The Scenic Gardens of Ireland

{Bon Voyage}

We`re in Ireland to see an extraordinary collection of grand public estates and exclusive & intimate private sanctuaries. Follow us on our journey as we visit Belfast, Galway, Killarney, Cork, Waterford and Dublin along the way.

Next year, we will be travelling to Northern England & Scotland. Why not join us?

Check out our remaining 2025 & 2026 tours on our website: www.rosstours.com

#rosstours #rossgardentours #ireland #dublin #belfast #galway #giantscauseway #waterford #cork #travelwithfriends #mountstewart #rt_ireland

{Bookings closing 28 March 2025 - Ireland}

Don`t miss out on the opportunity to experience Ireland’s mild climate that has endowed an extraordinary collection of gardens. Our itinerary includes the best Irish gardens; grand public estates & exclusive & intimate private sanctuaries. Stay in Belfast, Galway, Killarney, Cork, Waterford & Dublin.

Tour dates: 7 - 21 July 2025

For the full itinerary, please click here: www.rosstours.com/ireland

To book, please call the office on 1300 233 200 or book online.

#rosstours #rossgardentours #ireland #dublin #belfast #galway #giantscauseway #waterford #cork #travelwithfriends #mountstewart #rt_ireland

{Ballymaloe Cookery School, County Cork, Ireland}

At Darina Allen’s famous Ballymaloe Cookery School in County Cork, Darina has created a series of kitchen gardens, part of a 100-acre organic farm, which produces fresh vegetables, fruit, meat, and dairy products for the kitchen. High quality ingredients is the mantra of the entire operation here at Ballymaloe; “it’s a serious food-raising enterprise” says journalist Jane Powers in her grand book ‘The Irish Garden’.

We will be visiting Ballymaloe Cookery School on our Ireland tour this July. We have a few seats left if you wanted to join us.

Call us on 1300 233 200 or go online: www.rosstours.com/tours/ireland

#rt_ireland #ireland #rosstours #rossgardentours #travelwithfriends #countycork #cork #ballymaloecookeryschool

{Hunting Brook Garden, Lamb, Ireland}

It’s hard to describe the enthusiasm of Jimi Blake, whose garden Hunting Brook has attracted such acclaim. “I’ve spent my life discovering stand-out plants. I like to be bold, adventurous, and unexpected. My planting style is creative and unconventional. I don’t play by the rule book. I grow exotic plants here in Hunting Brook that no one would have imagined possible. I’m always trialling new plants and surprising plant combinations from very different habitats”.

If you would like to visit Hunting Brook Garden, why not join us in Ireland in July? Please call the office on 1300 233 200 or book online.

For the full itinerary, please click here: www.rosstours.com/tours/ireland/

#rt_ireland #ireland #rosstours #travelwithfriends #dublin #lamb #huntinbrook #rossgardentours

{Ardan, Howth Peninsula, Ireland}

Ardan is a dynamic and ever evolving garden on rugged mountain slope that Nuala and Conall have terraced and subdivided with wind breaks to create a series of intimate and sheltered spaces.

There is a White Garden, Exotic Garden, Pond and Bog Garden, Woodland Garden and Vegetable Garden. Ardan has been recognised as a garden of the UNESCO Dublin Bay Biosphere because of the created habitat for wildlife, embracing the environmental conservation status of the peninsula.

Our tour leader Colin Barlow will be visiting this garden on our Ireland tour next July.

If you would like to join him, please call us on 1300 233 200 or go online: www.rosstours.com/tours/ireland

#ireland #rt_ireland #rosstours #rossgardentours #travelwithfriends #ardan

Images: Ardan

{Ring of Kerry, Ireland}

Explore the bewitching Ring of Kerry, a 179 km circuit of the Iveragh Peninsula. It’s a place of wild excess, with the sandstone flanks of Ireland’s tallest mountains, the Macgillycuddy Reeks, pleated and folded by glaciers, that descend into moist valleys. Narrow roads make a rickrack braid-like track around the circuit.

Join tour leader Colin Barlow on our Ireland Tour next July and experience the magical Ring of Kerry.

For the full itinerary, please go here: www.rosstours.com/ireland

#ireland #rosstours #rossgardentours #rt_ireland #ringofkerry #travelwithfriends

{Douentza Garden, Wexford, Ireland}

Rachel Darlington`s fabulous Douentza Garden in Wexford has a large herbaceous borders and exotic plants. You will see carnivorous plants, hardy orchids and a large integrated greenhouse filled with tropical plants. Rachel is a master gardener, journalist and lecturer, and runs her You Tube channel ‘Gardening at Douentza’.

Why not join us for Morning Tea at Douentza? We will be visiting Rachel`s garden next July on our popular Ireland tour.

To book, head to our website: www.rosstours.com or call the office on 1300 233 200.

#rt_ireland #rosstours #rossgardentours #douentza #travelwithfriends #ireland

{Giant`s Causeway, Ireland}

The Giant`s Causeway captivates with its unique hexagonal basalt columns, formed by volcanic activity. This natural wonder, steeped in myth and beauty, offers breathtaking coastal views and a glimpse into Earth’s fascinating geological history.

We will be visiting the Giant`s Causeway on our way from Belfast to Galway.

For the full itinerary of our Ireland Tour next July, please go to our website: www.rosstours.com/ireland/

To book, please call the office on 1300 233 200 or go online.

#rt_ireland #rosstours #rossgardentours #travelwithfriends #giantscauseway #ireland #naturalwonders #belfast #galway #dublin #eire

{New Tour}

Ireland’s mild climate has endowed an extraordinary collection of gardens. Our itinerary includes the best Irish gardens; grand public estates & exclusive & intimate private sanctuaries. Stay in Belfast, Galway, Killarney, Cork, Waterford & Dublin.

Tour dates: 7 - 21 July 2025

For the full itinerary, please click here: www.rosstours.com/ireland

To book, please call the office on 1300 233 200 or book online.

#rosstours #rossgardentours #ireland #dublin #belfast #galway #giantscauseway #waterford #cork #travelwithfriends #mountstewart #rt_ireland

Step into Ardán Garden in Howth and it feels like you’ve slipped into a floral tunnel, with colourful flowers swaying gently above your head in the coastal breeze. 🌸✨
Perched high on the hillside near the summit of Howth, this half-acre paradise was once just rugged mountainside. Since 2003, Nuala & Conall have transformed it into a vibrant, contemporary garden full of surprises. You’ll wander through densely planted borders bursting with colour and texture, a serene white garden, exotic corners with a pond & rare newts, shady woodland hideaways, and even a dramatic rocky outcrop that celebrates its wild coastal setting. 🌿🌊
Conall’s sculptures weave a sense of artistry through the garden, while every plant is nurtured organically as part of the UNESCO Dublin Bay Biosphere. Ardán isn’t just a garden, it’s an experience where creativity, nature, and passion come alive. 💚 Put it on your garden bucket list!
#ArdanGarden #Howth #DublinGardens #IrishGardens #GardenInspiration #GardenLovers #GardenArt #NatureAndArt #UNESCODublinBay #TravelIreland #DiscoverDublin #HiddenGemsIreland #VisitHowth #IrishTravel #CoastalEscape #GardenDesign #rt_ireland #flowers #flowerstagram #flower #flowerlover #garden

Hidden in the seaside village of Howth is a garden that feels like stepping into another world. The Medina Garden, created by Karl Flynn & Marcella Dunne, is a lush tropical haven packed with palms, ferns, bamboo and exotic treasures you wouldn’t expect to find this close to Dublin Bay.
Winding paths lead you past a Japanese style corner, woodland glades, colourful borders and even a trickling water feature that makes the whole space feel magical. It’s only a third of an acre, but every inch is bursting with surprises. From rare plants to clever design, this award-winning private garden is a little slice of paradise by the sea, proof that passion and creativity can turn even the wild Irish coastline into a tropical escape. #irishgardens #ireland #howth #garden #gardening #gardens #plant #plantsmakepeoplehappy #plantstagram #tropical #tropicalgarden #rt_ireland #pond #dublin #dublinbay #coastalgarden #gardensofinstagram #gardensofireland

Hidden in the Wicklow countryside lies a plant lover’s dream, June Blake’s Garden. Spread across three acres and wrapped around an old granite farmyard, this space is anything but ordinary. With bold, fiery borders that burst with colour, shady woodland corners filled with ferns and bamboo, and even a sleek reflecting pool that mirrors the plants and sky in perfect stillness. Every turn feels like stepping into a different world, from tropical vibes to prairie planting, from calm, minimalist courtyards to wild, exuberant herbaceous displays. What makes it special? It’s the mix of drama and serenity. The delicate grasses and exotic colourful plants set against dry stone walls, with winding gravel and mown paths that invite you to keep exploring the garden, meadows and woodland beyond. June Blake isn’t just a gardener, she’s a plant artist and keen collector. Her garden is living proof that bold ideas, colour, and texture can transform a landscape into pure magic. If you’re ever in Ireland, this garden should be on your list of top gardens to visit! You can even stay in accommodation on site or have a delightful lunch like we did. #ireland #irishgarden #plants #plantstagram #plantsmakemehappy #flower #flowers #flowerstagram #herbaceous #pool #countrylife #juneblakesgarden #tinode #rt_ireland #gardens #gardensfromeden #garden #countywicklow

With a love for the unusual, a fearless spirit, and an eye for the extraordinary, Jimi Blake has turned 20 acres of Irish countryside into a vibrant naturalistic paradise. This devoted plant-hunter fills his garden with rare treasures from around the world, creating a space that’s adventurous, exotic, and beautifully wild. We were empowered by Jimi’s bold use of colour and texture in his garden, and are now inspired to experiment even more in our own gardens in Australia. The extensive range of unusual and rare plants, in particular from the Araliaceae family, were growing in many different aspects of the garden from understory planting to full sun. Jimi grew them from seed collected on his plant hunting expeditions to China! The personal tour with Jimi was a highlight, plus meeting Doris, his Old English Sheepdog. We then explored the enchanting woodland and the sweeping meadow before the light rain arrived.
#ireland #irishgardens #jimiblake #huntingbrookgardens #rt_ireland #plants #plantsmakemehappy #plantstagram #flowers #flowerstagram #gardensfromeden #plant #woodland #meadow #lillies #dog

Patthana Garden in County Wicklow is a supreme example of how a garden can be a both a piece of sublime art and connect harmoniously with nature. This magnificent and colourful flower garden is like a notebook on how to use colour creatively in garden design. It is not surprising, as the creator of Patthana Garden is T.J. Maher, who is both an artist and a gardener, qualified in Fine Art and horticulture. The blending of these pursuits and interests has created a garden that is like a painting at every turn. We had the pleasure of a personally guided tour, in which T.J. explained the development of the garden and his philosophy behind its design. I don’t think that I have ever seen so many bees in a garden before! The flower filled planting palette that he has created provides the ideal environment for wildlife and insects to flourish.
The exquisite new tea rooms were ready for our visit, and we enjoyed a delightful morning tea to cap off a wonderful visit. Many of the group purchased T.J. Maher’s book ‘Grounded in the Garden’, An artist’s guide to creating a beautiful garden in harmony with nature. The book tells the story of the garden and gives valuable insights on how you can get the same effect. I’m looking forward to reading my copy! #ireland #irishgardens #irishgardening #gardens #plants #plantstagram #colour #painting #patthanagarden #rt_ireland #gardensfromeden #rossgardentours #flower #flowers #flowerlover #flowerstagram

Set in the wild County Wicklow countryside, overlooking the magnificent Sugarloaf Mountain are Powerscourt Gardens, one of the finest gardens in Europe. The spectacular gardens are the realisation of the 6th Viscount’s vision to replicate the grandeur in scale and beauty of the many international gardens he visited including Versailles and the Schönbrunn.
The design of the gardens reflects the desire to create a garden that is part of the wider borrowed landscape. The beautiful view of the gardens from the upper terrace shows perfect balance between the garden slopes, terraces, flower beds and lake, as every detail of the gardens has been meticulously designed.
The gardens were created over two main periods. A formal plan for the gardens was first developed alongside the rebuilding of the house in 1743, and many parts of the gardens today include elements of those designs. Most of what we see in the gardens today was designed in the 1840’s by architect Daniel Robertson and implemented during the following forty years. Robertson is said to have suffered from gout and directed operations from a wheelbarrow, as he drank a fortified bottle of sherry! When the sherry finished, work ceased for the day! I am not sure that you could get away with that today! I guided the group around the Classical Italian Garden and through the Walled Garden with the longest double herbaceous borders in Ireland. We then visited the Dolphin Pond and the moving Pet Cemetery before passing the dramatic fountain in Triton Lake with a pair of life size horses watching over it. The symbolic Japanese Garden instilled a sense of reflection with serene views from Lord Londonderry’s Seat high above the garden. The elaborate grotto was like being in another world! The last stop on our tour was Tower Valley, named after the distinctive Pepper Pot Tower in its woodlands. Towering North American conifers provide a breathtaking backdrop to the tower and gardens. #ireland #irishgardens #rt_ireland #powerscourt #powerscourtgardens #italiangarden #herbaceousborder #tower #japanesegarden #gardensfromeden #grotto #countywicklow #plants. #flowers #treestagram #trees