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A Small Garden in the West of Ireland

© Carol Wallace

This is the house and garden that we moved into 12 years ago. As my wife is not the slightest bit interested in gardening, other than to tell me when something does not look well, or to ask why there is not a pot plant in a certain position, I had the task of making a new garden all to myself. Well I suppose the good point is I would have no arguments over the plan. This house and garden is built on land that was re-claimed from the Shannon estuary. The soil, if you could call it that, consists of a blue clay, or consolidated estuary mud. Wet and sticky in the wintertime, and rock hard in the summertime. There was grass covering most of the area (a lawn would be much too strong a word) with holes in places 18 inches deep. The boundary fence, two timber rails with posts every 12 feet had long since outlived its usefulness. The first task was to secure the garden, which I did with a 6 x 6-panel fence, down both sides, and across the back. The front had a 3ft picket fence, and a Griselinia hedge planted inside, which has now grown through and masked the fence.

The next task was to plant the usual treasures that accompanied me from house to house over the last thirty years Thuja orientalis, Daphne retusa, rhododendrons, camellias, and a collection of other dwarf conifers. The area for the shrub beds was quickly marked out and all were planted in what I thought were the appropriate places. By the way they were not planted in the original soil, but a mixture of peat and bought in soil, raised well above ground level.

Now the lawn! Having had to work this soil in the past I knew there was no point in trying to cultivate it. So a load of sand and 20 large bags of moss peat were promptly ordered. This was all tipped in the carport and mixed much as you would with sand and cement. After the original grass was cut as low as possible, the peat and sand were spread to a depth of 4 inches all over the intended lawn area, and leveled with a straight edge and some pegs. Fertilizer and lawn seed were sown and the lot covered with chicken wire. This coincided with a dry period and it had to be watered every day, and sometimes twice a day until germination, 10 days later. This experiment worked out very well and produced a beautiful lawn.

THE BACK GARDEN The back garden was crying out for a patio, for I was walking into mud when