Huntington Castle & Garden 17th Century Wilderness Woodland Garden Huntington Castle is the ancient seat of the Esmonde family. The Esmonde's moved over to Ireland in 1192 and were involved in other castles such as Duncannon Fort and Johnstown Castle in County Wexford, before building Huntington and settling down in Clonegal. The family [...]
Mount Usher Gardens Ashford, County Wicklow, Ireland. This garden, covering 22 acres (8.9 hectares) is described as a “Robinsonian Style” Wild Garden. A unique space filled with magnificent, towering tree specimens and thick shrubbery with meandering solid pathways through which you may explore the woodland, water garden and sit and relax to [...]
Woodville House and Garden Woodville House and Garden is located on the outskirts of the town of New Ross, County Wexford on a working farm owned by Gerald and Helen Roche. The Victorian house was built in 1810 and originally owned by Gerald’s Great Great Grandfather, a grain merchant from Enniscorthy who bought the [...]
Beautiful young Weeping Birch Kilmokea Manor and Gardens It’s been a couple of years since I last visited Kilmokea Country Manor and its woodland garden. It has matured beautifully and the flora, ground plants and the trees never fail to excite me. The [...]
National Botanic Garden Kilmacurragh I visited this garden at Kilmacurragh, County Wicklow in Ireland for the first time in April 2021. There is evidence that the garden was part of a Monastic community going back to the 13th century as a church is believed to have occupied a site to [...]
The Sunflower, folklore says they are a symbol of good luck. When we see a sunflower, because of its size of the flower and height of the plant, it does catch your attention. This imposing plant, with its large sun like bloom balancing on its tall slender stalk, normally 7 to 8 feet [...]
Coolaught Garden and Garden Center I have visited Coolaught Garden on several occasions at different times of the year. My first reaction is always “so peaceful”. You are drawn into this garden of lush foliage and well positioned flowering plants, a garden adventure, strolling along manicured grass pathways that [...]
Idrija, one of the oldest mining towns in Slovenia. The Mercury Mines, 500 years old legacy of hardship and almost certain early death for the miners while in contrast, the delicate Idrija Lace, a centauries old bobbin lacemaking craft that provided social, creative and economic development for the people of this mining town. Slovenia [...]
On my recent visit to Slovenia, my first introduction to this stunningly beautiful landscape was the drive from Ljubljana Airport along the valley between the Italian / Slovenian Alps to the west and the Triglav National Park to the east, finally crossing a twisting over mountain pass to town of Bovec. These jagged mountain [...]
Ballyhack Smokehouse The Irish Wild Salmon have for centuries been returning from the oceans every year around May to their rivers of origin, driven by instinct and determination. They fight their way up the rivers against the flow, overcoming obstacles such as weirs and waterfalls with a natural need to reach the upper extremes, [...]
