Our Airfield garden centre is closing

November 2021. We are sad to announce that we are closing the doors of our much-loved garden centre in Airfield Estate, Dundrum, at the end of this month. The shop had been a great success for us, and we would like to thank the many customers whom we got to know over the last few years. Although 2020 and 2021 were challenging years for many, garden centres were fortunate in that more people than ever realised the value and importance of their gardens, and gardening - no pun intended - was a major growth area.

Caring for your deckchair, and checking fabric is safely in place

We have been supplying deckchairs from Portugal for more than 7 years. They are robust and sturdy and very comfortable. Made from eucalyptus wood (FSC approved) and heavy duty cotton canvas that can be washed or replaced. This year we had a few reports from customers that the fabric was not held securely in place by the wooden dowels at each end. It seems that some of the dowels were too narrow and the fabric could slip though the wooden bars that holds it in place.

Plant Puritans

Michael Viney, the esteemed journalist and author, recently wrote in the Irish Times that 'the range of alien plants in Ireland, many escaping to the wild, must now have surpassed the total amount of our native wildflowers.' True or not, it is hard to measure. However, opinions like this can be interpretted by some as: 'foreigners are bad, locals are good' or, 'if you're not from these shores, then you shouldn't be here'. Sadly, many people are starting to believe this mantra: native is good, everything else bad.

In-shop delivery rates and discounts

Customers ask for deliveries and also for discounts - here are our current rates and terms.

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Art at Howbert & Mays Clare Street

May 2021 When we opened our Clare Street shop - formerly Greene's Bookshop - we knew that it couldn't be just a plant and garden shop. The building was too special for that. Of course, we love plants and everything to do with them, and they are a main theme for this shop. But with our proximity to the National Gallery, as well as a number of other galleries as our neighbours, it made sense to use the high ceilings and lovely light for displaying and selling works of art.