Wondering whether or not it's time to replace your dishwasher? Be on the lookout for these six telltale warning signs that you may want to say goodbye to your existing appliance and purchase a new one.
16.06.2024 - 04:43 / irishtimes.com / Fionnuala Fallon
Q: We have anemone in our front garden. It has spread uncontrollably, and we want to get rid of it. We have tried digging it up, pulling the new shoots and spraying Roundup, all to no avail. What do you suggest? RK, Co Dublin
A: The anemone genus is a very large one that’s home to several species found growing in Irish gardens or which have naturalised in the semiwild, from the spring-flowering woodlanders Anemone nemorosa and Anemone sylvestris to the late-summer to autumn-flowering Japanese anemone (Anemone x hybrida).
It’s not clear which species you’re referring to but I’m guessing that it’s probably the latter. The Japanese anemone, a graceful, ornamental herbaceous perennial with saucer-shaped flowers in shades of pink and white that appear on tall slender stems, is a staple of many Irish flower borders and is widely available to buy in most Irish garden centres. But it can undoubtedly become a thug if allowed to spread unchecked, to the point where some gardeners now regard it as invasive. Your anemone plants sound like they’ve become exactly this.
[ What every Irish garden needs: exceptional but hardy and resilient plants ]
[ My acer looks dead. How can I help it? ]
Eradicating it entirely will be challenging as it spreads by means of its underground rhizomes, which weave their way extensively through the soil, often meshing in with the root-balls of other plants and hiding in among paving, paths and hedges. Repeatedly digging out its root fragments will certainly do a lot to restrain it, but you’ll need to do so consistently and carefully for several years, while also trying not to disturb any neighbouring plants that you want to keep.
If it has reached the point where it’s completely overwhelming your
Wondering whether or not it's time to replace your dishwasher? Be on the lookout for these six telltale warning signs that you may want to say goodbye to your existing appliance and purchase a new one.
Ever wish you had more room to grow? We’ve got a secret to instantly increase your square footage, and we’re growing up, my friends. No matter if you’re planting an expansive backyard plot or just have room for a few clusters of balcony pots, vertical vegetable gardening is the easiest way to maximize your growing while also being a space saver, and increasing yields—not to mention it brings some interesting aesthetic appeal to your outdoor space. The perfect solution for every garden? We think so. Read on for our ultimate guide to vertical vegetable gardens and start thinking up!
Image: Hampton Court Flower Festival. Credit: RHS
This year Chelsea Flower Show was full of interesting trees and shrubs with lots of dreamy woodland-edge planting in dappled light underneath leafy canopies. Native trees such as hawthorns, hazels and silver birch were the favoured choices in many of the show gardens, with a mixture of native and non-native ornamental plants selected for resilience and sustainability. In Ula Maria’s Forest Bathing Garden, white foxgloves, cow parsley and other umbellifers like Baltic parsley (Cenolophium denudatum) and valerian (Valeriana officinalis) were mixed with the simple shade-loving grass Melica altissima ‘Alba’ while Tom Stuart-Smith showcased intricate tapestries of interesting foliage in different shapes and textures. In other gardens, orange was a popular colour in many shades, from deep rusty orange irises to pale orange geums, especially in Ann Marie-Powell’s exuberant Octavia Hill Garden. As always, the Grand Pavilion is the ideal place to discover new and interesting plants showcased by some of the country’s leading nurseries.
To kids, dandelions provide endless hours of seed-blowing entertainment. To adults, they represent endless hours of weeding. To get ahead of these stubborn weeds, take a cue from the kid inside of you and focus on the seeds. Dandelions have a deep tap root and can live for many years, making them challenging to control once established. The most effective management strategies focus on prevention and removal of young plants. Here’s how to get rid of dandelions and get back to enjoying the landscape.
Heads up: It’s probably time to revisit your junk drawer. Not to grab your go-to tube of lip balm or a piece of gum, but to finally organize it.
It’s always tomato girl summer in my garden. I purposefully lean down and focus on what I grow in my spring garden beds to prepare and make room for the eight to 12 tomato plants that are a combination of favorites started from seed and new varieties picked up at the local farm’s heirloom tomato pop-up. It’s definitely taken me many years to perfect my gameplan, but over time I listened to my space and learned what worked best for me. I think that’s what is most important here: to understand that not every garden guide is a strict must-follow. Think of this as just a few new ideas or suggestions in the pursuit of full harvest baskets this summer. From seed starting in soil blocks to homemade trellising that will maximize your yield—I hope you feel inspired to try something new. Happy tomato growing my friends. Here’s to a bountiful season ahead!
Gulla Jónsdóttir is an Icelandic architect known for her dynamic forms that have found their way into award-winning projects in the West like the La Peer Hotel, Palmilla in Newport Beach, and Sandbourne Santa Monica, the latter of which just opened. From her Los Angeles-based design studio, she shares insights on how to integrate organic beauty and function into your own home.
Although air conditioning is the most popular go-to for cooling down a room fast, not every home comes equipped with a central AC system. And while window AC units can help take the edge off, they don’t necessarily boost curb appeal or promote energy efficiency.
Geese are beautiful in their natural setting. But they’re not so great when congregating on your lawn, damaging your turf, honking loudly, and leaving behind droppings. “Geese can be destructive,” says Robert Pierce, PhD, state extension fisheries and wildlife specialist at theUniversity of Missouri. “Once they have a nest, it’s difficult to get them to leave. It’s easier to move them off your property in the winter before they start breeding.”
After all that hard work, a bad harvest can spoil your mood. Not anymore, though; with these tips and tricks on pruning cucumbers for a juicy harvest, you’ll have plenty of these veggies, and that too, really good ones!
The weather in the U.S. intensifies every year. Right now, a heat wave has sent temperatures soaring across the country while Florida is experiencing a rare flash flood emergency. And it is likely to continue being extreme: according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, there is an 85 percent chance that this hurricane season will have more storms than average and, with that, more rainfall.