peter and damien

For the moment writer #4 is Damien Mulley. When I first suggested that I do a garden guest slot… suprisingly, possibly, the first person to contact me on twitter was Damien.

He owns Mulley Communications runs the Irish Blog Awards; the Irish Web Awards; writes; speaks; teaches; does tv/ radio on the subject - the list is endless. One might say he is to computers what I am to horticulture. hmmmm….? That wry wit of mine aside and when with a minute to spare one pretty quickly realises outside of a passion for ‘techie things’ - Damien is, genuinely, a really cool gentleman.

Ladies & Gentlemen please be upstanding and enjoy:

The Garden - what I like about…

Actually, let’s call this My Mum, Mr. Roycroft and my Nana.
Oh and hello. I’m actually going to talk about three people who encouraged me to like plants and gardening and getting things to grow. My mother was always and still is into gardening and when we lived up in the Northside we had a small garden front and back with really crappy soil. She had roses and lillies and bulbs and all the usuals. She used to then get “slips” off my Nana, her mother-in-law amongst other people and grow loads of shrubs as well as buying the odd few plants when we could afford those luxuries which only happened much later in life.

My grandmother was still very much in the background at this stage when it came to her influence. I used to like helping my mother out in the garden and eventually when I was 6-7 she gave me a little patch of the garden to call my own and I didn’t do too much except rake the tonnes of stones that were in it.

Then in school we got this great teacher called Mr Roycroft who was older than old and I can’t even remember what he first thought us but it was all to do with flowers and plants and so forth. Mr. Roycroft popped up again when I went into 4th class in primary or rather 5th class. I was deemed very bright so as an experiment in the school they took the brightest from those going into 4th year and the brightest of those going into 5th year and they created a new class and Mr. Roycroft would foster all those kids. Best year ever. We learned so much stuff from maths to Geography to Irish (lots of Irish) to nature to botany. Ahhh flowers and plants and things. Roycroft not also thought us the green agenda way before consultants ripped people off wholesale to teach them about it but he also taught us latin by tellng us the latin names of the plants and the families they came from. He then explained what each one meant in English so we had a good grasp of the basics when we finished with him. That year was a very happy year for me in school and was also the last year that I ever applied myself in the schooling system.

We moved house into the country and I lost touch with all my non-schoolfriends. Me and myself and sometimes I. Only kid in the family, big feckoff gardens and instead of a small patch I had the whole wall outside our house and a kind of a rockery which over a few years I expanded and expanded so much so that I started to become the “consultant” about plants at home. I don’t think I was yet 9 at this stage.

Around the same time I became the “chosen one” of my grandmother and grandfather and every Sunday I would be brought along to Skibereen with them, driving down one route and taking the back route home through Iniskeen and Ballineen where we’d stop off at my Nana’s sister’s place. On the way down and back I would basically help my grandmother to vandalise gardens by taking “slips” from shrubs, which if you don’t know what slips are, are small cuttings, though we used to just yank them off. Spring time was worse. That was trowel and bucket time as we dug up West Cork to get Bluebells and Primroses AND very special and rare “wild dafodils”. No idea were they wild or just went native but they had a scent and were big and leafy.

One Christmas I got the very sad (perhaps) present of a propogator and holy crap but it became the best value for money present ever. So I started growing things from seed. Lots and lots and lots of seed. Eventually the parents got a glasshouse which pretty much was for me. Our garden had some fantastic stuff grown for it then. Annuals to start with and then I just didn’t think they were worth all the effort if they were dead at the end of the season so it became perennials and shrubs and that ilk.

There’s not been a lot of calm for me in the past few years but I could literally spend 5 hours in the glass house with a break for lunch and plant seed after seed. I didn’t just feck the seed down in rows, no, I placed each individual seed down and spaced them. A huge amount of work but I enjoyed it.

We moved house again then and at this stage I was in my teens, listening to heavy metal, spotty as fuck but I still grew things, still went out for a bit of peace (no Internet then helped). In the new old house the garden was a heap, the front garden was grass and hedging and nothing more so we got rid of the hedging and threw in a few borders but it was boring. I then started thinking up of proper designs for the Garden and what was needed. The before and after for the front and back are stunning but that’s for another time and another blog post.

I wouldn’t have been able to achieve what I did and learn so much about nature, life and science if it wasn’t for those three main people educating me but more importantly encouraging me to explore. Exploration is mostly not the physical. I don’t do much gardening anymore but I know I’ll go back to it eventually, it’s a strong part of my psyche and always will be. That’s my gardening story, tell us yours.

don't lose your head....

some say we find ourselves in challenging times. Some say there is a difficult road ahead and depending on the sector of the market you are involved in this may well be the case.

Rather than burying your head the ALCI wishes to bring these matters to the fore. The event is open to everyone [ie not just ALCI members] and costs a mere tenner [a bargain considering tea and coffee is included].

It’s Tuesday, it’s a half day and it’s expected to be a full house. Details and contact details are below. Get your 10 bob in now!!

Seminar - Managing Growth in a Challenging Economy
Speakers:     Mark Fielding - ISME
Alan Tracey - Business Advisor
Charles Funke - Landscape Architect
Where:         Glenroyal Hotel, Maynooth, Co Kildare
Date:           25th November 2008
Time:           2-5pm
Cost:           €10

PRESS RELEASE:

within obvious changing environment the decline within the construction industry could only play an obvious and primary role in causing a downturn in sales for the landscaping industry. But those who will really weather the storm are the landscape contracors of Ireland, who have alternate factors outside of our new governments policies to consider.

With one of the wettest summers on record in Irelands history, Spokeperson for The Association of Landscape Contractors of Ireland [ALCI] Peter Donegan MI Hort, today spoke optimistically of the future that lay ahead for its members.

‘We have had more than just a changing economy to deal with this year. We have had one of the worst summers in the history of this country and this alone is probably the greatest single factor to knock our members, if at all. But one must remember that grass, plants and trees still grow and whilst that alone ensures our economy can only slow down so much, the trouble is, this year it has made it difficult to complete or start projects and also to look after them.’

The Director of Donegan Landscaping also went on to note that ‘We are aware that the construction industry has had a downturn and that a sector of our members may have been heavily dependent upon this as a source of turnover, that said we are also aware that there is also a possibilty of one almost talking ourselves into a constant low economically. One must remember that if the weather of this year is the same through 2009, it will not be the stock markets that bring over 100 companies to their knees.’

The ALCI represents almost 200 companies of both trade and landscaping and has been in existance for over 30 years. Wednesday 25th November 2008 [2-5pm]will see their seminar - Managing Growth in a Challenging Economy - take place at The Glenroyal Hotel, Maynooth, Co. Kildare. Speakers will include Mark Fielding - ISME, Alan Tracey - Business Advisor and Charles Funke - Landscape Architect.

FOR OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE CLICK HERE

association - n 1 a group of people with a common interest
AlCI - The association of Landscape Contractors of Ireland
contact: 0404 - 44789 or email: alci[at]landscapecontractors[dot]ie
or Peter Donegan tel: 00353-1-8078712 or email info[at]doneganlandscaping[dot]com

i think it's nice...

thank you Iarnród Eireann, I really enjoyed my journey because of one of the little things you did

a valid excuse...

I saw these lovely posters on the DART train into Dublin city recently. It’s probably one of the first times I’ve ever given Iarnród Eireann [the irish rail service] some credit. But if you must tell off when necessary, one should also applaud when required.

A standing ovation I say! They really are beautiful pictures; it gave me that cosy, sitting by the fire Christmas-ee [even though its freezing outside - feeling . And the text made me feel really good. It made me want to thank the lads. And so I say it publicly. Thank you.

Once again my photography skills aren’t the best - but if you’ve been on the DART recently, i’m sure you got the same feeling I did

what name was it...?

I had a conversation with a lady recently who was asking about a particular plant. The problem is… she may as well said can I have a Donegan…. Bear with me…. I’m trying not to make this confusing, because it confused me, at first, when it was first explained to me… hmmm Anyhow.

She asked for the ‘common name’, Chinese Lantern [another post maybe] but there are some varying names of which it could have been. It’s a bit like being in America and you saying I’m Irish and then you are asked do you know the O’Flaherty’s. What…?! Which ones? You know what I mean. In this case there were two immediate answers - the Physalis alkekengi or the Crinodendron Hookeriannum. Both commonly known as ‘lantern’ except - one is low growing [about 6" tall] and spreads like wildfire - the latter is a bush that will grow to 20′ tall. Slight difference?

headspace...

The problem is when one goes outside of Ireland; even in England a plant may have 4 or 5 common names. And so the botanical or Latin language is used. It is an international language for plants. This allows me to ring Italy, Holland or France for example and they know exactly what I am looking for.

But there is a format for how the names are positioned. For example Golden Privot: Ligustrum Ovalifolium ‘aureum’ - which loosely translates as Privot - oval foliage - golden. Or Horse Chestnut is Aesculus Hippocastanum. However it is the order of how the names are positioned that helps the most.

The first word is the genus [or surname eg Donegan/ Aesculus]

The second is the species [first name eg. Peter/Hippocastanum]

The cultivar or variety is the third name in this case we may have Aesculus Hippocastanum  ‘Baumanii’

''who's the best uncle...''

Todays post is a happy one. A very happy one.

Life [2 lives that is] is good.

The meaning of life, the true meaning, of that is, is being held in my arms.

Ladies and gentlemen may I introduce my two very newest nieces Molly [born 7lbs 2oz] and Lucy [born 5lbs 9oz] 31st October 2008. Mom, Dad and the twins are all doing very well.

I’m also a Godfather for the very first time.Isn’t it amazing how something so small can put it all in perspective.

Life is good…

A note on horticulture and whilst I’m, in the poetic mood… Tomorrow, November 15th in Trinity College Dublin [The Edmund Burke Lecture Theatre - Arts Block] from 2pm - 5pm Celebrate The Poetry of Plants featuring ‘renowned garden experts and authors’. The event is free - but - one must book in advance. To do so call [quickly] 01-8963174 or email lrhub@tcd.ie.

here come the girls....

... and marie

If you’d like to know more about Thursday Garden Guest time - click here.

For the moment writer number 3 is Marie Boran alias Pixie von Dust. A writer, editor and journalist of all things technical with Silicon Republic, Marie was recently awarded Technology journalist of year at the IIA awards. That aside Marie is a garden lover. Not in the passionate uber botanical sense, but more in that memories of the great outdoors are those that make her [and others] smile;) Ladys and gentlemen, one of the coolest ladies since Aretha Franklin, enjoy…

All stories should have a beginning, a middle and an end. Even the story of a garden. Especially the story of a garden.

Mine began a long time ago with a donkey, cow dung and some potatoes and strangely I hope it ends up this way also but it must pass through a graveyard in Paris with four conkers and two blue roses first.

I grew up in the countryside in Laois and like many other rural children I did not have a concept of garden because that would be like defining oxygen as separate to air. The garden was an intrinsic part of my daily life and merged into the fields around and the back door behind it.

forget me not

There was no groomed garden per se, or at least it wasn’t my domain. My mother used to weed, water, shape and plant all these contrived and cultivated plants and hedges that looked like business men standing awkwardly amidst a heaving crowd of filthy hippies.

I had a pet lamb named Skippy and he ate all of her hideous lurid orange tulips and promptly vomited them back up. I felt the exact same way about them.

My granddad lived up the path from my parents and this was where all the exciting stuff was to explore. Grandad had these mangled old gooseberry and blackcurrant bushes, a rhubarb patch and loads of peas and potatoes.

a place for conkers...

My first experience of hands-on gardening (or farming if you want to call it that but it was a hobby for my granddad) was putting on my wellies, sitting on Neddy the donkey while he pulled a plough behind him and making drills for the potatoes.

Next step was planting. We used Daisy the cow’s dung (Yes, every animal had a name. We had a ram called Rambo too.) to fertilise the potatoes while I screamed ‘Ugh, that’s poo, granddad, we’ll be eating potatoes that grew in poo!’.

I’m not sure why I objected to this when I used to chew the dog’s old bones, dirt and whatever else I found outside because I wasn’t really a fan of indoors or clothes when I was 3 and 4 and just sat in the garden squashing those little red ant things and putting bees in jars and drowning them (Children are cruel but I cried after I realised that I’d killed it).

oscar...

Grandad has been dead for many years now but his love of simple plants will define how I want my garden to look. My parents gave me grandad’s field over a year ago and this obviously prompted my thoughts on how I would like my garden to look.

I’m not sure how the house is going to look aside from that fact that I want it to be eco-friendly and I would love a grass roof with a goat on it but my dad thinks I’m a bit mad.

The garden on the other hand is something I can start on now and the house will damn well work around it.

Unlike Peter’s other guest bloggers I have no knowledge whatsoever of horticulture and exotic plants. My interest lies in wildflowers or what are commonly termed weeds but have you ever seen how beautiful dandelions and clover are?

I did study botany for a year when I was in UCD but that did nothing but cement my view that all flowers are equal and to each his own because when you look at them on a microscopic level they all have the same basic cells, they all photosynthesise and they all have those carpels and stamens for making flower-babies.

oscar and wilde...

Wait. I love plant diversity. What I’m trying to say is that I love all flowers and plants as they have arisen through evolution. I don’t really like ones cultivated by people to smell strongly, look very pink or otherwise but I’m not going to get into plant bio-ethics (!) because I realise that cultivating new and beautiful varieties is an important part of what has made the modern garden what it is. Wildflowers are just a preference for me.

So with my lack of knowledge but general liking of all things green I found myself in the Pere LaChaise cemetery in Paris last September with a good friend and two blue roses on a quest to find Oscar Wilde’s grave and pay our respects.

It took bloody ages to find the thing. On the way I got a chance to say hello to Jim Morrison, Honore de Balzac, Frederic Chopin and Victor Noir [Noir was a journalist that liked to get around and his statue in Pere LaChaise has a somewhat enlarged genital area that has been rubbed for luck by some many visitors that it is almost worn away].

a blue rose for oscar

I went through an obsessive phase of loving Oscar Wilde when I was about 16 so it was amazing to be able to pay him a visit but I couldn’t bear to part company without bringing a keepsake.

I noticed that there were horse chestnut conkers everywhere as we walked around Pere LaChaise so I took four of these home with me and prayed that they’d survive the trip because these were to be the beginning of my garden in my grandad’s field.

One plane trip and one burst shampoo bottle later and I was already down to three. (I may have cried a tiny bit at the lost conker) but with my mother’s magic the three remaining conkers survived and grew and although they have shed their leaves and look slightly miserable they, along with the wild roses that remain in my grandad’s garden, will be my future greenspace.

Their names are Oscar, Wilde and Victor Noir and hopefully they won’t mind a bit of dung.

you'd kinda have to agree... ?

increasingly I am asked why I bother to write this weblog? I don’t particularly know why…. Some see it as time wasted; some ‘don’t get it‘ and some wonder what I get from it; I decided to dispel the myths that may linger out there regarding my weblog.

But as the queries went a little further I tried to find the ‘perfect’ answer. Sidetracking slightly, I was browsing through Deborahs Tastie website. I found a sense of honesty that lay behind her writings, a reasoning for writing and an independent mind. I like this. It made me want to read more of her writings because of that honesty and truthfulness that would remain. I felt this was a good place to start.

To that, I have two loves in my life, and in no particular order horticulture and writing. I have pretty much always written. Horticulturally, since I was 26 years old I wrote weekly for the Farmers Journal for 2/3 years and now quarterly for Selfbulid Ireland magazine. I’ve also done some freelance writing. The reality is there are very few full time writing gigs available in Ireland. That aside here are my whys and why nots….

• i don’t get paid for writing my weblog articles
• i don’t do it on company time
• i can pre-programme posts to publish on a certain date and time
• i do this on articles that are irrelevant of time-ish
• i’ve never been paid for a review [see first point also]
• i write mainly late in the evenings and the weekends
• i do so because i dont watch much tv
• because i don’t like to [i prefer to read.. or write] and i only have 4 tv channels
• because i have the rabbit ears type tv aerial
• and therefore the reception is very poor
• and re-read paragraph 3
• and because I enjoy it
• like a wife being you’re wife & your best friend; gardening is my work and my hobby [i know it's the same]
• i can pretty much write off the top of my head
• because i try to write passionately and from my heart
• i also think people like reading my writing…

Some queries asked if I would do reviews for their products. It is here that I will quote from Deborahs Tastie site

I will consider free gifts and products for review as long as you respect my right to review them honestly.  I will not consider reviewing anything where non-disclosure or a favourable impression is required.  I would strongly advise PR folks or anyone else seeking to interact with myself or any other blogger to read this first.

Some queries have asked if I would be willing to write for them. We should talk first probably but you can call the office on 003531-8078712 and I make really good coffee.

I hope this helps explain why I like to write. If there are any other queries, one can also leave a comment, I will answer as soon as I possibly can. Should I bother - I’d like to think so.

recieve updates from my blog - click here

monte palace gardens

designer: Jóse Berado, Eleuterio Soares
owner: Jóse Berado Foundation
garden style: Portuguese-Oriental
size: 21 aces [8.5 ha]
climate: mediterranean
location: funchal madiera
[source: 1001 gardens you must see before you die]

It is very unusual for me, possibly, to go on holidays and then - for a break of sorts - to visit gardens…?

The island of Madiera is quite an intriguing place when one sees what is happening to the land on this small island [i believe we in Ireland had a similar situation some time ago]; Planning aside, horticulturally this entire island is a dream-land for the plant lover, botanist and garden enthusiast.

But, my review is of The Monte Palace Gardens or The ‘Jardim Tropical da Quinta do Monte Palácio’ and aside from the slightly touristy, yet worth it, cable car journey up and the timber sleigh down, they are absolutely stunning, breathtakingly beautiful and so worthwhile visiting.

The gardens themselves date back to the 18th century but the works on turning the ‘land’ into gardens of merit actually only started in 1987. If you do visit, I would suggest going twice as every path splits into two or three different directions and so one doesn’t ‘really’ get to see everything.

For the plants person there are over 100,000 plant species; For the architect, the buildings are simply amazing; For the garden lover it is paradise and if you ever wanted an oriental themed garden - this is were you should look for inspiration. If you’re not an uber-garden lover then it is simply relaxation in it’s finest form. My pictures probably don’t do it justice enough.

I try to visit a garden in every county and country I visit these gardens would be up there with the best.

which did you prefer?

the results for septembers top 10 were surprising… October however, brought trends back to that of what one would consider a little more appropriate to the season - ish…

And so from 1-10 here are the top 10 posts that you liked to read the most, enjoy! and thank you for visiting and reading.

Of course you can also have my posts sent direct to your e-mailbox - click here or follow me on twitter - click here

Title:

it would make you wonder...

Dear Mr. taxman Lenihen,
I’m 32 years old and I own a landscape design [etc] company. I have been in business eight years now. To the point, may I ask what have you ever done in return for all the money you have, taken sequestered maybe, from me? You are always paid on time; You never give me discount; You never say thank you; You’ve never even sent me a Christmas card.

I work very hard. I’ve never taken stress leave. I may close down if I did. If I were to close down and start back up again - I may get grants. In fact, if I were to close down and sign on - I [theoretically and no offence anyone] would get a Christmas bonus.

The funny thing is if I were to waste your money doing your garden - you can choose not to pay me… and when I don’t have enough money I close down. However, if you waste my [taxpayers that is] money… you still get paid and then you ask, no take more increase taxation again… it’s not really very fair put in that context? But then who am I… ?

Yours Sincerley,
Peter Donegan

ps: if you do need your garden done please call 01-8078712. If you ring from your office, I’ll cover the cost of the phonecall.

debbie & friends

If you’d like to know more about Thursday Garden Guest time - click here.

For the moment writer number #2 is Debbie Metrustry alias debbiemet. A lover of all things outdoors and botanical. I first met Debbie at Electric Picnic. A common love of horticulture is more professionally shared here. An absolute lady, a pleasure to meet and a great person to be around. For now, Ladies and Gentlemen, may I introduce Debbie.

The Garden – What I Like

There are so many things I like about The Garden that it’s hard to know where to begin. From the personal lessons I have learnt through gardening, through the visceral joy of being connected with the earth, the curiosity and wonder at observing plants grow, the pure aesthetic pleasure of being in gardens of great beauty and intriguing design — through all these and the wonderful opportunities that I’ve been given – from the profound to the frivolous – there is not one aspect of my being that remains untouched.

My first ‘go’ at this blog came out as a chronological list masked as my biography: not so interesting, really. So I ditched it, and decided instead just to give you the things I like, in no particular order.

• I love the brown earth. I love having my hands in the soil. I mean I really love it. When I look at the rich, chocolate-coloured earth, dormant, but harbouring and nourishing all manner of living things, I feel a deep sense of rootedness, a connection. The smell of it after rain. Or a bright, crisp day with the sun shining and birds singing: well then there’s nothing to beat digging it. And mulching. Spreading well-rotted manure on a just-weeded or newly-planted bed is incredibly satisfying. It’s like Guinness for plants: black gold.

“Ploughed Field”
A whole field of the earth, just waiting for action

On a more modest scale: garden potential from Heligan

Toadstools at Mount Cuba Center, Delaware, taking advantage

• Plants: I get excited about all sorts of plants and really have no discrimination. There’s nothing more exciting than going to a garden or nursery and discovering lots of fabulous plants I’d never heard of. Some nurseries are better than others, and this one, Plant Delights in North Carolina, is at the forefront of plant introductions. I spent hours and hours there, and had to be torn away from all the amazing new plants.

Banana and Tetrapanax

OK, so it looks a bit nettley (same family)…
…but it’s actually a really cool foliage plant

called Boehmeria platanifolia, collected by Plant Delights

They take their signage seriously

Beautifully laid out, and just look at all those lovely labels (bottom left)  

• I have a weak spot for herbaceous perennials which I love to grow myself, and I adore gardens that are full of them, especially when mixed with grasses in what is called the American prairie style. I’m a big fan of naturalistic planting, using natives where possible.

Prairie planting at Hunting Brook Gardens, Wicklow

The meadow at Mount Cuba Center, Delaware

A meadow on the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina

Looking out to the meadow at Longwood Gardens, Pennsylvania

• Trees make me go weak at the knees and I am passionate about looking after them [blog/rant on the treatment of Dublin trees coming up soon]. But give me a mature beech and I’m as happy as Larry. There is nothing so majestic as the mature or champion beech, and it reminds me, whenever I’m in doubt, of why I went into horticulture in the first place. Trees teach me that we are caretakers of this earth, that we plan and plant for future generations, and that the passing of time is a Good Thing. They also remind me to curb my impatient side, which is rather too well developed at times.

• Since becoming a gardener of course I’ve always loved Spring; here it starts early, and you feel and smell the excitement in the air from February if you care to look, or if you just go out and sniff. In the US it seemed as if Winter would last for ever, but then one day Spring arrived, and it took me completely by surprise. The flowering trees – which were everywhere and I hadn’t previously noticed – had exploded into fabulous, floriferous, glorious life so abruptly and dramatically that I very nearly crashed the car. Seriously.

The Spring exuberance of Magnolias and Japanese cherries in Longwood Gardens

• I didn’t quite get the full impact of autumn, because 2005 wasn’t a particularly spectacular one, and this year I was just a week or so too early. However, there was still some good drama going on, and I liked it very much indeed.

The nursery at Longwood Gardens

• Woodland plants provide a wonderful and never-ending array of variation. These are plants who display their wares shyly, biding their time waiting for that window between dappled spring sunshine and the shade of full leaf-burst. They have a way of creeping up on you: for example, trilliums! Do you know how gob-smackingly beautiful they are? — albeit in a subtle way. The wonderful Mount Cuba Center in Delaware has a fabulous collection of them, and I was lucky enough to be there in Spring to see them in all their tentative glory.

Trillium stamineum (Twisted trillium) and Trillium discolor

• The detail and intricacy of flowers, best viewed up-close and personal. What’s not to love about these?

Iris in Mount Stewart Garden

I forget…  but it’s in the Eden Project

Passiflora incarnata at the JC Raulston Arboretum, North Carolina

Blood smudge-splash of Rhododendron at Mount Stewart

• I confess I have a soft spot for garden gadgets. It’s not surprising really, I am an aspiring geek, after all. Stainless steel spades are beautiful, good secateurs are a gal’s best friend, my oscillating hoe makes hoeing spectacularly easy and keeps my back pain-free; my Bosch shredder gives me free mulch in the woodland area of my garden while recycling any woody prunings. And my state-of-the-art builder’s gel kneepads are a godsend, and I wouldn’t be without them.

Exciting stuff, I know.

• Last, but absolutely not least, I have found inspiration and true joy in every garden I’ve worked in, and most I’ve visited. They all have moments of great beauty and creativity to share. There are dozens of gardens that I love, each with its own special atmosphere that lifts the heart and soothes the soul. Here is a very small random selection from the thousands of photos I’ve taken in the last eight years.

The National Botanic Garden, Glasnevin – my alma mater. I spent three years studying here and so it is a place of very special significance. Every week amidst the busy-ness we cherished stealing some time out just to do the walk around. The Palm House was actually closed for the whole three years I was there, so I was thrilled when it finally opened.

The Palm House was actually closed for the whole three years I was there, so
I was thrilled when it finally opened.

Victoria cruziana, an important and beautiful plant in the garden’s history.

The bandstand in the arboretum

Apart from beech, this is my favourite tree in the garden,
entirely because of its wonderful bark.
Betula albosinensis var. septentrionalis

A superb Japanese maple near the rockery.
It’s also near the plant in the rockery that was planted in memory of a dear friend
and classmate who died in 2006.

Altamont Gardens, Co. Carlow was where I did my first placement. The lake there is full of life and a very beautiful setting. When I started working there I found it impossible not to stop and stare all the time – I couldn’t believe my luck.

Altamont house from the lake.

Fast forward now to the USA and Longwood Gardens where I interned for a year. Longwood is defined by its water and its spectacular colour.

The daily fountain shows are set to music

About twenty thousand tulips are planted each year

Not far from where I fell – actually I walked – in. I still like it, in spite of that.

Longwood’s hybrid Victorias – originally bred from one at Glasnevin.

Chanticleer is just as impressive as Longwood, but has a more contemporary design. It’s my favourite garden and is full of mystery and fun.

The Teacup garden

A spot of stainless steel

The pool where we had my farewell party. Nice!

I wanted to include more places but you’d be reading this forever if I did, so this will have to do for now. Once I started, I realised that actually there’s very little I don’t like about The Garden.

I’ll leave you with a sample of Longwood’s spectacular firework display. Yes, they were that glad to be rid of me.

Thanks for reading!

tickets are already on sale for RHS Chelsea flower show. How do I know? Well I follow them on twitter! The RHS are on twitter here and of course donegan landscaping is on twitter here.

rhs & donegan landscaping on twitter

it’s amazing to think that even an organisation like the rhs [on the go since 1804] is embracing technology and using it to its advantage.

And it’s also, maybe, something that Irish event organisers should consider? It is for sure a lot better than the days of old where email addresses meant an inbox full of daily deletions….

Bulaidh bós lads.

absolutely love it...

i had never been but on saturday i took a stroll into Swords - just at the bottom of main street adjacent the swords castle - is where it’s all happening [10am - 4pm]. It’s not huge but it’s enough to have a relaxing, friendly day out side in the cool November air. I liked it

Some of the traders were almost london-esque in the ‘banannas 2 bunches for €3′ approach[something i miss a little about my former residence] lubbly jubbly I bought some veggies and fruit, some cheese, some italian bread, cáca milis, a cup of coffee [i only had 15 euro in my pocket] and finished off my lunch with with the free tasty samplers [yummy!].

I also had a good chat with the ladies of the Swords Senior Citizens Group who were there selling their art, that will make great Christmas pressies and are amazing value. So The Farmers Market in Swords is it worthwhile? I certainly thought so!

it's a what...?

it may well be november - but that does not mean one can rest on their laurels [?!!]. There is still so much to be done in the garden. So here are the bits and bobs you need to get at. Help is right here - if you need it, just hollar. It may be a little colder - but do remember to enoy! The alternate of course is to get somebody to do the garden for you and you can always go for a walk on the promenade in Bray… i love it!

• feed that lawn
• bird feeders
• paint all things steel and timber
• start a bark mulch heap… saves time and money
• buy self build ireland magazine - plan next years garden
• cut back those plants and clean up those beds
• plant bulbs - hurry!
• thinking of planting a hedge - hurry
• buy someone a tree- this is the time for better value!!
• 10 really easy things to make you happy [and make this list shorter]
• book your tickets for Chelsea flower show - out now!
• bark mulch… use it or lose it
• before you do that don’t forget the weeds

did i leave anything out…..

You want to get the garden designed. You have already tried and after spending the entire lottery, it still looks humerous. The sun is shining. The neighbours have just started the barbeque. You own a jungle. Where do you start?

investing in a garden... ?

If this is you? then, at €4.50 [not bad value at all!] the winter issue of Self Build Extend & Renovate Ireland, is exactly the read you are looking for. Of course it is written by yours truly - and to pat myself on the back just that little more… it is really good, sound advice on how, when and why you should should consider a garden.

Some of the articles I have written previous are almost specialist in their topic - but this is one I feel is one that everyone can identify with.

The intro may suggest barbeques [what ] but - this is all about planning. Planning I say not in the sense of a cheap garden look, moreso in that the maximum return is achieved from one’s budget.

Available in all good newsagents, bookstores etc. Or purchase it online.

They have moved to a beautiful premises at the Meridian Centre in Greystones.  With that in mind a series of free Saturday seminars [informal and will last about 1.5 hours] to share expertise and answer questions have been organised with some very interesting speakers [they've also got a really nice upstairs].

If you’re passing by - drop in and tell the Jane and her team I said hello