One of the largest Spanish chestnuts in the country greets you on arrival to Hardymount Gardens, 2.5 acres (1 hectare) of lawns and shrubs surrounded by magnificent beech and oak trees. A wonderful walled garden behind the house contains many unusual plants and flowers in the herbaceous border. The grass paths take you past the pond with lilies and fish to espaliered apple trees, a pergola clothed with wisteria and underplanted with hollyhocks and foxgloves and on to a vegetable garden. A summer house at the end of the garden in a sheltered corner provides a quiet area for rest and relaxation.
“Sheila Reeves Smyth puts her work and effort into a garden that will give pleasure for the length of the summer and into autumn. Trellis, espaliered apples and the wisteria tunnel all create a pleasing division of the space and structure in the walled garden. Each little area feels private and secluded. But the overall picture does not look contrived or “designed”. Hardymount is well cared for but not overly manicured, a relaxed country garden.” – O’ Brien Guide to Irish Gardens by Shirley Lanigan.
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The Gardens of the Newt – A Journey Spanning Three Centuries Travel back in time with Arthur Cole to discover the origins of an exceptional garden […]
In these times when it is often much harder to get the seed you want, discover how to collect your own.
The Carlow Garden Trail is delighted to welcome Steven Desmond, chartered horticulturalist and journalist with Country Life. The garden seat has many roles in the garden: as an eyecatcher, viewpoint and decorative object in its own right. Some of them are reasonably comfortable to sit on too.
What makes a great gardener? Stephen Anderton looks at the lives of men and women, past and present, who have made great gardens admired throughout the world. What drives them to work in this deliciously frustrating medium where every element is growing or dying? Which gardeners were not only passionate plant-lovers but also nurserymen, painters, novelists, soldiers, architects, engineers, politicians, philosophers and fashionistas? Which gardeners - rarest or the rare - can design and structure and layout of a garden as well as the detail of the planting? Some of the names you will know, some will be a wonderful surprise. Afterwards take a stroll around the stunning walled garden of Hardymount. A very memorable afternoon is promised!
