In the garden: A fine garden that is well worth a visit 

What a difference a week makes!

In one week, November has made its presence felt after lulling us into a false sense of security for the first few weeks.

There has been snow and frost as well as wind and rain to contend with, leaving us in absolutely no doubt that winter has finally arrived.

Most of the deciduous leaves have been stripped now, with a few sheltered oaks and acers still hanging in there.

After a storm, is a great time to gather leaves as they have plenty of moisture and some soil topsoil gathered among them, so creating heaps and piling them into bags with drainage holes, to be stored for a few years, will yield excellent soil conditioner for the garden.

Beech makes some of the crumbliest-textured compost and there are plenty to gather after last week.

Earlier in the autumn, many of the leaves just blew down and off into the distance, but at this stage of the year, with plenty of wind and rain, there are piles gathered in certain spots.

Choose areas for collection prioritising points that are creating a driving or walking hazard for slips on driveways and footpaths. It will result in removing a danger from the garden and creating an opportunity to return nutrients and soil conditioner to the soil in time.

Generally, the first three weeks of November were very favourable for getting work done in the garden, and higher than average temperatures and not too much in the way of rain have meant that there was no excuse for getting jobs done.

At this time of the year, winter pruning, bulb planting and some tidying make the garden safer and more accessible for the winter months. If some of the jobs get ticked off the list now, then it takes some pressure off in springtime.

A visit to the garden of Ireland 

As a result of the clement weather, a final visiting trip took me to the garden of Ireland once more this year, and Russborough House, near Blessington in Co. Wicklow.

This estate was once privately owned by the Beit family and is now owned and operated by the Alfred Beit foundation, a private charitable foundation.

Most famously associated with its collection of fine art work over the years, the estate now includes the house, walled gardens and 200 acres of woodland and farmland around it.

There are amenity walks through the parklands which take in fine views of the Blessington lakes and the Wicklow mountains beyond.

On arrival at 10.30am on a Saturday in November, there was a queue for the car park, which made me curious about why it was so busy early on a weekend morning?

There had already been a 5km parkrun completed that morning and there was rugby training underway on a pitch behind the house, which meant that the car park was full, the café was buzzing, and there was a great air of anticipation and life around the house.

What a great idea, to incorporate a sporting endeavour adjacent to this grand house.

There is ample parking in existence adjacent to the house and there is ultimately a spin-off from people gathering in numbers, particularly when there is fresh coffee available.

The walled garden here is under the stewardship of the Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland (RHSI). It is approximately three acres in size, which is much larger than your average walled garden, and today it is run with the help of an army of volunteers.

Originally created to grow vegetables and fruit to supply the house, it had fallen into disrepair and neglect until 2011 when the RHSI entered into a 25- year agreement with the Alfred Beit Foundation to regenerate the walled garden area.

Most of the work undertaken to date has been done on the northern end, where glasshouses are still functioning and fruit, vegetables and cut flowers are grown.

There is a double sided herbaceous border which will need to be revisited in summertime when it is in full flower, and the garden was alive with activity on a Saturday morning.

Volunteers were busy leaf blowing, edging, weeding, potting, pruning and tidying on a sunny November morning. They are active in the walled garden on Saturdays and Wednesdays between 10.30am and 3.30pm, and the funding for projects is donated, grant-aided or is made up of proceeds from sales of plants and produce from the walled garden.

New volunteers are always welcome and if you are interested, please contact the Volunteer Coordinator Gillian Davidson on rhsivolunteering@gmail.com or 087 668 9381.

It’s best to check if the walled garden will be opened before visiting to avoid disappointment on arrival.

In addition to the walled garden area, there is a woodland garden north of the house, which will require a return visit in springtime when rhododendrons, magnolias, azaleas and other woodland stalwarts will delight.

This woodland garden was planted under the guidance of well-known garden designer James Russell in the 1950s. He was also involved in planting projects at Glenveagh, Co. Donegal, and Castle Howard in Yorkshire.

There are also many walking loops of different lengths throughout the estate which can be visited free of charge. There is a charge on entry for the car park and options for dining and shopping as well as tours of the house within the house itself.

It is great to see this grand old estate at the heart of the community providing a valuable resource for families to enjoy the art world and the outdoors, taking in the breath taking surroundings in this part of Wicklow.

Check out www.russborough.ie for more details.