Ask Gerry

I am just about to dive into the world of growing my own food. Having done it at home as a child I know how much work is involved. However, the difference is I dont have the ould lad living here with me to tell me what to do so I have a lot to learn.I got myself a book 'allotment month by month' which seems very good but it leaves one big question for me...40971My site is a good size and I get sunshine all day long which is great but I am elevated, sloped and VERY exposed to wind. So much so that I wouldnt feel confident in erecting a grenhouse or tunnel (the wind blew down my argos shed!).Do you have any advice on how I could protect my plants from wind or any way i could build a wind resistant greenhouse/tunnel without compromising the view I have (the view is one of the main reasons I built my house here)

Our back lawn flooded last winter for the first time ever. It borders onto farmland (not our property) and even though it is the first week in May the flood over the boundary wall is still visable. The right hand side of the garden flooded approximately 30 feet inside the boundary and approximately the same width.We have work commencing soon and the contractor proposes building a low wall inside the boundary wall to prevent future seepage. The site is 112 foot approx wide with a traditional stone wall with a wooden fence on either side the back lawn is approx a third of an acre. What can we do to disguise this new low wall and would welcome the opprotunity to finish the garden nicely

well done on site i like it its very handyi only joined a few days ago,we have a semi dec house oh 06 of a acre house is more to front of it we are thinking of geting somebody to do a design or a plan as i call it.something to work of but in these ression times are worried about cost of gettin this done. any idea of cost we're in wexford area, im ok to do the labour work end of it just need a plan to work off.

We have just built a new house and need to now think about the garden. the site is about an acre and has an open drain running through it. (coming all the way down from fields behind )There is water collecting at the front of the garden fronting the road and has nowhere to drain to.It resembles a small river and is very swampy around it.I think we would have to open up the road and let it drain through to the other side.Its in a rural area with fields at other side of the road.Do the council allow you to do this after all they passed the planning on the site.The builders have already put a large pipe in for drainage where it runs past the house.(and filled it all in).

Recently moved into new home, we've a big back garden with just an oil tank at the rear left of garden. New to gardening and need all your advice and tips on best way to cover the oil tank with shrubs / plants and to sustain same. Would like it to be covered all year round and would appreciate all your suggestions.

I am a complete garden novice, but recently rotavated a quarter acre of land & am now raking out the weeds...the level of the garden has gone down a couple of inches...As I am on a zero budget, should I sieve out the old soil & bring the level up & then spray with weed killer? The soil is wet, bog soil with about 4-5 hours sun / day...What plants / shrubs can you advise to drink up the excess moisture?

What can I do with my back garden (on a slight slope down towards house) after all the rain, snow and ice has left it VERY marshy. There is already a French drain in garden (got job done in garden 6 months ago). Garden feels like a bog when we walk on it. I wouldn't even be able to cut the grass until it has dried up a bit.

I built a house on a sloping site approx 10 years ago. I wanted to raise one section at the base of the site near the road exit. I asked the excavator at the time to strip back the topsoil, increase the depth of the subsoil and replace the same topsoil again. When i got back the job was complete and he said he had to use additional topsoil i had on the site. No problems of course until he is paid and out the gate. Soil settles, rain comes and year after year a person cannot even walk the lawn its so wet and soggy. The surrounding lawn is bone dry except for the raised section. I decided to dig some deep trial holes in the area in question and this confirmed the worst. So now i have a later of topsoil, a layer of subsoil (10") and then the original topsoil again below that. Firstly would this explain the wet ground and secondly have i any option except the obvious and strip back the ground again?

My patio area is small, my ideas BIG, i have learnt a lot through reading and shall chose two flower colours , pinks and whites and varients, plus various green vegetation. But as it stands i feel it will be too cluttered.where can i find a person who is knowledgeable who can just view it to give simple advice to hone down.i am severely disabled and new to gardening but its now a mega passion!

Our house is a modern red brick dormer on an acre site. We are now developing the garden and have sown a lawn and planted some trees. The lawn is divided by a driveway up to the house. The look is very plain and uninteresting. Some planting is required. Could you recommend some plants that would be fairly easy to maintain and look well.

When is the best time to landscape an existing garden?

I have a raised percolation area and it has grass and weeds growing on it. I would like to know is there anything I can plant on it that will have nice flowers and maybe take over from the grass. It has been suggested to plant a lawn there but I thought I would get some opinions on it. I have a good large lawn already only planted last year so my garden is only new (blank canvas!)

I would like to make a start on my garden the problem i have is it gets water logged when its rains i can't afford expensive drainage or hire any machinery hand tools only at the moment, its also very stony but does get the sun all day on nice days what would grow in those conditions or is there anything i can do cheaply to improve these conditions

I am very keen to create a japanese garden in my back garden. Can you recommend some experienced japanese garden designers in the Limerick, Clare, North Tipperary area?