This project, to build a garden highlighting Irish heritage plants, raising awareness of them, of the trail of Irish heritage plants at Blarney Castle Gardens and of the IGPS was led my Rory Newell and overseen by Adam Whitbourn, with many Blarney staff helping out in it’s design, construction and planting, in their own free time. It was hugely popular with visitors, and was the highlight of the show. (It drew people to the IGPS stall also and to our plant sale)

On the stage Rory also gave a great talk about the IGPS and Irish heritage plants, and I was nabbed at the end to say a few words as IGPS Munster Chair. I gave an overview of the IGPS and briefly thanked everyone for what
they had achieved.

Bruno Nicolai. 

Billy McCone, Chairperson of the Executive Committee of the IGPS, sent this message:

The garden looks great and I love the concept of a ‘forgotten garden’.  Obviously a lot of work went into this and you are both to be commended on your achievement. 

From the photos and Bruno’s email, it is clear that you have done a lot in raising the profile of the IGPS and highlighting the conservation of heritage plants.

On behalf of the IGPS executive committee I would like to offer our sincere thanks and well deserved congratulations. 

Well done guys.      Billy McCone

Many thanks to Adam Whitbourn for the images of the garden – and, indeed, for all his work in promoting Irish heritage plants and the work of the IGPS.

We had a very enjoyable visit to Victor and Roz Henry’s garden in Newtownards yesterday despite the most unseasonable weather – heavy downpours, gusts of wind which caused the gazebo for the plant sale to lift off, and a temperature of about 12*C. But IGPS members and their friends are a hardy lot and made the most of the fleeting sunny periods to explore a garden packed with plants, both well known and exotic, and well-chosen interesting detail. Some highlights were the pergola festooned with Rosa ‘Francis E. Lester’, a fabulous cardiocrinum with blooms soaring to about three metres, and a stand of mouth-watering delphiniums in glorious shades of blue. There was a seriously well-stocked plant stall which included a decent selection of Irish cultivars including Dahlia ‘Matt Armour’, Cytissus ‘Donard Gem’, and Primula ‘Rowallane Rose’. And a final touch was the beautiful music played by their ten year old grand-daughter Josie on her harp.

Victor Henry greeting the visitors as all admire the wonderful delphiniums

Lush plating around the pool, including Zantedeschia aethopica

Exotic planting: A tree fern with a lush under-planting of hostas and Myosotidium hortensia, the Chatham Island Forget-Me-Not.

The afternoon was enhanced by the lovely harp music played by the Henry’s grand daughter.

Text and photographs from Maeve Bell.

To view further photographs from the day visit the BLOG