Gardens of Cork

Our tour begins in Cork where we will meet with our coach & guide Iain MacDonald at Kent Train Station. Join us as we depart Cork at noon for our journey to Shanagarry Design Centre where we will have free time for lunch (at own expense) before our visit to Ballymaloe Cookery School. 

This afternoon we will explore the Gardens at Ballymaloe Cookery School – on our guided tour of these splendid gardens we will explore the extensive Herb Garden and Herbaceous Borders with the wonderful Shell House. Our final visit this afternoon will be to the Seanabea Cottage, a seaside cottage garden of 1.25 acres with colourful Herbaceous Borders, Roses, Fuschias, Dahlias and a Kitchen Garden. 

Transfer to our hotel in Ballycotton where we will dine together this evening. 

Following a leisurely breakfast, we depart our hotel for a visit to Fota for a tour of the Arboretum & Garden where rare plants flourish thanks to the gentle climate offered by Cork harbour. We will have some free time here for lunch (at own expense) before our afternoon visits. 

This afternoon we visit Hester Forde’s Coosheen Garden on the estuary of Cork harbour. A series of raised beds and troughs are home to rare and unusual small perennials, alpines and bulbs. Our next visit today is to Hillside Gardens enviably situated on a gentle south facing slope enclosed by woodlands.

Join us this morning on a visit to Bride Park Cottage, the garden of artist and flower arranger, DJ Murphy. 

Our afternoon visit is to Blarney Castle Gardens where the Herbaceous borders and shrubberies provide a splendid display of colour and structure. It also has a Poisonous Garden, Fern & Icehouse, Bog Garden and Arboretum. 

After checking out of our hotel join us on a visit to The Old Deanery Garden in Cloyne which is set in 16 acres of parkland surrounding a Georgian House. Features include a restored walled garden, wildlife lake and a garden railway. 

Our next visit this morning is to Beechwood Gardens, which are on a sloping one-acre site with panoramic views of rolling countryside. The garden has been developed over the years and included a large natural water feature, scree beds along with an interesting use of herbaceous / grasses in planting scheme and imaginative use of old stone. 

We will have some free time for lunch (at own expense) at The Elm Tree in Glounthaune before transferring to Kent Station in Cork at approximately 1500hrs where our tour together will end.