Howbert and Mays - DYG

06/09/2026

Plant shadows, coming and going.

04/09/2026

Parsley and water.

31/08/2026

Plant Shop Sells Art? Yes, along with plants and all things garden related, we sell things for the great indoors too. Here’s a few of the artworks that we have sold in our Clare Street shop in the last couple of months.

27/08/2026

24/08/2026

Our own garden, by and large surviving the drought here in Dublin, providing plenty for wildlife and looking lovely too.
How?
- Heavy mulching in the spring, with composted bark, home made compost or Gee-Up manure.
- Site-appropriate planting that includes Salvia, Verbena, Scabiosa, Thalictrum, Stachys, Erigeron, as well as many plants sown as seed such as Nigella, Nasturtium and Escholtzia.
- lots of edible plants such as dill, coriander, parsley, strawberries, chard and lettuce: all gone to seed but very tasty nonetheless.
- Soil that has been ‘fed’ with probiotics/ beneficial bacteria such as Soil Renew, which means soil structure allows for greater root growth and therefore more drought yresilient plants.
- Established plants such as Phyllostachys, Fargesia, Acer, Magnolia etc also given a good sprinkle of Soil Renew once per year.
- no use of synthetic fertilisers, ever. Instead, an occasional (ie annual) application of an organic-matter fertiliser/ soil improver based on seaweed.. Again, these naturally fertile feed the soil more than they feed the plants, meaning that roots will be stronger and deeper and more able to access moisture.
- no paved surfaces: instead, all ‘hard’ surfaces are gravel over rubble, which allow any rainfall to be absorbed into the surrounding soil rather than straight into a drain
- Shallow bowls dotted here and there for flies, wasps, frogs and birds (topped up and cleaned from time to time)
- And finally, the occasional bath drained elaborately through an upstairs window. It’s okay to use a hose if it’s not connected to a tap!

21/08/2026

When you visit a city like Copenhagen, it takes a while to sort out all the elements that make it so pleasant. Everything stems from everything else: it’s safe, quiet and clean because it’s lived in; it’s lived in because it’s not choked by traffic; it’s not choked by traffic because you can travel by bike, bus and metro; you can travel by bike because the roads are safe and well planned; it’s well planned by planners and architects who seem to have a mandate and influence: over centuries, they have made it a good place to live, and continue to do so, meaning that people want to live there… and on it goes.

For ‘plant people’ such as us, you can add ‘greenery’ to the essential mix of what makes this city - or any city- beautiful. There is an abundance of plants, not just in beautiful parks, but in pavement cracks, flowerpots, tiny planting holes, windowsills, walls and balconies. Greenery is everywhere. Buildings without gardens are adorned with roses. 10 story apartment block facades are covered by ‘living walls’ of greenery that originate from one small gap in the paving at the base. Trees grow against buildings on narrow streets. Cafes, shops and businesses are surrounded by pots and planters. City streets are colonised by street furniture, pots, climbers and wild patches. The absence of parked cars frees up space for playgrounds and grassy patches.

Coming from Dublin, we can only aspire to be more like this. Our history is different. We have some enviable built heritage and natural beauty. It’s a fantastic climate for growing a wide range of plants. And we have some great new planting around Dublin and suburbs. But on a large scale we seem to suffer from a lack of collective organisational capacity. Maybe this is already changing.

Being personally unable to bring about change is frustrating. Policy, planning, infrastructural change takes too much time. What we can all do is find space for plants: in our homes, workplaces, balconies, porches, doorsteps, tiny gardens, big gardens, streets….

11/08/2026

The hungry caterpillars are back again, all set to eat your box plants. Luckily, it’s easy to treat and prevent this from happening. Drop into our shops, or visit our website, to get hold of some

09/08/2026

Dramatic sky as seen from Clare Street this evening. It looked like an almighty fire. In fact, it followed hot on the heels of a couple of rare and welcome rain showers…. remember them?

02/08/2026

Farewell to Declan, who is ‘moving on’ after 9 years with us. Formerly manager of our Dunboyne shop and until today, manager of our Airfield / Dundrum shop. Beloved by colleagues and customers, he will be missed. Good luck with the new job!