Scent and colour from Honey Suckle

The scent and colour from the beautiful free flowering Honeysuckle gold flame is quite stunning at present. This free flowering climbing honeysuckle is correctly called Lonicera X heckrottii Goldflame and produces a stunning show of scented colour from early summer onwards. Climbing Lonicera or Honeysuckle is so easy to grow and is ideal for covering trellis, walls, and oil tanks and can also be used to cover banks and slopes in the garden as a ground covering plant. It is also suitable for planting at the base of damaged or dead hedging and garden shrubs where it will scramble and cover the dead stems.
Lonicera Goldflame is fast growing, will suit all soil types and produces a mass of colour, changing from bright pink to deep purple.

Plant Lonicera Goldflame in existing trellis or as a companion to clematis, climbing roses or through a hedge or garden shrub for additional and complimentary colour and scent.

June is a great time to plant scented honeysuckle in your garden.

Jobs in the garden this week..

1. Continue to plant vegetable Click here to see our Vegetable plants and herb plants Click here to see our Herb Plants throughout June, lettuce, cabbage, onions, cauliflower and broccoli plants can still be planted for several weeks to reward you with additional home grown vegetables for late summer and autumn.

2. Greenfly and caterpillars can be a nuisance this month on Gooseberries and blackcurrants – Apply a dressing of Caterpillar treatment to all fruiting plants. Caterpillar treatment will eliminate foliage pests and is recommend for both fruit and vegetable’s

3. Apple and pear trees are forming young fruitlets at present and will benefit now from a dressing of Potash which will encourage strong ripe fruit and also help to build strength and flower buds on all fruiting plants. Simply sprinkle the Potash granolas around the base of the trees. Potash can also be used on gooseberries and currents Click here to see our Potash Granolas

4. June is an excellent month to plant a hedge for shelter or screening in the garden. Choose from the deep green laurel, Portuguese laurel, green privet and copper beech Click here to see our Hedging Plants. Remember to add some Vitax Q4 fertiliser before planting Click here to see our Vitax Q4. Existing garden hedges will benefit from a dressing of Supergrow fertiliser now and again in late June to encourage strong growth Click here to see our Fertilisers

5. Plant garden lilies now, they have just come into flower and will add both flower colour and scent to borders or patio planters. Garden lilies are available in a wide range of colours and will flower this and every summer

6. Continue to plant fruiting plants - plant strawberries in pots and window boxes now, plant six or nine plants to give you lots of fresh strawberries in July and august Click here to see our Fruit Plants. Remember to feed your strawberries with one liquid feed as soon as the fruit begins to form Click here to see our One Liquid Plant Feed.

7. Border dahlias are free flowering and very prolific, they will flower from now up until early winter. Border dahlias are ideal for adding colour into patio pots, flower borders and beds and are so easy to grow. Many varieties if covered with a layer of compost in winter can be left in the soil to flower this and every summer.

8. Sweet pea’s have just come into flower in many gardens and now is the ideal time to feed sweet peas. I use One liquid feed every week from June to late July to encourage strong rich blooms which are ideal for cutting. Remember if you cut the sweet pea flowers on a regular basis you will encourage more flowers to keep coming Click here to see our One Liquid Plant Feed.

9. Coronet dwarf apples are covered in young fruit at present and now is the ideal time to plant a dwarf coronet apple tree in your garden or patio pot. The young fruits will produce a wonderful crop this summer. I recommend you plant three to four coronets to get a good return of sweet juicy apples this and every summer Click here to see our Coronet Apple Tree

10. Remember June is an ideal time to cut back spring flowering shrubs and climbers. Plants like Clematis Montana, Aubrietia, brooms, red flowering currant, and the bright yellow forsythia can all be trimmed now to give strong growth and flower colour next spring. I recommend you feed your spring flowering plants with grow more after pruning Click here to see Grow More

Horkans lifestyle & garden centre invite you to visit their new centre on the west road in Westport. Talk to Neil and his team of qualified horticulturists about the best selection of plants for your garden.

Horkans open seven days Sunday 12 to 6 pm. Bayleaf restaurant an Edinburgh woollen mills are open 7 days Sunday 12 to 6pm in Horkans lifestyle & garden centre turlough Castlebar co mayo. 0949031435

Flowers to Bloom this and every summer!

Perennial flowering plants are a collection of flowering plants that flower this and every summer. Most varieties form strong full clumps within one to two seasons and reliably flower in profusion from spring to early autumn depending on the varieties and types.


Some of my all time favourite Perennials include the beautiful variegated Hostas which produce striking variegated foliage and rich blue flowers in mid summer, Lupins are in flower now and will continue to bloom until mid summer offering both strong stems of colour to fill borders and also ideal stems of colour for cutting as cut flowers for the home. The blue flowering delphiniums also look fantastic this month producing strong stems of velvet blue flowers on dainty green foliage, Delphiniums are ideal for some height at the back of the border as a stunning background. Cape fuchsia is available in rich pink and deep purple producing fuchsia like flowers on strong stems, cape fuchsia flowers from May until early winter and offers a super show of colour in any flower or shrub border.


The range and choice of flowering perennials is at its best in May and now is the ideal time to plant a selection of Perennial flowering plants into your flower borders and shrub beds.

Horkys Tip; Plant flowering perennials in groups of threes of the same variety to create a strong clump effect to add colour this and every summer

Click here to see our range of Perennials

My tips for this week

1. The planting of main crop potatoes should be finished this week, varieties like Sarpo Mira and Sarpo Axona can be planted now for a strong crop of great tasting potatoes in late summer. The Sarpo varieties are blight resistant and so easy to grow Click here to see our Seed potatoes

2. Plant scented Lavender in borders and containers, lavender has just come into flower and if planted in a bright sunny location they will produce lots of scented blooms all summer long. Lavender is available in white, pink and lavender coloured flowers. Click here to see our Lavender Plants

3. Flower carpet and bedding roses can be planted this month for colour this and every summer. Remember to plant roses in groups of the same colour to help create a mass of flower colour. Click here to see our Rose Plants Feed existing roses with Rose fertiliser once a month to help encourage a longer flowering period.

4. Standard and bush Fuchsia plants can be planted now in pots and borders for long – lasting summer colour. Fuchsia is available in a wide choice of colours and types and is ideal for a splash of colour in baskets, patio pots and borders.Click here to see our Fuchsia

5. Plant up a selection of hanging baskets and wide boxes to add colour and interest to your garden this summer – I recommend trailing Petunias, double flowering begonias, trailing bacopa, trailing lobelias, geraniums and fuchsia. Click here to see our Basket Plants Remember to feed weekly with ONE liquid fertiliser Click here to see our ONE plant food

6. Problems with Deer, Hares, Rabbits or Pigeons eating your garden plants? Use a dressing of GRAZERS to ward off unwanted attention from these garden pests. Apply a dressing of grazers to the effected area, its easy to apply and will not harm the animals or plants Click here to see our Grazers product

7. Apply a feed of Vitax Q 4 to early and main crop potatoes to add some vigour and help increase the potato yield this summer – Simply sprinkle around the base of the rows Click here to see Vitax Q4

8. Peppers, chillies, cucumber, marrow, Aubergines and courgette plants are now ready for planting Click here to see our Vegetable plants Remember to feed weekly with a good quality tomato fertiliser Click here to see our Tomato Fertiliser

9. Feed, weed and moss kill your lawn with a dressing of Renovator 3 in 1 lawn treatment. Renovator will green your lawn without forcing growth, kill broadleaved lawn weeds and control lawn moss Click here to see Renovator

10. May is a great time to plant blueberries in the garden – Blueberries are easy to grow, ideal for growing in pots or borders and will fruit this and every summer Click here to see our Blueberries

11. Protect vegetable and herb plants from pest and weather damage by placing a Hasnicks protective cover over the growing plants. The Hasnicks protective cover allows light and moisture to penetrate but stops pest and severe weather damaging the young plants. Use with carrots, cabbage, lettuce, turnips and cauliflower Click here to see our Protective covers

12. Kill carrot and cabbage root fly by dressing the plants with Karate treatment, simply apply to the foliage and stems of the plant to kill both carrot and cabbage root fly. Apply now and again in mid June Click here to see Karate Treatment

13. Shamrock seed can be planted now in seed trays or directly out into the garden soil, the Shamrock seed will germinate in a couple of weeks and provide you with strong clumps of Shamrock for next March

14. Sow wallflower, Sweet William, forget me nots, double daises, polyanthus and winter pansy seed now for colour this coming winter and spring Click here to see our range of Flower Seeds
15. Sow autumn and winter cabbage seed now out of doors for great tasting cabbage from September to early march. The two varieties I recommend are the Savoy cabbage and Tundra cabbage seed varieties Click here to see out Cabbage Seeds

Horkans Lifestyle & Garden Centre
Remember the Bay leaf restaurant offers you superb carvery lunch, fantastic desserts and cakes and a wide selection of quality teas, coffees and wines. The bayleaf restaurant at Horkans opens seven days.

Colour, Scent & Show – Its got to be Roses!

Summer flowering roses remain one of the most popular garden plants, loved by gardeners all over the world for the mass of colour produced from June to early winter. Many rose varieties offer both colour and scent in the garden and contrary to belief roses remain one of the easiest of all plants to grow Click here to view our Roses


To grow great roses remember a couple of simple tips, Ensure you feed the soil before planting new roses, use a good quality organic compost to add to your existing soil Click here to view our Compost.


Plant roses in groups of the same colour for a moss show of colour and select tried and tested varieties which are renowned for their outstanding growth and flower production.


One of my favourite varieties is the Lovely Trumpeter rose, rich red flowers produced on mass all summer long. Click here to see our Trumpeter Rose Trumpeter is easy to grow, disease resistant and looks great planted in groups of the same colour or contrasted with a bright yellow variety like Arthur Bell.
Roses are available for many purposes including Climbing and rambling for covering trellis and walls, ground cover varieties for banks and slopes, patio planter roses for pots and containers and bedding Roses to plant out into flower borders and rose beds for mass effect. May is a great month to plant roses in your garden.

Tips for this week!

1. Leather jackets are a problem this summer in many gardens. The leather jacket grubs eat the roots and Stems of plants and can cause lots of damage to younger vegetable, herb and bedding plants. If your garden is effected with leatherjackets apply a dressing of Crossfire treatment to the effected soil area.

2. Summer flowering large double begonias can be planted now into patio planters and bed for a mass of colour this summer. Double flowering begonias are easy to grow, flower from May until early winter and are ideal for colour in pots, patio planters and flower beds.

3. Plant some Early York cabbage plants now for great tasting cabbage in mid summer. Hispi is the variety I would recommend for cone shaped bright green cabbage heads that are great to eat. Hispi is a fast maturing variety and I recommend you plant 10 to 12 plants every two weeks for a regular supply all summer. Click here to see our Hispi Cabbage

4. Laburnum trees can be planted now for colour this and every summer – Laburnum is often called the Golden rain tree because of the long Panicles of flowers produced in early summer. Laburnum makes a medium sized tree and is easy to grow Click here to see our Trees

5. Pond plants and fish can now be added to your garden pond, oxygenating plants, marginal, water lilies and floaters can be added to the garden pond now Click here to see our range of Pond Products

6. Double flowering Dahlias can be planted now outdoors in flower borders and beds for a super show of colour all summer long. Border dahlias are available now for planting to add colour and interest from June to early winter.  Remember to feed dahlias with ONE liquid fertiliser weekly and keep a watch for harmful snails and slugs Click here to see our one Plant Food

7. Thuja Smarald is a beautiful cone shaped conifer to add shape and structure in any garden. Thuja maintains its conical shape without the need of trimming and is ideal if planted 1 meter apart to form a formal hedge or screening. May is a great time to plant thuja Smarald in your garden for instant effect Click here to see our Thuja Smarald

8. Beech hedging has just come into leaf and may is the time to feed beech hedging plans in your garden – I recommend you use Supergrow shrub fertiliser, apply a handful to each plant ,at the base of the hedge. Supergrow can also be used to boost any garden trees or shrubs to encourage some new growth after the harsh winter and spring Click here to see our Fertiliser

9. Climbing Wisteria is a wonderful fast growing flowering climber – Plant wisteria on pergolas, arches, trellis and walls to add foliage and flower colour. Wisteria produces up to ten feet of growth per year and the attractive flowers come in pink, white and lavender blue.

10. Aphids and greenfly are visiting many garden plants after the warm weather – take action now to keep you garden plants and rose’s Aphid free by treating your garden plants with Bug clear treatment. Bug clear kills aphids, green fly and caterpillars on garden flower and shrubs.

11. Cucumber plants can be planted now indoors in an instant planter or large pot in organic compost Click here to see our cucumbers and compost

Join us for Lunch after Feille Na Thuiathe

Remember the Bay leaf restaurant offers you superb carvery lunch, fantastic desserts and cakes and a wide selection of quality teas, coffees and wines. The bayleaf restaurant at Horkans has a very special menu available for families and couples this Saturday and Sunday. Call in for a family visit

Gardening Classes Starting at Horkans Lifestyle & Garden Centre in September!

 

Gardening Classes starting in Horkans Lifestyle & Garden Centre Turlough, Castlebar in September 2011!

 

Limited places available so hurry!

Contact Mairead Horkan on 087 4100565 or email mairead@gardencentre.ie for more information.

Add colour from foliage and flowering Climbers

Flowering and foliage climbers can be planted this week in your garden, the range and choice of plants has never been better. Climbing Hydrangea is just coming into flower now and is ideal for covering walls, trellis or to cover damaged or dead plants in the borders. The beautiful flowering Clematis Boulevard with its large lilac and white flowers is a beautiful free flowering clematis that flowers from May to early Autumn and is ideal for covering a trellis or too scramble over existing trees and shrubs in the garden Click here to see our Climbers

Free flowering Wisteria is a welcome site in any garden; this fast growing climber produces its lilac flowers on mass from mid may and is ideal to cover a house or garage wall Click here to see our Wisteria plants


Mid May is an excellent time to plant a selection of foliage and flowering climbers, remember to prepare the soil well by adding some growise organic farmyard manure to the planting hole Growise Organic Farmyard Manure and feeding your new climbers with ONE liquid feed ONE liquid plant food every two weeks.

Gardening Jobs to tackle this week

1. Plant blueberries and rhubarb plants this month, soil conditions are ideal at present Click here to see our Fruit Plants Add some organic compost Click here to see our Compost to the soil before planting and feed monthly with Vitax Q4 for strong growth Click here to see our Vitax Q4.

2. Kill mares tail or horsetail weeds in patios and borders with Tree stump treatment – simply mix with water and apply o the foliage of the mares tail for a rapid kill.
   
   

3. May is the month when strawberries start to flower and set fruit, its also an ideal time to plant young strawberry plants into strawberry pots or window boxes for tasty fruit in mid summer – remember strawberries are fun to grow and will fruit this summer if planted now Click here to see our Strawberry Plants

4. Potato blight can be a problem on young potato and tomato plants especially in wet humid weather protect your plants with a dressing of traditional copper fungicide applied to the young foliage every two weeks.

5. Plant your borders and shrub beds with summer bedding plants, French marigolds, border petunias, dahlias, antirrhinums and begonias can be planted out in late may and June for a welcome splash of long-lasting colour all summer long. Remember to protect your bedding plants from slug and snail attack – I use slug clear liquid to give excellent protection from slug damage.

6. Sow all year round lettuce seed now out of doors in shallow drills, lettuce seed sown now will reward you with lots of salad lettuce in July and august. Greyhound cabbage, white Lisbon lettuce and early Nantes carrots can also be sown from seed this month Click here to see our Vegetable Seeds

7. May is the ideal time to sow a new lawn or wild meadow area. Weather conditions and soil tempetures are just right for excellent germination and strong growth. Clear the ground of wed growth with a dressing of scutch out weed killer – Scutch out will kill existing weeds with out contaminating your soil. Add some preseeding Scott’s fertiliser to the soil and finally apply green velvet lawn seed for a quality hard wearing lawn this summer Click here to see our Fertiliser

8. Plant a selection of roses in well prepared garden soil for strong colour this summer. The top red flowering rose has to be Trumpeter. It produces masses of vivid red blooms in large bunches from June to early winter. Trumpeter has excellent disease resistance, produces lovely bronze foliage and flowers its head off all summer long. Plant trumpeter in groups of five or seven to create a strong show of colour in your garden this summer Click here to see our Roses

9. Summer flowering climbers including Clematis, honey suckles, climbing roses, wisteria, flowering hydrangea and sweet peas can all be planted this month Click here to see our Climbers. All climbers enjoy well prepared garden soil – I recommend you add Super grow compost Click here to see our range of Compost to the planting hole with two handfuls of organic chicken manure before planting Click here to see our Organic Chicken Manure. Summer flowering climbers planted now will put on strong growth and many varieties will flower this summer.

10. Trees, shrubs and hedging plants are putting on strong growth during May, An application of grow more fertiliser applied now will help to promote strong growth and flowers in many garden plants. Simply sprinkle a handful of grow more out from the base of the plants. The grow more granules will be absorbed quickly and add a much needed boost to your garden plants Click here to see our Fertilisers

11. Check your fruiting gooseberries, blackcurrants and redcurrants for Greenfly attack; green fly can cause severe damage to many fruiting plants in May and now is the ideal time to apply a dressing of bug gun. Bug gun kills unwanted garden pests without damaging the fruit or plants and is ideal for all fruiting plants.

12. Slug and snail damage is very visible at the moment, the wet start to may have encouraged a lot of damage on soft garden plants. I use Slug clear liquid to protect my garden plants, its easy to apply, invisible to pets and garden birds once applied and very effective at controlling both slug and snail infestation.

13. Apple trees have flowered well this spring which will hopefully mean a strong crop of apples later in the summer. After all the flowers have set with fruit lets feed the trees with a handful of organic chicken manure pellets Click here to view our Organic Chicken Manure Pellets and spray the trees with a dressing of Bug clear to help protect the young apples from greenfly or caterpillar attack.

14. Late may is the ideal time to plant up and stock your garden pond. There is a wide selection of garden pond plants and fish available. Add some oxygenates to your garden pond this will help to support both plant and fish life and add interest to your garden pond Click here to view our Pond Products

Join Paraic Horkan this Saturday and every Saturday morning from 9am to 10am on 96.1FM on Midwest radio for the gardening programme. Text your gardening question to 0879004141 or email your question with photo to garden@midwestradio.ie

Flower colour for cutting and scent

Old cottage garden colour

The return in popularity of some of the old cottage garden favourite flowering plants is a welcome sight in any garden. Gardeners are returning to long stemmed old time favourites including foxgloves, free flowering Lupins, scented sweet peas, large flowering Peonies and hostas to name but a few. Gardeners are interested in flowering plants that flower this and every summer and are good to fill up gaps in their borders and shrub beds, they also love herbaceous perennials that are suitable for cutting as cut flowers for the home. Early May is a great time to plant a selection of summer flowering herbaceous perennials which not only offer long periods of colour they are also ideal to help fill in gaps left by dead and damaged shrubs after the harsh winter.

Plant in groups of threes or fives to help create a strong show of long lasting colour in shrub beds and flower borders. I would recommend the following perennials to plant now in your garden for colour this summer. Phygelius commonly called the cape fuchsia, Penstomens with their beautiful tubular flowers, Hostas for foliage and flower colour, coreopsis bright yellow blooms all summer and the wonderful long stemmed Lupins

Gardening Jobs to tackle this week

1. Plant a selection of hot chillies and purple and red peppers into a 10” pot using Levington Multi compost. Place the pot on a bright sunny window sill in full light for a great crop of fresh chillies and peppers all summer long. Both peppers and chillies are easy to grow and will require only regular watering and feed with ONE liquid feed weekly. Go on give then a try this summer
2. Tumbling tom Tomatoes are the perfect choice for a hanging basket or window box this summer. This trailing variety produces a mass of great tasting medium sized tomatoes all summer and can be planted on their own or with fresh basil and indeed with a selection of flowering hanging baskets including White bacopa, lobelias and busie lizzies. Remember to feed weekly from mid May with ONE liquid feed.
3. Onion, lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, scallions and Brussels sprout plants are now available for planting. Take my advice and plant a small amount of plants every two weeks to provide you with lots of fresh great tasting home grown veggies this summer. Remember you can also sow vegetables from seed throughout May and June.
4. Early Potato blight warnings will soon be given by met Eireann – so prevent potato blight affecting your home grown potatoes by treating them now and again in two weeks with a dressing of Promiximal spray. This treatment provides excellent protection if used early and often and can also be used on tomatoes to prevent blight.
5. Plant a selection of Kitchen Herbs now, choose from a wide variety of easy to grow garden herbs including Basil, parsley both French and curled, oregano, thyme, rosemary and chives. Garden herbs can be planted directly into the border soil or grown in window boxes and patio planters for ease of cutting and aftercare. Remember to cut the young growth on a regular basis to help keep your herbs young and producing lots of new growth.
6. Summer flowering fuchsias are invaluable in any garden; May is the ideal time to plant fuchsias both in your shrub borders and in patio planters and baskets. Many are just coming into flower and will continue to flower from now right up until the early frosts. Choose from a wide selection of hardy varieties which will bloom this and every summer.
7. Beautiful large trumpet shaped flowers are produced from mid summer until early winter from the Arum Lilly and now is the ideal time to plant arum lilies in your garden. This clump forming plant is easy to grow, very free flowering and will grow in virtually all gardens and soil types, however on moist wet soils it thrives and makes wonderful large clumps with masses of blooms. Arum lily will provide you with lots of long stemmed white trumpet shaped flowers all summer long.
8. Continue to sow garden pea and bean seed during May, look for the dwarf pea variety called Meteor – it produces great tasting sweet tasting peas all summer long on short compact plants. Pea seed can be sown directly into your garden soil and will germinate within two weeks. Children love to grow and pick sweet tasting garden peas. This dwarf variety will need a little support with bamboo canes.
9. For a strong splash of colour with some great scent – plant some scented Lilies. Garden lily plants are now available for planting; they come in a wide variety of colours and are perfect to add a splash of colour in patio pots, shrub borders and lower beds. Lilies planted now will flower this and ever summer and are so easy to grow.
10. Plant some fruiting blueberry plants now in your garden, Blueberries have just come into flower and will set their rich blue berries from June onwards. Plant blueberries in pots or borders, you will need two different varieties for cross pollination. Blueberries produce their fruit right throughout the summer and will fruit for many years. For the typical garden pant six plants to give you enough pickings.
11. Potatoes, vegetable plants, and fruit will all benefit from a dressing of Westland Organic chicken manure pellets – Chicken manure is easy to apply, clean to use and very effective in feeding your garden plants and providing much needed energy through may and June. Simply sprinkle the clean pellets around the bas of each plant before rain is promised.
12. Slug and snail damage is very visible at the moment, the wet start to may has encouraged a lot of damage on soft garden plants. I use Slug clear liquid to protect my garden plants, its easy to apply, invisible to pets and garden birds once applied and very effective at controlling both slug and snail infestation.

Add colour and interest to your hanging baskets & Containers

Colour from Hanging Baskets & Patio containers

One of the very best ways to add a profusion of colour to your garden is to plant up a selection of Hanging baskets, window boxes and patio planters and late April is the ideal time to do just that.

Summer flowering bedding and patio plants flower from now right up until early winter providing months of welcome colour for your garden and patio areas.

No other selection of plants provides such welcome colour for such a long period as bedding and patio plants, they are easy to grow and flower for months.

Now is the ideal time to plant a selection of window boxes and hanging baskets in your garden. It’s important to select a large enough basket or container as this makes it easier to maintain and creates more colour and interest. For hanging baskets I recommend you use 14 or 16 inch baskets, these are large enough to create a stunning display of colour to create colour from May to October.

The plants I recommend you plant in your patio planters, hanging baskets and window boxes include – Trailing petunias, White trailing Bacopa, Purple trailing verbena, trailing geraniums and fuchsia, Lobelia in mixed colours, Million bell petunias, Busie lizzies, double begonias and scented white alyssum.

Remember to use good quality compost and add some slow release feed all granules to the compost before planting.

Regular watering and feeding is important to promote a stunning show of long – lasting colour, feed all your containers weekly with ONE liquid feed.

My tips for this week

1. Late April is a great time to plant some early and main crop potatoes in planters or directly out into ridges and drills. Plant varieties like Red Duke of York, Sharpes express home guards and British Queens for great tasting early potatoes in mid summer.
2. Plant Apple trees now – I recommend the Apple family tree; this is two varieties of eating apples which have been grafted onto the on tree. You can grow your family apple tree in a pot or directly into the garden soil. Family apple trees will provide you with two varieties of great tasting apples from the one tree and are so easy to grow.
3. Plant Sweet Pea Plants now in large containers or directly out into the garden soil for sweetly scented blooms all summer long. Sweet peas are ideal for covering trellis, wire or netting to provide cover and scented colour all summer long.
4. Shamrock seed can be sown now out of doors in pots or directly out into the garden soil to provide you with lots of rich green shamrock for St Patrick’s Day next march. Shamrock seed is easy to sow and grow – go on give it a try.
5. Problems with Deer, Hares, Rabbits or Pigeons eating your garden plants? Use a dressing of GRAZERS to ward off unwanted attention from these garden pests. Apply a dressing of grazers to the effected area, its easy to apply and will not harm the animals or plants.
6. Rhododendrons are bursting into flower, and now is a super time to plant Rhododendron in your garden. They are now available in a wide choice of colours and types and many are ideal for planted containers or shrub borders. Remember to feed all existing Rhododendron, Camellia, Pieries and Azaleas with the slow release rhododendron fertiliser now and again in mid summer.
7. Grow Totem Tomato plants on your Window sill or Patio area – Totem is a compact dwarf variety that is ideal to grow inside on a window sill or patio area. It produces good sized tomatoes on a compact shaped plant.
8. Replacement hedging plants of Green Privet, portugusese and green Laurel can be planted now to fill in gaps or replace damaged plants in your existing hedge. It’s also a great time to plant a new hedge in your garden. Strong hedging plants are now available for planting and soil conditions are just ideal.
9. Feed all hedging, shrubs and trees now with Super grow fertiliser. Many of your garden plants will be showing the effects of the winter damage with scorched and damaged foliage and stems. Super grow will encourage strong new growth and will replace lost energy.
10. Plant Marrow, courgette and cucumber plants now for great tasting fruit in mid summer. Marrow and Courgette can be planted out doors in mid may to grow on and fruit, whilst cucumbers are better planted in a greenhouse or polytunnel or warm patio for lots of pickings from mid summer.
11. Wild flower meadow seed can be sown now to create a wild flower meadow or patch in your garden. Wild flower mixes contain a selection of beautiful flowering wild flowers including Poppies, cornflowers, foxgloves, and many more to add colour and interest to your garden.
12. Dandelions and Daises are a problem in most lawns this season – take action now by applying a dressing of Dandelion and daisy killer to your lawn, the treatment will kill any broadleaved weeds without affecting your lawn.
13. Green up your lawn without forcing growth by applying a slow release lawn fertiliser to the entire lawn area – apply the dressing lightly and evenly using a lawn spreader.
14. Now is a great time to sow a new Lawn – I recommend you use a dwarf lawn seed mix like green velvet. Green velvet will provide you with a hard wearing rich green lawn that is easy to mow and maintain and ideal for kids and pets to play on.

Join Paraic Horkan this Saturday and every Saturday morning from 9am to 10am on mid west radio for the gardening programme