17th century – Peter Donegan Garden Design & Landscaping

In my time I have spent 6 plus years researching, designing and building 17th Century Gardens and 18th Century that I have won awards for the design and build of. The signatured papers sit framed upon my office walls as a fine reminder, alongside just some of the other gardens I have made.

And though I know I say it often enough, I am honoured that what I love doing is also what I do as my work; if I might call it that. A little like, or the opposite of, an anatidaephobiac running very fast away from a trip to Disneyland, I just can’t seem to help myself when it comes to the great outdoors. On a more serious note, this Sunday past, I was at The Formal Gardens at The Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin; which is also home to the Irish Museum of Modern Art. I visit both regularly.

Further images below of both The Formal Gardens at The Royal Hospital Kilmainham and the Irish Museum of Modern Art.

Bespoke 17th Century Gazebo

brackenstown gardens file - peter donegan landscaping — ...

Recently the gardens of Brackenstown got the ‘peace de resistance’ that [in my heart] it so much deserved. The gazebo was installed 2 weeks ago in the centre of the tranquility garden after almost eight months since it was first considered. The funny thing I suppose was that within three days it was fitted, installed and painted as if it had been there all its life. When it is found difficult to believe that the life of the structure is one of such youth, I suppose it could be said that the job has been done and done extremely well. It is bespoke, the only one in the world and hand made, the old style way.

Credit when taking on a project like this must go primarily to ‘any’ client who has that ‘je ne sais quoi’ and forward vision to trust in a designer to bring something like this to fruition. I shall rephrase, when one does not know what the final outcome will be [obviously] and one has never seen ‘one’ before, it can be, difficult if you chose; only in the sense that if you are a ‘I need to see it first’ kind of person. If not, bespoke features for a garden are one off, special, specific, of true splendour and yours [and yours only].