All gardens

Home / Explore Gardens / All gardens

The Woodland Garden

The woodland garden peaks in the months of February through to May. Rhododendrons begin flowering in September such as R. ‘Jacksonii’, R. ‘Nobleanum’, and R. ‘Jenny Lind’. Hamamelis start flowering in December and continue through Christmas and beyond. Camellias such as C. ‘George Blandford’ and C. ‘Gloire de Nantes’ begin flowering the first week of December and last for about ten weeks. A large group of Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’ planted under the terrace also begins to flower in December and continues to display its fragrant flowers well into March.

The Herman Dool Magnolia Walk

The Herman Dool Magnolia Walk overlooking a magnificent view of the River Suir as it turns gently North/East is framed by hundreds of Magnolias, many of which are Mount Congreve selections raised from seed in the sixties. Underneath the Magnolia campbellii and Magnolia sargentiana trees are planted many different forms of Magnolia x soulangeana such as ‘Lennei ‘, Rustica rubra’ and ‘Alba’.

The Walled Garden

The walled garden is divided into two sections, one consisting of a fruit and vegetable garden, May/June/July borders, Aster border, Paeonia border with climbing roses backed with Delphiniums and under planted with Helianthemums and a Water-lily pond surrounded by Japanese Irises, Gunnera, Agapanthus and Hedychiums. The other section of the walled garden is planted for August/September with many forms of Magnolia grandiflora, Hydrangea aspera subsp. sargentiana, Hydrangea aspera Villosa Group, many Buddleja varieties, and all are underplanted with herbaceous plants. The majestic walls are adorned with climbers such as Wisteria, Lonicera, Pileostegia viburnoides, Schizophragma hydrangeoides, Trachelospermum jasminoides, and Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris.

Bell Gate Lawn

On the Bell Gate Lawn stand four Magnolia seedlings, three of which are Magnolia sargentiana var. robusta but the other is distinctly different. This plant with its cyclamen purple buds, which open dark rose pink, we have named after Mr. John Congreve. Through the mature oak trees, we grow many climbers such as Clematis montana, Clematis armandii, Actinidia chinensis, Celastrus orbiculatus, Hydrangea seemannii and Paederia scandans and several others.

Bluebell Walk

A bluebell walk is planted with many forms of tree fern such as Cyathea dealbata, the silver shield fern, that is the emblem of New Zealand with beautiful silvery undersides to the fronds and Cyathea medullaris with black hairy stems and enormous fronds.

The West Lawn

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 fine specimen of Cupressus cashmeriana. A grass path that stretches hundreds of meters is bordered by seventy wisterias trained to grow as columns, which are spectacular in flower in May/June, with companion plantings of Cistus, Hebe, Carpenteria, Grevillea, Melaleuca and many more summer flowering plants.

Gardens through the seasons

During the spring and early summer, the gardens are awash with breathtaking sweeps of Azaleas, Camellias, Magnolias and Rhododendrons. One particular planting of over a hundred Rhododendron ‘Lady Alice Fitzwilliam’ a very tender cross (R.ciliatum x R.edgeworthii), in flower is a treat for the eye and a joy to the nasal sense with its wonderful fragrant blooms. In late summer a three-quarter mile walk of over ninety different varieties of Hydrangeas is in full flower. As one enters the woodland 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 their scented yellow flowers and just recently we procured the red-flowering variety, Mahonia gracilipes.

Tours

Thursday Tours

Every Thursday between March and October you can join us for a scheduled guided tour of the gardens at 2:00pm (weather permitting). Meet at Mount Congreve House before entering the gardens, through the house, as the Congreve Family once did. From there your guide will take you on a gentle stroll through the woodland gardens, fragrant walk, as well as the walled gardens. Throughout the tour you will experience all that the gardens have to offer, while learning about the estate’s history, including anecdotes about its former owners. This is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon in a world-renowned garden.

DURATION: Approx. 1.5 - 2 hours
FITNESS LEVEL: Moderate
PRICE: €19 per person (€17.10 for Members)
MIN/MAX NUMBERS: Max 40
Discover more

Garden Highlight Walk

Following a grand arrival through the main entrance of Mount Congreve House, visitors will enjoy a gentle stroll through Mount Congreve's gardens. Following the terrace path, past the rolling west lawn, highlights include the delicately leafed Acer Tamukeyama and vibrant pink-green tinged Pseudowintera “Marjorie Congreve” named after Mr. Ambrose Congreve's wife. From there, stroll towards the Bell Gate Lawn, overlooked by ancient trees like Oak and Yew and also many rare trees such as the Handkerchief tree. This guided tour includes the Walled Gardens, where fruit and vegetables have been grown to support the estate over centuries. TO BOOK email our Estate Team at [email protected] or telephone +353 (0)51 384 115

DURATION: Approx. 1 hour
FITNESS LEVEL: Low - Moderate
PRICE: For details email: [email protected]
MIN/MAX NUMBERS: 10-40
Discover more

Herman Dool Tour

Elmer Dool, a respected horticulturist, leads the 'Herman Dool Guided Tour' at Mount Congreve Gardens in honor of his father, Herman Dool. Herman Dool was Garden Director at Mount Congreve Gardens from the 1960s working alongside Ambrose Congreve to design and plant the gardens over forty years. The gardens feature mass plantings of many varieties, creating stunning, colorful vistas year-round. Elmer Dool is proud to continue his father's legacy by offering guests a chance to explore the gardens and learn about their history. In recognition of his achievements to horticulture, Mr Herman Dool was honoured with the Orange Order of Nassau by the Queen of The Netherlands, which is the equivalent of a British Knighthood. Elmer is delighted to take guests on this tour and to have the opportunity to walk in his father's footsteps. TO BOOK email our Estate Team at [email protected] or telephone +353 (0)51 384 115

DURATION: Approx. 2 hours
FITNESS LEVEL: Moderate
PRICE: For details email: [email protected]
MIN/MAX NUMBERS: 10-40
Discover more

Estate Director Tour

A must for nature and garden enthusiasts, this tour offers a rare opportunity to explore the formal and woodland gardens with Mount Congreve Estate’s Director who originally started work in the Estate in 1989. On this tour, visitors will hear of the stories and the origins of rare species and plants that are both native to Ireland and present in these gardens. Visitors will also hear stories and anecdotes about the Estate's former owners including Mr Ambrose Congreve the last owner of the Estate as well as those that worked at Mount Congreve over the years. As visitors move through the gardens, they will also learn innovative techniques and methods along with some surprises about plants, trees and shrubs that have been used throughout history for dietary and medicinal purposes. How plants have helped shape our history and how we can continue to learn from the plants and nature around us. TO BOOK email our Estate Team at [email protected] or telephone +353 (0)51 384 115

DURATION: Approx. 2 hours
FITNESS LEVEL: Moderate
PRICE: For details email: [email protected]
MIN/MAX NUMBERS: 10-40
Discover more
At a glance

Trails

Woodland Garden Walk - 55 mins

Woodland Garden Walk - 55 mins

Stretch your legs, fill your lungs with fresh air and let the kids run free as you meander through woodland paths lined with spectacular collections of camellias, magnolias and rhododendrons.

Duration: 55 min
♿ Fragrant Walk - 20 mins

♿ Fragrant Walk - 20 mins

Accessible to all our visitors, enjoy year-round, ever-changing fragrances as you journey through varied plant collections and glimpse the woodland garden to the west and the walled garden to the east.

Duration: 20 min
Walled Garden Walk - 30 mins

Walled Garden Walk - 30 mins

Discover how herbs, vegetables and fruit trees are grown on an easy stroll through the kitchen garden; enjoy expanses of soothing green lawn and flowering trees around the pleasure garden.

Duration: 30 MIN
Woodland Garden Walk - 55 mins

Woodland Garden Walk - 55 mins

Stretch your legs, fill your lungs with fresh air and let the kids run free as you meander through woodland paths lined with spectacular collections of camellias, magnolias and rhododendrons.

Duration: 55 min
♿ Fragrant Walk - 20 mins

♿ Fragrant Walk - 20 mins

Accessible to all our visitors, enjoy year-round, ever-changing fragrances as you journey through varied plant collections and glimpse the woodland garden to the west and the walled garden to the east.

Duration: 20 min
Walled Garden Walk - 30 mins

Walled Garden Walk - 30 mins

Discover how herbs, vegetables and fruit trees are grown on an easy stroll through the kitchen garden; enjoy expanses of soothing green lawn and flowering trees around the pleasure garden.

Duration: 30 MIN
Previous slide
Next slide
CLOSED TODAY
DIRECTIONS
BOOK TICKETS