Gardening through the generations

Austen Family

gardening together in Kerry

Since 2004, Tim’s parents, Stephen and Louise Austen, both keen gardeners, have created a garden from scratch in the heart of the beautiful Kerry countryside, which is now open to visits from garden groups.

Whilst Tim can’t take any credit for the development of the gardens, which are down to his parent’s hard work and zest for gardening, Tim has helped them in regard to the design and selection of specific features in the garden, including the layout of the pathways, selection and location of the summer-house and the design for the red boardwalk extending out from the garden into the nearby bogland, which was inspired by his 2011 Bloom showgarden, Awakenings. The boardwalk terminates with a small bridge, the design of which is similar to one that he used in his Mount Usher inspired showgarden at Bloom.

‘I am really lucky that my parents continue to garden and experiment with plants in their garden in Kerry. They have introduced me to some rare and unusual plants and, as the growing conditions in their garden are so specific, it is a great place to visit and to get ideas as to what will grow well where? This is most important for my projects in the southwest of Ireland where conditions are wet and windy for plant growth. However, the mildness of the Kerry climate can provide a fantastic growing environment, especially in sheltered localities.

It is also great to be able to visit and see some of the features from my different showgardens included in and working well in a single garden space. Thank you Mum and Dad for showcasing them!”

…and the Austen tradition of gardening goes back at least two generations, as these articles from Better Homes and Gardens (1970s) explain…

Tags:
family garden, Garden inspiration, landscape setting, planting ideas