[caption id="attachment_2799" align="aligncenter" width="504"] Tim and Diarmuid Gavin open the northwest garden show in 2011[/caption] I'm heading up to the northwest again this weekend to visit the wonderful and vibrant North West Garden Show that is held in Castlefinn, Donegal (and I have to say that this is one of Ireland’s...
Read More[caption id="attachment_1968" align="aligncenter" width="614"] Setting out the garden design[/caption] So, you saw the design plan in my previous post of the 17th May. Now here we are on site doin' a bit of hard work! In the above pic. you can see the new shape of the lawn is nicely defined...
Read MoreFor landscape architects and garden designers alike, there is a contemporary approach to planting design that seeks to mimic or at least draw inspiration from the dynamics and make-up of natural plant communities. [caption id="attachment_1952" align="aligncenter" width="610"] Mount Usher gardens, Co. Wicklow planted to William Robinson's naturalistic style[/caption] In garden design, this...
Read MoreHave you ever wanted to overhaul your garden but with minimum intervention for maximum benefit? That is actually the brief to which we have worked on our current garden project (under construction as I type). The garden design plan involves the renovation of an existing suburban garden. It is of a...
Read MoreWhen it comes to picking stone for your garden personal choice and taste is important but you should also consider how the stone will fit in with what you already have. [caption id="attachment_1907" align="aligncenter" width="614"] Front garden design (by Tim Austen) featuring granite setts and kerbs to tie-in with the granite...
Read More[caption id="attachment_1886" align="aligncenter" width="491"] Tim's bee pic. from his biodiversity study[/caption] Having undertaken a study of biodiversity in Dublin's gardens a few years back, I am a fan of any garden design that encourages more wildlife habitat in to our gardens. So, I am looking forward to seeing the University of...
Read More[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480"] The Big Year (Image source Film Ireland)[/caption] Under our current spell of weather with its punishing, blustery winds and sharp rain, the least likely thing to be on your mind is the thought of carrying out a survey of your garden. But if you are mulling over the...
Read MoreAt this time of year, no blog on garden design would be worth its salt without a post on Rhododendrons . Alongside the Magnolias these are some of the plants (both trees and shrubs) that lend a real “wow-factor” to spring gardens. My father has always been a “rhodo-fanatic” and having...
Read MoreHere's a few pics to show the impact that a relatively simple planting design can have on the appearance of a building. Before: During: After: The three multi-stemmed trees are Betula pendula multi-stems, height range 5-5.5m. These were planted as root-balled specimens. Being on the nothern side of the building the groundcover plants include...
Read More'Clinic' - there's that medical overtone again in regard to garden design advice that I am not sure about; but anyway, that aside, the GLDA are hosting some garden design advice days as part of the Bloom fringe over the coming weeks. Press release, as follows: "Good news for gardeners in...
Read More