Mount Congreve Gardens – Our 60th Partner Garden!

“It’s all about the Gardens!!” The passionate words last week of Mount Congreve’s estate manager Ray Sinnott speaking of the world famous gardens. We are delighted that this magnificent County Waterford house and garden, left by Ambrose Congreve to the State on his death in 2011, is now the 60th addition to our Partner Gardens Scheme. Mount Congreve House was built in the 1760s but the superb gardens surrounding it, were created by Ambrose Congreve with his Dutch garden director Herman Dool mainly through the 1950s and 60s, and now some 70 years later have entered a new exciting phase of renewal and restoration. The RHSI is both delighted and privileged to now be part of this new drive launched in 2023 following major redevelopment, helping to bring Mount Congreve very deservedly back to the wider attention of plant enthusiasts and garden lovers throughout the country.

Sixteen kilometres of pathways and trails lead you around all the mystery and magic of these 70 acres of gardens. The renowned spring display of acid-loving plants starts the year in the large woodland area in March with the stunning magnolia blooms on the sloping Herman Dool Walk followed by colourful swathes of camellias, rhododendrons and azaleas. Huge banks of sequentially flowering varieties allow for several months of surprises around every corner of this woodland.

At this time of year the eye moves on to the 4 acre walled garden with wisteria in full bloom and soon will be followed by a magnificent double bordered display of peonies, edged by catmint and with a backdrop of blue delphiniums and rambler Paul’s Himalayan Musk. A must-see for a visit shortly in June! A large kitchen garden supplies fresh produce for the garden’s cafe, The very large walled garden is gradually being restored, with the vital help of student gardeners from the new Mount Congreve School of Horticulture, and from nearby Kildalton College and French exchange placements – a work in progress. Further into the summer the woodland area is back in play with terraces of astilbes, and peonies, hostas, dahlias, hydrangeas and a rockery area. Watch out for lots of lovely features along the way such as the Temple where the ashes of Ambrose and his wife Margaret are buried, and the Chinese Pagoda referencing his time spent in the Far East. And don’t miss the fabulous 1 km display of hydrangeas running from the walled garden to the Pagoda…..

There is plenty more to see and enjoy in these amazing gardens with their huge world-renowned plant collections of literally hundreds of varieties and cultivars of plants. The last full plant inventory was done in 2008, and a new one is currently underway by Mount Congreve’s new Plant Collection Officer, matching what is currently on record with what is actually in the gardens – a very big job!

Your visit to the gardens will be greatly enhanced by a paid tour with one of the gardeners, or a free Audio Tour Guide by former Garden Curator Michael White. Paths have been resurfaced and signage introduced. And finally, the magnificent house! A fine restoration of part of the ground floor provides the garden entrance and visitor centre, while the converted courtyard area now houses a most tempting Foxford gift shop and the Stables Cafe (run by the excellent Cliff Group) with a small art gallery. We all love some relaxation and retail therapy after a garden visit so this indoor visit is absolutely essential! There is also a small eco playground for children tucked away at the very top of the gardens. Dogs are welcome on the Wetlands Walk near the estate entrance but are not otherwise allowed around the gardens.

Mount Congreve MUST be a forever jewel in Ireland’s cache of great gardens but only we the public can keep it that way by supporting it. So do come and tour the gardens this summer, enjoy the excellent shop and cafe ……and tell all your friends to come too!

See our Partner Garden web page for full information – directions etc

Noreen Keane
RHSI Partner Gardens

RHSI,
Laurelmere Cottage,
Marlay Park,
Grange Road,
Rathfarnham,
Dubin 16,
D16 H9T4,
Ireland.

Tel: +353 1 493 7154
Email: info@rhsi.ie

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