Dermot's Secret Garden

Episode 5 (2x5)

: 14, 2013

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.