GARDEN CARE
04 Ornamental garden
- trees, shrubs and flowers
10 Kitchen garden
- growing fruit, vegetables and herbs
18 Greenhouse and indoor plants
PLANTS AND GARDENS
20 GARDEN VISIT: Delightfully natural!
A grass drive leads to Meriel Murdock's charming country garden in Wicklow. Shirley Lanigan visited recently and found it full of irresistible lure and romance.
26 PLANT PROFILE: Amazing aroids!
The distinctive flower structure and somewhat reptilian shape and colouring of aroids, members of the arum family, sets them apart from other flowers, and aroid grower Deborah Begley is an avowed fan.
32 FLOWER GARDEN FEATURE
Have you tried making land art in your garden? It's as simple as can be, very satisfying and great fun.
70 HOUSE PLANT: Claire Woods suggests growing the beautiful, tropical lipstick plant
GARDEN DESIGN and KNOW-HOW
36 DESIGN DESK: Owen Chubb relates in words and pictures how he transformed a typical suburban garden on behalf of a client.
42 KNOW-HOW: feedback from our readers
Ask a question about a gardening problem
Pass on a useful tip to other readers,
or tell us about your garden or plant success story ... and win a prize!
Expert advice and ideas for your garden
53 Shirley Lanigan on the value of a top-up garden course.
55 Rachel Darlington replicates a colour scheme of purple and red.
REFLECTIONS
50 GARDEN HISTORY: Charles Nelson explores some floral connections with Shakespeare.
56 NOTEBOOK: North Rae McIntyre
Self-sowing plants, geraniums, lady's mantle and valerian
57 NOTEBOOK: East Barry Murphy
Cyclamen survives, anemones thrive and dividing blue poppies
64 NATURE: Dick Warner reports on the damaging effects of escaped aquatic plants.
66 PEOPLE: Mr Bloom - Gary Graham outlines the life path that brought him to the Phoenix Park.
71 OVERLEAF: Newly published garden books
80 WEEKENDER: In the country with Mary Davies.
LIFESTYLE
41 FAVOURITE PLANT: Broadcaster Michael Ryan
54 STYLE ESSENTIALS: Lindie Naughton has compiled a selection of accessories and equipment for garden and conservatory.
60 COOKING: Niall Murphy's recipes for Pan-fried mackerel with roasted rhubarb and Summer berry tiramisu, and Caroline Byrne suggests wines to accompany them.
65 WELLBEING: Chocolate
72 GARDEN CENTRE EXPERIENCE: Florence Halliday won €300 worth of plants at Windyridge Nurseries, Dún Laoighre, Co. Dublin.
FEATURES
58 MEET THE GROWER: Fána Nurseries, Co. Cork.
76 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
85 GARDEN CLUB NOTES - what's on around the country in May.
78 UPDATE - events and news.