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Gardening

Your home for gardening tips, inspiration, news and features.

<p>Hydrangeas can shift from blue to pink. File picture</p>

home and gardens

Garden Q&A: Why have my hydrangeas turned from blue to pink?

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

<p>An ash tree in leaf. File picture</p>

home and gardens

Peter Dowdall: How to combat ash dieback in our gardens

<p>Lavender and fuchsia. File pictures</p>

home and gardens

Garden Q&A: Should I take cuttings from lavender and fuchsia plants in August?

stipa tenuissima beautiful grass that comes from America, specifically New Mexico. Ponytails is a compact, lower variety of this

home and gardens

Peter Dowdall: The joy of using ornamental grasses in the garden

Garden Digest: Summer diary dates for the room outside

home and gardens

Garden Digest: Summer diary dates for the room outside

Colorful flower pot suspended in the air with small chains

home and gardens

Garden Q&A: Should I feed the flowers in my hanging baskets when I water them?

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

Cha No Niwa Japanese Tea Garden. Designed by Kazuyuki Ishihara. Show Garden. RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025. Site no. 328

Peter Dowdall: So many reasons to love Japanese gardens

'I remember the first time I saw a traditional Japanese garden; it was gardening as philosophy, and I was hooked'

Sun, 29 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

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

'This is what he wanted': 'Super Garden' winner's creation lives on in local school

'This is what he wanted': 'Super Garden' winner's creation lives on in local school

'This will be the legacy that John leaves us': Widow delighted to see late husband's winning creation live on in their hometown

Wed, 11 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

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

Animal magnetism: How to use sculpture to create a garden focal point

Animal magnetism: How to use sculpture to create a garden focal point

Peter Dowdall highlights the importance of creating a focal point in the garden

Fri, 06 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

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

Garden Digest: May and June events for your diary

Garden Digest: May and June events for your diary

Garden shows, demonstrations, fundraisers and a Munster rugby legend

Sat, 24 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

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