Gardens by Peter Donegan, Landscaping Dublin, Ireland

bloom 2008 [6] & the malahide boat show

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After an early rise this morning to admire the beauty around me I went to Malahide, North Dublin to see the bi-annual boat show.

One of the reasons I wanted to go was to see if there was anything I could do more to add to the ‘thats an unusual [pink boat all included] garden’ tag Pour L’amour de Jeux has given me! and the well organised event was extremely helpful in sourcing some ‘boat stuff’/ props we needed for Bloom 2008.

The other reason was to travel with a very good friend/ neighbour[ish]/ colleague of mine/ Adrian McMahon and his two sons where we would meet with Gene another colleague of ours for a coffee.

The day was of course fantastic, but like most things in my life it is always made that extra little bit special by those with who it is shared. As you can gather there was a lot of Bloom-in talkin’ goin’ on and I must say where good coffee, intelligents minds and good friends are involved somehow life seems quite easy! Thanks you all, it was Bloomin’ fantastic.

bloom 2008 [5] – all aboard?!!

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since my last posts things have heated up, slightly! But a decision has been made by the Donegan Landscaping team not to release any [semi complete] photographs of the boat until in its fullest glory – and I can assure you D. B. Painters, Noel & the B.D.F. Commercials team are 99% complete on what can only be considered absolute genius!

Today, Gormleys fine art have kindly taken our hand on this amazing journey as our main partner. It is the greatest thing in the world to make people smile by building gardens and I love with passion so dearly my work. To know that a company such as Gormleys, an ideal partner all things considered, will stand tall by my side leaves me brimming with confidence today and above all a radiant smile! Via email Gormleys Fine Art today stated that ‘Gormleys Fine Art is delighted to be involved with Peter Donegan at Bloom 2008. Peter’s gardens are truly inspirational and we take great pleasure in supplying a sculpture by one of our artists Paddy Campbell for his creative design’.

Also on board is another genuis and genuine nice guy Karl Ellis of Rockworld, supplier of my first ever water feature and good friend to this day. Understanding, that Karl got this pic sometime last year with a sketch looking nothing like the one above… His forsight to know me so well is a true sign of an amazing brain. So the water is beind dyed black and the master craftsman of all things Hydrogen Dioxide has worked, as always so hard to yet again, make another of my gardens complete! According to Karl ‘Bloom 2008 is gonna get a little Rock and Roll’ ?!!

And so the adventure continues…. everyone is literally on board! All thats left is for the fine gentlemen of Whittens Road Haulage [click to see how good these guys are!] to lift the boat on May 7th and place it in a garden on May 8th…. and a couple of other things ….?!! I’ll keep you posted!

bloom 2008 [4] – garden design is fun?

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Friday 4th April saw a host of garden designers meet at the site where the bloom show gardens will be built. If you are near the visitor centre in the peoples park, the garden will be sited just in front of the playground and next to the walled garden of last years Bloom.

So how is it going since I last posted? Well, mixed feelings on my part to be truly honest. Akin to an emotional rollercoaster….! In saying that, the people working with me are truly the finest in this small island I am blessed to live on. Gormleys with Paddy Campbell [and thank you V.!] have hand crafted a sculpt especially for the show which came in from Florence last week. Paddy named it La principessa e la Rana. She is truly magnificient and glorius!

The Gentlemen of Whitten’s Road Haulage in Offaly are booked to deliver on May 8th 2008, the day we start to build our garden, Pour L’amour de Jeux. John tells me we may need a Police escort to the park […now that made me smile!] and although he will have to come down the night before to load the boat [it takes about 4 hours to load it depending and it may take about six hours to unload] – once again it is the people by my side who are really building this garden. As a by the way, we are still without a sponsor!

And with that in mind the Atfar Constuction civil engineering team are booked to manage the sinking placing of the boat before Whittens arive!! With the help of some of the greatest minds of this country, a garden that started as a sort of a “imagine if we did ….” which turned into a sort of “I dare ya…” is almost there. I’m getting used to it now after Bloom 2007 and the No Rubber Soul Car-Den [car garden]

Some say it career threatening? Some have said it’s completely moronish? Some say it is inspirational? The truth is it is simply a garden for whch the equation should at all times result in a persons smile. Criticism accepted, opinions all appreciated – the question still remains for you to answer – is gardening & garden design fun? You better believe it!

bloom 2008 [3] – sow far sow great …

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…. the paint colour has been selected for our main feature for Bloom 2008 and thank must go to D.B. Painters [David Behan Painting & Decorating 0872551928 – pictured above], for looking after this. Whilst Nicola is still on board to hand paint the boats name, the mammoth task of giving rebirth to ‘Mo Cailín Caitlín is now being looked after with the addition of another Fingal business. Thank you sow much!

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That said – none of this is possible until the fine boat rebuilding skills of Noel O’Dwyer [pictured above with one of his many lengths of timber] are put into practice. Noel is no stranger to garden shows having previously worked on No Rubber Soul last year in Bloom 2007 where his meticulous carpentry skills were so much appreciated. Go raibh míle maith agat Noelie!

Now that the boat is in good hands – its off to Tully Nurseries to inspect plants, meet with the Atfar Construction civil engineers, find a main sponsor, check the sculpt……. This year the team is just getting bigger and better. Thank you all.

At least there will be buds on the trees this week…. ?!!
Talk soon and wish me luck!

peter

bloom 2008 [2] – the boat

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pour l'amour de jeux - the boat garden

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yesterday was not the most usual of days in my horticultural career! This 1957, 33 foot, 7 tonne boat is the model Royal Cruiser IV that will be used in Bloom 2008, the garden show extravaganza in the Phoenix Park this June Bank Holiday weekend.

It took 7 men, a 30 tonne specialist marine transporter and 6 hours to lift and move it 6 km. Working with me on the boat will be John Friel and his team who also who rebuilt the morris minor for last years garden.

we got a lot of strange looks when word went out that this was the boat for our show garden but.. maybe ‘show’ gardens should be just that….

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