One of the paths through the Kitchen Garden in the Walled Garden@Dunsland

The Walled Garden restoration project in Dunsland Garden Centre, Glanmire is nearing completion. The first area of the garden to be restored and completed is the kitchen garden.

A view of part of the Kitchen Garden as it looks now

As this garden was originally built in the 1850s primarily as a kitchen garden it seemed fitting that this was where we should start on the restoration.

Firstly we had to fight our way in there and remove all the scrub growth, brambles, sycamore, ash and willow saplings among other such delights along with a veritable forest of Grisellinea which had been hiding an existing Victorian cold frame.

Once we managed to get access into the Walled Garden, this is what we had to contend with.

One of the original coldframes (no longer with glass) which had been hidden from view for over 40 years

We discovered some treasures that had managed to survive through the neglect since God knows when, namely the pear trees, a magnificent Fig tree – now in full fruit in the Mediterranean Garden and loving the fact that it is exposed once more to fresh air and sunlight- and a fantastic Grapevine which is only now beginning to show signs of regrowth.

Thats a fig tree in the corner beneath all the brambles believe it or not.

Next job was to mark out where we were going to create beds and paths.

Then we set upon the task of actually creating the paths using Tobermore Paving products. We created the raised beds using topsoil from the garden – untouched by man or chemical for over 30 years – nice and organic, and incorporated in some well rotted Farm Yard Manure.

The paths and beds being marked out and built in the Kitchen Garden

Next was the job of sowing seeds, planting out seed potatoes, onion sets and more.

The bed being prepared with well rotted Farm Yard Manure before the potatoes are planted

Home Guard the first earlies being planted during early March

Within a week you could see the ground breaking and the Victorian kitchen garden once more beginning to produce.

We now have over 40 different varieties of edible crops growing in th garden. We have 2 coach loads visiting the garden tomorrow and after they have seen it we will be harvesting the first of the produce for sale in the Farm Shop @ Dunsland.

On Sunday we will begin harvesting from the kitchen garden and selling the produce in the Farm Shop @ Dunsland