We are now in the midst of summer and hoping for plenty more sunshine so that we can enjoy our outdoor spaces. Our garden special this issue takes a look at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, with brand new flower species, award winning gardens sure to inspire, and we chat with the man behind Northern Ireland’s first gold award in 30 years at the show. Next we look at some of the things we need to help us make our own garden the presentable space we want it to be, with a selection of garden tools, ornaments, bird baths and feeders. There is much more to our garden than meets the eye, it’s also a habitat for mini-creatures! We look at ways of encouraging them into our gardens to help our ecosystem, with advice on how to start a mini wildflower meadow, and we look at some facts for those considering keeping bees – think of the honey! With all the hard work put into the garden, we can reap the benefits indoors with beautiful bouquets, and for that we seek some expert advice on how to go about clipping from your own plants and flowers. Lastly in our garden special we get some inside info from the gardeners at Powerscourt and Rowallane Garden, and what goes into the keeping of such splendid public gardens.
Back indoors, we look at the latest fridge freezers, in both design and technology! Our readers’ homes this issue take us to Anne and Johnny’s 19th century Merchant’s house apartment conversion in Belfast that they instantly fell in love with; further south in Wicklow, T.J. and Simon show us their elegantly restored townhouse as well as their award winning garden; in County Clare, Elaine and Ken happened upon the perfect site for their home, although it wasn’t on their mind at the time to build they just had to seize the opportunity. Christopher and Michelle wanted a walnut kitchen to complement their new build home, and Celtic Interiors were the perfect candidate for the job.
On to our issue regulars, you can enjoy delicious recipes from Le Plancha restaurant in Monkstown, County Antrim, explore what the diverse Caribbean island of Dominican Republic has to offer, or see the sights of Carlingford on a stay-cation. We hope you enjoy this jam packed issue, and if you have a home, or know of someone who has a home, that you would like to see featured in the magazine contact editorial on 028 9147 3979 or email editorial@ihil.net
