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Irish Mail on Sunday 24/05/2009

Irish Times 23/05/2009

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Community Voice 22/05/2009

Click here to read Community Voice Article

The final plee...

Alrighty people, I'm begging you!

If you can spare some time this weekend (even if it's only half an hour) then why not head down to the Phoenix Park and help me plant up my first show garden 'In amongst the grasses'.

I can't guarantee good weather but I can guarantee a good laugh and fresh air.

i really look forward to seeing you there :)

The Irish Garden Magazine hits the shelves today - go grab your copy to get your 30 page Guide to Bloom and to avail of the exclusive 2 for 1 Bloom Tickets offer!

Here's a video to give you an idea of just how fantastic Bloom in the Park really is...

Green roofs from the National Geographic

Then there was grass...

Thank you Javier, Helen and all the volunteers for being such good sports and coming along last night to help me out again!

Pics from sand laying...no turf pics because there was no light left fpr photos!

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"It's like laying carpet"

"It's like laying carpet"..that's what I kept getting told in regards to laying down rolls of turf.

I'd like to point out that when laying carpet it is not neccassary to purchase 1tonne of sand, level and rotovate the ground and then shift the 1 tonne of sand onto the ground, level again with the back of a rake then pack down by treading like a Seagull dancing for worms (see video if you don't know what I mean).






All before the turf goes anywhere near it's final destination!

Thankfully we had a secret weapon...Helen! Helen read Mr Donegan's 'SOS Garden' blog and decided to come along and help us out. Despite the mud, the rain and the general chaos Helen stayed until it was dark and was a huge help... THANK YOU HELEN!

So now the path is turfed, well I need to shape it this evening as it is quite hard to do that in the dark!

The lovely Mr Pat Fitgerald also got in touch today to let me know that the plants would be arriving Saturday morning :) I'll be there with my troops ready to get them planted before I head home to work on the seating area wood work.

So much to do...such determination to do it!

ps to all you that prayed for the rain to hold off last night - thank you - it held off long enough for us to do what we needed and then poured down as we left. Phew!

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Mud glorious Mud

What a week! Started off good with the previous weekend’s work having set us on a good path for the Bloom build deadline. Then disaster struck...having put up nearly a half of the wooden path lining I realised that my measurements were out and that we’d have to take it out and do it again..aghhhh!

Then the plants arrived and wouldn’t you know they’re too small & the supplier had failed to mention they’d be charging me €239 for “packaging”! Aghhhhhh again!

Then, to top it all off, it started to rain – a lot! And this started to happen, which quite frankly was disheartening.

But I'm no quitter so...we took down the path fencing and we started again.

And bit by bit it's getting back on track and starting to look like it's supposed to.

Thankfully we had another bunch of fabulous volunteers helping us over the weekend...Thank you to Anna & Javier, Chris & Sharon, Gerard and his magic spade. Especially for sticking around despite the mud!

So, what to do about the plants? I hadn't got the foggiest what I was going to do about the fact that the plants were A:too small and B:to few. I had visions of me running around every nursery in Ireland grabbing all the Stipa I could get my hands on. I even caught myself eyeing up a lushly planted roundabout near home wondering if the local council would miss a few plants for a week or two! (I wouln't do that of course!). Then, out of the blue Peter and Sara Donegan arrived on site to say hello. I tried to look optimistic whilst I filled them in about the path fencing setback but I don't think they bought it. In fact I know they didn't because Peter very kindly put up a post on his blog appealing for helpers on my behalf (Thank you Peter). It wasn't long before Pat Fitzgerald of My Plants got in touch and offered to supply Carex buchanii for the garden....FANTASTIC!

We're back on track. Tonight we're laying the turf on the path and I hope that rain stays away until after we're done! If you're reading this thinking 'poor thing, what has she got herself into' then feel free to pop down to Phoenix Park and lend a hand...and bring your wellies!

Myplant.ie
C/O FitzGerald Nurseries Ltd, Oldtown, , Kilkenny
info@myplant.ie

056 7728148






Peter Donegan Landscapes


info@doneganlandscaping.com
01 8078712







Whites Agri

Ballough, Lusk, Dublin, 01 8438521

info@whitesagri.com

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The Big Dig Gig

8.30am and it was lashing down, we were literally soaked through but not enough to dampen our spirits. Especially as we had been blessed with a Mini Digger thanks to the kind folks in VAZUMO.COM. After a crash course on how to drive the digger the dig volunteers were off like Bob the Builder on a mission!

As we were digging past a certain depth it was necessary to have an Archaeologist present as we dug. Poor Darragh, out designated Time Team Member, had to stand over the hole and watch as it was slowly dug just in case we unearthed some hidden treasure. A few hours on (and thankfully it had stopped raining) and the hole is done. Sadly no gold was found, sorry Darragh!

Throughout the morning fantastic friends arrived to help with the Big Dig. This project would be impossible without them so a HUGE THANK YOU to...

Javier, Anna, Gerard, Claude, Jeanne, Andriy.

Your hard work and encouragement is really appreciated, thank you all.

By the end of Saturday the main excavations were done, the path was edged and the garden was really starting to take shape.

Sunday morning was designated to cutting the posts for the path wall after which we loaded them into the car and headed down to the garden site in Phoenix Park. Sunday's progress was good, the posts went in and now stand firm and the path wall is really starting to take shape. Although, in it's unfinished state it does resemble an unused mine shaft! We left at dusk only because we could no longer see where we were digging.

Our determination to finish this garden project to the high standard we want means that we will be there every evening this week installing woodwork and preparing for planting.

Create a Free Slideshow

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Turfs Up!

The Big (Bloom) Dig started yesterday at 8am and I loved every minute of it! I've posted new pictures in my photo album for you to see what I got up to, which was basically laying it all out and taking up the turf from the areas that will be dug out at the weekend.
I finished up there at 7pm and after a spot of dinner got cracking on the wood work. Most of it is cut to length now and I'll hopefully be able to start putting it all together tonight and tomorrow.
I am very excited! :)

Step 1: locate site

Step 2: measure out plot and mark out features with twine

Step 3: Grab spade and dig in

Step 4: Swap spade for fork and start making progress!

Step 5: consider running away with the circus

Step 6: think better of it and crack on

More to come...

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Bloom...the count down begins

Working Bloom around the day job is tough and this week I'm fighting with a cold from hell too (no it's not swine flu!). I always say "I like a challenge" but this is madness!

I need to get the final timber measurements over to the lovely chaps in Whites Agri who are going to take what I need from their seconds pile. I need to call my plant supplier as he's a little slow on getting back to me and I'm starting to panic a bit.
Edited designs need to go back to the judges to show plans for wheelchair accessibility. Will send those next.

Heading over to Wales first thing tomorrow to pick up the 'natural sculpture' which my mum and stepdad have kindly been storing for me for the last 10 years! I'll tell you all about that another time; it's a great story. Hoping that I can borrow my mum's amazing stash of gardening tools for the Bloom build...don't tell her or she'll hide them all.

Next on the list is contact all the lovely volunteers and give them directions, check times and check if they have any mates that like to dig holes too. Then call all the 'slow to volunteer' volunteers and make them feel bad!
Then, when I finish work I'm going to call Mr Peter Donegan and pick his brains for tips for Bloom. Hope he doesn't mind.

Hmmm, pretty sure I've forgotten something?