Hillsborough Castle Gardens

It may seem a minor observation and a detail hardly worth a comment but what struck me most about the gardens at Hillsborough Castle was that they were open to the public at all. My recollection of our previous visit, when the gardens were generally closed but opened especially for us as we were in …

The Rowallane Blues

Rowallane Gardens in Co. Down were created in the late 19th century by Reverend John Moore and his nephew Hugh Armytage Moore and are now in the care of the National Trust. The Moore's passion for interesting plants is still obvious in the gardens for they are home to a wonderful collection which is guaranteed …

The View from the Lawnmower:

It's a matter of perspective, I suppose, or the slightly elevated viewpoint of a lawnmower seat which facilitates my seeing things in the garden which might at other times escape my notice. Perhaps, it is because the lawnmower brings me right around the garden while, at other times, I may work the entire day on …

Altamont Gardens – Photographs!

This is a lazy approach to a blog but I have visited Altamont Gardens so many times and have posted about it so regularly previously that writing about it again seems superfluous. In brief: It is a garden in Co. Carlow, previously owned by the late Mrs. Corona North who left it to the state …

At Ardgillan Castle

The Irish Garden Plant Society held its Annual General Meeting at Ardgillan Castle last Saturday and we attended. The plan for the day was to enjoy a talk from the head gardener after the meeting, followed by lunch and a guided tour of the gardens. However, circumstances intervened and spoiled the plans and we had …

Returning, tired from our travelling, to our home:

There is a quotation from the poet Vaius Valerius Catullus on the frieze of the Temple of Bacchus in the grounds of the Villa Cimbrone in Ravello, south of Sorrento, in Italy which reads: Quid solutis est beatius curiscum mens onus reponit, ac peregrinolabore fessi venimus larem ad nostrum,desideratoque adquiescimus lecto?Oh what is more blest …

Making Hay…

Mani, a purebred border collie who manages a garden and a gardener (Bob) in Colorada, USA, keeps me updated on weather conditions in his patch of the world and, after a very very long period of severe drought - snow doesn't count as precipitation there as it doesn't wet the ground - he told me …

Perfect Today!

It has become a trend in gardening, almost a demand put into the mouths of those new to gardening, that there should be year-round interest in all parts of the garden, that it should be maintenance-free or, at least, low-maintenance; that our wildflower meadows sparkle with jewels right through the year though the seed is …

Mount Congreve Gardens in Photographs

The woodland gardens at Mount Congreve, Waterford, are at their splendid best at the moment and well worth a visit if you are within striking distance. If not, I hope you enjoy my walk around the gardens yesterday through this slideshow: And, for those who enjoy their plants, a selection of those which looked especially …

Just in Passing.

We were in Dublin yesterday morning, a two-hour drive from home, and on our return journey decided to drop into Mount Usher Gardens in Ashford, Co. Wicklow as it is only a minute or two off the motorway and is a good location for lunch, even if it was quite a late lunch, as well …