Douentza Garden is the creation of plant-enthusiast, Rachel Darlington. Rachel is a columnist for the Irish Garden magazine, author and horticultural YouTuber. The garden is an acre in size and is situated in the rolling countryside of north County Wexford. It is maintained to a very high standard, opening to groups by appointment in the summer.
The space is divided into different garden rooms, each one having its own distinctive character. There are large herbaceous borders, small ponds, arches and paths, which draw the line of vision and invite the visitor to explore. There are collections of outdoor carnivorous plants, hardy orchids and subtropicals. Use of large-leaved trees such as Tetrapanax papyrifera ‘Rex’ and Paulownia tomentosa give a feeling of the exotic and shady seclusion. Look out for the raised aeonium and succulent bed, the scented garden and new additions to Rachel’s expanding roscoea collection.
Perhaps, most notably, the garden boasts a large aesthetically integrated greenhouse of rare and ornamental plants. It houses many caudiciform varieties, South African bulbs and a 5ft clump of Canna ‘Musifolia’ that filters sunlight from the greenhouse seating area. Borders of tall Daphne ‘Jacqueline Postill’ and Diascia personata outside the greenhouse encircle it, making it visible only from certain angles.
Douentza Garden
Knocknlaour,
Bunclody, Enniscorthy.
Co Wexford. Y21 X651
Contact: Rachel Darlington
Mobile: 089 276 0609, Email: rachel.darlington65@gmail.com
Web: YouTube.com@
Visits: Garden Open Days 2025- Sunday June 29th, July 20th, Aug 10th.Noon- 5.30pm. Otherwise June to August to groups (min 10 people) by appointment.
Entry: €7. Half price entry to RHSI members on presentation of current membership card.
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Ireland.
Tel: +353 1 493 7154
Email: info@rhsi.ie
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