MT. CONGREVE GARDENS, WATERFORD WITH JIMI BLAKE

22nd April

The gardens at Mount Congreve consist of seventy acres of intensively planted woodland and a four acre walled garden. The present owner, Mr. Ambrose Congreve , was inspired by Mr. Lionel de Rothschild's Exceptional garden at Exbury in Hampshire, England. It was here that his enthusiasm in gardening was nurtured and he became infected with Lionel de Rothschild's passion and enthusiasm for rhododendrons, magnolias and all types of flora from every continent.

When he began planting in the gardens along with his father his late teens, lorry loads of plants, including Rhododendron sinogrande, arrived, carriage paid, from Mr Lionel de Rothschild. However, it was not until 1955 that he began to make large clearings in the woodlands to create the necessary conditions where the plants would thrive. With the arrival of Mr. Herman Dool in the early sixties, who would remain as Garden Director for thirty-nine years, the two men set about creating what is said by the Horticultural Society of Massachusetts to be one of the great gardens in the world. 

Jimi will meet the group in the car park to the gardens at 11:00 a.m. and will give a guided tour. Please bring a picnic lunch to enjoy in the grounds following the tour.
Cost €60

Cost €60

BOOKING FORM