| Opening Times |
|
The Gardens are open to the public on Thursdays , March to September inclusive, Between the hours of 9.00 am to 4.30 pm . Admission is free of charge and is restricted to adultys only No Dogs are permitted . Guided tours for groups may be arranged by writing to . The Estate Office, Mount Congreve Estate, Co. Waterford . A fee will apply for the group tour History of Mount of Mount Congreve Gardens The Gardens at Mount Congreve Consist of Seventy acres of intensively planted woodland garden and a four acre walled garden. The present ower Mr Ambrose Congreve , was inspired by Mr Lional 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 Lional de Rothschild's passion and enthusiasm for Rhododendrons, Magnolias and all kinds of flora from every continent in the world. With his father, he began planting in his late teen's. Lorry loads of plants including Rhododendron sinogrande arrived, carriage paid, from Mr Lional de Rothschild. 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 , Garden Director for thirty-nine years, the two men set about creating what is said by the Horticultal Society of Massachusetts to be one of the great gardens in the world. One of Mr. Congreve's garden philosophies is that when one plants anything, whether it involves five or fiftl they should be planted together and not dotted singularly around the garden. The fruition of this particular philosophy can be seen especiallyduring the spring and early summer when gardens are awash with magnificent sweeps of flowering Azaleas, Camellias, Magnolias and Rhododendrons. Mr Congreve also Believes that every garden should have surprises and good vantage points where the gardens and surrounding landscape can be viewed to compliment each other. With this in mind the garden has wounderful vistas overlooking the neighbouring River Suir, particularly in March when hundreds of flowering Asiantic Magnolias are at their glorious best. The garden has many surprises throughout which include a Chinese Pagoda in the centre of an old quarry and is quite spectacular viewed from above, a classical temple over looking a wonderful view of the River Suir and anartificial waterfall cascading over a natural rock face into three small pools beneath. There is a walk of over eighty Magnolia Campbellii seedlings cleverly plamted on lower slopes 1969, where they canbe viewed from an elevated walk and these in turn are under planted with Deciduous Azaleas. This Magnolia walk flowering on the leafless stems in late March/April is surely a glimpse of the himalayas as would have been seen by Frank Kingdom Ward on the first encountering these magnificent trees in 1930. As the native habitats of these Magnolias comes under threat, planting such as that undertaken here at Mount Congreve all those years ago will become increasing more important to the horticulture world. The bluebell Walk with many forms of tree ferns such as Dicksonia antartica, Dicksonia Smithii and Cyathea dealbata in flower is reminiscent of a Monet painting. Several sweeping lawns are used to hightlight tree and shrub plantings. One such area the Rose Lawn gently slopes and meanders through two red flowering chestnuts and is bordered with various Astilbes, Roses and Styrax flowering in june and a specimen of Cupressus Cashmeriana. A grass path that stretches for hundreds of metres is bordered by seventy wisterias trained to grow as columns that are spectacular in flower in May/June with companion plantings of Cistus, Cytisus, Hebe, Genista, Carpentaria and many more summer flowering plants . On the Bell Gate Lawn stands four Magnolia seedlings, three of which are Magnolia sagentiana var. robusta, the other is distinctly different. Its seed parent must have had a liaison with another species aided and abetted by a winged accomplice, this plant with its cyclamen purple buds which open dark pink, we have named after Mr John Congreve. Through the mature oak tree, we grow many climbers as Clematis Montana, Clematis armandii, Actinidia chineses, Celastrus orbiculatus, Hydrangea siemenii and Paederia scandens and several others. Inlate summer, we have a three quarter mile walk of over ninety different varieties of Hydrangeas in flower. As you enter the garden there is a walk with over fifty varieties of Pieris whose growth habits range from twenty inches to twenty feet, with new foliage emerging in many shades from salmon pink to fire red. A Mahonia walk with over thirty cultivars cheers up the winter months with its scented yellow flowers and just recently we procured the red flowering variety Mahonia gracilipes. The collection consists of over thre thousand different trees and shrubs, morethan two thousand Rhododendrons, six hundred Camellias, three hundred Acer cultivars, six hundred Conifers, two hundred and fifty climbers and fifteen hundred plants and many more tender plantswithin the georgian glasshouse. The walled garden is dividinto two sections, one consists of a fruit and vegetable garden,May/June/July borders, Michaelmas Daisy and Chrysanthemum border, Paeonia border and climbing roses backed with Delpiniums and unplanted with Helianthemums and a Water lily Pond surrounded by Japanese Irises, Candelabra Primulas, Gunnera, Agapanthus and Crocrosmias. The other garden is planted for August/September with many forms of Magnolia Grandifolia, Hydrangea sargentiana, Hydrangea Villosa , many Buddleja varieties and all ar underplanted with herbaceous plants.The majestic walls are adorned with climbers such as Wisteria, Pileostegia, Schipragma, Trachelospermum, Lonicera and Hydrangea petiolaris. Herbaceous plants such as Lobelia tupa, Eucomis bicolour, Coreopsis verticillata, border the Georgian glass house. Romneya trichocalyx, Sedem spectabile, Dahlia cultivars and many more. A manicured lawn is central feature of this garden planted with one Aesculus parvifolia and one Juniperus squamata'Chinese Silver' Asloping box hedge that leads to the Bell Gate has Tropaeolum speciosum growing through it and is very effective in flower. Words can only convey a small impression of what Mount Congreve has to offer but to get the full appreciation of what has been achieved hare in such a short time by Mr. Ambrose Congreve and Mr. Herman Dool, one has to, I feel visit the gardens as seasons unfold. Visiting a garden like Mount Congreve gives peoplethe opportunity to view plants from around the world as we have a policy of always seeking out the latest introductions and new hybrids Mr Congreve also Believes that every garden should have surprises and good vantage points where the gardens and surrounding landscape |
