St Patrick’s Day is unofficially the start of the gardening season in Ireland. Although more seasoned gardeners have already been out for weeks preparing for spring, for many the green flags and shamrocks herald the fact that we can procrastinate no more; the grass has to be cut and those flower beds need a good clearing out. Hence the timing of our annual Groundcare edition of Irish Country Living – to give advice, inspiration and information to gardeners from the budding to experienced.

When we first viewed our house, my husband’s eyes lit up at the potential that this little piece of land held. However, what was once a well-maintained mature garden was vastly overgrown. It took him two full summers to bring it somewhat back to its former glory and as I was pregnant for one of them, drudging through a haze of hyperemesis, I was as useful as the robin that sat on his wheelbarrow, good for company and not much else.

In the process, we (mostly him) learned some good lessons. Keeping a well-kept garden comes down to a few factors – enthusiasm, hard work and good tools. And the phrase ‘buy cheap, buy twice’ is one which especially applies to garden tools, as Mary Keenan outlines on page 28.

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In recent years, there has been the great debate between buying garden tools powered by petrol or electric. For a long time, the petrol versions were king – powerful and long-lasting, especially in comparison to plugged-in alternatives that wouldn’t get you halfway down the garden. But the tide has turned. Electric versions have stepped up their game in terms of power and we invested in a range in which the hedge trimmer, pole hedge trimmer, pole saw and leaf blower all work off the same battery – with a back-up charging in the garage on busy garden maintenance days.

In saying all that, our petrol-powered lawnmower has served us well, and is gearing up for one of its biggest challenges of the year, that first cut

As detailed on page 25, it is still very much a personal choice and some people swear by the power of petrol. But with electric tools, there’s no mixing up the fuel beforehand so when the weather clears and you have an hour free, all you have to do it hit a button – and it’s better for the environment.

In saying all that, our petrol-powered lawnmower has served us well, and is gearing up for one of its biggest challenges of the year, that first cut. But in time, it too will be replaced by electric as my husband dreams of a robot lawnmower. While we save, the research has begun and sure the technology would blow you away.

Thanks to AI and smart cameras, gardens can now be mapped out without the need for boundary wires and extended battery life means it can tackle large gardens. Depending on the model, there are features such as all-wheel drive capacity and three-point turns. They can avoid obstacles in the garden, observe the weather and you can select different mowing patterns and grass heights.

Do you remember that futuristic cartoon The Jetsons? Sometimes, I feel we’re living it now. But its not for everyone. There is a lifestyle element to a push or ride-on lawnmower and great satisfaction in observing your freshly-cut lawn. And not forgetting the wilder garden which encourages biodiversity.

Across the magazine you’ll find inspiration to put those gardening gloves on and get out to enjoy nature, after a very rainy winter. Like ourselves, it won’t all get done in a day, but sure a good start is half the battle.

I’m off to get that lawnmower powered up.