The gardens at Mount Congreve consist of around seventy acres of intensively planted woodland garden and a four acre wall garden. Mr. Ambrose Congreve was inspired by Lionel de Rothschild’s exceptional garden at Exbury in Hampshire, England. It was here that his interest in gardening was nurtured and he became infected with Lionel de Rothschild’s passion and enthusiam for plants such as, Rhododendrons, Magnolias, Camellias and indeed many other flora from every continent in the world.

One of Mr. Congreve’s garden philosophies is that when one plants anything, whether it involves five or fifty plants, they should be planted together and not dotted singularly around the garden. The fruition of this particular philosophy can be seen during the spring and early summer months, when the gardens are awash with breathtaking sweeps of Azaleas, Camellias, Magnolias and Rhododendron. Mr. Congreve also believes that every garden should have surprises and good vantage points where the garden and surrounging landscape can be viewed to compliment each other. With this in mind, the garden has exceptional vistas overlooking bends in the neighbouring river Suir, particularly in March and April when framed by flowering trees of the Asiatic Magnolia campbellii and Magnolia sprengeri. Other surprises include a Chinese pagoda in the centre of an old quarry that is spectacular viewed from above, and a classical temple surrounded by Rhododendron, while an artificial waterfall cascades over natural rock into three small pools edged with water margin plants. Read more ….