Many thanks to Derry Watkins, owner of Special Plants Nursery near Bath, for two wonderful talks: Derelict Hill Farm to Garden, where she showed us the creation of her beautiful garden and Botanizing in Kyrgyzstan, the ‘Switzerland of Asia’, taking us on her recent exploration in the high mountains of central Asia. Derry grows and […]
Latest News
AGM 2020 – You need to book quickly!
AGM 2020 Spaces for our AGM are filling up fast. If you intend coming to Westport please do not delay in booking: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/agm-westport-16-17-may-2020-tickets-87794103527 A very attractive rate has been negotiated with the Castlecourt Hotel. To book please phone the hotel directly +353 98 55088 and quote the special code 1045174. All details are on our website. […]
Annual General Meeting 2020: Details Announced
AGM Weekend Westport, Co Mayo. 16 &17 May 2020 Booking: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/agm-westport-16-17-may-2020-tickets-87794103527 The AGM weekend is, for many of our members, the highlight of the year. This year IGPS Leinster has organised something very special….. For the first time ever, the IGPs is heading to Westport https://www.destinationwestport.com/on Clew Bay in Co Mayo. Six […]
Newsletter, January 2020
The January 2020 issue of the Society’s newsletter has been sent to members. It is an excellent issue with a strong emphasis on Irish plants and gardens – interesting plant portraits and news of Irish gardens. Well done to the editing committee for producing such a top-class newsletter! Contents: Welcome A Note from the […]
T. J. Maher at Malone House – How to get the most from the Smaller Garden.
On Wednesday evening, around 100 members and guests attended Malone House, Belfast, and enjoyed an inspiring lecture ‘How to get the most from the Smaller Garden’ by artist T.J. Maher from Patthana Garden, Kiltegan, Co. Wicklow. T.J.’s photos of his 1/3 acre garden were wonderful, with his fabulous plant selections and colour combinations. There was […]
Great Talk in Cork!
Many thanks to Colm O’Driscoll headgardener at Airfield Estate for a wonderful lecture to IGPS Munster last night. An excellent talk, very interesting and greatly enjoyed by all in attendance. Photograph thanks to Margaret McAuliffe.
Reading Suggestions for Christmas!
Have a look at the Society’s Blog page for a list of books to read this Christmas – with Jimi Blake’s “A Beautiful Obsession” topping the list.
“Adventures on the Road” with Shirley Lanigan
In the Northern region we were delighted to welcome Honorary Member, Brian Duncan, 60 other members and about 20 visitors, to our lecture on Thursday, 24th October, at Antrim Old Courthouse when we all thoroughly enjoyed Shirley Lanigan’s account of her “Adventures on the Road” over the past 20 years as she criss-crossed the island […]
A Wonderful Start to the Winter Lecture Programme in Cork
Christopher Moore delivered an outstanding lecture to IGPS members in Cork this evening, a wonderful start to the winter programme: “Arcadia: Can we achieve it? Realistic inspiration – a critical look at some iconic gardens and how they have influenced our horticultural inspirations.
Northern Region Plant Sale 2019
The Northern region had a very successful plant stall at the Autumn Plant Fair at Rowallane Gardens, Co. Down last Saturday. The tables were groaning with an eclectic selection including Irish cultivars, house plants and fashionable succulents, garden-worthy plants in all stages of development, a colourful range of dahlias and, in pride of place, a large […]
Visit to Terry and June Irwin’s Garden
There was one of the largest ever attendances at a garden visit locally when more than 70 members and their guests visited Terry and June Irwin’s garden in Belfast on Saturday 31st August with everyone thoroughly enjoying its thoughtful design and subtle colour combinations. A huge bonus was that our tour of this good-sized (one-third of […]
From Huntingbrook to Lismacloskey
The Society recently organised a very enjoyable visit to Jimi Blake’s garden, Huntingbrook, and we are most grateful to him for his kind gift of Geranium ‘Mount Venus’ for the Lismacloskey Rectory Garden at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum. It was a perfect summer day when Barbara and Maureen arrived with the geranium for […]
The Lismacloskey Rectory Garden
It’s high summer in the Rectory Garden at the Folk Museum in Co. Down with some of our Irish plants putting on a colourful show. In full bloom are Hypericum ‘Rowallane Hybrid’ with a carpet of Osteospermum ‘Lady Leitrim’ underneath; the vibrant Lilium henryi is giving height at the back of one of the borders while Penstemon ‘Evelyn’ […]
The Old Rectory Garden, Lismacloskey
Terence Reeves-Smyth visited Cultra Folk & Transport Museum (outside Belfast) and posted this beautiful photograph of the garden at the Old Rectory. Glorious weather. This is the old rectory from Lismacloskey, about one mile east of Toomebridge in Co Antrim. It was built in 1717 and was dismantled and moved to the Museum in 1971. […]
Annes Grove – A Recent Visit by IGPS Munster
IGPS Munster organised an outing to Annes Grove, Castletownroche, Co. Cork, recently. This was the garden of Patrick Annesley which he has gifted to the state and it is presently being restored by the Office of Public Works and, hopefully, will be open to the public next year. Photographs from Joe Burns.
Visit to Old Balloo House
After a cold wet week, the sun shone on Saturday 1st June for a most enjoyable visit to Old Balloo House and Barn, the adjacent homes of friends Lesley Simpson and Moira Concannon in the village of Balloo in Co Down. Fifty five IGPS members and more than a dozen of their friends thoroughly enjoyed […]
IGPS Munster Visit to Annes Grove Garden.
IGPS Munster organised a visit to Annes Grove in Castletownroche today. Annes Grove is the creation of the Annesley family and Patrick Annesley is the last of the family to care for the garden and the important collection of plants held there – rhododendrons being an especially significant part of the collection. Patrick has transferred […]
Killurney Garden – AGM 2019
The final garden visit of the AGM weekend was to Killurney Garden, Knockpatrick, Co. Tipperary. Many thanks to Joe Burns for his photographs from the visit.
Petrovska Garden – AGM 2019
Petrovska Garden is in Clonmel, very close to the hotel where the AGM was held. Many thanks to Joe Burns for his photographs.