Peter Dowdall: Next stop Mallow for home and garden festival 

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

Jockeys Andrew Slattery and Wayne Hassett at last year's Mallow Home & Garden Festival. Picture: Dan Linehan

What I love about this time of year is the buzz. You can feel it in the air. Everything is bursting into life again, from the fresh green leaves unfurling to the energy in the soil and the excitement among gardeners. Whether you are a seasoned expert or planting for the first time, May is when the garden starts calling you outside.

Right at the heart of that buzz is the Mallow Home & Garden Festival. It takes place this year from Friday, May 23, to Sunday, May 25, at Cork Racecourse.