DIARMUID GAVIN - BARRACK HILL IN CARNDONAGH

Diarmuid Gavin talking at the open meeting in Carndonagh.

One of the most innovative projects for Inishowen is happening in Carndonagh at Barrack Hill Park. Diarmuid Gavin has been recruited to take on the daunting task of creating an amenity area that will satisfy the needs of a whole community. He is no stranger to this size of project though, and is currently working on an art gallery in Walsall and a maternity hospital in Cork. “Creating a park is something that we have never attempted before,” said Diarmuid at the open talk in Carndonagh last week. “Humans have an effect on the landscape and I like the idea of using the technology of the day to create designs. Garden design is one of the most creative activities we have. Fashion designers, graphic designers and architects all dare to be different and are compelled to move forward. Garden designing on the other hand can end up becoming a statement for someone to belong to a certain social order. The garden is then just used to impress other people and shows no sign of innovation,” he explains, and I couldn’t agree more.

“I spent year designing pretty gardens for pretty people and in the end I could do them on the back of an envelope, there was no passion in them. If you are not getting excited by what you are creating you are not going to learn” he advised.

It was at the RDS show in the 1990’s that Diarmuid realised that “pretty” just didn’t do it for him anymore. “I was displaying a cottage garden at the show with lots of beautiful bright red Achill sandstone when I got a visit from Finola Reid, who works in the media on gardening shows. She gave me the insight to knock on the door of the Royal Horticultural Society and put a garden into the Chelsea flower show. They told me where to go! But with persistence in 1995 I did enter a garden with no money. (Nothing changes, we are on the look out for sponsors this year and I have to start building it in two months!)

The garden was traditional as I gave the organisers what they wanted which was crumbling towers and Irish flowers, we won a bronze medal. The next year I returned with my idea of what I thought a contemporary garden was. I had inspiration after a few pints in a Dublin nightclub called the Pot. In the men’s room there were glass walls with water running down them (not the urinals!). I also liked the illuminated slabs that Michael Jackson used in the thriller videos. I incorporated these ideas and used structural plants around them. I thought it looked the bees knees! The organisers didn’t though and we got a letter saying that the garden couldn’t get any award. In retrospect though I think they were right” he says with a wry smile.

The experience was a great learning curve for Diarmuid and the following year he was back and winning awards. The most publicised garden to date was the bubble gum design with the brightly coloured plastic balls on sticks. Diarmuid has travelled extensively and absorbed influences from around the globe and hopefully with his innovative approach to amenity design Carndonagh will see something that is suitable for all age groups. “In Ireland we can have all four seasons in a minute so the design will have to incorporate some form of protection from the elements” he added.

I, for one, am looking forward to seeing what he comes up with and I am sure that everyone in the area will have their say in the creation of this innovative project.

TREES

CHOOSING THE RIGHT TREE
I was in Swan Park this week having a nosey at the great work that the tree surgeons are doing down there. Some of the older specimens are getting a bit unsteady on their feet (roots?) and are either being cut back, or taken down all together, as in the case of some old beech trees that are sliding down into Crana river.

Shredding the smaller branches for mulch in Swan Park this week.

Choosing the right tree for a plot can be a challenge. It’s important to choose types that will fit into the size and scale of your garden. All too often we see willow undermining the foundations of a house or misplaced monkey puzzle trees six feet away from the door and doing their best to get in though the letter box.



ADVICE FROM AN EXPERT
To find out about choosing trees, I popped over to see Jacqueline Doherty in Fahan. Jacqueline took over the running of Willowhill Nurseries last month, so I went to ask her about the trees that grow well around Inishowen. Jacqueline is no stranger to Willowhill as she first started working there when she was twelve. “I used to work on Saturdays in the summer when Kevin Towey, the original owner, was the boss. I remember Kevin’s time here well” she continued. “He was a charismatic man and a true professional when it came to working in gardens”

While we were talking Jacqueline was kept busy with deliveries, as well as managing some new developments, which she is implementing. “The garden centre has been in business for thirty years now” she explained, “and we are giving the centre a major overhaul with new display areas and propagation tunnels There is a lot of new stock arriving all the time, including trees!”

Jacqueline’s favourite tree is a mountain ash. “The Sorbus Joseph Rock is a great seaside tree and copes very well with salt spray,” she tells me. “This variety produces vivid yellow berries, although you can get them with red or orange fruit. These trees can tolerate everything that the Inishowen weather can throw at them. They look great for a long period too with their lovely berries and startling red leaves in autumn. The berries are a great treat for the birds in late autumn” she concludes.

Jacqueline is also a great fan of the evergreen eucalypyus trees. “For all year interest the eucalyptus tree is hard to beat. These Australian trees have a peeling papery bark and can tolerate our strong winds” she added. “But make sure you give them plenty of room as they grow very quickly.”

Jacqueline Doherty from Willowhill Nursery in Fahan rates the eucalyptus as one of her favourite trees. you can contact Willow Hill Nursery on 073 93 60640

TREES FOR DIFFERENT SITES
Here are some more trees that Jacqueline recommends.

Wet sites: Alder (Alnus cordata) and willows (salix) these can put up with extremely wet areas but make sure they have room all around them, as they can get very large!
Full sun: Flowering cherry (Prunus) produce masses of pink or white blossoms. They brighten up the garden in spring and give you dramatic leaf colours in autumn.

Shady areas: Cotoneaster pendula is an excellent tree for a shady area. It produces pinkish white flowers followed by red berries. It is evergreen and has an attractive weeping habit.

Small gardens: June berry (Amelanchier) will grow up to about 5 metres and produce star shaped white star shaped flowers in spring. The copper coloured leaves are attractive and get more vivid in autumn. Prunus P. nigra or copper plum shouldn’t be forgotten either as their pink flowers in spring are a treat!

Next week Jacqueline will take us through the tree planting procedure. For more advice, pop in and see Jacqueline in Willowhill nursery



DIARMUID GAVIN IN CARNDONAGH

Don’t forget the talk with Diarmuid Gavin tomorrow (Wednesday 20th) at 8 pm in the Áras, Community School in Carndonagh. Diarmuid will be talking about designconcepts for the Barrack Hill project, an ambitious scheme to create an imaginative community space and play park. Diarmuid will also be telling us a bit about landscape design. To get an idea of his projects and style, check out his website. The evening should prove to be very informative…and it’s free!

GRASS CUTTING

HEDGE CUTTING

It is against the law to cut vegetation growing in any hedge or ditch between March 1st and August 31st because of bird nesting. Although this is more a matter for farmers than us gardeners, I have used this law occasionally when I didn’t want to cut someone’s hedge! However we can’t really use this as an excuse so if you can get a few minutes outside, now is a good time to get your unruly hedge into shape for the spring.

The first
Most hedging plants have an upright growth habit so it is a good idea to encourage side shoots by trimming back their leaders - main shoot - and laterals - the secondary side shooting stems from the first year. In the first spring after planting a new hedge, cut back plants to about 40-45cm above ground level. Apply slow-release fertiliser all along the base of the plants, watering if no rain is forecast. Apply a thick layer of mulch (7.5cm) after watering, or when the ground is moist, keeping the material away from the main trunks of the plants as this could cause rotting. In late summer, cut back the shoots that are sticking out - the laterals.

When to prune
Generally overgrown deciduous hedges can be tackled in winter and evergreen ones in mid spring. When attempting drastic pruning, deal with one side of your hedge at a time, spreading the process over two seasons. You should also feed the hedge before pruning, as well as after, to encourage healthy new growth. Cut one side of the hedge back to within about 10cm of the main trunk of the plants all the way along. On the other side, cut back side shoots by about a third, shaping the hedge so that it tapers towards the top. Repeat this process the following season, reversing the side, which is cut hard back.

Photo: Luke from the convent in Buncrana tidying up the griselinia hedges.

STUCK FOR A GIFT ON VALENTINES DAY?
Forget paying a fortune for roses this Valentines day. Why not buy the one you love something that they can eat, is tasty and won’t put on the pounds….spuds! (It’s your responsibility if they get thrown back at you!)!)

I was down with Gareth Austin from the Lifestyle Garden centre in Newtowncunninghan this week. Gareth is a wealth of knowledge on gardening matters and in between his busy schedule getting ready for spring and his landscaping work, I managed to ask him about the best way to grow early spuds.

“Early potatoes are renowned for their taste They are full of flavour, and so easy to grow.” he explained. The yield is lower than maincrop varieties and the space needed for a good return is far less. Early varieties are also ready for lifting when potato prices are high, which is another great reason to grow them. There is no comparison in terms of flavour between freshly dug new potatoes and those, which are available in greengrocers. New potatoes lose their flavour very quickly after been dug, as they are not fully mature when lifting. They need to be lifted up and cooked straight away if possible”

Six weeks
Garden centres and the Co-op are stocking chitted spuds now for planting. I asked Gareth what was the best preparation for getting a bumper crop “Start chitting your potatoes about six weeks before you intend to plant them. Chitting simply means encouraging the seed potatoes to sprout before planting. Seed potatoes are ready for planting out when the shoots are 1.5-2.5cm (0.5-1in) long”. He continued. “From mid-March-April, dig a trench 7.5-13cm (3-5in) deep. Add a light sprinkling of fertiliser to your trench and begin planting. For the early spuds, plant them about 30cm (12in) apart with 40-50cm (16-20in) between the rows”.

Handle with care
Gareth concluded by advising us on how to handle delicate tubers. “Handle your chitted tubers with care, gently setting them into the trench with the shoots pointing upwards. Cover lightly with soil. As soon as the shoots appear, earth up each row by covering it with a ridge of soil so that the shoots are just buried. You need to do this at regular intervals. Your home-grown potatoes should be ready for lifting from June until September, depending on the varieties and the growing conditions”

Photo: Seaweed added to the ground now will help the new spuds to develop

DONEGAL TRAIL

Sean O'Gaoithin

Donegal Garden Trail brochure 2008

James Noone (chairperson)
Hilary Reid
Maura Doherty (treasurer)
Danny McLaughlin (secratary)

Local gardening clubs

Some of the real hidden treasures of Inishowen are the vibrant gardening clubs. At these monthly meetings like-minded folk can get together for advice, drinks cups of tea, win lovely plants in the raffle and listen to guest speakers who are passionate about their topics.

I was lured out of my comfy fireside chair this week to go out to the Inishowen Gardening Club in the Wesley hall Carndonagh. Arriving at the hall, I was greeted by a beaming James Noone the chairperson of the group. James is probably one of the most enthusiastic gardeners I have ever met. “Greetings!” he exclaimed as he shook my hand. “It’s great to have new faces coming to the meetings”. He beamed. “The Inishowen Group here in Carndonagh has a very healthy membership, but of course we always like to see new faces.” The guest speaker was Seán O’Gaoithin who is the head gardener at Glenveagh National Park. James explained that Seán would be talking about the Donegal Garden Trail, “Sit yourself down and after the talk we have tea and biscuits and the raffle” he told me hospitably. Sounds good to me, I thought, I ought to get out more often.

Sean O'Gaoithin explains the Donegal Garden Trail to Bev Doherty

Seán O’Gaoithin and his team of gardeners have been working tirelessly planting and maintaining the fabulous gardens around the 19th century Glenveagh castle and its 14,000 hectares of land. And as interesting as his job is that wasn’t why the thirty of us were sitting in front of a projector screen. Seán has a great collection of photos from all of the gardens on the Donegal Garden Trail.


Donegal garden trail

The Donegal Garden Trail started last year and is a great success. Seán began by telling us a bit about this new annual event. Last year, twenty stunning gardens around the county opened their doors to the public. The gardens on the trail vary enormously from large estates to small town gardens. There is always a warm welcome from the garden owners. Some supply guided tours and others lay on tea and cakes for visitors to enjoy. The very generous donations made by members of the visiting public are distributed around local charities.

Loreto house in Linsfort

Sean has put a great amount of energy into the event and has just completed the comprehensive brochure that lists the gardens. “This year we have twenty-six places to visit on the trail. Two of which are from Inishowen. These are, the Celtic Garden and IOSAS Centre in Muff and Loreto House at Linsfort.” Seán describes the gardens. “The Celtic garden in Muff is a fantastic example of getting the right balance. The design has a gloriously wild feeling and making any area more formal (by putting cordylines in etc) wouldn’t do the place justice. The garden at Loreto house has been planted with love and care and has a stunning coastal backdrop.

Exciting projects

Seán also sees our wild and sometimes barren landscape as positive motivation for creating small microclimates around the county. “We here in the North West have a wide diversity of complex geological features from granite to quartzine mountain ranges and all sorts of soil types. This makes developing gardens an exciting and challenging project. We even have a lot of gardens that still have ancient standing stones, which are part of our heritage. The wild garden around Glenalla House in Milford is a prime example of this. They have one as a centre point in a maze of hornbeam. A lot of the planting was done in the 1930’s so it has matured over several generations of the same family”. Greenfort in Portsalon is also a great example of early recycling. “Some features in the Greenfort garden, like the alter rails and the porch come from Aards House which was destroyed by fire. We have some of the house materials at Glenveigh too, which were reclaimed in the 1960’s,” he continued.

Take part

Seán would love to see more gardens represented from the peninsula. “The brochure will be out very soon and a website is very nearly up and running, so I will be in a better position to give more information”. In the meantime if anyone would like their garden featured in the garden trail next year or would like information on this years trail, contact Seán on (074) 91 37391 or e-mail sogaooitin@eircom.net