Join our Garden House trip to the gardens of Dublin and Cork – Saturday 29 June to Saturday 06 July 2019.
We are delighted to offer this exciting trip to Ireland, starting in Dublin and travelling through to Cork, to visit and share the magic of some very special gardens.
Apart from our love of plants and gardens, we enjoy the sharing of food and will be spending one day at the world famous Ballymaloe Cookery School near Cork preparing a meal to eat together.
Dates: Saturday 29 June to Saturday 06 July, flying from Gatwick.
Cost: £1900 for single and sharing £1700, which includes flights, bed and breakfast and several lunches and suppers/dinners, travel and entry fees to all the gardens, plus the day at Ballymaloe.
Itinerary:
Day 1
* Flight from Gatwick to Dublin, leaving approximately 11.00 am
* Pick up and travel by coach to Dublin to the Clayton Hotel Ballsbridge, www.claytonhotelballsbridge.com– for two nights
* Visit the National Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin www.botanicgardens.ie
* Supper in local restaurant
Day 2
* Helen Dillon’s new garden in Monkstown, Dublin
* Lunch at the Avoca Café
* Guided tour round Mount Usher Gardens, www.mountushergardens.ie
* Carmel Duignan’s private garden in Shankhill, Dublin
* Free evening in Dublin
Day 3
* June Blake’s garden in the beautiful Wicklow mountains www.juneblake.ie – enjoy lunch there
* Jimi Blake’s garden at Huntingbrook
* Free evening in Dublin
Day 4
* The Bay Garden, Frances and Iain Macdonald’s private garden, Co. Wexford
* Lunch at the Tannerey, www.tannerey.ie
* Drive on to Cork, to stay at the Commodore Hotel in the centre of the city www.commodorehotel.ie
* Evening drink together and then free evening
Day 5
* Foto arboretum for a walk and talk with the Head Gardener
* Picnic lunch
* Two private gardens: Mary Byrne’s garden www.hillsidegardens.ieand Hester Forde’s garden www.hesterforde.com
* Free evening
Day 6
The English Market and the Butter Museum: www.englishmarket.ieand www.buttermuseum.com
* Coach to Blarney Castle Hotel for lunch, the gardens www.blarneycastle.ie, and the castle (to kiss the stone!)
* Free evening
Day 7
* Free morning
* Ballymaloe Cookery School, where we have a cookery lesson and prepare our dinner to enjoy together – www.cookingisfun.ie
Day 8
* Homeward bound at around lunch time
We have a limited number of places for this trip so if you are interested please contact us as soon as possible.
(*feature image: Jimmy Blake’s Huntingbrook Gardens)