Garden haven is just a short trip from Cork

ONE of the best spring gardens in Ireland has to be Mount Congreve, situated close to Waterford city.

It comprises some 70 acres of mature woodland and gardens adjacent to the River Suir on a north facing site that slopes towards the banks of the river.

The gardens have been in existence here for hundreds of years with a lot of planting undertaken in earnest under the tenure of Ambrose Congreve since the 1950s.

Ambrose was the last of seven generations of Congreves to reside here, and after he died in 2011 - at the age of 104 en route to the Chelsea Flower Show - the house and gardens were bequeathed to the state for the enjoyment of the people of Ireland.

Since then, there has been uncertainty about the future of the site, the contents of the house were sadly sold off in 2012 and decisions had to be made about the viability of the property.

This week saw the beginning of a new and more optimistic era for the gardens and house when they were officially opened after a € 7 million investment from the Rural Development Fund, Fáilte Ireland, & Waterford City and County Council. The results are incredible; this is a beautiful new jewel in Waterford’s crown. Minister Heather Humphreys and Minister Catherine Martin were present to officially open the newly redeveloped tourism offering.

This is great news for gardeners looking for a day immersed in mature gardens, where lunch is an option as well as some shopping. The east wing of the main house has been transformed into a beautiful dining, restaurant and gift shop area with enchanting botanical art surrounding the walls of the dining area and light flooding in from the glass ceiling, all combining to create a unique and quality atmosphere.

All of this is encountered even before setting foot into the gardens, and there is plenty of scope with an estimated 16km of winding woodland paths to explore.

The timing is good right now and there are a few weeks to plan your visit as the gardens will be looking at their best over the next month or two with Magnolias, Camellias, Rhododendrons and Azaleas all producing clouds of colour amongst and beneath the mature tree cover of both deciduous and evergreen specimens.

This is not just a spring garden however, there is plenty of colour to be enjoyed throughout all of the seasons, with summer flowering herbaceous displays to be found in the walled garden and then the mature deciduous trees and shrubs providing a fine display in autumn.

The garden has been divided into three main routes. The red route takes you west of the main house and details the woodland garden walk, which extends to nearly 2km in total, taking in woodland paths lined with an array of different shrubs along the way as well as follys like The Pagoda and The Temple where the ashes of both Ambrose and Marjorie Congreve are buried. The Greek inspired Temple was built at his favourite place in the garden to be his last resting place and it takes in some spectacular views of the river Suir below.

The blue route is shorter, runs immediately in front of the main house, and is called the Fragrant Walk as it takes in ever changing fragrances in the garden along it’s route. It is less than 1km long and quite close to the main house.

The yellow route comprises the walled garden walk, built in the 1780s, the four acres of walled garden space was designed to both ‘please the eye and feed the belly’ and would have been a hive of activity when it was in full production.

There is still fruit and vegetable production taking place in the walled garden and some fine spring and summer displays in the Paeonia borders. The glasshouse is not accessible and is in need of some repairs. There are some lovely sheltered and peaceful spots throughout the walled gardens for sitting and contemplation.

In addition to the house and gardens, there is the development of The School of Horticulture at Mount Congreve, with intake beginning this April, providing a 48 week course. Classroom teaching space will be provided in the west wing of the house and the gardens themselves provide a unique outdoor classroom setting for a horticultural education.

Entry to the garden is €10 per adult and €6 for children, family tickets are also available and discounted rates are available when booking online. It is also possible to purchase a season pass for 12 months for €70.

Undoubtedly, this is a great addition to the east of the country and it’s great to see a wonderful garden getting the recognition and attention it deserves after all of these years.

Plant of the Week

Along part of the fragrant walk at Mount Congreve, a white daphne (inset below) caught both my eye and my nose!

Daphne have to be one of the best plants for winter scent in the garden. This particular plant, called Daphne ‘White Queen’, was a compact bushy shrub that gets to about a metre in height and produces loose clusters of fragrant white flowers early in the year.

It is generally hardy but can suffer foliage damage if we have severe frosts. It prefers full sun or partial shade and a free draining soil.

As with all daphnes, it does not like to be severely pruned or transplanted so choose your planting spot carefully.