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Video:
Gavin's Irish Gardens
Video review
by Trevor Edwards
1
July '02
 Diarmuid
best known for his unconventional garden designs
on TV programmes such as Â鶹ԼÅÄfront in the Garden
and Â鶹ԼÅÄfront Inside Out returns to his native
Ireland to reflect on the question What is an
Irish Garden? This is the question he patiently
explores in this personal journey through some
of IrelandÂ’s most beautiful gardens. From
the formal splendour of Powerscourt, to a tiny
rock garden in County Clare, the wide variety
of gardens featured include the well-known and
the unknown, the formal and the informal, the
old and the new, the large and the small, the
serious and the fun.
Although
I adore watching TV gardening programmes the
thought of purchasing a garden video would previously
not have appealed to me UNTIL NOW! While watching
this video not only did I find myself challenged
by the question of "What is an Irish Garden"
but also excited and inspired by the many lovely
gardens which are in effect on our doorstep.
I found myself resolving to visit many of the
gardens in the near future.
The
video features many fabulous gardens including
the following to name but a few:
- Our
own and much loved Mountstewart, Co. Down
built in the 1920Â’s the home of Lady
Londonderry now under the stewardship of the
National Trust.
- An
fear gorta a cottage style garden on a Rock
base in a very natural surrounding in Co.
Clare.
- Lorna
McMahonÂ’s rocky garden with a delightful
stream in Ardcarraig Co. Galway In this garden
we can see inspiring before and after shots
of the garden restoration.
- Esther
MaloneyÂ’s garden of Ballindooling House,
Co. Kildare has been restored under the directorship
of Finola Reid of the Great Gardens of Ireland
Restoration Scheme. Interesting this is one
of 22 Irish gardens to have received assistance
from this organisation!
- Derreen,
Co. Kerry is a typical Robinsonian style of
garden design – is it a typical Irish
Garden?
- Glendale
in Rathfarnum Co. Dublin is a refreshing,
suburban garden which according to its owner
Noelle Ann Curran is "constantly under
change".
- Glanleam,
Valentia Island in Co. Kerry was started c1832
is now owned by Meta Kreissig who intriguingly
refers to her "war against nature"
I
agree with the comment that is made that many
of the great gardens in Ireland are similar
to the great gardens of England and that an
Irish garden didnÂ’t exist until recently!
I wonder if some of the new gardens featured
will become Great Irish gardens of the future?
Diarmuid concludes by saying, "he recognises
an Irish garden when he sees it but he is not
sure he can tell us what it is!
I
can confidently recommend this inspiring and
enchanting 52-minute video exploration of Irish
Gardens that can easily be visited by many of
us. Go for it & Enjoy!
Video
Gavin's Irish Gardens
Available from (www.twofour.co.uk)
or telephone number 01752 333900.
Price £15.99 (Including delivery)
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