If someone had told me that I was going to be out with my watering can before the end of March this time last year, I would have told them to go indoors and take a strong dose of a reality pill, extra strength brand for crazy gardening folk! But...
Read MoreHere in Ireland, we have had a spell of unseasonably hot weather over the last few days (pushing 20°C) and this is expected to continue for a while yet. And the clocks have just changed giving us an extra hour of daylight in the evenings. This favourable combination of temperature...
Read More[caption id="attachment_835" align="alignnone" width="491"] Flyer for this year's RHSI seminar[/caption] Tim will be speaking at this year's RHSI seminar to be held at the National Botanic Gardens this Saturday the 3rd March at 10am. Tim will talk about his personal experiences and how they have influenced his garden design. He will explain...
Read More[caption id="attachment_809" align="alignnone" width="600"] Cleaning out perennial flower beds ready for planting[/caption] February can be a month of anticipation in the garden. We are itching for the warmer weather and the burst of spring when our gardens really get going. However, a little bit of basic work now can pay dividends...
Read Morehttp://youtu.be/l7mdP1KDN_Y Since it is now the bare-root tree planting season, I thought I would post a video demonstrating this planting technique that I made with the residents of Harbour View in late winter 2010. We carried out the tree planting using young trees called whips and transplants, which means that they are...
Read MoreThe planting period for spring-flowering bulbs in Ireland and the UK extends from the start of September until early December but Daffoldils should be planted by mid-season. Autumn flowering bulbs, such as, crocus and colchicum should be planted in August and most summer-flowering bulbs should be planted in March and...
Read More[caption id="attachment_606" align="aligncenter" width="484" caption="Lilium 'Robina' in Bloom in my parent's garden in Kerry"][/caption] At this time of year, we often revist gardens with our clients to undertake bulb planting. We usually put together specific bulb planting plans within our overall garden designs, as along with winter planting of bare-root trees,...
Read MoreAs a garden designer, I seek to take inspiration from nature whenever I can. Last weekend, I took these photos on a lovely walk through a coniferous woodland in Wicklow. Although the wood was predominantly commercial evergreen species, there were some deciduous species, such as, Birch and Beech present and...
Read More[caption id="attachment_439" align="aligncenter" width="617" caption="Patty's Plum Poppy"][/caption] I am both delighted and amazed that this beautiful Poppy Patty's Plum (Papaver orientale) has just flowered in my garden - it's October in Ireland! This poppy featured in our Bloom 2009 Gold medal winning garden (see pic. below) and was a real crowd...
Read More[caption id="attachment_407" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Herb garden in Farmleigh House walled garden[/caption] In Irish gardening, there is a major trend towards “Grow-Your-Own” fruits and vegetables. This is for a variety of reasons including: wanting to know where our food comes from, cost-saving, taste and experimentation as well as the satisfaction that comes...
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