The gardens as they exist today were largely created by Lord Milo Talbot in the years 1948 to 1973 and cover an area of over 8 hectares – 6.5 hectares of shrubbery and 1.5 hectares of Walled Gardens. The choice of plants is limited by the alkalinity of the soil (ph 7) which precludes the growing of rhododendrons etc. An emphasis has been placed on the cultivation of plants from the Southern Hemisphere – many species and varieties collected by Lord Talbot.

Genera which are particularly well represented are Olearia, Azara, Escallonia, Pittosporum, Syringa, Hypericum, Clematis, Euphorbia, Nothofagus, Salvia, and Berberis. The collection continues to be expanded with the addition of new species and varieties. Seed exchange has been resumed and many additional species of suspect hardiness have been planted. Further improvements are being assisted from the ERDF grant through the Great Gardens of Ireland Restoration Programme. Read more ….