Autumn Colour In The Garden
Enjoy the Vibrant Autumn Colour in Your Garden Autumn is a season of stunning beauty, with nature putting on a breathtaking display of vibrant colours. As the leaves on trees...
Peter Dowdall’s Gardening Blog
Peter's Notes from the Garden
Welcome to Peter’s Notes from the Garden, the official blog
of Peter Dowdall, The Irish Gardener.
Here you’ll find seasonal gardening tips, planting advice,
and design inspiration for Irish gardens and beyond.
From shrubs and trees for structure to perennials for colour
and wildlife-friendly planting ideas, this is your go-to space for practical,
no-nonsense gardening advice all year round.
Featured post
Planting Plans vs Garden Design: How to Choose What Your Garden Needs
Many Irish gardens don’t need a full redesign, they just need the right plants in the right places. Discover the difference between a full garden design and a bespoke planting...
Peter’s Notes from the Garden.
How to Make Compost: A Comprehensive Guide
Introduction Composting is a simple and effective way to reduce waste and create nutrient-rich soil for your garden. By recycling kitchen scraps and garden waste, you can make your own...
September in an Irish Garden
What to Do in the Garden in September September is a beautiful time of year in an Irish garden. As summer comes to an end and the days grow shorter,...
Spring Flowering Bulbs
One of the most beautiful and anticipated sights during the gardening year is the burst of colours provided by spring flowering bulbs
Feeding the Birds in Your Garden
By feeding birds in your garden and providing food and a safe haven, you can attract a variety of wild birds and create a harmonious environment for them to thrive.
Alliums - An Onion Could Be So Beautiful - Who Knew?
To plant Alliums or any spring bulbs truly is to believe in tomorrow. I still remember, as a small child, the bulb display in what was Atkins McKenzies Garden Centre...
Magnolias - Stars Of The Spring Garden
The tulip shaped blooms of the Magnolia soulangeana types are, for me the classic Magnolias, having grown up with a stunning specimen in my parents garden.
Grow Your Own Food with Seed Potatoes
The potato has been a mainstay of Irish cuisine for centuries and today this much-loved root vegetable is making a comeback in home gardens. It'e easy to grow your own...
Raised Beds - What's all the Fuss About?
Over the last few years there has been a huge increase in people growing their own food. People who before may well have thought that potatoes did actually grow on...
It's All About the Bees
We need to rethink our perception of beauty. We should love the wildflowers growing on our roadside verges and not accept tightly mown, or even worse, sprayed with Glyphosate, areas...
The Regal Lily - A Right Royal Treat
One of the true beauties of the summer garden for me must be the Regal Lily. Lilium regale is aptly named for it is like a royal visitor in the...
Irish Heathers, On Trend Again
I think, in my short time as a gardener, of such plants as Dahlias which I have seen go from being grown everywhere (remember front gardens full of nothing but)...
Autumn Colour A Magical Annual Display
There are few sights as spectacular as a building covered with the fiery red of Parthenocissus quinquefolia or Virginia Creeper. Roadsides all over the country will be ablaze with colour...