This June Bank Holiday weekend 2016 The Sodshow Garden Podcast is back, live on stage as part of the very beautiful Bloom Fringe 2016 Festival.
On this occasion however we are not doing one, but 2 venues over 2 days. Namely, Friday evening June 3rd at Dublin Castle and Saturday morning/ afternoon June 4th 2016 at Powerscourt Townhouse Centre.
What is The Sodshow ? Read more
Bookings Now Being Taken for 2016.
Peter Donegan – A Very Short History:
I started growing plants from the age of 5, created my first garden aged 10 and of now have won national awards for the design and build of 17th and 18th Century estates. I have also built and designed show gardens for both display and at national competition. And whether I am creating gardens privately, advising, teaching or talking about a particular horticultural subject, horticulture and gardening has been my entire life and I am at my happiest when I and the great outdoors are together. I started Donegan Landscaping Dublin in 2001, aged 24.
On Garden Speaking and Talks:
From a horticultural speaking perspective, I am one of the hosts and producers of The Sodshow – Ireland’s garden radio show (twice awarded Ireland’s Best Podcast) and I have spoken at everything from music festivals and one-off public gardening demonstrations, to private gardening classes and demonstrations and also done talks to Gardening and Horticultural societies.
In The Media:
I am a former garden columnist and writer with The Farmers Journal and Self Build Ireland magazine and have also written freelance. I have given gardening demonstrations on national tv and featured on Irish television and as far as Australia with gardens I have made under my own name and as part of televison shows. I have also featured on radio not only for The Sodshow but also on RTE radio, Today FM and LMFM, to name but a few.
Bookings and inquiries are now being taken for 2016.
Kicking off on the Main Stage this Saturday May 30th 2015 – The Sodshow, Irelands only award winning garden podcast and radio show, of which I am a host, will be coming to you live as part of Bloom Fringe 2015 at the very magnificient Powerscourt Townhouse right in the heart of Dublin’s very beautiful city centre.
Powerscourt Centre is a speciality shopping centre set in an elegant Georgian house centrally located just off Grafton Street. Formally, 59 South William Street was home to Richard Wingfield 3rd Viscount Powerscourt (1730-1788) and his wife Lady Amelia, who bought the Townhouse to entertain guests during Parliament season.
pic above courtesy Ms Mills, St Dominics Secondary School
I’ve done garden talks before. Christ Church Cathedral for Dublin Garden Festival, Clare Garden Festival and of course with Gardening Clubs. And although I have also spoken with schools before, this talk was a little bit different. Not different bad. More different as in unique. Which is what my Mom used to call me.
@DoneganGardens inspiring the budding new gardeners in St Dominic’s Secondary School http://t.co/1a7jiRI4Hs pic.twitter.com/8SXcFlVDfk
— Miss Mills (@msmillshomeec) October 7, 2014
Sidetracking slightly, as I often tend to do; It seems the norm for “school gardens”, is that the curriculum is granted an allocation of time and space – most certainly to raised vegetable beds – in which pupils have school time to garden. Of note, any form of horticulture in schools is far from a bad thing.
But I kind of see gardening like music or poetry. Or, being in love, as I noted when talking with Gerry Kelly on The Late Lunch Radio Show. And it should be something more than that. And in my opinion, something that comes very much from the heart. Or makes you smile, more.
It was last week when I travelled to give a talk to the very lovely Castlepollard Gardening Club. And though it sounds a little funny to say it, I had an absolute ball. And it was as I previously noted a real honour to be asked to talk there.
I know it could maybe be seen that I was working, but when Russell the manager at the Castlepollard Hotel knows you’re arriving and when you eventually get to the place where the talk is to be held and you’re met with a cuppa and a hug; and you get an applause at the end and a hug – and the Frank the club’s Chairman buys you a drink after, you know it has been a pretty good evening.
Far more importantly than that, people smiled during my talking. Read more