Dublin Bloom Show & Gardens of Ireland
This was cancelled for 2020 but was reorganised for 2022
Arranged with Travel Editions Group Travel for Abbots Langley Gardening Society
- 4 days from £679 per person - Departs 3 June 2022
A tour of Dublin can throw up some unexpected surprises for the garden enthusiast. Hidden away behind unassuming suburban houses are some delightful gardens, brim-full with wonderful plants and tended by enthusiastic owners with emerald-green fingers who have created exquisite little gems. Travel out into the countryside and there are further jewels to be found, full of colour and atmosphere, all of which adds up to a revealing and rewarding garden tour. We will also have time to visit Ireland’s atmospheric capital with its wealth of history and a full day at the country’s premier flower show, “Bloom.”
Itinerary
Friday 3 June 2022
Fly from Heathrow to Dublin and transfer by coach to hotel for check in for three night stay. Afternoon guided tour of Dublin including the Guinness Factory.
Saturday 4 June 2022
After breakfast this morning, we head south to Monkstown to look at Ireland’s best known gardener, Helen Dillon’s new seaside garden. Her previous home at Ranelagh was proving too much to handle as she neared 80 so has created a much smaller, but equally beautiful garden in her new home. We then head to Mount Usher, a lovely informal garden which dates back to 1850. Monty Don lists Mount Usher as one of his favourite top 10 gardens in the world! The garden was inspired by Irish gardening maverick William Robinson who eschewed formal Victorian bedding schemes in favour of a more naturalistic style. There are approximately 5000 different species of plants, shrubs and trees originating from all over the world, including some exceptional species from the southern hemisphere, such as the wonderfully scented Japanese Magnolia obovata and collections of eucryphia and eucalyptus.
Sunday 5 June 2022
Morning transfer to Phoenix Park for a full day visit to Ireland’s premier flower show, “Bloom.” Then transfer back to hotel for overnight.
Monday 6 June 2022
This morning, after breakfast, we visit Hunting Brook, home of Jimi Blake, the former head gardener of Airfield Gardens in Dundrum. Hidden in the foothills of the
Wicklow Mountains near Blessington, the garden is a plantsman’s paradise with contemporary borders, creating a fusion of prairie and tropical planting in a natural setting. There is something for everyone, from lazy woodland walks through the ancient glacial valley to the remains of a 7th century ring fort, where an extensive range of woodland plants are grown, many of which were collected on various trips around the world. Hunting Brook is now home to Ireland’s largest collection of ornamental grasses with over 200 different species and cultivars.
Following our visit we continue to Jimi’s sister’s garden at June Blake’s Garden and Nursery. June is a passionate plants woman who grows from seeds sourced all over the world. Her garden is extensive and sits in the old cut granite farmyard of Tinode House. It is surrounded by majestic old beech and chestnut trees which provide a sheltered environment in which she grows a unique mix of bamboos, ornamental grasses and perennials with many plants offered for sale in her nursery.
Continue to the airport for return flight to Heathrow.
Running order of visits may be
subject to change
Provisional flight details
Dep: LHR 08.35 / Arr: DUB 10.00
Dep: DUB 19.50 / Arr: LHR 21.10
Where you stay
Red Cow Moran Hotel, Dublin
Stylish, modern hotel, located about 7km from the city centre at Clondalkin at the famous Red Cow roundabout, the gateway to Dublin.
Facilities include a bar, restaurant, gym and very well-appointed, modern rooms with all modern amenities.