In the Garden: A haven of green to visit in Glanmire

AS the garden greens up this May, it is a great time to get out visit some of the wonderful gardens that open to the public in the Cork area.

Last week, a visit to Liz and Ned Kirby’s garden in Glanmire revealed an inspiring and beautifully maintained garden set in the Cork countryside.

Beechwood Garden is about one acre in total and boasts a wonderful selection of trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants.

Interestingly, Ned commented that the emphasis in the planting of the garden in more recent years has been to create interest during the winter months, as he feels that these are the most important months

There are many ‘rooms’ created within the one acre, divided by hedging, buildings, driveway or beds and borders. Attractive seating areas are a feature throughout the garden, yet I suspect that, like many gardeners’ seating areas’ they are rarely perched upon as the gardening owners are too busy tending to the garden to take a rest, particularly in May!

The garden is well above sea level and was quite exposed when the site was first purchased more than 30 years ago. The first phase of developing the garden involved getting a shelter belt established around the boundary so that more choice foliage plants such as Acers could be grown successfully.

Ned grew a lot of the trees which now form the established shelter belt from seed himself, which is no mean feat.

Hedging contributes to the shelter existing today, with an exquisite beech hedge recently come into leaf featuring some strategically placed ‘windows’, giving glimpses outward to the surrounding agricultural countryside.

Today, inside the shelter belt is filled with lots of Acers of varying foliage, colours and sizes, which require shelter to grow successfully and maintain their vibrantly coloured autumn foliage for as long as possible.

They create luscious layers of fresh foliage at this time of year and the garden felt really fresh and new at the beginning of the growing season.

The soil is acid and so azaleas and rhododendrons will do well here and were providing pops of colour among the foliage throughout the garden.

Looking at the garden as it is today, enclosed, sheltered, private and providing the ideal microclimate for the cultivation of plants of every description, it is hard to believe that it was once windswept and exposed.

Water features, changes of level, planting combinations, sculpture, seating, stonework, focal points and views outward are all used to create interest throughout the garden.

The raising of levels gives elevation to the view, with the steps providing interest and also a seating option.

A waterfall tumbling down through an area of dense planting creates great a sound effect in the garden as it flows down through rocks, making its way into a pond at the base.

There are many different areas of planting created to suit the particular conditions in the area. A shaded corner is home to many ferns on one side of the house. A sunny south-facing bank grows early flowering alpines that carpet the slope.

A larger pond area. with a bridge crossing over. provides plenty of biodiversity and habitat for wildlife in the garden. An attractive hosta in a pot draws your eye down a path.

There are layers of planting in this garden, and at this stage Ned admits that he is thinning out some of the established planting, transplanting and making room for specimen trees and shrubs as they mature and outgrow their assigned spaces.

Our gardens change as they mature, and the way we garden changes as a result.

Beechwood Garden is open by appointment only for groups, check out www.beechwoodgarden.com for more details.

This garden oasis boasts a fine collection of plants of all descriptions and provides plenty of inspiration and ideas for our own gardens as we look forward to spending more time outdoors this summer. Happy Summer Planning!

Plant of the Week

On my visit, a sweetly scented shrub on the corner of one of the garden rooms was covered in pink blossoms and will continue to flower over the next few weeks.

It was Syringia ‘Pink Perfume’, a dwarf lilac with delicate pink flowers, ideal for a smaller garden as it only gets to about 1.5 metres in height with a similar spread.

This deciduous shrub will grow best in full sun on a free-draining soil, and can be cut back after flowering