Gardenbuddies Magazine

404 File Not Found Sorry, the file you were looking for could not be found. It may have moved to a new location. Please use the navigation links at the top or search our forums. You will now be redirected to Gardenbuddies!

World Clock

Pacific Eastern Japan Finland Germany Australia UK

All times are GMT -8. The time now is 06:49 PM.
Vbulletin 3.7.4 Copyright ©2000 - 2008, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
SEO by vBSEO 3.2.0 Copyright ©2003 - 2008, Gardenbuddies.com

Contact Us - Gardenbuddies.com - Archive - Privacy Statement - Top

A Bit of Paradise in Ireland

When someone mentions the Country of Ireland, what thoughts first pop into your mind?..Leprechauns? St. Paddy's Day? Irish Whiskey? Green Beer? Not me. My mind wanders to that wonderful Classical Movie "The Quiet Man" starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. Those richly developed characters and that unforgettable countryside...and that one scene where John Wayne wants to plant a Rose Bush for Maureen and she is amused thinking he should be planting something that is edible instead..THEN...he digs up another stone and the realization hits him that that is why there are so many stone walls in Ireland! Well, wouldn't you think the first thing I would ask our GB from Ireland,"Sam did you find alot of stones when digging to prepare for your Gardens?" I think it better if we let Sam tell his story, so ...Play it again Sam! Ooopppss wrong movie.

"Yes Jeanne, lots and lots of stones." He smiles. "Where do you think I got the stones for around the ponds and other projects for my Gardens?"I live in the County Antrim in the North of Ireland. Surely you have heard of the Green Glens of Antrim? When I bought this property in 1974 it was just an old stone built cottage on a small piece of farmland. The cottage had to be demolished to clear a site for my new house.

I then bought a small piece of ground beside it. This created an area of total wilderness which had to be tidied up.In all it amounted up to 2 and a half acres. My brother-in-law and myself decided to create the garden, starting with patios and walkways to create an area for outdoor living and sharing with our friends for our Barbeques and outdoor entertaining.

I well remember digging a piece of virgin soil about a yard wide to plant some daffodil bulbs so that there would be some colour when we visited to see how the builder was getting on.

My brother-in-law, who always helped me in the garden, died in 1995 at the age of 47. We both loved working together and creating new areas, then sitting back with a few beers to relax and enjoy it with our friends. It was for that reason that I worked so hard on the Japanese Garden to complete it in his memory. My plans are to finish off the Japanese Garden and to keep the rest of the gardens in shape...This job is very consuming for two people..

(Enter Sams' Maureen O'Hara that he lovingly calls "Wonderwoman"! Dare I ask him why he gave her that name?..LOL...) After Jimmies death my wife began to take more and more of an active interest and now does ALL of the tidying up work involved. Very occasionally if I do a job which needs two hands I will call on a friend.

My Favorite Plant is undoubtedly Japanese Maples. Since I first encountered these plants I have been consumed by their beauty, and the way they delight all season long with their ever changing colours.

I guess one can guess the reason he chose the moniker "Whis4ey" ..a True Irishman...His Gardens are just as Grand and Magical as the man himself! Thank you so much Sam for taking the time to let us visit your gardens and the chance to get to know you better...He has a wonderful website that he created that has so much more than you can see here...Please take the time and check it out...believe me..it will be well worth your while. Its filled with more pictures, videos that he has created himself and a wealth of knowledge. http://www.fujiyamagarden.com/.

Produced by Jeanne

404 Page Not Found