FOR anybody who lives close to the coast, the sea mallow is a familiar sight.

IF YOU have a greenhouse, the likelihood is it will be pretty warm in there over the summer, particularly with the extreme temperatures we’ve been having.

IT’S hot, it’s muggy and you’re starting to wilt – much like a flower from lack of water.

TIME is running out to save some of Britain’s best-loved insects, with recent findings revealing a 26 per cent increase in the number of butterfly species threatened with extinction, according to wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation.

Lobelias come in a variety of shapes and sizes – with some more attractive to snails than others.

ARE you digging too much? Bending over without bending your knees? Carrying pots that are too heavy for you? So many gardeners end up with back problems simply by overdoing it in their open spaces.

Co Carlow is gearing up for this month's annual gardening festival.

IT SEEMS like summer’s only just arrived – but already lupins have gone over, many roses are past their best, and peonies have shed their flowers.

There's still time to sow vegetables for eating later in the summer.