In 2007, the 27 acre estate gardens of Brackenstown House won 2 awards at National competition. The gardens designs, though they were intended to start some 300 years ago had, history states and shows, never been completed, until that is 2007.
The two awards, an Award of Merit for Best Private Garden Landscaping and also for Best Overall Maintenance were awarded to Peter Donegan Landscaping Ltd for works completed and to Peter Donegan as the gardens Designer.
In submitting the garden for award an A3 size bound presentation was submitted showing a history to the landscaping that took place to get the grounds to where and what the judging panel were now looking at and judging. Of note, the grounds had matured by the time judging took place. The photographs shown are all of works nearly (intentionally so) complete.
At the time, technology was not what it is now and I guess the alternate is to leave the ‘gardens’ history sitting in a filing cabinet. It may more importantly prove of benefit to someone else in researching gardens of the 17th and 18th century. Something that I and others only know too well is very difficult to find indepth readings of.
I have tried to keep the presentations layout as best as possible online, similar to that that I submitted at the time. What is not included here are and hundreds upon hundreds of photographs; and my drawings and plant legends. The latter for no apparent reason apart from they are very, very large and I don’t own a scanner of that size. This is but, the presentation.
At the time of designing, [again] the internet was not what it is now. And as the gardens designs were never completed, there logically is very little of note on them. That said to the history of the house I owe much thanks to Finola and Turtle.
You can view more information and phtographs of Brackenstown Gardens taken after the awards. I have also added some images in at the very bottom below, including the kitchen gardens handmade central pavilion (sometimes known as a gazebo), the final piece in the jigsaw outside of the planting and the changing of the sunken gardens pond sculpt, I felt.
Of Brackenstown, the awarding judges noted that:
the work illustrates a consisted commitment to horticultural excellence in a restoration project that requires a keen understanding of the client’s requirements. The herbaceous beds in particular deserve special acclamation for their restrained but inventive interplay between colour and foliage texture.
And of the second award, that the award goes to this project because the judges believe it:
demonstrates a discernible excellence in maintenance.
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