Just think about the usual weather in Donegal. How many polytunnels did you see? Imagine how they'd tear apart in winter gales off the Atlantic.
Except for one manor garden in a pretend castle, all the normal domestic Donegal gardens I saw were expanses of grass with a hedge and a few baskets and pots. Often the rock is just below the surface too. It sticks out above the surface too in my friend's garden so she's decked it and has things in pots. No lawn.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
I resided in The North West for many years,..in particular Donegal,..i am always amazed at how foreign visitors give an opinion of a big County,.. yet they were only there for a short visit,..there are gardens to see in Donegal and Hotels with Wild Deer wandering about,..Donegal Carpets are famous worldwide as are its Tweeds,..not forgetting the huge amount of Aran Wool Garments produced there,..the huge amount of Sea Fish exported from Donegal is vast,..one should look around and not jump to conclusions,..however its the beauty of Donegal and the North West that appeals to visitors,..the population of Donegal in 2011 was only 161,000.
Below is my video on The West Coast,..mostly of Donegal,..enjoy it.
Have only explored the coast as that's where my friend lives. Lot of coast to follow to get anywhere tho so saw a lot of ordinary gardens and was struck by how plain they are. No doubt there are more garden friendly areas but still windy, I'd have thought.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
@Obelixx,..i whole heartily agree with you on the tough weather,..apart from its beauty its a wild and windy area with winds coming in from the sea,..the road ends where my last picture view is,..nothing between there and America
Even in the more fertile parts of Ireland that I've visited, you don't see many gardens as we know them, particularly around the out of town new builds. It's usually just grass and a fence.
Perhaps the OP would move there and keep sheep so as to spin Wool and make carpets, they thrive on rough outcrops, they balance on the rocks here on Dartmoor and I wonder just what they do eat. The grass is very poor in places. .
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
Nothing much taller than grass grows on the Atlantic coast for all the reasons given above. If you go slightly further South on the West coast you will come into the Province of Connaught. "To hell or to Connaught" was the choice Cromwell gave the native Irish in 1653. They would either be killed or go to Connaught, which meant starvation because they could not survive there. Let's just say it's not the most hospitable landscape and you're very lucky that the weather was with you.
Perhaps the OP would move there and keep sheep so as to spin Wool and make carpets, they thrive on rough outcrops, they balance on the rocks here on Dartmoor and I wonder just what they do eat. The grass is very poor in places. .
While sheep are tried and tested, I was trying to think if something else could better them. I'm close to the South downs and personally would rather see most of the livestock gone and replaced with food bearing crops for humans. Though appreciate the two can co-mingle. But we do have the luxury of fantastic weather in the most part in Sussex.
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Except for one manor garden in a pretend castle, all the normal domestic Donegal gardens I saw were expanses of grass with a hedge and a few baskets and pots. Often the rock is just below the surface too. It sticks out above the surface too in my friend's garden so she's decked it and has things in pots. No lawn.
"To hell or to Connaught" was the choice Cromwell gave the native Irish in 1653. They would either be killed or go to Connaught, which meant starvation because they could not survive there.
Let's just say it's not the most hospitable landscape and you're very lucky that the weather was with you.