Nicky Kyle

What you do in the garden now can lay the foundations for a year of homegrown beauty

Now is a good time to sow seed for half-hardy, fast-growing annuals

On rainy days a polytunnel offers warmth, seclusion and a leafy refuge

All kinds of heat-loving vegetables can be grown under cover, and flowers too

This damp August has created optimum soil conditions for seeds to germinate

It takes time and expertise to coax these greedy, sun-loving, thirsty plants to give of their very best

Cheaper than a greenhouse and easier to put up, a polytunnel takes your gardening to a new level

Trees to plant, gloves to wear, cards to write trowels to dig, seeds to sow and a pad to rest

No amount of watering is going to be as good for plants as sweet, clean, cool Irish rain

No herbicides, fungicides or pesticides are used, not even organically-approved kinds

The walled garden and nursery at Altamont in Co Carlow is horticultural heaven

For top tips on growing flowers and food in polytunnels try these books, blogs and posts

Staying in touch with the soil can help to make us happier and save the planet