Finding Tranquility in an Irish Garden
Summer brings me thoughts of vacation, travel and adventure. I have found travel to be a tremendous opportunity to experience life, to learn and to better appreciate what our world is all about. This year’s great adventure was to Ireland… the land of misty coasts, forbidding bogs, Celtic myths and legends. It is also the home of Jameson Whiskey and Guinness but that is for another article. What you may not have realized is that Ireland provides a climate that ideally suits a wide range of plant material so it is also the home to many spectacular gardens.
Unless you have experienced it first hand, it is hard to describe the incredibly terrifying feeling of first driving a tiny, manual shifting, rent-a-car and on the left side of the road. Not only are the roads more narrow than many of our driveways but they are often lined with rock walls rising immediately on either side of the motorway. On these beautiful dry stacked stone walls grew many plants, some appearing naturally while others were planted as hedges. When I first noticed 6’ tall Fuchsia plants (literally drooping with flowers) growing wild just outside my driver’s side window I knew that gardens here would be amazing.
We planned our trip to see the various areas of Ireland that have equally various characteristics making them distinctively unique. Right inside Dublin we first visited the National Botanic Gardens. This urban garden was highlighted by a group of beautiful Victorian conservatories that are amazingly well kept. The rockery, the perennial borders and arboretum were spectacular but the Rose Garden was our favorite. Interestingly, the seasons here seem to collide with color. The early blooming Peonies, Lupines and Poppies are all in full bloom as are the Roses, Rhododendron and Delphinium combining the blooming power of our late April- June all together in a huge display of color.
After a tour of the Guinness brewery and Temple Bar area in Dublin, we headed cross county to the western Ireland coast and the dramatic Cliffs of Moher, the spectacular Dingle peninsula and, of course, more gardens. Kylemore Abbey has a rich history as well as a very interesting story. Mitchell Henry and his wife Margaret visited Kylemore Lodge in Connemara while on their honeymoon and Margaret was so enthralled by the beauty of the area that Henry later purchased the Lodge and surrounding 13,000 acres of land to build his estate. The property was made up of mountains, lakes and bogs so Henry began the improvements of the Kylemore Castle property that would last for forty years becoming a commercial and political experiment providing social benefits to the entire region and leaving a lasting impression on the landscape as well as the local people.
Today the Castle is a Benedictine Abbey as well as a tourist destination. The Abbey, a Gothic Church and the gardens are open to the public. The walled garden remains populated with Victorian era plants and still contains many original buildings. The perennial border divides the garden directly down the center sheltering the view of the workers and produce gardens on either side from the aristocracy that once tread the center garden path. Today, the fruits, herbs and produce grown here are served in the café located on the grounds. Remains of the peach, vinery and 26 assorted display greenhouses remain intact as they have been for nearly 100 years as does a fine collection of rare trees and shrubs.
The southeast coast of Ireland is the warmest, most sun drenched portion of the country and also home of many of the finest gardens. Woodstock Gardens in County Kilkenny, just outside the beautiful village of Inistioge, is a 19th century estate garden that today holds many champion trees including the largest Coastal Redwood and Silver Fir in Europe. The estate was destroyed during the Irish War of Independence in 1922 but the gardens remain today as both a reminder of the estates past grandeur as well as a look at a grand selection of mature trees that once was one of the most diverse collections in the country. Today the most outstanding features are the quarter mile long Noble Fir walk and the Monkey Puzzle Avenue (Araucaria araucana). These mature trees, planted over 120 years ago, provide us with a unique opportunity to see the final vision of what was intended by William F. Tighe when he planted these specimen trees.
Powerscourt garden is part of a grand estate with a luxury hotel, spa, golf courses, garden center and formal gardens. A wide terrace provides sweeping views of the countryside complete with statues, water features, beautifully ornate iron gates and a vast collection of gardens. The longest perennial border in the country, a Rhododendron walk, an outstanding Japanese garden and lookout tower were just a few of the features of this grand estate. Powerscourt Estate Garden is rated the 3rd most spectacular garden in the world by National Geographic Traveler magazine and while we certainly enjoyed our visit there it was not the favorite garden of our group.
Altamont garden in County Carlow features a wonderful blend of formal and informal gardens all surrounded by 500 year old Oaks, lakes, pastures, bogs and a river walk. A formal garden bisects the back of the estate and leads to a lake surrounded by a vast collection of mature trees that are rare and unusual selections. Sculpted Yew arches frame the walks while colorful annuals and perennials bloom in beautiful arrangements of organized chaos. Peacocks stroll the parking lot greeting visitors, their calls can be heard throughout the grounds. The character and tranquility of this garden made this out-of-the- way stop our favorite.
So a trip to Ireland has to include many pub visits, fish and chips and countless pints of stout but it should also include some time spent in wonderful gardens. This is a trip I have dreamed of for a long time and it far exceeded my hopes and expectations. I hope you will have the opportunity for adventure and explorations this summer, whether it be near or far, and that you find time to spend a portion of that time in the tranquil setting of a garden.
Now go outside and have fun in the dirt!