Ferns need a bit of love to branch out

The Australian tree fern requires a bit of love — and doesn’t like years as cold as 2010, recalls Peter Dowdall.

It was way back in the early spring of 2011 and I, along with gardeners the length and breadth of Ireland were counting the cost of the damage of what was 2010. A year that will forever be remembered in this country as the year of two winters.

We experienced temperatures as low as -17C, the country closed down as not just Jack Frost but his entire extended family seemed to visit and cover the entire land with a deep duvet of white snow. It may have looked picture-postcard beautiful, but many towns and villages were completely cut off for long periods of time. Once more, nature reminded us of her power.