Limerick Leader October 2005

A certain magical quality present in a garden belonging to County Limerick’s Deborah and Martin Begley helped to secure first place in a nationwide competition to find Irelands best garden.

The inaugural Viking Irish Garden Awards were run in the 32 counties and judges were highly impressed with the Begley’s garden in Dromin because of an interesting and clever design, large collection of superb plants, excellent maintenance, and a certain magical quality.

The garden called Terra Nova, also won the provincial award for Munster after securing the Limerick county award.

The competition was sponsored by Viking Garden Products and The Irish Garden magazine, whose editor, Gerry Daly, was chairman of the judging panel.

A presentation was made to the couple at an awards ceremony at the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin in Dublin.

Mr Daly said the standard of entry was very high and it was pleasing to see so many new and previously unknown gardens taking part.

Also present was Heinrich Lechner of Viking Gardening Products, one of the adjudicators of the awards, who said the company were delighted to sponsor the competition at a time when interest in gardening in Ireland had increased over the last few years.

The Begley’s garden is on a half-acre comprised of heavy clay soil which took a lot of effort to improve. There are three small lawns, but much more of the space is planted with thousands of interesting plants. There are lots of decorative features such as ponds, small buildings, ornaments and sculptures, many of which were made by Mr Begley, a craft worker in decorative glass.Ms Begley has always been a very keen gardener and loves to raise plants from seeds which she sources and exchanges all over the world and she is a self-confessed plantaholic. The Begleys are perfectionists and like to concentrate on detail and each job is completely finished before they move onto the next one. “Having fun is a main priority and doing something a bit zany in the garden gives us a real kick. During the summer months we are always hatching plans for projects to do in the coming autumn and then as soon as October arrives we are itching to get going.” said Ms Begley.

The Begley’s like to be experimental and ensure that all new constructions fit into the existing surroundings. “Because we have so many ideas for the garden, we have to make every square inch count. We firmly believe that rules are made to be broken and although we own hundreds of gardening books, we rarely take any of the advice that they offer! We are brave/foolish gardeners and we find taking chances works well for us.” she said.“Even if things don’t work out, then we will just dig it up and start over again! We have no time for plant slackers. If they don’t earn their keep, then they are out.” she said.

The couple love plants but there are a few which visitors won’t see on a visit to their garden in Dromin.

Ms Begley said that asters and chrysanthemums were not for them and that heathers and helianthemums were lovely -- in somebody else’s garden.

“Every plant in our garden is loved for itself, not because it ‘does a job’ or colour coordinates with other plants. For us foliage comes before flowers. Texture and form feature highly throughout the garden.” she said.

“Our borders are very cosmopolitan, and although some are tightly ‘themed’ ie. woodland or exotic, there is a mix of trees, shrubs, roses, herbaceous and bulbs everywhere.” she said.

The couple’s favourite plants include Buxus, ferns, bamboos, roses and privets, as well as hardy exotics, umbellifers, woodland plants and aroids.

Feeding is very important to the Begley’s, who said that when their plants were happy, so were they.

“Neighbours are used to the familiar sight of three tractor-trailer loads of manure out on the roadside every winter. We wheelbarrow it in and spread it on all of the borders.” she said.

Ms Begley describes herself as a seedaholic and enjoys exchanging seeds.“

Lots of our social activities revolve around our love of plants and gardening and we have made lots of wonderful friends from all over the country. The sharing of plants, seeds or knowledge is a tremendous thrill.” she said.

The couple have four children, Emlyn who works for the Press Association in Yorkshire, Ben who works in a local supermarket; Michael is a fifth year secondary school student in Kilmallock, and Zoe attends the local primary school.

They are members of more than ten plant and garden societies, which, they said, made for a year of great reading as the journals and newsletters were a brilliant way to keep your finger on the pulse of gardening.

There is a small nursery in the garden specialising in interesting plants that the Begley’s have raised from seed or propagated from the plants that live in the garden.

Their garden is open to visitors from April to September, every Friday from 10am until dark, or on Saturday and Sunday, but visitors must phone first on these two days. Groups are welcome at anytime by appointment.

The Begley’s give illustrated talks to groups within a hundred mile radius and Ms Begley is a regular contributor to The Irish Garden magazine.

For further information check out www.terranovaplants.com or www.limerickgardentrail.com or email terranovaplants@eircom.net.By Deirdre McGrath 8/10/05

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