Garden advice library
Before You Do Anything in the Garden… Ask Peter
Ask me anything about gardening. Get clear, practical answers based on real conditionsnot guesswork or generic advice
Every question here comes from a real garden. Real soil, real conditions, real problems that people are actually dealing with.
The answers are shaped by those conditions. Because generic advice that could apply anywhere is rarely much use when you are dealing with heavy clay, constant rainfall or an exposed site.
Browse by category below or bring your own question to Ask Peter directly.
Either way, the advice starts in the same place.
With the conditions you are actually working with.
Based on real gardens in Ireland and across the UK.
All garden advice
Organised by topic. Every page is specific to Irish conditions. Click any question to read the full answer.
- Why is my garden not thriving?
- Why does my soil feel dead or lifeless?
- What type of soil do I have and why does it matter?
- When is the right time to improve soil in Ireland?
- Why clay soil in Ireland needs a different approach
- Why new build garden soil in Ireland is almost always dead
- How to improve soil before planting
- Best soil improver for your garden
- How to improve poor soil in your garden
- What is biochar and why does it matter for your garden?
- Improving soil for bulbs in Irish gardens
- Farmyard manure for roses and garden soil in Ireland
- Why do my plants look unhealthy?
- Why are my plants growing slowly?
- Why do plants grow then stop?
- Why are my plants turning yellow?
- Why are my plants not growing properly?
- Black sooty mould on plants in Ireland
- Holly tree losing leaves in Ireland
- Japanese maple dieback in Irish gardens
- Growing a camellia in Ireland
- Why are my plants not flowering properly?
- Why are my daffodils not flowering?
- Frost damage on new spring growth in Ireland
- Hydrangea dropping leaves in Ireland
- Red robin hedge weak or bare in places
- Are Japanese anemones invasive? What to know before you plant
- Something is eating my plant leaves: how to tell what it is
- When can you cut hedges in Ireland? The Wildlife Act explained
- How often to trim hedges in Ireland: by hedge type
- When to cut back a box hedge in Ireland
- When and how to prune a laurel hedge in Ireland
- When and how to prune red robin in Ireland
- Growing Portuguese laurel from cuttings in Ireland
- Escallonia gone bare or dead looking
- Red robin hedge weak or bare in places
- When and how to prune roses in Ireland
- When and how to prune hydrangeas in Ireland
- When and how to prune buddleia in Ireland
- When and how to prune lavender in Ireland
- How to grow and care for wisteria in Ireland
- When and how to prune wisteria in Ireland
- When and how to prune clematis in Ireland
- Star jasmine leaves turning brown in Ireland
- Shade garden planting plan Ireland
- Planting design for shade in Ireland
- Clay soil planting plan Ireland
- Small garden planting plan Ireland
- Border planting ideas Ireland
- Planting for privacy and screening in Ireland
- Planting design for windy gardens in Ireland
- Planting design and garden structure in Ireland
- Planting plan cost in Ireland
- Trees for wet and boggy gardens in Ireland
- Garden planting design for new homes in Ireland
- Garden design portfolio: Cork and Munster projects
- What is a planting plan and do I need one?
- Planting plans vs garden design: what is the difference?
- The complete planting service with Peter Dowdall
- Moss on my lawn in Ireland: why it keeps coming back
- When and how to feed your lawn in Ireland
- First cut of the year in Ireland: when to start and how
- New lawn in Ireland: getting the soil right first
- How to lay a new lawn in Ireland: seed or turf
- Blue flowers in my lawn in Ireland: what they are and what to do
- Growing vegetables in raised beds in Ireland
- Growing herbs in Ireland
- Growing garlic in Ireland
- Growing strawberries in Ireland
- Growing courgettes in Ireland
- Growing asparagus in Ireland
- Growing rhubarb in Ireland
- How to grow tomatoes in Ireland
- Planting potatoes in wet or waterlogged soil in Ireland
Have a question that is not answered here?
Bring it to Ask Peter. Describe your garden, your situation, your specific question. Get a direct answer based on Irish conditions and over 30 years of planting experience.
Popular Garden Quetions People Ask Me
- When should I prune my hedge in Ireland?
- What grows well in shade?
- Why isn’t my hydrangea flowering?
- What should I plant in clay soil?
- How do I plan a new border?
- What should I plant now for the season ahead?
- How do I make my garden more wildlife-friendly?
- How do I redesign my garden?
When a page is not enough
Some gardens need a proper conversation
The advice pages on this site cover the most common questions Irish gardeners ask. But every garden is different and some situations are more involved than any single page can address properly.
If you have read through the advice here and still feel uncertain about what your garden needs, or if you are about to make a significant decision about planting, redesign or investment, an online consultation is the right next step.
We work through your specific situation together and you leave with a clear direction rather than a general answer.
Online throughout Ireland. On-site in Cork and surrounding areas.
Not ready for a full consultation yet?