The gardens offer something for everyone from lazy woodland walks to the productive fruit and vegetable garden to the extensive contemporary borders with a modern fusion of prairie and tropical planting. The gardens contain a vast collection of plants, reflecting Jimi's keen interest in collecting, growing and propagating rare and unusual plants from his travels to far-flung destinations such a China, Australia and South Africa. In addition to plants collected personally by Jimi, many of the other plants found in the gardens have been raised from seed by June Blake's rare plants nursery, collected in the wild from around the world by Crug Nursery, sourced from rare plant grower Pan-Global Plants or received from other avid rare plants growers.

The Exotic Slopes

The Sun Gardens form the welcoming entrance and centrepiece to Hunting Brook. These ever-evolving areas are planted with large groups of modern, herbaceous perennials and ornamental grasses giving a tropical feel to the garden as it lazes in the mid- to late-summer sunshine. Structure and additional foliage texture in the beds are provided by trees and shrubs which are pollarded, coppiced or moved to the Woodland Glade or Arboretum when they outgrow their space. The gardens continue to metamorphose as Jimi experiments with new, dynamic planting schemes in the sunny beds and borders where these structural plants are now interspersed with great swathes of single species of hardy herbaceous plants as well as tender tropicals which flow down the hillside and pop with vibrancy.

The Ring Fort

Situated in the remains of a 7th century ring fort, woodland plants flourish beneath oak trees in acid soil which was enriched with well-rotted manure and leaf mould from the adjoining woods. Shrubs form the structure to the beds which are circumscribed by meandering paths. This area is used as a nursery for plants for the main Woodland Glade and contains an enchanting collection of rare woodland plants of interest from early spring to winter which adds to the peaceful atmosphere created within this ancient structure.

The Woodland Glade and Brook

The new paths of The Woodland Walk give views from The Ring Fort through the dappled sunlight of the forested and fern-strewn valley and along the brook. These areas will be planted with an exciting mix of understory plants which will enhance its sense of meditative tranquillity as a balance to the exuberant lushness of the more tropical Exotic Slopes. The planting of this woodland garden will be a lifetime project as Jimi delves deeper into his interest of woodland plants from around the world.

The Kitchen Garden

The fruit and vegetable garden represents Jimi's ever-depending love affair with fresh foods. What started as a humble but serviceable veg patch to put a few salad greens on the table has, through the assistance of students on Klaus' organic vegetable growing courses and Jimi's interest in experimentation in all things horticultural, morphed into an ever- increasing patch of all of the usual suspects in their common as well as heirloom forms plus experimentation (sometimes successful , sometimes not) with more exotic creatures than usually brave the vagaries of the Wicklow Mountain weather. The successes find their way into classroom lunches and are enjoyed by guests of Jimi's experimental cooking.

Buoyed by the splendour of the veg patch in its prime, inspiration has been found to venture into soft fruits beyond the old stalwarts of raspberries which have been in the garden since the beginning. Murmurings regarding a potential orchard have been heard around Hunting Brook, but this hasn't taken shape yet due to the presence of marauding deer in the neighbourhood. We'll keep you posted on the progress (successes and otherwise) of fruit growing at Hunting Brook.

Our Friendly Residents

Hunting Brook, despite all of its incarnations as public garden, classroom, photographer's studio, etc., is first and foremost a home with all of the sense of welcome and serenity that the word implies. Living their days in the surrounds of Hunting Brook are Fred, Jimi's collie and companion of 12 years, seven hens who graciously supply eggs for lunches for classes, Jimi and whoever wanders in around lunch time and one duck who hangs out with the hens. Oh, and Jimi as well!