Visiting gardens and buying plants are two of my favourite pastimes, so a trip to a plant fair can be a real treat as it often combines both. For gardeners, visiting a plant fair is the ultimate ‘child-in-a sweet shop’ experience and we are spoiled for choice with many events taking place around the country, especially from now until mid-summer. For readers not familiar with this type of event, it involves mostly small growers and specialist nurseries from all over Ireland assembling at a venue, usually outdoors in a field adjoining a garden, and setting up stalls for a day alongside a handful of food purveyors and stands selling garden-related paraphernalia.