Many Irish properties follow a conventional pattern: a roughly rectangular site divided in two by a house, with a front and back garden. Both gardens have different functions: generally front gardens are more public, back gardens more private. Back gardens are places of retreat, and can be intimate spaces for family and friends, for wildlife, for children. We love to make natural, comfortable gardens where plants play a big role, where hard landscaping is kept to a minimum and where peace and quiet can be enjoyed.
A very private back garden in Dublin 4. This leafy garden was conceived as a place for bird watching and wildlife, as the owner is a keen birdwacher and wanted to attract as many as possible to the garden. Native plants, berries and plenty of trees near the house provide food and shelter. A boardwalk cuts down one side of the house.
A small garden right in Dublin City centre. The high walls make the garden a sun trap. On a very limited budget, we planted a boundary of 'tropical' looking plants including banana, bamboo, ginger and other foliage and flowering plants. Concrete paving was covered with washed beach pebble and a red timber frame was constructed for climbers.
A private and sunny back garden in DunLaoghaire. It is filled with perennials, grasses and flowering shrubs. No need to cut the grass, and endlessly changing colours and textures. Plants shown include Nepeta 'Six Hills Giant', Allium 'Purple Sensation', Convolvulus cneorum and Delphimium 'Bluebird'
A back garden in Dublin 8: a path of Kilkenny limestone cuts through the lawn. The south-facing part of the garden is divided into vegetable and fruit growing beds. A pleached hornbeam hedge runs down the other. This is an easy to maintain family garden.
A large back garden in Ranelagh, Dublin 6. This garden has a couple of buildings in it, including a guest house and an artists' studio. The main lawn is surrounded by deep beds, planted with trees, shrubs, ornamental grasses and perennials. A path, set into the lawn, leads from the house to the guest house. Little paths, edged with rough granite which was excavated during the building process, aim to create islands of naturalised plants incuding Primula, Luzula and rare and interesting trees and shrubs. The entire garden was bare soil / construction site only 2-3 years prior to these photos being taken.
Part of a large garden in Blackrock, Co Dublin. It started out as a sloping garden, and we made three interconnecting lawns, each circular in shape and overlapping. Steps, paving and all hard surfaces are made from Liscannor limestone from Co Galway. Planting is natural and colourful.