Your gardening questions answered: What’s wrong with my raspberries?

In the rhythmic dance of nature, gardens become living canvases, where flowers and plants weave a tapestry of colors, scents, and textures. There is a verdant realm of unique and captivating ways to adorn outdoor spaces. Let’s start our botanical journey as we explore unconventional methods to embellish gardens, turning them into enchanting sanctuaries that delight the senses like the same-day bouquet delivered to our doorstep.

Today we’re in Phoenix, Maryland, visiting Sally Barker’s beautiful garden:

27 of the Best Dahlia Varieties for Your Garden

From the lone Irish yew tree, first discovered growing in Co Fermanagh in the 18th century, whose countless offspring now flourish in gardens all over the world, to the great Irish gardeners, garden makers, planthunters and plantspeople who have made valuable contributions to the world of horticulture, we have many reasons to be proud of our unique gardening tradition. Here are some suitably horticultural ways to celebrate Ireland’s “40 shades of green”.

We bought an old house and have been working extra hard on a self-build extension and house renovation for the last seven months. We have installed a big fixed window pane with the idea of looking out on to a lovely green back garden, but at the moment it is just a mound of earth, derived from the dig to get foundations done. What can I place here that will green quickly and also be bee and bird friendly and give us some nice colours and view for this summer? Would a wild flower meadow be the way to go until we figure out what to do with space or what can you recommend that is eco and purse friendly? RH, Co Dublin

Whenever I am working to resolve water problems in a landscape, I must acknowledge that water will always win. The best we can do is creatively direct it toward the areas where we would like it to end up, with a focus on minimizing erosion damage and retaining as much water as possible for use on site. Plants can be part of the solution, and some erosion control systems even double as useful outdoor spaces like patios and walkways. Here are a few ideas to get you thinking about how you can manage rainwater in your own garden.

Did you know that you can use shower curtains in your garden to add depth to small spaces, and cover a bland wall or fence? Here are some cool ideas for doing it right!

Plant pots are a staple of the garden and are fantastic for displaying your favourite flowers and plants both indoors and out. They’re great for all types of gardens and allow those without the luxury of green space to display their work on balconies, decked areas, and conservatories.

Many children in my programs at the South Carolina Botanical Garden know an enormous amount about non-native honeybees. However, they are astonished to discover the vast diversity of native bees and their immense importance and efficiency as pollinators. In the United States, there are over 4000 native bee species. They range in size from the tiniest fairy bees (Perdita spp.) (found out west) to the giant carpenter bees (Xylocopa spp.). Here are some suggestions to increase children’s (and your) knowledge about our local native bees.

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Since last autumn, I’ve regularly discovered fresh holes in the lawn as well as scratch marks on a favourite tree. I suspect my garden is being visited by a badger. Is this damage likely to continue – and what should I do? Anna, Co Wicklow

For gardeners who love to raise their plants from seed, the beginning of March is not unlike the build-up to Christmas. There’s lots of hustle and bustle, with flurries of intriguing parcels from favourite suppliers arriving in the post, accompanied by the making of wish lists and enthusiastic sorting of essential tools and equipment.