The gardens at Mount Congreve were created by Ambrose Congreve and are regarded as being among the very best in the world. In the lifetime of Ambrose Congreve they were his private gardens with quite restricted access to the public and so are not well known nor well appreciated here in Ireland. Paddy Tobin lives close to the gardens and has had free access for many years allowing him the opportunity to become familiar with the plants and to photograph them throughout the seasons and he also takes groups on guided tours.
The main part of the garden is the seventy acre woodland which is home to an astonishing collection of magnolias, over 2,000 different rhododendrons, 600 camellias, an extensive collection of maples and over a kilometre of hydrangeas for late summer interest. There are choice and interesting plants throughout the woodland while the Walled Garden and the Pleasure Garden provide the highlights from early summer until late autumn – Mount Congreve is truly beautiful all through the year.
Paddy will present an overview of the philosophy and development of the garden and bring you through the highlights of the seasons of this Irish treasure.