Garden renewal

.

Our Charlotte Close garden renewal

It was Monday June15^th, 2026

When Hortiland vans drove up our drive

Five gardeners disembarked ready for a gardening affray

By name they were Alexandra,Richard,Robert,Zoltan,Nandor

Ably led by Hortiland garden designer Orsula

Their mission was to reawaken our garden

Long overaged and out of control

For 31 years it grew untamed and unfettered

Weaving its own tangled beauty of flowers

Wild and unnamed shrubs and bulbous creations

Their masses of roots intertwined in the ground

Requiring spades, rakes and shovels and muscle

To dig them from their deep embedded comfort zone

Out of control weeds, bushes and plants

Surrendered to this Hortiland frontal attack

Ending our overcrowded gardening spell

Ancient shrubs bid their last farewell

To be piled up and dumped in the adjacent skip sacks

Now we were making way for a new beginning

The brown earth appeared and breathed air again

Its hidden beauty now raked awake once more

Mediterranean scents are now filling the air

Newly planted lavender smells enrich our summer evenings fair

In centre place, at top of steps, a silver-grey olive tree dominates

Surrounded by rich red fuchsia bell like flowers as mates

With the lovely green spotted laurel acting sentinel underneath

Nearby on the sloping bank is a beautiful copper acer

Quiet and graceful with a central elevated view

Underneath a mature Buxus displays its lovely shape

Lower down smaller rounded shrubs form a little cluster

As if paying homage to their larger neighbour

Several more ferns, hydrangeas, old and new,

Our azaleas and camelias from the old garden

Add colour and excitement to this newly developing botanical gem,

Brown gravel is spread across the soil

Uniting all our new shrubbery we are planting in our ground

Rocks of varying size and colour are strategically positioned around

Giving our newly emerging garden a warm stony look

Now, where once stood a 30-year garden in decline

Our newly designed garden model stands,

 Showing renewal and a new purpose

With its dramatic transformation

Our lovely garden, our haven of peace and tranquillity

Is reborn again waiting to spring back into life

To celebrate each growing season

With invigorating new growth, colour and scent.

Thank you Orsula Adler and your Hortiland team. You were a joy to work with.

Mick O Callaghan Friday June 19^th, 2026

FÓGRA

THE NATURAL STORYTELLER, MY LATEST COLLECTION OF SHORT STORIES AND POEMS IS NOW ON SALE AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS Kavanaghs (Wexford Road, Arklow), Easons (Gorey), Myles Doyle (Gorey), Springmount Garden Centre, Gala Store (Courtown), Partridges ,Gorey, Tara Vie Hotel (Courtown), Red Books (Wexford), and The Book Centre (Wexford). You can also purchase it online at www.theirishbookshop.com or directly from myself, priced fifteen euros.