Gardenwise | Late Summer Blues

Wed, Aug 19, 2020

Nature, for reasons best known to herself, seems to favour shades of yellow and pink. That is, I am sure there are botanists and scientists who know why this is, but I only know that it is so. Check out the wildflowers growing by the roadside or in fields – they are still looking fabulous even in late August here in the west of Ireland – and you’ll see what I mean. There are plenty of pinks, yellows and whites, but apart from the odd vetch scrambling up a blackberry bush, blues are few and far between. And even the vetches are mostly mauvey - purple.

Gardenwise | Rain , Rain Go Away…..

Wed, Aug 12, 2020

Regular readers of Gardenwise might remember me mentioning, earlier in the summer, that I always dread hearing about a hosepipe ban, because nothing is more guaranteed to result in torrential rain shortly thereafter. I’ll leave you to judge for yourself whether that observation has this year been justified, pausing only to point out that the ban has, for some weeks, been lifted.

Gardenwise | The Aromatic Herb that Won’t be Forgotten

Wed, Aug 05, 2020

We were roasting lamb the other day and I headed out to the garden for a few sprigs of rosemary, as you do. For ages after cutting, the gorgeous aroma clung to my hands, reminding me yet again what a super plant this is – so much so that I think it deserves a Gardenwise column all to itself.

Gardenwise | Doing the hard work – so you don’t have to!

Mon, Jul 27, 2020

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a garden designer must have a great life altogether, wafting about among pretty flowers, stopping here and there to smell the roses, and smile as a butterfly flutters past. Sure it’s hardly a job at all! Except, of course, that’s not quite how it works in real life, so today ladies and gentlemen, a behind -the -scenes glimpse of one part of the design process, the Site Assessment. The parameters of this can be vary from a thorough walk through with observations and photos taken from every angle to a complete site survey with measurements.

Sounds of the Sea Part II – Plants for a Coastal Garden

Wed, Jul 22, 2020

Last week we looked at some of the garden design issues facing those lucky enough to have a garden close to the coast. This week I’d like to share with you some of my favourite plants for growing in these challenging locations. The great benefit to living and gardening close to the sea is that frost is very rare, so you will get away with a wider variety of tender plants without winter protection than you would further inland. The downside, of course, is that strong, salty winds will be almost constant unless your garden is very sheltered, so plants need to be chosen with this in mind.

Gardenwise | Sounds of the Sea

Tue, Jul 14, 2020

A coastal garden is usually a challenge, and being based on the western edge of our beautiful island, a lot of my clients have gardens by the sea. The biggest challenge is usually the wind – not just its strength and frequency, but the salt it carries with it which can be so harmful to sensitive leaves and flowers. Being the west of Ireland, rainfall is high and soil by the sea often tends to be sandy, full of rocks and low in nutrients. But there are few amongst us who don’t love the sea – and that can often lead to the biggest challenge of all – how to create a sheltered garden without losing your view of the rolling waves.

Gardenwise | Wild about the Meadow

Tue, Jul 07, 2020

Since lockdown was lifted I’ve been travelling along the highways and byways on my way to clients’ gardens, and the wildflowers along the roadside verges never fail to take my breath away. In a ‘normal’ year, they are as much a marker of the seasons as the leaves on the trees, from wild primroses in April, to cow parsley and foxgloves in May, and the hundreds of nodding heads of the dog daisies in June. How precious they seem this year, when travel restrictions kept us confined, apart from daily walks, to whatever we had growing in our own gardens! There are still more to look forward to as summer unfolds, especially here in the Burren lowlands, with sky-blue scabious, aromatic wild marjoram and many others still waiting to flower, before the multitude of golden grass seed heads takes over in late summer.

Gardenwise | Foodie Fun for Growing Gardeners

Wed, Jul 01, 2020

Everybody knows a sun-ripened strawberry straight from the plant is nicer than one from the fridge – so why don’t more of us grow our own fruit and veg? Maybe because it can actually be quite hard work, with the rewards not always guaranteed. But it’s worth having a go if there are little ones in your house - it’s never too early to introduce them to the delights of homegrown produce. The trick is to make it easy for them, and easy for yourself.

Gardenwise | Spread a Little Sunshine

Tue, Jun 23, 2020

This week Gardenwise brings you lots of glorious yellow, in the form of the statuesque sunflower. A hardy annual that grows and lives for just one season, the sunflower is also the international emblem for hospice care – and I’m hoping that you can help to bring a little of its sunshine to our local hospice, to help continue the vital work of caring for patients and their loved ones.

Gardenwise | How to be Water Wise

Wed, Jun 17, 2020

I always dread hearing a hosepipe ban announced, for legal reasons. And why is that, you might ask? Well, it’s on account of Murphy’s Law, which states that “although several weeks of sunny weather may create the expectation of a good summer, a declaration of drought will immediately be followed by dark clouds, heavy rain and a chance of localised flooding”. So the hosepipe ban came into effect earlier this week and we haven’t had a dry, sunny day since. I rest my case.

Gardenwise | Saving Summer – how to gather in the garden

Wed, Jun 10, 2020

I’ve always been a firm believer that gardens are to be enjoyed, not just worked in – and the last few months have brought home just how valuable they can be. With restrictions easing and indoor visits allowed from this week, lots of us still won’t be comfortable with visitors indoors, especially if someone in the house is vulnerable from a health point of view. So this summer more than ever, we need to get good at gathering in the garden. Here are a few hints to help you make it happen.

Gardenwise | Hooked on Herbs – the Garden Gateway

Wed, Jun 03, 2020

Whoever would have thought a couple of months ago that a visit to the garden centre would become such an eagerly awaited event? Suddenly somewhere you popped into to pick up a few bits without thinking – a bag of compost, a bird feeder and a six pack of lettuce plants – became a Destination. Outfits were chosen and displayed on social media. Lists were made and a flask and sandwiches packed in the car just in case the queues were so long you couldn’t get home in time for lunch.

Gardenwise | Paving the Way to a Great Garden

Wed, May 20, 2020

At this most enchanting time of year – ‘Sweet the evening air of May’, and all that – what better subject to focus on than paving? Sand and cement, jointing, hardcore and quarry screenings? Unromantic it may be, but good paving is far more important to your garden than pretty flowers.

Gardenwise | Clothe your Walls with Clematis

Wed, May 13, 2020

I’ve always loved clematis ever since I started gardening – a wall or fence completely smothered in its blooms is a lovely sight to behold. As a garden designer, I include them in planting plans for clients quite a lot – depending on the individual garden (and the garden owner ) - because, if chosen carefully, clematis can make a glorious addition to any garden.

Gardenwise | Spotlight on Spring Stars

Wed, May 06, 2020

What a mixed bag gardeners have had this spring! Some of the best spring weather for years, extra time for many of us to tackle garden jobs – and the closure of our garden centres, nurseries and hardware stores, just as the growing season gets underway. A time of changes, confusion and contradictions in all aspects of our lives – when we’ve turned to our gardens for distraction and comfort, and counted ourselves lucky to have them.

Gardenwise | Keep Calm and Keep Still

Wed, Apr 29, 2020

If last week’s Gardenwise was about keeping calm and carrying on with gardening, this one is about keeping calm and actually doing very little at all. To absorb maximum benefits from the garden, you need to cultivate the art of doing absolutely nothing at all. Let me explain.

Gardenwise | Keep Calm and Carry On Gardening

Thu, Apr 23, 2020

If my inbox is anything to go by, a lot of people are doing a lot of thinking about their gardens just now. No surprises there, as the not – exactly – a - lockdown got underway just as spring was entering its most energetic phase. With at least another week or two of staying home ahead of us, formerly neglected gardens are being lavished with more TLC in a fortnight than they would normally get in a whole year. A wander round the garden centre, checking out the new spring arrivals, followed by a coffee stop, is a real treat at this time of year under normal circumstances. But with ‘normal’ fast receding to the realm of ‘once upon a time’, the shape of shopping has ‘changed, changed utterly’- and a new kind of resourcefulness is born.

To Weed or Not to Weed?

Wed, Apr 15, 2020

“A flower is a weed with an advertising budget” says Rory Sutherland in his brilliant book ‘Alchemy: The Surprising Power of Ideas That Don’t Make Sense’. If you think about it, he’s absolutely right. What we call a weed is a plant just like any other, with a job to do – and the leaves, flowers and seeds to do it – but if it decides to grow where we don’t think it should, we call it a weed, and give it its marching orders. And all because it doesn’t have an advertising budget, basically: Its flowers and foliage are not considered suitable garden material, because the ‘budget’ didn’t run to eye-catching size, shape or colour.

Winning Windows

Fri, Apr 10, 2020

If there’s one thing guaranteed to lift the spirits, it’s bright seasonal colour in containers at doors and windows. With a little planning, you can have pretty things in pots and windowboxes all year round, and they’re perfect for places where space is tight.

Smiles needed? Call the Songbirds!

Wed, Apr 01, 2020

I can’t imagine my garden without birds, and I love each and every one of them, from the perky robins who perch a few feet away and eye you up speculatively, to the pair of collared doves that land together every so often, exchange a few mildly puzzled coos and lumber off again, looking confused. By encouraging birds of all kinds into the garden, you’re giving it the best possible chance of being a healthy, balanced ecosystem – they may come for the food you’ve left out, but they’ll stay to hoover up greenfly, slugs and lots of other garden ‘pests’ that have designs on your plants.

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