The Making of Place

The Overview! The extraordinary range of approaches and styles one sees in gardens throughout the world, in different countries and different cultures can be quite bewildering. It is fortunate to have one such as John Dixon Hunt, who seems to have a comprehensive knowledge and grasp of all matters of garden design, to organise such […]

Irish Heritage Plants – Plandaí Oidhreachta

Hot off the presses – an advance copy of “Irish Heritage Plants/Plandaí Oidhreachta” the result of a project between the Irish Garden Plant Society and the Irish Society of Botanical Artists. The project has been generously and enthusiastically supported by the National Botanic Gardens (The Office of Public Works), An Bord Bia and by the […]

Nick Macer in Northern Ireland

Recently 70 IGPS members and friends were wowed with ideas for new plants for their gardens by Nick Macer of Pan-Global Plants when he spoke at Antrim Old Courthouse. Even better, almost all the plants he talked about were relatively hard and capable of surviving our winters outdoors. Nick was himself wowed by a visit […]

Nick Macer – “Confessions of a Plant Freak”

Nick Macer’s recently delivered his talk “Confessions of a Plant Freak” to IGPS members in Northern Ireland. Beforehand he visited the garden of our members David and Janet Ledsham where he admired some of the birches which David had grown from seed and Eucryphia moorei which was in full bloom.     In the afternoon […]

Orchids – A New Enthusiasm!

Although widespread, orchids are not commonplace and to look at them growing in the wild is one of the great pleasures of the plant world. The Burren in Co. Clare, Bull Island in Dublin and The Raven in Wexford are three easily accessible locations where one may find orchids with ease and there are many […]

Lafcadio Hearn Gardens, Tramore

IGPS  Munster organised a late season outing to the Lafcadio Hearn Garden in Tramore, Co. Waterford on Saturday, 15th October. There was a good attendance, reasonable weather, an excellent guided tour and a day that was enjoyed by all who attended. Many thanks to Margaret McAuliffe who took on the role of  photographer for the […]

Plant Sale – IGPS Leinster at Trinity Botanic Gardens, Dartry

The most popular event of the year is the annual plant sale organised by IGPS Leinster which has been held for the past few years at the Trinity College Botanic Gardens in Dartry. It is an opportunity to purchase plants which are quite rare and generally not available in the trade as well as special […]

Coming to Terms with Your Plants!

Amicia zygomeris is an uncommon and rather unusual looking plant. The leaves are of a peculiar shape, not unlike those of the tulip tree where what would normally be a pointed end of the leaf is blunt and double-lobed with an almost cut-off appearance leading to the common name of yolk-leaved Amicia and it is […]

Plant Sale, Saturday 15th

Plant Sale on Saturday next – see Fixtures for full details – look to the right column here. Come along early and you could get one of these Irish heritage plants. They are in very small supply so it is a case of first come, first served. Good plant hunting!   Agapanthus ‘Kilmurry Blue’ Agapanthus […]

The Planters’ Seminar at Mount Stewart

About 30 IGPS members formed part of the audience for the Planter’s Seminar at Mount Stewart Garden, Co Down over the weekend at which Dan Hinkley, Roy Lancaster and Bleddyn and Sue Wynn-Jones talked about the special plants they have seen while exploring remote areas. As part of the seminar Neil Porteous, the Head Gardener, […]