Gardening

As the days get longer, the to-do list never shortens. The answer? Prioritise and be prepared

Beginner gardener Jennifer Cosgrove is keen to get her hands dirty in her rented home in Waterford but she must contend with a windy plot and waterlogged soil

Crop rotation is the most effective way to prevent a possible build-up of crop-specific pests and diseases

Sometimes it’s easier to just let nature have its way

Rich or poor, we all have to wait for nature. And that’s what’s so special about gardening

Talk to your landlord, join a gardening club, or get tips from family and your local friendly garden centre

Garden designer Ingrid Smyth brought a skilled touch when renovating the family home in Dublin’s Liberties

Depending on the type of bamboo you have, the best action might be to remove it altogether

Providing that magical ‘kiss of life’ opens up new possibilities and never grows stale

Ultra-hardy and tolerant of a wide range of growing conditions, the only thing acanthus doesn’t like is a very wet, cold soil

Using some resilient evergreen foliage you can create a ‘living’ wreath and forget about the plastic alternatives

Highly destructive box tree moth caterpillar overwinters in cocoons before emerging in spring to feed voraciously on foliage and stems

With a challenging garden weed, control, rather than eradication, might be the best approach

Look to sweet peas, with their fleeting beauty, delicious tomatoes, and a spring flowering delight like magnolia or cherry blossom

Knotted coils and jungled branches in the garden remind me there is work to do. Work I can’t put it off much longer, now there is real air, brightness and regeneration out there

Trees are impressively resilient and often do bounce back

It’s a new and exciting chapter for these Waterford gardens - where even a U2 band member has a flower named after him

An espalier-trained fruit tree is a fine option but it requires some work and a degree of patient pruning and training

Create raised flower beds, use it as a weed-suppressant or for no-dig cut-flower beds

Hardiness can vary dramatically within a single genus, with certain species and/or varieties much more resilient than others

The woolly aphid can quickly disfigure a plant and leave it vulnerable to disease

Wait until March/April to put your secateurs to work on this decadent plant

Fionnuala Fallon: Each tiny white bloom of this very special flower is a promise made good

Opting for fast-growing varieties that can be dried will make for a beautiful display

Think ahead for grapes, chillies and aubergines if you’re keen to get your hands back into soil

A scythe can connect you to the natural world while performing a necessary task

An out of control mature ivy plant can cause damage but removing it can be tricky

Rosemary and thyme need a bright, sheltered spot and light, free-draining, not overly fertile soil

Get help from the experts before you start

From growing your own cut flowers, to how gardening is responding to climate change, there is plenty of choice for some fireside reading this Christmas

From rose bushes to quality secateurs, and handcream to greenhouses, there's plenty of ideas for the gardener in your life