The Annual General Meeting on Saturday, May 7th 2022 at 11.15am will take place via Zoom and not in-person as stated on page 32 of the Newsletter. The agenda remains unchanged. The change is due to COVID restrictions. We have just been informed that the venue at the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin is now restricted […]
Latest News
Brian Duncan awarded the RHS Victoria Medal of Honour
The lifetime work of Brian Duncan, the outstanding daffodil breeder from County Tyrone and Honorary Member of the IGPS, has recently been recognised by the award of the Victoria Medal of Honour by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). This is the RHS’s highest award and is given to horticulturalists deserving special honour; it is limited […]
Prestigious RHS awards awarded to three Irish gardeners and IGPS members
This March sees three outstanding Irish gardeners and members of IGPS being awarded by the RHS for their invaluable contributions to the world of horticulture. Over the years we have all benefitted from their hard work, deep knowledge as well as generous sharing. Please join us in congratulating Thomas Pakenham, Seamus O’Brien and Paddy Mackie […]
Garden observations at the Ulster Folk Museum
IGPS volunteers met at the Rectory Garden at the Ulster Folk Museum on the 23rd of February to plan the early season’s work. Despite the recent gales a number of plants caught the eye. There were extensive clumps of snowdrops at the base of the beech hedge, a cheery two-tone wallflower, an early-flowering iris – […]
Garden & Landscape Designers Association SEMINAR 2022
The Solution to our Climate Crisis is a Simple One – TREES Garden & Landscape Designers Association Annual Seminar – online – 26 February 2022 This will be the message from an inspirational panel of speakers at the upcoming Garden and Landscape Designer Association (GLDA) 26th Annual Design Seminar (online) on Saturday, 26th February 2022. […]
E-Bulletin, January 2022
Dear member Welcome to the IGPS e-bulletin, January 2022 and a Happy New Year. So, without delay and thanks to the Leinster Committee, we will be starting the IGPS calendar of events, straight away with a zoom talk by; Adam Whitbourn Tuesday 11th January 2022. @8pm “Exploring Northern Vietnam and the Blarney Vietnamese woodland.” Adam Whitbourn, head […]
National Plant Collection Status – a note from the National Botanic Gardens.
National Botanic Gardens of Ireland Great news – a collection of 1,000 plants managed by the Irish Garden Plant Society has been awarded National Plant Collection status by Plant Heritage. Hundreds of these rare cultivars grow at the National Botanic Gardens of Ireland. Read more: https://botanicgardens.ie/…/irish-heritage-plants…/ Plant Heritage and the Irish Garden Plant Society both […]
IGPS E- Bulletin, Winter 2021
View this email in your browser Dear IGPS member We hope you have been enjoying the exceptionally mild autumn which seems to have extended to every corner of the country. Despite the unusually balmy temperatures, the days have grown shorter — it’s time to hang up the tools, cosy up indoors and get some inspiration […]
PLANT HERITAGE PRESS RELEASE
Irish heritage plant group awarded National Plant Collection status Over 1,000 types of plant held in 75 different locations in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland have been recognised by leading UK horticultural charity A group of over 1,000 plants that have either been bred, collected or named after Irish horticulturalists and/or […]
Newsletter, September 2021
Issue 153, September 2021, of the Newsletter is in the post and should be with members very soon. There was a slight delay so as to include a reminder that the Dublin Plant Sale has had to be cancelled because as the premises was not available due to concerns re Covid 19. Mary Forrest, Chairman, […]
E-Bulletin, September 2021
Dear member Welcome to a September edition of the ebulletin. This summer has provided plenty go good weather and, in comparison to last year, many welcome opportunities for us all to enjoy some garden visits. This issue of the ebulletin will share with you some reports, made by members, after enjoying some of the organised […]
CANCELLED – PLANT SALE CANCELLED
Unfortunately, the annual plant sale in Dublin has had to be cancelled as those who manage the venue felt it should not proceed in the present Covid situation. As this has come so unexpectedly there is no possibility of organising a different venue. We are very sorry that we will not meet so many of […]
Zooming Along!
The Committee has decided that the winter lecture programme should move online via Zoom due to uncertainties about the availability of venues and in-person meetings. Our thanks to the regional committees who have put together the following programme of events. The links below will bring you to the full event details: 13 October: Pollinators in […]
Visit to Fernhill Garden.
Members were treated to a smorgasbord of horticultural delights on their recent visit to Fernhill, a three and a half acre garden nestled in the countryside outside Ballynahinch, Co Down. Fernhill isn’t exactly new; the old bungalow and three fields were bought by the owners nine years ago but what an exciting development has taken […]
Visit to Kilgar Gardens, Co. Meath. 14th August 2021
The intrepid gardeners in IGPS Leinster were not deterred by the rainy, dull weather from going to visit a very special garden in Co. Meath. In fact, if anything, the dreary and disappointing weather increased their enjoyment, because the colours and beautiful contrasting shapes in the garden were all the more vibrant. The extraordinary copper […]
IGPS visit to Ballywalter Park, County Down, 24th July 2021.
A sunny day with temperatures in the mid to high twenties combined with a cooling fresh breeze was perfect for the IGPS visit to Ballywalter Park, hosted by Lord and Lady Dunleath. Andrew Mulholland, the first Lord Dunleath, planted the thirty acres of pleasure grounds with around 95,000 trees and shrubs in the mid-1840’s. The […]
E-Bulletin, July 2021
Celebrating 40 Years of the Society Dear Member Welcome to a special ebulletin which marks 40 years of the society. Our Chair, Mary Forrest provides us with a special introduction. Stephen Butler details a fantastic achievement and fellow members continue to provide interesting and varied snippets and news. On a summer’s evening in 1981 – […]
Much to Celebrate! – A Note from the Chairperson.
On a summer’s evening in 1981 – July 7th. to be exact, the inaugural meeting of the Irish Garden Plant Society took place in the Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin. A group of plant enthusiasts, both amateur and professional, all keen to conserve garden plants and preserve Ireland’s garden heritage. Quoting from the first newsletter, ‘the Society’s […]
National Collection of Irish Heritage Plants
National Collection of Irish Heritage Plants The tremendous conservation effort by IGPS members and several Irish gardens has been recognised by Plant Heritage with the awarding of the status of National Collection in June 2021. Plant Heritage, formerly The National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens, was founded over 40 years ago to […]
Visit to Greba Garden, June 19th 2021
Greba is an enchanting garden on the Ards peninsula whose owners, Richard and Beverley Britain, garden with a very light touch. Extending to three areas, it is a woodland garden with naturalistic planting developed over the past 20 years in the site of a former quarry. Members throughly enjoyed exploring the garden, getting lost along […]