Tag: south africa

2009 A Good Year ….?

I did do a review of the year 2008. But it’s onwards and upward and whilst we head into 2010… here’s a look back on the last 12 months of 2009.

*If I missed or forgot something or someone – just hollar and I will ammend as soon as possible 😉

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January saw this garden weblog nominated for the Irish Blog Awards
February launched the new Donegan Landscaping website whilst I also picked up a Quality award for 2008.
In March the PR industry kicked off the 2nd garden guest sessions whilst I continued to work on radio talking about yet more gardening…
In April the ultimate chickens arrived whilst I got nominated for a Net Visionary Award
May saw me make the Net Visionary Awards shortlist and as I continued to do my garden give away – The Richard Corrigan debacle kicked off – he was joined in that department by The Green Party
In June I visited Osnabruck Botanical Gardens as they celebrated their 25th birthday and I also had the honour to speak at the Greenhouse social media seminar in Limerick

July was probably the funniest month in the history of the blog with the ‘How Green Is…?’ series – pure genius
August saw the garden group get grooving whilst the red satellite joined bagatelle and the Lord Mayor of Dublin in my Smithfield show garden
September saw The Gardeners Weekend kick off
October saw me head to Kilkenny to compete in The Irish Conker Championships whilst I built a garden for Repak Recycle Week

November saw me head to South Africa with The Niall Mellon Township to build gardens once again.

December was kicked off with the Carbon Neutral Revolution and Trim 2025

Whilst I flicked through my diary and realised just how much I actually had done… it should be noted that none of this would make any sense without someone to share the stories, the laughter and equally the tears with. I am forever greatful to the so many great friends and people I have met along this years road. Thank you. 🙂

Did I enjoy it? Every second. Don’t get me wrong… no road is an easy an easy one especially when I work in an industry that is so weather dependant and I am self employed. That is not a complaint…. more an additional reason to appreciate the people who stand tall by my side when time are tougher and there too when we laugh our socks off.

Go raibh míle maith agaibh. Nollaig Shona duit. Slán agus beannacht.

Thank you again, for everything.

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Cycas Revoluta

The Cycas or Sago palm, cycadaceae, is a genus of about 15 species. This one, the C. revoluta is better known as the Japaneese sago palm.

These are another batch of plants I spotted in the Cape Garden Centre.

It is generally a very robust plant but with age it tends to begin to lean over, begin suckering and branching out. The leaves can grow to 1.5 metres long. And surprisingly, possibly, this fella only ever grows to a maximum of about 2 metres in height and width…. which kind of explains why I didn’t see any taller versions of it 😉

The flowers are dioecious [carry both male and female flowering parts seperate]. The male parts [16″ long but up to 32″ long in other varieties] are cone like and pineapple scented whilst the female parts [8″ long but up to 30″ long] can appear as loose clusters of leaves but in C. revoluta appear as yellow fruits.

Personally I love them simply for their foliage.

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Tags biology, cape town, climate, Cycas, Cycas revoluta, Flora and Fauna, flower, fruit, genus, leaf, palms, plant, Plantae, south africa, trees, unusual

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The Niall Mellon Table Quiz

Post author By Peter Donegan
Post date December 8, 2009
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I’d noted the Niall Mellon Township Table quiz here.

Was it a good night……. It was cracking!! Made only more special by you.

Firstly, It is not without my good friend Ciarán and Jackie my youger sister that this would have taken place. After that a huge thanks to Michael Nugent who acted as quizmaster to the sponsors and to YOU who supported me by turning up or by simply picking up the phone and wishing well.

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Thank you all. It is so very sincerely appreciated.

Some wonder why I do what I do… why I do some of the more unusual things in my life…. to be very honest… it puts it all in perspective every time I watch the video. Thank you. 😉

Should I go back next year…..? What do you think…?

*more images here

Tags cape town, Irish people, Michael Nugent, niall mellon township trust, People, Business, peter donegan, Recreation and Sports, south africa, townships

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Beaucarnea recurvata

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Some of these plants were used in the building of the garden in Wallacedene.

Once again they came from The Cape Garden Centre.

They were however planted as a smaller species [you’ll see them in the images below in sand in a liner similar to a 1 litre pot]. Once again and yet again to say I was blown away when I saw them over the 6′ tall mark is an understatement. They are magnificient.

The beaucarnea, nolinaceae, are a genus of about 30 species of evergreen trees and shrubs. This variety, the B. recurvata, is commonly known as the ponytail palm. The leaves can grown to 6′ tall, the plant itself can grow up to 8metres in height and 4 metres wide. It does produce flowers through the summer time, but alas I think I’ll have to hope that one day I may see that in person…. For the moment, it is still an absoolute stunner… 😉

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Tags beaucarnea, beaucarnea recurvata, biology, cape garden centre, cape town, Evergreen, garden, genus, palm, plant, ponytail palm, shrub, south africa, species, tree, unusual

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Leucospermum cordifolium x glabrum

Post author By Peter Donegan
Post date November 23, 2009
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I was blown away when I saw this plant displayed at The Cape Garden Centre.

I have seen these guys before… but they are very much a rarity, in Ireland anyway and moreso in such abundance.

The Leucospernum, commonly known as the pincushion, Protaeaceae, is a genus of about 47 species of evergreen shrubs. What is amazing about this plant is that it grows to about 1.5 meters tall and wide and in South Africa.

It’s recommended use…. as a hedge… 😯 can you imagine that in Ireland !! The best thing after that… it’s widely used for cut flowers.

In case you may get confused… the L. cordifolium do grow, generally to about 2 metres tall, its leaves are about 8cm and the spherical flowerheads to about about 12cm. The little pins are known as styles. It also prefers an acid soil.