Country Article / Postcards
IRISH GARDENS
Date: 04/13/2003Dear IL Reader,
Turns out, Lord Waterford's gardens are open to the public Tuesdays and Thursdays only, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Turned away at the gate this weekend, but determined to take advantage of the sunny day, we headed west from Waterford to New Ross, to see the John F. Kennedy Arboretum, where we spent most of the afternoon following my 3-year-old along the paths and through the forest gardens. He shared the 480 acres with a troop of local scouts.
From the park, we followed the signs, down one narrow road and then another, even narrower, to the "Kennedy Homestead" in Dunganstown. This clan hails from humble beginnings. The house where JFK's great-grandfather's family lived is a two-room stone cottage, something like the house John Wayne returned to in "The Quiet Man." I can only imagine its modest interior, though, as it, too, along with its tiny front garden, was closed to visitors this weekend.
This country was made for gardening. The typical Irish "soft day" of gentle drizzle followed by bursts of sunshine is ideal for growing things, and people here have been taking advantage of the climate since early Christian days, when monks planted the first organized gardens to grow flowers for decoration (for the churches).
The season for Ireland's public gardens opens officially May 1. If you'll be in the country this spring or summer, here are some I'd recommend putting on your itinerary:
* Bantry House, one of the best situated houses in Ireland, overlooking Bantry Bay. I keep a photo of the formal gardens at Bantry House on my desk...as inspiration for the gardens we're cultivating at our own house here in Waterford. It's good to aim high, I tell myself, though I'm sure no one will ever confuse our beds with the elaborate 18th-century terraced gardens at Bantry. Tel. (353)27-50047.
* Glin Castle, a recent recommendation from a friend who visited last week. The 18th-century Irish country house is surrounded by 500 acres on the banks of the river Shannon that hide a walled garden, a Gothic hermitage, a Victorian garden, and a Gothic bathing lodge.
* Birr Castle, from the 17th century, is not open to the public, but its gardens are, year-round. Here are the tallest box hedges in the world and 100 acres of specimen trees and flowering gardens, some planted three centuries ago. We visited last winter but plan to return next month to see the cherries, magnolias, crab-apples, and narcissi in full bloom. Tel. (353)509-20056.
* Lismore Castle, with upper and lower formal gardens, woodland walks, and an 800-year-old yew walk. Tel. (353)58-54424.
Happy spring,
Kathleen Peddicord
Publisher, International Living
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