Jan/Feb
Blarney Castle & Gardens new gardens
The development of Blarney Castle’s gardens continues in 2017. Head gardener Adam Whitbourn has revealed plans for two new areas – a new Jungle Garden is to be created in an overgrown area adjacent to the existing Tropical border, and following a successful collecting trip in Northern Vietnam last November, there are plans in place to develop a Vietnamese woodland garden using wild-collected specimens.
Dunmore Country School
An intensive one-day horticultural course with Tanguy de Toulgo?t will bring you through the essentials of creating a garden that is both productive and a pleasure to the senses. Learn how to grow tasty vegetables in a sustainable, intensive and cost-effective way in a typical French garden where vegetables, herbs, fruits and flowers are mixed. Contact: Dunmore Country School, Durrow, Co. Laois. Tel: 087-1258002
Plantperson’s Course
Starting on 26 February at Hunting Brook Gardens, Blessington, Co. Wicklow is a Masterclass in Planting. If you are looking to increase your skills and knowledge of plants, join Jimi Blake, owner of Hunting Brook Gardens, one Sunday per month from 10am to 4pm, 12 classes per year. Contact: 087-285 6601 www.huntingbrook.com
Early season offer from Gabriel Ash
Order any Gabriel Ash cedar greenhouse in January and February 2017 and receive 500 worth of accessories from the stunning Gabriel Ash cedar accessories collection including water butt, cold frame, blinds, seed trays, cedar planters and potting trays. For more details: 087-2306 128.
Allianz Garden Show Ireland
Dates have been announced for Allianz Garden Show Ireland 2017 and it takes place 5 to 7 May 2017 and will be held again in the magnificent Antrim Castle Gardens in partnership with Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council. The 2017 Show will be larger than ever before. Keep tuned for up-dates!
Woodville Walled Garden
Woodville Walled Garden, Co. Galway, will open daily from 11am to 4pm for the month of February. There are guided tours each day at 2 pm with the head gardener Marie looking at the varied snowdrop collection and early spring bulbs. Snowdrop Event will be on 11 February with guest speaker Assumpta Broomsfield. For further details contact Margarita at 087/9069191 or www.woodvillewalledgarden.com
Mindful gardening
Recently, Irish Garden carried out the first-ever survey done in Ireland linking gardening to mindfulness, and 89% of respondents say they have experienced mindfulness in their garden. Gardening was understood to mean the action and non-action of spending time in the garden. A massive 1,567 people responded, a wide mix of social status, age profile and gardening ability. Remarkably, 99.6% said that gardening or spending time in their garden in their experience increased well-being in their life. Visit www.irishgardensubs.com/survey.html
Art of Beauty
Old roses sometimes tend to look a little bit messy and disorderly. The Charleston Rose Column is ideal for helping roses to retain a compact form whilst supporting branches straining under the heavy burden of rose blossoms in full bloom. Contact: www.classicgardenelements.ie or 087-2306 128
Coolwater gems
Coolwater Garden in Co. Limerick features an extensive water garden. A new project to install seven new circular troughs is underway. The circular troughs are painted black, with a diameter of 42″ and made of solid concrete. Planting will be a collection of ferns, tiny rhododendrons and cushion saxifrages with some other surprises also. Visit www.coolwatergarden.com
Jelitto new catalogue
From the new Jelitto catalogue, ‘Green Twister’ is a unique and colourful selection of echinacea. This lively green coneflower shows natural variation in the colour and size of the green edge. The horizontally arranged petals are arranged around a large cone. Flowering stems are shorter in the first year but normal size, 100cm, in the second year. More information on this and a huge range of perennials flowers at www.jelitto.com
Gardens of Ireland Trust
The Gardens of Ireland Trust, the new representative body for gardens open to the public, is now inviting members from the Gardens Open and Garden Tourism sector. The Gardens of Ireland Trust aims to have a new garden tourism website targeting the garden tourist and tour groups, and will work with relevant organisations to facilitate garden tourism workshops and promotion of garden visiting, both domestically and internationally. Contact: trevor@trevoredwardsgardens.com or angelajupe@gmail.com
