Carlow’s Floral Festival Trail promises enthusiasts lots of floral fun and facts from Saturday August 2nd – Sunday August 10th. The festival features workshops, information lectures and demonstrations by some of the top names in Irish gardening circles in addition to arts and crafts demonstrations, musical performances and street entertainment. Dermot O’ Neill, Eanna Ní Lamhna and Helen Dillon, are joined by river specialist and environmentalist Dick Warner and historic gardens consultant, Finola Reid.
Carlow is fast becoming a new and exciting gardening destination and the festival builds upon this and the recently launched Carlow Garden Trail; a collection of 16 different gardening attractions including great old gardens that have been lovingly restored and maintained and smaller gardens which are maturing beautifully over time. Award-winning garden centres and forest parks have also been selected to complement the gardens on the trail.
The festival begins on Saturday August 2nd when Helen Dillon presents a tour of Leighlinbridge – the ‘garden village’ at 12 noon. Starting from the Sculpture Garden at the quayside, the tour will cover the four gardens created by the people of Leighlinbridge. From 2.00 pm onwards Helen will conduct three workshops at the Arboretum Lifestyle and Garden Centre including “Top Ten Plants for August” and “Sow, Grow and Harvest”. With the trend towards growing your own becoming ever more popular, this workshop will introduce visitors to the key principles of soil preparation, planning, sowing and harvesting. The afternoon concludes with a workshop entitled “Perfect Planting Partners” which features a tour of the Arboretum Inspirational Gardens.
On Sunday August 3rd Huntington Castle and Gardens in Clonegal will welcome Eanna Ní Lamhna at 2.00 pm for a nature walk of the estate allowing visitors to learn about the spectacular ecology and scenery of the surrounding woodlands including the history of one of Ireland’s earliest water turbine houses. A tree trail follows at 3.30 pm with guided tours of the castle from 2pm.
Dick Warner’s love of flora and fauna guarantees lively workshops at Oak Park Forest Park on Monday August 4th. The afternoon kicks off at 2 pm and includes a bird workshop at 4.00 pm and a teddy bear’s picnic with all owners encouraged to bring along their favourite furry friend. Tuesday 5th August sees Helen Dillon visit Hardymount Gardens, near Tullow, where two workshops – “Maximising Your Space” and “From Garden to Vase – Bringing Colour Indoors”, are guaranteed to provide inspiration for budding and experienced gardeners alike.
Dermot O’ Neill will combine his love of cookery and gardening with a visit to Kilgraney House and Herb Gardens near Bagenalstown on Wednesday August 6th at 2 pm. While in conversation with Bryan Leech of Kilgraney House, Dermot will be providing useful tips for using herbs in signature Kilgraney dishes and will discuss the synergy between flowers and herbs in his “Edible Landscaping” workshop later in the afternoon.
Thursday August 7th will see Dick Warner pay his first visit to Altamont Gardens where he will host a “Gardening for Wildlife” workshop at 11 am with a tree trail and a visit to an Ice Age Glen taking place in the afternoon. The Forge Restaurant Art & Craft Centre, located adjacent to Altamont Gardens, will be displaying a floral and craft exhibition of local artists throughout the festival. On Friday, Dermot O’ Neill will be in Rathwood near Tullow to discuss the importance of a stylish outdoor garden and “Low Maintenance Gardening.” Finola Reid, historic gardens consultant on the Duckett’s Grove Walled Gardens and Pleasure Grounds restoration project will lead tours through the gardens on Saturday August 9th from 11 am. This is a unique opportunity to view the restored walled gardens, reinstated borders and old paths. The festival concludes on Sunday August 12th when Dick Warner will provide guided tours along the River Barrow in Bagenalstown at 2 pm and again at 4 pm.
For further information contact Carlow Tourist Office, College Street, Carlow Tel: 059-9131554 or Carlow Tourism, The Foresters’ Hall, College Street on 059-9130411. The Floral Festival website also provides details of festival activities on www.carlowfloralfestival.com
