Dermot's Secret Garden

Early Spring has arrived in Clondeglass, the garden is bursting with vibrant green foliage and majestic magnolias about to bloom. Dermot visits his friend Angela Jupe's stunning snowdrop filled garden at Bellefield House. In Clondeglass, Dermot introduces us to his friend and co-gardener for this year - Fiann Ó Nualláin - we learn of their exciting plans to create a jewelled wildflower meadow outside the walls of Clondeglass. They are also embarking on a 'Save the Spud' campaign and Fiann has plans to ensure a bountiful harvest creating practical and perennial vegetable beds. Their most ambitious new project is the creation of the Potager - an ornamental French style kitchen garden that will be planted next to the cottage. Dermot decides to enlist the help of the students of the Belvedere Gardening course in Mullingar to help with the arduous task of preparing the ground for their ambitious project. And in return he gives the guys some gardening lessons. Fiann cooks up a delicious Nettle Omelette and he and Dermot dine in front of a roaring fire in Dermot's newly-renovated gardener's cottage.

It's April in Clondeglass and all through the borders the spring bulbs are exploding into vivid colour. After tackling a slug epidemic in the East Border, Dermot and Fiann get busy digging drills in the veg beds to sow their Irish and Heritage seed potatoes furthering their 'Save the Spud' campaign. Outside the walls of Clondeglass, the new meadow area has been ploughed and tilled. Fiann pays a visit to the charismatic wildflower seed expert and enthusiast Sandro Cafolla to investigate and purchase native wildflower seeds. Dermot's on another mission. In Wexford he's busy at a Pet Rescue centre rescuing hens to replenish his stock. In Clondeglass the Belvedere Students are on hand to help with the pond - an additional focal point to the jewelled meadow. And more help arrives as the kids from the local national school descend on the garden to help sow the thousands of wildflower seeds in the meadow. Fiann forages for wild garlic to make a mouth watering garlic pesto and Dermot checks his rescued hens into their new 5 star surroundings.

The June rains have brought phenomenal growth to Clondeglass - Dermot has been away on garden tours and in his absence the garden has become completely overgrown. There's a lot of weeding to be done. Thankfully the potatoes are surviving and in the meadow all growth is good. To help pollinate and trigger seed production and ensure the future of Clondeglass's productive beds, Dermot has a bee hive installed. He has a treat for his rescue hens and has a new sedum roof installed on their coop. In his friend Carmel Duignan's garden in Co Dublin, Dermot discovers a treasure trove of exotic plants. Fiann has also been away in June, he's been busy at our Ireland's Chelsea - Bloom in the Phoenix Park. His garden is the centre piece of the festival with its iconic Irish planting and mythical elements. And the gardening gene obviously runs through the family - his ten year old niece (youngest exhibitor ever) has won gold for her garden design. Back in Clondeglass, Dermot has a boozy lunch with local forager and chef Mary Bulfin. Mary cooks up a storm from a wealth of edible foods foraged from the hedgerows around Clondeglass. She and Dermot feast on Elderflower Turkish Delight, Summer Berry Salad, delicious Damson Brownies and wash it all down with a potent Beech Leaf Liquor!

une was confirmed as the wettest month on record and the meadow in Clondeglass is struggling for survival. Dermot visits his friend June Rodgers in Tallaght to offer some gardening advice and Fiann and himself help out at the National Potato Day campaign at the Tall Ships Festival. July has been the wettest on record and Dermot's meadow is struggling. Some of the plants have germinated but others must have been washed away in the deluge. For some inspiration he visits his friend Seamus O'Brien, head gardener at Kilmacurragh Botanic Gardens and they enjoy the stunning 100 year old meadow and Himalayan plant filled borders. In Clondeglass, Fiann creates mini meadows in pots, Dermot shares some invaluable tips on pruning roses and wisteria. He visits his friend June Rodgers in Tallaght who's been looking for advice pruning her raspberries bushes. In Belvedere House, Dermot repays the favour for all the work the students have been doing in Clondeglass and spends the day working with them and exploring the stunning 18th Century grounds. Fiann tends to the potatoes and strawberries - both crops still surviving the rains. The pink Elderflower is in full bloom at the front of the cottage and Dermot takes the opportunity of making a delicicous Elderflower cordial. At the Tall Ships Festival in August, Dermot and Fiann lend a helping hand at the National Potato Day. And back at Clondeglass Dermot meets an architect to discuss transforming his concrete potting sheds into extravagant pavilions that he hopes will become the most exotic structures in the garden!

Late August in Clondeglass sees the borders brimming with colour and the wildflower plants in the meadow finally coming into bloom. The damage the June rains have caused will cost Dermot a small fortune in replenishing plant stock. He visits his Dutch friend Flip Schram at his nursery in Kildare to invest in some quick fix plants for the new Potager area by the cottage in Clondeglass. Fiann is working in the veg beds and the devastation the rains have caused is now fully evident - the heritage potato crop has been completely wiped out by blight. Not perturbed by this, Dermot and Fiann continue their 'Save the Spud' campaign and take a stand at the Coco Markets in Dún Laoghaire where people are surprised to find Dermot talking about roosters and not roses. Fiann has cooked up a delicious selection of healthy potato salads (which are said to contain cancer preventative properties) for punters to sample. Dermot visits a friend whose similar passion for gardening helped her through her own battle with cancer, RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland presenter Áine Lawlor. A few dry days in Clondeglass and Fiann gets busy planting up the Potager. Dermot gets working on sorting out quartzite chippings for the Potager paths. He takes a trip to his favourite walled garden in Ireland - Glenveagh - to see he can pinch some ideas for Clondeglass. Work finally begins on the Potager paths and Fiann cooks up a sumptuous Cider Root Stew with the glut of ripe vegetables he's been harvesting in Clondeglass.

As Autumn arrives colder days begin to creep into Clondeglass. The tops of the trees seem to catch fire with autumnal colour, summer blooms decay but others are just coming into their prime. To catch a glimpse of an Autumn garden in its prime, Dermot pays a visit to his friend Ian McDonald's dreamy Bay Garden in Wexford. Some of Ian's planting mirrors that of Clondeglass. Back in his garden, there's a wonderful abundance of apples - Dermot makes a delicious Gardener's Chutney that will keep for several months. At the little potting sheds, Dermot is disappointed with progress; his 'shed to extravagant pavilion' project is way behind. The builder is putting it down to bad weather. To raise money for these projects Dermot needs to work on gardening tours. October's trip takes him to the stunning Borromean Islands in Lake Maggiore in Northern Italy. Back in Clondeglass - his Potager Paths are finally being completed and this is one project that has worked and that he and Fiann are extremely proud of. The Belvedere students are back in December to lend a helping hand as Dermot and Fiann prepare to winter the garden. They plant thousands of hyacinth bulbs for next spring and Fiann makes a spicy mulled wine to compliment Dermot's spicy chutney and cheese spread for a gardeners' party. Dermot reflects on another year closing on Clondeglass and all that he and Fiann have achieved - his health is good, his pockets are empty - but his dream of honouring the craft of gardening in creating a resplendent walled garden is finally within his reach.