Definitely for the birdsGROW: Even the average Irish suburban garden can be transformed into a rich haven for birdlife, hosting up to 30 different species…Sat Dec 10 2011 - 00:00
How do you like those apples?Roughly 60 per cent of the country’s orchards have been lost in the last 50 years, but there are still some historic native species…Sat Nov 12 2011 - 00:00
Foraging for wild mushrooms in west WicklowURBAN FARMER: Picking mushrooms in the wild feels a bit like Russian roulette – but experts can helpThu Sept 22 2011 - 01:00
Get sowing now for a winter salad bowl full of leavesWHEN THE wind roars and howls and the rain patters down, hopes of having a productive and ornamental winter vegetable garden …Thu Sept 15 2011 - 01:00
Enjoy the plummiest time of the yearJuicy plums are ripe for the picking in Phoenix ParkThu Sept 08 2011 - 01:00
Here's to a golden autumn . . . forget the dull summerDULL and cool, with below average rainfall in parts was Met Eireann’s summary of the weather during the month of July, with Dublin…Thu Sept 01 2011 - 01:00
Summertime - but the courgettes ain't growingCourgette glut to moan about? Not this yearThu Aug 18 2011 - 01:00
Knowing your onions and your new spuds tooURBAN FARMER: AS THIS year’s difficult growing season has now proved beyond doubt, Mother Nature occasionally takes a perverse…Thu Jul 28 2011 - 01:00
Summer garden disasters? Don't panic, all's not lostYour onions have bolted, your cabbage plants have collapsed. What’s going on – and how can you fix it?Thu Jul 14 2011 - 01:00
Cool, green cucumbers meet mellow, yellow marigoldsCucumbers make their first appearance in the kitchen garden alongside tasty marigoldsThu Jul 07 2011 - 01:00
Strong homing instinct of snails can be hard to crushThese garden pests can live for several years as part of a large commune enjoying your cropsThu Jun 30 2011 - 01:00
A vegetable garden on demand, delivered to your doorURBAN FARMER: You can start to grow your own veg, even in June, thanks to a green-fingered fairy godfather from SligoThu Jun 09 2011 - 01:00
Blown away by gales but still ready for BloomWinds wreaked havoc in part of the walled garden. But everything’s shipshape for Bloom todayThu Jun 02 2011 - 01:00
Turning a wasteland into a kitchen garden is child's playURBAN FARMER: Making a school kitchen garden is an ideal way to teach children about nature and nutrition – and they can eat…Thu May 26 2011 - 01:00
Slicing slugs in half not a task for the lily-liveredThe gruesomely repellent larvae of gooseberry sawfly can strip a fruit bush bare in a matter of daysThu May 19 2011 - 01:00
Badger gets the blackbirds - but beans keep on runningURBAN FARMER : Growing a great kitchen garden is all about experimentation – that and keeping the badgers out, writes FIONNUALA…Thu May 12 2011 - 01:00
Blackbird singing in the dead of . . . rhubarbDuring pruning of the walled garden there was a surprise in pale turquoiseThu May 05 2011 - 01:00
Raking over the tricky arts of a perfect seed bedSeeing proper gardeners wield a rake to prepare a beetroot seed bed brings on envy as well as admirationThu Apr 21 2011 - 01:00
Deploy the hoes to tackle the army of new weedsRecent warm weather and rain has been a boon for weeds, which means plenty of work for gardenersThu Apr 14 2011 - 01:00
Sowing and growing and the Queen and ObamaIt’s all systems go in the OPW garden with seed to germinate and two heads of state on their wayThu Mar 31 2011 - 01:00
A flat foe from Down Under, apples from another timeDealing with Australian flatworms in the garden and planting heritage Irish apple treesThu Mar 17 2011 - 00:00
Rare species of the humble spud take us back in timeURBAN FARMER: An unusual collection was among the highlights of the first ever Potato Day at SonairteThu Mar 10 2011 - 00:00
Spring is here at last and it's time to start sowingURBAN FARMER: It’s been a long, icy winter but now, finally, spring is here and we can get gardeningThu Mar 03 2011 - 00:00
All set to sow seeds in the fight against onion blightOnion blight is a canny operator, hiding in the soil and waiting, for years if need be, for allium sets to arriveThu Feb 24 2011 - 00:00
Prepare to do battle with persistent perennial weedsRegular weeds are a problem in any garden, but really pesky species can be tricky to shiftThu Feb 17 2011 - 00:00
Why it pays to get the inside story on your soilURBAN FARMER: The correct balance of nutrients and trace elements is vital for healthy growthThu Feb 10 2011 - 00:00
Hone your gardening skills and get ready for springThere is a wide range of courses on offer around the country for growers keen to learn moreThu Feb 03 2011 - 00:00
When it comes to potatoes it's early days for the expertCommon sense is the best guide to growing spudsThu Jan 20 2011 - 00:00
Heigh-hoe, heigh-hoe: tools to make your garden growSpades, shovels hoes. forks, trowels: how to pick the best garden toolsThu Jan 13 2011 - 00:00
Sit back and make a resolution: what GYO gardeners will doAH YES, dear old wintry January, the month that smokers, dieters and gardeners love to hate.Thu Jan 06 2011 - 00:00
A Christmas wreath that's good enough to eatURBAN FARMER : How to make a festive wreath using fruit and vegThu Dec 16 2010 - 00:00
Back to the future - growing your own in 1910 and 2010URBAN FARMER: Far from being a new fangled fad, allotments have a proud historyThu Dec 09 2010 - 00:00
Mucking about with manure is a gardening mustURBAN FARMER: Well-fed soil gives healthy crops but which food is best?Thu Dec 02 2010 - 00:00
Plant and prune now to get berry good resultsIt’s well worth spending some time sorting out your soft fruitThu Nov 25 2010 - 00:00
The hows and whys of autumn onions and garlicA shortage of garlic means prices are likely to rise next year, so why not grow your own?Thu Nov 11 2010 - 00:00
Parsnips, turnips and beetroot - the roots of all goodNow is the time to embrace root vegetables – hardy, delicious, and packed with vitaminsThu Nov 04 2010 - 00:00
A bright bulb and a curly kale can defy the PucaURBAN FARMER : Traditionally, crops should be harvested by Hallowe’en, but there are some hardy exceptionsThu Oct 28 2010 - 01:00
Preparing for Cavan's monster pumpkin contestGrowing giant pumpkins takes time, effort and skill. This year’s finest will be on view in Virginia this weekendThu Oct 21 2010 - 01:00
Here's to making the most of a sweet surplusIt’s been a bumper year for apples, so why not use your extras to make delicious apple juice or cider?Thu Oct 14 2010 - 01:00
How to store without geting all tied up in knotsURBAN FARMER : Onion rope aside, it’s an easy affair preparing storage spots for this year’s fruit and vegetable cropsThu Oct 07 2010 - 01:00
What to do when it comes to the crunchCelery is a crop on the rise, and if you take a few precautions, growing it can be simplicity itselfThu Sept 23 2010 - 01:00
What to sow, plant and do nowSow: Green manures, komatsuna, land cress, lettuce, mibuna, mizuna, mustards, salad rocket, spinach, winter purslaneThu Sept 23 2010 - 01:00
It's an unpredictable life for pumpkins and pestsVariations in the weather, the soil, pests and diseases can all affect your cropThu Sept 02 2010 - 01:00
Runner beans take off in midsummerThe sight of a row of scarlet runner beans in full flower is magicThu Aug 12 2010 - 01:00
Spirit of adventure helps make the most of salad daysIt’s amazing how many easy-to- grow plants can bring colour, flavour and crunch to our summer mealsThu Jul 01 2010 - 01:00
Strawberry fields forever yielding fruit this summerThis year’s weather has resulted in a spectacular strawberry crop in the walled gardenThu Jun 24 2010 - 01:00
Making the most of the sweet scent of summerThe delicious, tangy smell of tomato plant leaves is one of the season’s sensual delightsThu Jun 17 2010 - 01:00
Saving the spuds means a compromise on chemicalsOrganic is the ideal at the OPW’s walled garden, but its gardeners have had to spray the potato crop with a fungicideThu Jun 10 2010 - 01:00
What to: Sow, plant and do nowSow outdoors: French beans; runner beans; beetroot; calabrese; carrots; mini cauliflowers; chicory; courgettes; cucumbers; endives…Thu Jun 10 2010 - 01:00
What to: Sow, plant and do nowSow under cover: cucumbers; pumpkins; sweet corn; sunflowers; courgettes; autumn and winter cauliflowers; kales; dwarf, French…Thu May 27 2010 - 01:00
