, but also perhaps because kissing is not such a big tradition, and indeed may itself have been imported in the first place.

The Glucksman Craft and Design Fair is on today and tomorrow and is well work a visit as it will showcase high quality, Irish craft and design in the award-winning building at UCC, Cork. 

IRISH horticulture is in rude health at the moment. We are still coming down from the excitement and buzz of Bloom and Mallow shows and there are more to come.

WE can see the effects of climate change outside the front door.

Everyone loves a good recession-inspired deal, but when it comes to fun days out, people are increasingly shunning visits to free attractions in favour of splashing the cash.

A Cork teacher is behind a very popular garden festival, writes Colette Sheridan.

The cliffs of the Seven Heads in west Cork are garnished with confections of sea pinks in full bloom, blankets of yellow kidney vetch and mantles of golden bird’s-foot trefoil.

STUDENTS welcomed the unveiling of three new agriculture and horticulture courses at Teagasc’s Education Conference in Dublin Castle on Thursday.

COWSLIPs and violets are having a bumper year.

A RADICAL cost-cutting plan that will include a voluntary early retirement scheme for 120 staff and the non-replacement of some 100 others who will retire over the next few years was agreed in principle by the Teagasc authority at a meeting in Carlow yesterday.

SALESIAN College of Horticulture in Warrenstown, County Meath, is to close at the end of the current academic year.

THE extreme weather conditions that caused nationwide flooding and the landslide in Kerry last month will occur much more frequently, meaning 40% of Irish peatlands could be lost by 2075.

Richard Collins reviews a book on climate change

A FIFTH of Ireland’s native plant life is under threat because of global warming, newly published research revealed yesterday.

A fifth of Ireland’s native plant life are under threat from climate change, it was revealed today.

DRAGONFLIES and Flutterbys was the winning entry at Bloom, Ireland’s largest gardening showcase in the Phoenix Park, Dublin yesterday.

IRISH consumers are spending over €2.5 billion a year on horticultural products.

Almost €20m is to be spent this year on the upkeep of some of the country's most historic buildings, it was revealed today.

A building at the National Botanic Gardens has won a prestigious European prize.