Better known as the maximum minimum thermometer, my first, a now defunct mercury version was purchased some 20 years ago. And though I’ve only ever owned three two of these in my life, alas, I’ve had to buy a new one. It’s very old school. But I like that, old school. Like the day I bought Loaded by The Velvet Underground. On vinyl.

Back on planet earth, Sweet Jane still humming in my ears…. I’ve written about James Six’s 1782 invention here before for other reasons, but it is such a legendary piece of equipment for any plants person or parent. So good, when wee Ella first went down to her own room at around 3 months of age, I placed it on her bedroom wall. Smart Dad ? I thought so.

In Short What Does A Max Min Thermometer Do ?

It records, lets say overnight, the lowest and highest temperatures simultaneously, whilst at the same time telling you the current temperature.

How The Flip Does It Manage That ?

Imagine if you will any old school thermometer which used to use mercury. Now add in a 2nd column, side by side; one of them works backwards so to speak, recording the lowest temperature and the other the highest. As it gets warm one rises and as it gets cold the other falls. Very simple. Except, they’ve popped a wee widget in the top both columns.

So lets say temps reach a high of 18 celsius and then drop that evening to say 5 degrees C…  the wee widget thingys stays behind at whatever the highest and also the lowest was. Simples.

What’s The Use Of The Max Min To A Gardener ?

I’ll keep this hypothetical example as basic as I possibly can. For the moment, lets say you come out one morning and your seedlings are just dead. There are two immediate [in this example] possibilities.

1. Your seedlings [in short] fried in the heat during the evening sun
2. There was an unannounced overnight drop in temperatures, below zero and your seedlings died in the cold

The answer is similar symptoms and two possibilities, a little like under and overwatering plants if you will. Except here, one checks the max min thermometer. No sub-zero temperatures – well then it must be the other. Case closed. And as noted before, as a horticulturist sometimes I cannot prevent things from going wrong, hard as I may try, I can only explain why. And before some smarty pants notes it, I am aware the cause may also have been damping off.

Problems You May Have:

• It happens regular that the columns separate. 99% of the time this can be solved by swinging it centrifugally at arm’s length whilst holding the reset centre button.
• To prevent incorrect readings – Keep it in the shade and avoid sources of heat.
• Also: I tried the digital one. But in short, it was rubbish and broke. And then you realise, that although the invention itself may have evolved [the use of mercury is banned in EU countries] slightly. In reality it hasn’t changed at all.

In Picture:

• above top is my newest mercury free thermometer
• Pictured middle is my 20 year old mercury version
• below in a wheel barrow like a shovel that’s allergic to soil is my digital thermometer, that doesn’t like getting wet

Of note: James Six‘ story. A real tale of rags to riches, in a sense. Also, he invented it in 1782. Seventeen. Eighty. Two. When you think about it, the dude was a flippin genius.

• When: Sunday, 19th May 2013 @ 1pm
• Meet: O’Connors Pub, Ballyboughal
• Duration: 1.5 hours
• What’s The Deal: It’s part of National Biodiversity Week 2013
• Booking: just turnup

More Info On the Walk ?

I’ll be leading a group of shiny happy people cross country through some of Dublins untouched and best kept natural secrets and Ballyboughal’s hedgerows. It really is a different planet off the beaten track and it’s a walk that I do fairly irregularly. It’s also pretty much the finest way to enjoy the great outdoors that sit right on your and my doorstep. Got a degree in horticulture or simply like the fresh air, it kind of doesn’t matter where we’re going.

What is Biodiversity ?

As noted way back in 2010

biodiversity n the existance of a wide variety of plant and animal species in their natural environments

source: collins english dictionary [paperback edition]

Wikipedia goes a little more indept. I like the second sentence.

Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is one measure of the health of ecosystems.

What Is National Biodiversity Week 2013 ?

Biodiversity Ireland say it is:

a celebration of biodiversity which aims to increase awareness of the importance of biodiversity and promote action to tackle the loss of many of our species and habitats.

They continue:

…events are planned nationwide. Biodiversity Week provides us with a great opportunity to learn more about our native plant and animal species and also to find out how we as individuals and as communities can help to ensure the survival of our wildlife for future generations. It’s also a great way to enjoy ourselves in pleasant surroundings.

Further notes:

• Wear boots. Bring kids,your Dad, a smile and a picnic.
• It rains in Ireland. The sun also shines. See wardrobe for further info.
• Also: The Biodiversity Week website in case you can’t make this gig.
• The National Biodiversity Data Centre website is pretty cool

Fruit bushes planted are nothing new. But like a very young Elvis realising his hips moved in two directions, sometimes it’s not that you can, but how. Or like that t-shirt of mine says: It’s not the winning that counts but the arsing around. In short what I’m getting at is, what rule book is to say one can’t have a hedge, upon which there grows fruit ?

Bush n 1 a dense woody plant, smaller than a tree, with many branches; shrub 2 a dense cluster of such shrubs; thicket

Hedge n 1 a row of shrubs or bushes forming a boundary.

source: Collins Dictionary Paperback fourth edition 1999

Maybe you’ll counter that with why did I ask that question ? To answer, this was planted just last week and scratching my head, I think I’ve only ever done two fruit hedges in a suburban type Dublin garden ever before. I don’t particularly know why. That said, what a beauty of a walk out ones front gate that will be, picking ambidextrously, chomping and stuffing as many red currants, black currants or gooseberries [red] as you can fit in your satchel. The way I see it, fruit bushes are in reality normal plants, just no one told them we only really really like them when they give us nice things.

Don’t crop ‘em or do… to me its a bit the smarter fellows option to low maintenance time saver grow your own, without all of the getting dirty and double digging. And that has to be a good thing, right ?

In my own garden I did something similar with around 34 fruiting trees. Planted in a cul de sac to make a wee micro garden for Ella. Within that group I have 5 cherry trees that I have never picked from though they are always eaten by my neighbouring personal full-time buskers, the birds. I like to think of that as a fair barter ; and a little of the some for you some for me style of thinking. And though some garden folk may disagree with what may also be known as pests (the birds, not Ella) I’m more than happy watching her smile as Nanny’s bird comes to make sure she is eating all of her dinner.

Back to the hedge, maybe the ye olde types of pre ‘low maintenance only garden requests’ were hit badly by the gardeners fashion police. Sometimes thats no harm; Most of the 1980′s reminds me of Privot, grisilinia and a tang top wearing Sir Cliff – An entire era of bland, beige and right angles trying to appear rounded where the most exciting thing was variagation.

To me, the the merging of a non laborious grow your own with the a new funk ye olde to create a fruit hedge is lot like a glitter covered Marc Bolan relieving Sir Cliff Richard of his duties, whilst he is halfway through a chorus of we’re all going on a Summer Holiday and busting straight into the intro for 20th Century Boy. And you think to yourself, I kinda like how this new wheel works ~ even though the strategy behind it is nothing new at all. I mean pre Marc and T-Rex there was of course Jimi and The Experience ;

Of note:

• this Dublin front garden is north facing. In reality, that very simply means a lesser amount of light, not no light. The fruit will grow, just not as well as it may do in the South of France.
• the primary function of this hedge, is to be a hedge. The Brucey Bonus or bi product is that it will give you nice things to eat. And so long as we know that’s the deal, the gardeners book of how to care for a fruit bush rules do not really apply here.
• there are over 30 plants in this hedge planted at a rate of 3 per metre squared. The 1% loss in light equals 1% loss in production equation in mind, there’ll be more than enough for everybody
• joined in with ‘normal landscaping at the top, it looks pretty darned fine if I do sy so myself and makes a fantabulous addition to what one would most usually and very simply walk past, if it were a normal hedge.

Q’s or thoughts [?] leave a comment below or drop me a line.

Peter Donegan:

• email: info@doneganlandscaping.com
• phone: +353(87)6594688
• twitter: @DoneganGardens
• facebook: DoneganLandscaping

• When: Thursday 23rd May @ 7.30pm
  
• Where: Stewarts Library, Palmerstown, Dublin 20
  
• What: Organised by South Dublin Libraries for Bealtaine Festival 2013

What South Dublin Libraries and Bealtaine Festival 2013 say:

It’s not the first time I’ve been up for stuff like this and though I’ve never won anything shiny, it is always nice to know that my Mam someone out there likes this garden blog which began wahaaaaaay back in 2007.

Official quote from Peter on being shortlisted for the Social Media Awards:

it’s always nice to make the Irish squad

Moving straight on, I was noted alongside some pretty sooper dooper other Irish biz folks that are listed below. Also, a big hat tip and fair play to the category sponsors .ME Registry for dipping their hand in the honey jar.

Best Blog of a Business – sponsored by .ME Registry.

• AA Ireland
• Barnacles Hostels
• Blacknight
• Bonkers.ie
• Brand Social
• Brown Sugar
• Done Deal
• Donegan Landscaping
• Gaumina
• Hunter Communications
• Irish National Stud
• Kooky Dough
• Mindshare
• RaboDirect Ireland
• Ready Girls
• Sage Ireland
• Spiderworking
• The Marketing Shop
• The Workforce Institute

You can see who made the final list and get further details on the Social Media Awards here. 

Albeit used in a totally different context, I had noted this stone before when I used it on another garden project. Fair to say, I really, really like this one. What I had noticed however was that the stock images used by the stone companies all [generally] tend to show it with a high gloss finish. Like a new car in a show room. And really they should show you the images with ice cream and crisps and wailing kids squished in the back seats bawling whilst you are stuck in traffic; or something like that.

And you’re back in the room….

That finish, as a by the way is usually achieved by using a spray on mild acid and then treating with a varnish or by using a, recommended by the company,  preparatory stone impregnator. Personally, I’m not a fan of treating any natural stone  and no matter how much I toss it over in my head it just doesn’t seem to make sense. To me, It’s a bit like them tele-visual super stars that get botox. And sure, it’s still Mary… but doesn’t she look a little fake, or plastic or her face won’t move, or whatever. You get my drift. Either or, it becomes just not natural, anymore.

If I’m really honest, I don’t even like cutting the stone. In fact, I try as best and where possible never to cut any natural stone. In that and in my child like imagination, I always describe it as a sort of Captain Caveman with a big bolster chisel and him splitting a gigantic bolder right down the center. Pause it…. now picture the finish on the inside of the fictitious bolder and then contrast it with a machine fine-cut finished edge, or a manufactured not man-made patio slab. Or like cutting the crusts off your toast in the mornings. And why would you want to do that ?

Back to the stone itself…. I’ve said it now so many times, the beauty about the black limestone is when the rain hits it and it changes colour from a matt black to dark gloss and then again as it dries. And it never ceases to make me smile. Isn’t it a beautiful thing to get excited over something as simple as rain droplets on a stone surface ?

If you scroll back up to the first image what you may also see is that I’ve used a grey limestone as footing between the step. I thought it a lovely tie in between the path that runs left and right off the side of the patio.

Far, far more important than that, the black limestone is quite simply and understatedly so very, very tasty.

The next step now is to change this patio from a nice part of a house into a nice home and that will come down to the planting I choose that will dapple, scent and soften and make one want to stay there far longer than they had ever intended, without even knowing.

Q’s or thoughts [?] leave a comment below or drop me a line.

Peter Donegan:

• email: info@doneganlandscaping.com
• phone: +353(87)6594688
• twitter: @DoneganGardens
• facebook: DoneganLandscaping

note: the garden above has works still ongoing at this moment and also whilst the surface was being laid.

Grass n 1 a very common green plant with jointed stems and long narrow leaves, eaten by animals such as sheep and cows, and used for lawns and sports fields

Lawn n an area of cultivated and mown grass

Synthetic adj 1 (of substance or material) made artificially by chemical reaction 2 not sincere or genuine n 3 a synthetic substance or material

source: Collins Dictionary Paperback fourth edition 1999

I’ll be dead honest with you and say that I was very dubious about even touching this product, never mind posting it here, complete with a personally hand written note that it has been installed into a garden with my name firmly stuck to the tail end of it.

As a horticulturist, I guess it’s the Irish equivalent of standing up mid way through Sunday Mass and announcing from the pulpit that I don’t like the Angelus and I feckin’ hate spuds. I’m sure there’s a far better ‘it’s a bit like…’ but, you get what I’m saying and somehow it still feels not entirely right to me.

The reality is though, as sure as there is a market for The Rolling Stones and the Woodstock lovers, there is equally a market for the Jedward and Justin Biebers of this world. All of that to one side and irrespective of whether you agree or not, this is not your or my space and hand on heart, tough as it may be for me to admit it, in this garden, the plastic grass synthetic lawn works.

If you’ve never seen it done before, the preparations to laying the surface are a lot like laying carpet on an area that has been prepared for paving. And very simply, areas marked out, I put down a hardcore to a depth of 5″ on top of which then went a sand/ grit upon which the schaden lawn is then laid.

Of note to you who may wish to take this task on yourself, the area above is just over 50 square metres and believe me, that is a fair amount of soil to take out and hardcore back in to fill the newly created void. In short, it took about 6 tonne of stone, excluding the grit; and for the intelligenté amongst you that also means around 5- 6 tonne of soil out. Nota Bene: Should you be a calculating civil engineer, I changed the finish levels Also I had a mini digger on site, smart boy that I am.

I chatted this amongst mates and if like them you are maybe trying to rationalise it, still; think of it like a big green [yet far softer] patio. In that, you can see why there are pro’s and cons to using it as a surface and that in mind, you can also see why aesthetically one wouldn’t do an entire garden in it.

To this garden, I’ll have real grass come to meet the edges of the fake and so long as the lawnmower height is set rightly, they should work absolutely fine side by side. Far more important than that and as my name is attached to it, this garden will look damn ruddy good looking when it is complete.

When the rest of the garden settles itself in, I’ll post a pic here for you to browse over, for now…. it’s over to you.

Q’s or thoughts [?] leave a comment below or drop me a line.

Peter Donegan:

• email: info@doneganlandscaping.com
• phone: +353(87)6594688
• twitter: @DoneganGardens
• facebook: DoneganLandscaping

There are days when I can only but wish I had a doppelgänger. Just so he can pat me on the back for another fine job well done. Big headed much, you may say, maybe. But I really, really like this garden.

I will admit I did make more changes in my mind on this one more than any other space I have created over the last 3 years. But creative and good-looking as the end result, the mild edits in my head were proven wise in the end. Far, far more important, the client [I hate that word...] was happy.

To the garden: In the off centre middle of all this outdoors lies a lovely natural matt black natural stone patio of 16 metres squared, wrapped around and entirely softened with of instant height plants. To the harder surface, I like the way this stone goes from matt to almost a gloss black as the rain droplets make it dapple in appearance; something that never ceases to make me smile.

Behind the scenes, the stone runs spirit-level level against the terrain of the garden, yet from the outer it appears level because of how the planting wraps around it. More than that, I like the subtle understatement the stone makes and put simply, it is pretty darned tasty.

If it be the simple things, I love that the bin screen was not shop bought. And silly as it sounds, if there were awards for hand made timber screens, yup you guessed it, I’d get my doppelgänger to present me with one of them too.

In case you might be wondering, the brief also included a note for not all in the main season flowering plants. You may think that not a good thing [?]. Au contraire and far from it says this plants person, in reality, it just makes it different and in a good way. For me, it quite simply makes the choosing of the plants for their new home that little extra interesting.

Below: The obligatory before Peter got his hands on it garden picture

At this point you’re maybe beginning to wonder if Donegan Pants-Gaping believes he has any flaws at all. And though my photography is sometimes rubbish, my including of the image below is more to give you an idea of the journey that one must take to actually get into the garden. Take a scroll back through the images…. because you’ll see that one has to go the full length of the new space outdoors to get into the new room outside, within a new room outside… if you get me. And in the not one acre sized gardens department, that, is one fine trait to behold.

It is only after completing a garden like this, that I wonder why I wondered why. And though the garden will need a little time to come into its own and the plants a little time to find their orientation; one should never forget that gardens without people in them are pretty darned meaningless spaces. That in mind, I’ve got a really nice feeling about one.

Q’s or thoughts [?] leave a comment below or drop me a line.

Peter Donegan:

• email: info@doneganlandscaping.com
• phone: +353(87)6594688
• twitter: @DoneganGardens
• facebook: DoneganLandscaping

Over the weekend just gone, April 19 – 21st 2013, myself and good friend Anthony McGuinness sprinted jogged crawled completed the Aer Arann half marathon 2013 for Temple Street Childrens Hospital on the beautiful island that is Inis Mór. I know, you’re looking at the picture above and thinking how dashing we look and how wonderful we did to come joint seccond that we are not even in chronological order after completing the 13.1 miles round trip.

My wry wit aside and though there is good reason why Temple Street is so close to my heart, to the big picture, funds were raised for Temple Street. From a what did ye win perspective; everyone who crosses the line gets the exact same applause, cheers and colour medal. Sometimes in life, I guess it’s not the winning that counts, but that you did.

The bi-product, if I’m allowed use that word, of doing something like this is also how one completes that journey. And without question the island of Inis Mór and the people who live there are in equal measures really so very beautiful. A note of thanks in that to our Bean an Tí, Geraldine of Ryan Seacrest B & B who gave me extra strength ground caffeine in the mornings; to everyone we met over the weekend; the staff of Aer Arann and of course  the angels that are the staff of Temple Street Childrens Hospital.

I should also note The Sodshow microphone did come along and as with last year, we will be reporting from there this Friday. On another slight side note, I could not have completed the journey alongside a finer gentleman than Mr McGuinness and your hard earned sheckles, help and words of support. Thank you, all so very, very much.

….now where did I leave that bottle of WD-40 ?

The mahoooosive thank you list:

• Greensax.ie
• You, for your words of support and your spondulas
• Kevin Rowe Events
• Essence Bistro
• Pivotal Communications PR
• Two Spots Coffee
• Packing Machine Solutions
• AmPa Architecture
• Red Velvet Hair Salon
• The Herb Garden
• Ballyboughal Pitch and Putt Club
• Brian Greene
• Martin Byrne
• O’Connors Pub Ballyboughal
• Niamh’s Mom
• Wanna chuck in a few sheckles ?

update 28 April 2013:

whilst there The Sodshow also managed to squeeze this in… if you listen carefully you can hear my bones creeking

Before I begin writing this post there are a few notes I should note.

• horticulturists are allowed to disagree, about gardening.
• Gardening should not be confused with world politics
• It will never be considered that controversial
• Gardening at any level is supposed to make you smile
• I do not take things seriously, in my personal life. In the gardens I create yes.
• I have never met Marie and without question, I’m sure she is a very lovely person.
• As previously noted, this is not about world politics
• I don’t buy the Irish Indo and haven’t bought a news paper in about 4 years.
• I’m sure like all good newspapers, that it’s a fine read
• I am very intelligent. In all departments, including horticulture

To the image above, it comes from Irish Independent Saturday 23rd March. Here Marie Staunton writes:

So, if I can offer a bit of advice before you start planting up your new garden, it would be to visit as many gardens as you can and decide on a look that suits you and your personality.

It was on instagram that I snapped the lines above and popped it out on twitter noting:

Disagrees w/ Marie Staunton’s advice. Far, far easier to just call Peter

There was a bit of discussion to and fro, but this response to me [possibly] summises the logic for the non horticulturist, why I disagreed

that only works of you know plants. If total beginner helps to actually have someone who knows what to do

Back to it; I’ve been creating gardens under my own name, since I was 25 years of age. In large garden terms, I’ve done and been awarded for the design and build of 55 acre and 27 acre 18th and 17th Century gardens. That aside, most gardens [if it is fair to assume  and generalise, for now] and those of most readers of the Indo that will be designed, created or made better looking this year are domestic gardens. And though their sizes can vary, they are usually 8 metres x 10 metres. Or if you don’t have a measuring tape handy, 5 fence panels [2.2 metres] wide and long, approximately.

There is also the fact that I have yet to meet a client to date who will tell me that they took inspiration from any particular park or visitable/ open to the public large garden in Ireland or/ and that it gave them any idea of a look they would want in theirs. And that comes down to the fact that even if you did seek plant inspiration, unless you know your plants, botanically, you maybe are in a mild pickle.

That aside, if I think of the better known gardens [parks ?] in Dublin, [for now and sorry rest of Ireland] one might come up with a list consisting of at least some of these Dublin Parks and Gardens. One should also consider that on the date of my writing this post that not one of my 120 plus trees are in leaf. Some have barely even come into bud. And I’m wondering, novice noted, when one might be able to begin to take something of that advice. That aside [I like saying that don't I...] you might enjoy this by Anne Wareham and What NOT to do in your garden in April.

Of the parks list linked to above, are there really any parts or planting schemes that I might take and recommend that you replicate or take inspiration from, for yours. If I’m honest, not really. Or at all. Sure, I will grant you that [the not included above] Powerscourt Gardens are absolutely stunning. And they like Kirstenbosch or The Monte Palace Gardens are really, really well worth going to see; that is if like me you enjoy a busmans persons holiday. Of note, your photos will be amazing.

What is the ideal garden ? Who knows ? Every one has his own ideals, and in his own ways by his own methods he will, if he be an enthusiast, endeavour to attain them. Thus every one may make a garden according to his ideal, and if it satisfies his desires and aspirations what matters that it is different from the garden of his neighbour which equally may have fulfilled an ideal ? Let each of us plan and plant as seems best to himself, then shall we gain from our gardens all the pleasure they can provide.

~ H.H. Thomas. An Easy Guide to Gardening. 1927

I hope and that assuming you are doing your garden yourself, Marie’s article encourages you to consider your garden and also to make better plant choices, maybe even to learn a few new names, a little botanical latin even. I also hope that it did encourage you to get out and about and go to visit some of Irelands really very beautiful spots in the great outdoors.

On a slight side note and as it’s there for all to see already in the public domain, here were my closing notes on twitter to one comment:

its all good. Its all garden(ing). I don’t know Marie or her work. Im sure shes a very lovely lady. But I see it different…

..and that’s allowed. That aside, I’m also far longer, more exp, better awarded in hort *and better looking than Marie

My wry wit aside; and I’m most probably veering off the original point, at this point; but I guess I don’t believe that one can really take a little from any garden planting scheme and replicate it in theirs; Maybe, you might like how it made you feel, if you get me – or even that you might like the colours. But unless you live a few doors away from each other or; meteoroligically, geographically, horticulturally and topographically the conditions are pretty much on par with each other, it may never work out.

Maybe as a professional, doing what I love for so long, I guess I just don’t understand why one would want to invest ones money into their garden, only for it to appear [even remotely] like someone elses creation.

It can be seen from these essays that man, when in his garden, however mad he may be, stands squarely on his own feet. His triumphs are his own; his mistakes are conveniently buried in the compost heap. In one sense he inhabits a perfect world and even murderers have been known to raise marrows. He may be offered advice by others [indeed this is his greatest cross], he may invite friends into his garden [only when he is sure he can excel them], but he remains the dictator. It is he who dead-heads his roses and decrees when his tomatoes shall be picked. And though his usual position is bent double, he stands at times, like a colossus, his legs astride his potato ridges, or his hands raised in suplication to pick fruit from his apple trees.

~ James Turner. A Book Of Gardens. 1963

All the way round and full circle, do go see as many gardens as you can. And then inspired by their beauty and professionally maintained [by a team/ or just one full time gardener] appearance, employ the services of one of Irelands finest and [being very honest] do tell them how much time you are willing to spend within your space in the great outdoors in order to keep its appearance in tip top condition. Then over a mug of caffeine allow your horticulturist of choice translate your thoughts into botanical latin, specifically to your tastes, lifestyle and space outdoors.

More than that, far more important, however you choose to get there, enjoy it. It’s not meant to be as James Turner notes it. That is unless that route [see what I did there ? root, route ] way makes you smile.

There are gardens that I have done before that are the ultimate in what one would consider the perfect picture. Yup, I would be that confident in myself and what I do. But there are other gardens in which the final picture does not sometimes mean as much until you meet a] the client; which you most likely will not, in this case or/ and b] you see what the garden was before hand.

The reason part b] is sometimes so important is that depending, it can very necessarily consume so much of ones budget; and in ratio, one spends a higher percentage of the costs undoing and removing; when in an ideal world it would be solely spent on creating just the final picture. Does that make sense ? Pause. then contrast the first image with the second [above]. This garden is a class example of what was quite a tough one to inherit, when it came to getting the garden made to suit its new owner.

Before hand as you can see [above], was grey paving slabs and pebble. That is all. And a shed. It was a space that looked small, uninviting and symmetrical. And what was required like any addition to any home was that it made you want to open the doors; leave them open and draw you outside. And whether you see the finished product as quite simplistic or not, that warmth has been achieved. That and they don’t all have to have Morris Minors in them to make them great.

I wanted to make this space [firstly] into a garden and then to make it look like it had been there for years, yet really very well maintained. That aside the second role was to make one want to spend time outside and whether it be the largest budget in the world or not, that, here has definitely been achieved within this now great[er] outdoors.

Do consider if you will, that the garden is not even hours old when I recorded the video below and also that this is how the garden will look in its [now] over-wintering state. That aside, I loved making this one and I cannot wait to see this space come the summer time.

Any Q’s or thoughts [?] leave a comment below or drop me a line.

Peter Donegan:

• email: info@doneganlandscaping.com
• phone: +353(87)6594688
• twitter: @DoneganGardens
• facebook: DoneganLandscaping

There are about 20 species in this genus of herbaceous or evergreen perennial flowering plants that come from the Ranunculaceae family. Fancy Dan long words and technical horticulture aside, if you ask one of them reads like a star sign garden advice columns for a flowering winter plant, Hellebores will no doubt always feature.

That said, for the old school gardeners out there, not having a Hellebore in your collection is a bit like not having Creedance Clearwater Revival on vinyl. And I and you both know, there is something seriously wrong if that is the case and for damn good reason. The reason I love them, is that they are best propagated, multiplied if you will, by division. A less technical term to use here might be splitting.

The Monty Don type gardening programmes of this world will recommend you put two garden forks back to back, bending the handles in opposite directions and tease them apart. Personally, though they are the best man for the job, I hate them short-handled ‘gardening forks’. And unless you are a Leprechaun, you will find they are just too small and require a fellow of my height is bent over at all times during their usage and that, unless you like moaning about your aches for eons is a pointless exercise.

Some may say I’m wrong to advise different to what for decades has always been the advice. But for me, in gardening one needs to be a little bit cocky. Cocky in a good way, if you get me. Like that dosser mate of yours who was always just too good at Mathematics whilst you struggling the whole time through and never understood why he never had to work at it; in reality and behind the scenes he very simply got and understood the equation. Yup, there’s a bit of that here for me.

The key here is knowing how far down to ram the spade in to insert your spade head, tiddling either through the newer growth as you go. To better get a grasp on it, when I was 12 or so I used to use my Dads hand saw for cutting steel; to better get a sense of how to instinctively just know. Funnily enough, when I got to college I was handed the exact same tool to propagate mint. And if you look at the image above, you’ll see the plant has a root system which has always reminded me of a sort of spliced cross section of a chocolate biscuit cake; so it kind of makes sense, if you get me.

Division done. Pot them up. Replant one or two bits for yourself and let the whole process start all over again. As for the rest of the plants, you can give them out as pressies. I know both Grandmam’s will be getting one from Ella once the pots root systems fill out. And isn’t that just the loveliest case of home grown is always better than shop bought

This Saturday. March 30th. 8pm onwards. Taking place in O’Connors Pub in Ballyboughal, its near Swords, Dublin and it’s the only pub in the village. I’ll be doing a muisc and quiz night extravangaza so I can do my 3rd half marthon for Temple street Childrens hospital. Which is where all spondulas raised will go to.

I’ll keep from print the finer points as to why Temple Street is so close to my heart and before I have a Jerry Maguire moment. I’ll get back to the yapping about the big night…

On the big Night:

• Skerries legend and Music man Martin Byrne will be kicking off the night from 7.45
• Then we head into the main show bonanza and the super dooper table quiz
• There’ll be the also sooper dooper raffle
• and spot prizes
• and food. yummy
• And this followed by [for one night only] DJ Brian Greene

5 Euro Per Head OR 20 Euro For Table Of 4! Don’t worry if you come on your own. Or as a trio. We’ll fix you up with somone

Wanna know What Temple Street Will do With The Dollars ?
This year we are hoping to raise €60,000 to purchase 4 diathermy machines to be used in theatre. These machines are necessary pieces of equipment for the operating theatre and provide optimal support for operative procedures in virtually all medical fields. The diathermy machine is used in theatre and is employed in a controlled manner during surgery to seal small blood vessels by coagulation and to cut through layers of tissue.

Further info:

• Re the night: pop into Niamh in O’Connors Pub
• anything contact Peter Donegan
• or visit the Temple Steet Childrens Hospital website

UPDATE: After the 2013 Temple Street Half Marathon

In the rolled lawn department, there is something almost television programme-like that I love about a client going out in the morning and returning home that evening to this, above.

Why I love doing it so much, maybe is down to the fact that domestically it can be laid within a day or so. That and it just looks so damn good, like you could nearly eat it. More than that, is that tv moment when they, the client, pop their head around the corner and you get that smile;

It’s a little-esque like when wee 3 year old Ella eats all her dinner and Dad gives her that you done good nod. And she knows… if ye get me. On a serious note, it is [and I've said it before here] a wonderful feeling to create something for somebody else for my job and to see them happy-er because of it. Reason numero uno why I love what I do. Even when it is not sunny.

*note: the sound in the video is a bit rubbish due to the Irish winds. I might suggest you scroll to 40 seconds and play it from there to get the reverse view. 

Back to it, I ran through 3 steak knives doing this lawn and unless someone invents a better alternate the Donegan clan may soon end up using that set of chop sticks I found years ago when I used to garden and live in Abderdeen [Scotland]. I don’t know why I kept them.

What was attention to detail about laying this one was that as you look at the image above all of the turves run left to right. All of them. And in linear metre terms, that is a lot of patience to be perfect cutting both sides of a rough finish edged cobble. In context, should it have been your usual domestic back garden measuring 8 x 10 approximate metres and a proper rectangle, it would have been complete within half the allocated timing.

The garden above, beforehand as a by the way used to look like so…

Of interest maybe is that I allowed the soil below the rolled lawn raise ever so slightly falling either side. It should aid slightly when it comes to moss and potential sodden lawns that have resulted from excess rainfall levels of recent.

*of note: this garden was done about 3 weeks ago, but I literally have not had the time indoors to sit down and post it here.
also of note: me and this garden have history

Any Q’s or thoughts [?] leave a comment below or drop me a line.

Peter Donegan:

• email: info@doneganlandscaping.com
• phone: +353(87)6594688
• twitter: @DoneganGardens
• facebook: DoneganLandscaping

• when: Tomorrow, Saturday March 23rd
• time: the day runs 11am – 4pm. I’m up at 2pm
• what: National Potato Day at Sonairte Ecology Centre

But you’re a landscape fellow ?

This is true and though I studied horticulture for 4 years specialising in landscaping, garden design and plants; part of my studies included field grown crops, one of which was potatoes. That and the fact that I have been gardening since I was 6 and growing my own spuds, before grow your own was grow your own…. if you get me.

Anyhow’s, assuming you are not a spud farmer, I’ll be chatting and demonstrating how to grow spuds in small spaces and domestic gardens. From the smallest amount of just one seed in one pot and upwards. From balcony gardens to the larger. That and well anything else you might want to know.

Also there on the day:

Ireland’s Largest Potato Collection; David Langford of Co Mayo and Dermot Carey who was the Head Gardener at Lissadell House will be there. The Sunflower Cafe will serve both usual and unusual potato dishes; also there will be Countrycrest, Meade Potatoes & Bord Bia along with over 15 varieties of potato to buy, from the most modern to some of the oldest, Admission Adults €5, children free, members free.  More details from info@sonairte.ie,  Tel: 041-9827572, www.sonairte.ie

Below is a pic of me with Trevor Sargent who asked me to do the gig tomorrow, taken at Sonairte.

The Naul GIY group meets at 7pm on the first Thursday of every month and meets usually take place at The Séamus Ennis Cultural Centre. Further details on Thursdays event and/ or getting involved with the group contact Denise Dunne.

This has to be without question, one of them gardens I put together where the photographs will do most of the talking. I know, it’s unusual. But then there is fine logic behind my choosing to study horticulture and not non moving cinematography.

That aside, you may have noticed that the gardens I make, put together, create, see in my head…. can differ, or vary a lot. I find it good to listen to my clients the people who will use their garden and the newest addition to their home most after it’s completion. It’s also that variance that is that bit of my work [?] that I love so much, that makes no week or day in my and your great outdoors ever the same.

Peter Donegan:

• email: info@doneganlandscaping.com
• phone: +353(87)6594688
• twitter: @DoneganGardens
• facebook: DoneganLandscaping

Historically, almost every ornamental raised bed I ever made was from stone. No apparent reason, it’s just what was done, what was the trend and what clients requested… like Lonicera nitida hedges maybe, in pre 1980′s Ireland. In that context this Dublin domestic back garden is a little bit different. A little; yet still there’s something in this space outdoors that is a little old school funky, like a really great vinyl record collection.

I don’t know whether its the fact that the timber will age ever so as the plants mature or the fact that the planting choice, to the eloquent plants person could maybe be considered mildly eclectic. Maybe it’s the whitewash walls, or the pebble, or that fact that [by definition] there are two hedges in this garden, both serving two different functions.

Of note, the plants in particular within this space, fresh from the nurseries, will need a little time to come into their own, to harmonise, acclimatise and turn towards the preferred source of light.

The garden layout and build aside, I like the raised beds in wood. I love that I made them to measure and that client in mind, we did build in that wee seat just below the Dicksonia antartica. More than that, they will make the gardening work easy-er, after I am gone.

In the plant selection department I know I was really smart when it came to this as the growth rates per annum are quite low. Aesthically to counteract that, were possible they were brought in a little more mature; it was important that they looked like they had been there for some time and there is nothing worse than waiting five or so years for a garden to come entirely into its own. A bit like taking too long to paint your home and only giving it one coat of paint, if you get me.

Tied in with a semi-permeable membrane used within the raised beds and a decorative pebble, this gives the client a low-er by far maintenance garden. And when you look at it, really outside of the grass; there isn’t really much by way of annual maintenance costs or time at all.

To the rear of the [rear] garden I love that the front hedge is Laurus nobilis and though it will take a little for the dots to join, there will be nothing nicer when it does than sitting behind it on the south facing raised patio area, within what already feels like a separate room within the great outdoors.

Far more than that, this is a garden that I’m really going to look forward to returning to. There is something truly wonderful about being able to see a photosynthetic picture of the future, in my imagination (?), for it exists nowhere else. Far, far better that picture coming to fruition and others smiling because of what was created for them.

Peter Donegan:

• email: info@doneganlandscaping.com
• phone: +353(87)6594688
• twitter: @DoneganGardens
• facebook: DoneganLandscaping

As small front low maintenance gardens go, especially those in which a car parking spot is a must I have to admit I quite proud of this one. That and the fact that, where functional must meet softened photosynthetic and as this is not a more private space, meant the scope for Peter Donegan memorial gardens here were limited.

Worth considering is that I could not fit the overgrowth pre-garden makeover shot into one image. Suffice to say at some stage in its former life it was a lawn. Also of note is that the client was not ‘green fingered’ and the budget was not a bizillion dollars; don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t a case of cheapest is best, more a case of done once and done extremely well.

The overgrowth taken down and removed, a semi permeable membrane was laid upon the grass. It was suggested that that should have been sprayed/ treated first with a herbicide. But of the factors required for the growth of any plant, one of them is light and the elimination of this via the membrane ensured that nature, with a little help, would do its own thing.

Plants chosen very wisely I considered extremes of height in my selection ie. ground level and ground cover planting and those that were instant and immediately above waist height. The thinking behind creates a more open feel; that as versus the herbaceous border type formal tiered backdrop that blocks out the passage of light, if you get me. They were also 75% evergreen and colour throughout all of the seasons.

The pebble is bright in colour, though not bright gold, which just lifts it ever so slightly. Beneath the front window was placed a bench that I made from very heavy duty timbers painted black and a small raised platform beneath. I wanted them, alongside the more mature planting to look like they had been there for some time, though extremely well maintained.

The beauty about this small space, is the maintenance and plant growth per annum ensures the annual cut back, tidy and trim is not a hedge cutters and a skip, but very much more a secateurs clip and a nip.

Aesthetics and fine choice planting aside, personally, I like the fact that this side of the garden has remained free draining. There’s something about that that makes my smile just that little bit greener.

Peter Donegan:

• email: info@doneganlandscaping.com
• phone: +353(87)6594688
• twitter: @DoneganGardens
• facebook: DoneganLandscaping

• When: March 3rd, Sunday 2013
• Time: 2pm
• Subject: Garden Design Trends
• Cost: €3
• Where: Sonairte Ecology Centre, Laytown, Co. Meath

Details:

If you are looking for a great day out then you won’t go too far wrong with a trip to Sonairte Ecology Centre. It really is a place where I simply love to go to escape the hustle and bustle, yet it is still very much everything I love about horticulture and the great outdoors. The ultimate busmans holiday for me.

Here I will be giving a talk/ chat on the evolution of landscape design dating all the way back to the 17th Century right up to today. From the early 17th century trend of walled gardens and growing your own to the log roll pandemic and decking epedemics of the late 1980′s and 1990′s; and from topiary pruned hedges to the rise of raised beds and [eh...] grow your own in the late noughties and teens. Even in gardening and horticulture it’s funny how history repeats itself.

There should be more than enough time after for a chat, Q &A and a bit of conversation after.

Never been ? Take a listen to this with Trevor Sargeant: