"We had the plans for the garden before we had the plans for the house," says Eileen Gibbons, of her home tucked away at the end of the tree lined cul-de-sac off Convent Road in Delgany. The 0.9 acre site is now laden with trees and shrubs with year round colour, especially from acidic loving rhododendron, camellia, japonica and hydrangea "We planted every single tree, shrub and flower here, and specifically designed the patio to the rear, to look over the gardens" says Gibbons.
The Gibbons family purchased the site – now accessed by a private walled entrance with electric gates – when it had full planning permission, but decided against the original plans. “We wanted to put in our own design with English redbrick and a Rosemary (clay) tiled roof, but had to fight tooth and nail, so it ended up with An Bord Pleanála. It was a much sounder choice environmentally – as we have never had to paint the house – and now there are houses in the Burnaby in Greystones that have subsequently used the Rosemary tiles,” she says .
The property, dating from 1997 “was built around the path of the sun” and sits beautifully into the landscape, a bit reminiscent of country homes in the Cotswolds. When daughter Ali was getting married the family hosted a get-together of guests in the gardens.
At that time the Cornus controversa – or wedding cake tree as it is more commonly known – was in full bloom with its flat panicles of white blossoms.
“The first one I ever saw was in Helen Dillon’s garden many moons ago, when I visited as a treat for working so hard in the gardens here, and I just love them.”
The property itself has four bedrooms and extends to 313sq m (3,369sq ft) over two floors. The main bedroom lies at garden level and has French windows that open to the patio overlooking the garden for morning coffees. Two of the five bathrooms have been given a recent makeover and are very generously sized.
New owners will more than likely want to pare back the design to more neutral and contemporary tones in places. The kitchen, with a two oven Aga is painted in the popular Downpipe Grey by Farrow and Ball, and stands out against the chequered tiled floors and exposed brick walls, but it’s all a simple cosmetic job.
Gibbons is rightsizing as she does not need so much space anymore, and while she will miss her lovely gardens it is just not practical. Vico, at 14 Dromont in Delgany, enjoys much privacy as it is the last house in the cul-de-sac, and is now on the market through Lisney seeking €1.1million.
