Running from Saturday 25 July to Sunday 2 August, the Carlow Garden Festival is back with another star-studded line-up and plenty of activities all around the county from Borris House and Duckett’s Grove to Huntington Castle, Altamont Gardens and many more scenic locations.
Beautiful gardens, historic estates and gardening attractions around the county will set the stage for nine days of gardening events including talks, tours, workshops and garden experiences. Internationally renowned garden designers, broadcasters and authors from around Ireland and the UK will be entertaining and educating green fingered enthusiasts in attendance.
The festival kicks off on Saturday 25 July with a special headline event at Arboretum from popular gardening podcasters Joe Swift and James Alexander-Sinclair of The James and Joe Garden Show. Expect plenty of laughs as well as insightful conversation on garden design.
Award-winning garden designer and broadcaster Chris Beardshaw is bringing his acclaimed talk ‘Painting with Plants’ to Duckett’s Grove Historic House and Walled Gardens on Sunday 26 July. Mr Beardshaw will explore the evolution of the English garden and reveal the principles behind creating beautiful and enduring planting schemes.
One of the highlights of this year’s festival is a special visit by John Anderson, gardener to King Charles III on Tuesday 28 July. Held at Altamont Gardens, John’s talk ‘Gardens Along the Gulf Stream’ will be all about his experiences managing some of the most celebrated gardens in Ireland and the UK, from Mount Usher and Inverewe to Exbury and the Savill Garden.
BBC Gardeners’ World presenter Arit Anderson will be at Borris House on Wednesday 29 July where she will be talking about how plants should be the start of the show when it comes to gardening design.
Aside from these and many more inspiring talks there are other more immersive events including an evening walk on Friday 31 July in Ballon village guided by biologist and environmentalist Éanna Ní Lamhna. The walk, which includes the Ballon Tree Trail, will highlight the village’s biodiversity as well as pass by local heritage buildings and cultural attractions.
“The Carlow Garden Festival continues to grow in reputation because it offers something genuinely special. Visitors have the opportunity to meet and learn from some of the most respected names in gardening while experiencing the remarkable range of gardens that make County Carlow such an important gardening destination,” said Robert Miller, chairperson of the Carlow Garden Trail.
“Importantly, this is not a festival solely for expert gardeners. It’s equally for those who might be taking their first steps in gardening or those looking for practical ideas for your own garden space, or simply enjoy spending time in beautiful places.”
The full festival programme and ticket booking details are available at www.carlowgardentrail.com.
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