Northern Ireland has a rich garden heritage with some of the most magnificent gardens in Europe. The Northern Ireland Tourist Board is encouraging people to make the most of this time of year by visiting some of these stunning outdoor spaces.

From grand ornamental gardens to charming walled gardens, award-winning rose gardens, and woodland meadows with wild flowers and lakes, there is a wide range of magical green spaces to be discovered, many bursting with history and interesting local stories.

Here are some of the garden attractions which can be found throughout Northern Ireland.

The Peace Maze at Castlewellan Forest Park, County Down, is the largest and longest hedge maze in the world. It is planted with 6,000 yew trees. The maze is open to the public and is a must-see for adults and children alike. Over at Carnfunnock Country Park along the Causeway Coastal Route there is also a maze in the shape of Northern Ireland with seven central spaces, one for each county in Northern Ireland and one for Lough Neagh. At the Tropical Butterfly House at Seaforde Gardens, County Down, you will find the oldest maze in Ireland in the centre of the walled garden.

Crom Estate in County Fermanagh is one of Ireland’s most important nature conservation areas and is home to an ancient yew tree, designated one of the 50 Greatest British Trees. This huge tree is actually two yews situated a few steps apart (one male, one female) thought to have been planted close together in the 17th century. They have grown to give the appearance of a single remarkable tree.

The handkerchief tree

Each year in May there is a pilgrimage to Rowallane Garden to see the magnificent spreading branches of the handkerchief tree, Davidia involucrata. It has massive wide spreading branches laden with fluttering white tissue-like flowers. The handkerchief tree was once considered the Holy Grail of exotic flora. The species was discovered in China and this particular tree was purchased in 1904 for seven shillings and sixpence (approx 75p) and planted in Rowallane by then owner Hugh Armytage Moore.

Meanwhile the largest rhododendron bush in Europe, as verified by the Guinness Book of Records, can be found in the magnificent gardens inside the walls of Hillsborough Castle. Hillsborough Castle and Gardens are open to the public for tours each Saturday in May and June.

Must-see gardens

Mount Stewart, Newtownards, Co Down, is one of the most inspiring and unusual gardens in Northern Ireland. The gardens, planted in the 1920s, reflect great planting artistry that was the hallmark of Edith, Lady Londonderry, and the mild climate of Strangford Lough allows many rare plants to thrive. Visitors can enjoy formal gardens of clipped topiary, statuary and magnificent colour schemes and a picturesque lake surrounded by beautiful swathes of woodland. The formal areas exude a strong Mediterranean feel and resemble an Italian villa landscape and the wooded areas support a range of plants from all corners of the world, ensuring something to see whatever the season.

Florence Court, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, enjoys a peaceful setting with a dramatic backdrop of mountains and forests. Visitors are invited to discover many serene and beautiful corners by exploring the pleasure grounds and the walled garden within this magnificent demesne where garden lovers will find the famous Florence Court yew, reputedly the ‘parent’ of all Irish yew trees. Other interesting features include a sawmill, original ice house, and charming summerhouse.

Glenarm Castle Gardens, Ballymena, Co Antrim, is one of Ireland’s oldest walled gardens, dating from the 18th century. Beautiful in all seasons, the walled garden and tea room are open from May until the end of September, when the garden is still rich with displays of herbaceous plants.

The Argory, Co Armagh/ Tyrone is located in a wooded park above the River Blackwater. The early Victorian house of The Argory is surrounded by sweeping lawns with two formal gardens. The first, a charming rose garden with dwarf rose bushes in box-edged beds, is planted around a sundial. The second, much larger and called the Pleasure Ground, has a terrace overlooking the river, the view framed by a pair of striking, stone-built houses with Chinese-style windows. The surrounding borders reflect the taste for exotic trees and shrubs with a special feature being made of the many famous shrubs raised at the Slieve Donard nursery in County Down.

Rowallane Garden, Saintfield, Co Down, is an enchanting garden enclosed within a demesne landscape. It was laid out from the mid-1860s by the Reverend John Moore and afterwards by his nephew, the plantsman and selector Hugh Armytage Moore, who established and developed connections with seedsmen and botanic gardens throughout the world. The garden reflects the beautiful natural landscape of the surrounding area with spectacular displays of shrubs and several areas managed as wildflower meadows.

Castle Ward, Strangford, Co Down, has 40 acres of parkland and contains many enchanting historical garden features such as the Temple Water, an early 18th century formal canal created to reflect the picturesque ruins of Audley Castle and Lady Anne’s Temple. Other features include the sunken garden with grass banks and Irish yew trees, and the rock garden created on a natural outcrop. The parkland grounds at Castle Ward are ideal for those interested in garden history and visitors can enjoy walking trails, an exotic garden, stunning vistas and a picturesque farmyard as well as woodland, lakeside and parkland walks with stunning viewpoints.

Gardening events this summer

Go on the Bangor Castle Walled Garden Tour on June 12 and get an insight into the garden and its history as well as enjoying a question and answer session. The walled garden was never open to the public when it was built in the 1840s and has recently been restored by North Down Borough Council. Shakespeare’s tragic tale of star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately reconcile their feuding families has become one of the most enduring love stories with Romeo and Juliet becoming symbolic of young lovers. Make sure you don’t miss this famous love story in the surroundings of the beautiful walled gardens on July 24 and 25.

Belfast’s Rose Week, a celebration of Northern Ireland’s rose heritage, is back from July 15 to 21 in the stunning grounds of Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park. The flower spectacular is the perfect opportunity for visitors to experience one of the world’s leading rose gardens, while enjoying flower related competitions, workshops, demonstrations, children’s entertainment, and the judging of the international trial roses by a panel of experts. The City of Belfast International Rose Garden has made the park world famous. The park contains more than 30,000 blooms in the summer, divided into trial and display beds, an historical section, and a heritage garden that displays the best roses from local breeders.

The Antrim Garden Trail is now in its second season. The trail includes the most distinguished public and private open gardens in Country Antrim, offering garden lovers the chance to discover ancient plots, glorious flower beds, scented walkways, and charming garden walks. The self-guided trail lists a series of nine must-see gardens throughout Antrim including the Belfast Botanic Gardens, Benvarden Garden in Dervock, close to the north coast, and large public gardens such as Antrim Castle Gardens and Clotworthy House in Antrim.

The trail offers garden enthusiasts, groups, families, and couples great variety as well as a unique insight into County Antrim. Each of these nine stunning spaces is a haven for garden lovers and some of the features waiting to be discovered include 17th century and Victorian ornamental gardens, sundials, a cobbled stable yard, two of Europe’s finest early greenhouses, and a hornbeam maze in the shape of Northern Ireland.

To learn more about Northern Ireland’s gardens, events, and seasonal highlights, or for further information on places to stay or things to see and do in Northern Ireland, contact the Northern Ireland Tourist Board on CallSave 1850 230 230 or click on www.discovernorthernireland.com

Details of all our roses are available on our web site.
Over 1000 varieties to choose from.

www.countrygardenroses.co.uk

]]> http://blog.countrygardenroses.co.uk/2013/05/19/rose-gardens-5/feed/ 0 countrygardenroses PEACE MAZE MOUNT STEWART GARDENS FLORENCE COURT GARDENS GLENARM CASTLE GARDENS argory gardens ROWALLANE GARDENS CASTLE WARD GARDENS BANGOR CASTLE WALLED GARDEN ANTRM GARDEN TRAIL http://blog.countrygardenroses.co.uk/2013/05/15/rose-of-the-week-43/ http://blog.countrygardenroses.co.uk/2013/05/15/rose-of-the-week-43/#comments Wed, 15 May 2013 17:11:47 +0000 Country Garden Roses http://blog.countrygardenroses.co.uk/?p=2143 ]]>

ENGLAND’S ROSE

English Shrub rose
2010   4ft

A new English rose which is a particularly tough and reliable variety of medium size, with flowers of deep glowing pink.  They are shallowly cupped at first; the outer petals eventually reflexing back and revealing an attractive button eye.

‘England’s Rose’ flowers more or less continually from June right through until the end of the season, in October or even November.

The blooms are nicely held in large clusters.   This is a healthy weather resistant rose, even in periods of continual rain the blooms do not ball and the petals drop cleanly.

It will form an attractive, bushy shrub of about 4ft in height and 3ft across, although it could easily grow taller if pruned lightly.

An ideal variety for planting in a rose border or for mixing with perennials.

The fragrance is particularly fine; strong warm and spicy with a classic Old Rose character.

Essential reading for all English Rose enthusiasts.

‘The English Roses’ by David Austin.

Please go to  GARDENERS GIFT SHOP on the main Menu.

Details of all our roses are available on our web site.
Over 1000 varieties to choose from.

www.countrygardenroses.co.uk

If you are looking for somewhere different to go this summer, why not pay a visit to the North Shropshire village of Hadnall where Country Garden Roses are putting on
The Greatest Show On Earth .
Some of the greatest names in entertainment are appearing from late May onwards.   Come and see show business legends CLIFF RICHARD,  ELAINE PAGE,  DARCEY BUSSELL, and JAMES GALWAY .  Special guest appearance of  the much loved talk show host  MICHAEL PARKINSON and  VICTORIA PENDLETON  the World and Olympic Champion cyclist.
ROXANNE PALLETT of Emmerdale fame has promised to make an appearance at the end of May or early June.    Opera singer SUSAN DANIEL will also be here . Susan has been raising money for charities including  Help For Heroes   Also expected in June are Shropshire’s very own BROTHER CADFAEL and CHARLES DARWIN.
To give the show a royal flavour PRINCE CHARLES and PRINCESS ANNE have promised to show up some time in June.  WILLIAM and CATHERINE  should also make
an appearance, providing the weather is fine.
The headliners are also supported by a cast of over Thirty Thousand which will include most of your usual favourites .
If the weather is fine this summer, all roads should lead to Hadnall.  We may even allow you to take some of the stars home providing you promise to feed and water them well.
For full details of the show see our extensive web site.

Details of all our roses are available on our web site.
Over 1000 varieties to choose from.

www.countrygardenroses.co.uk

]]> http://blog.countrygardenroses.co.uk/2013/04/21/the-greatest-show-on-earth/feed/ 0 countrygardenroses HOUSE PIC Main Avert Pic http://blog.countrygardenroses.co.uk/2013/04/10/rose-gardens-4/ http://blog.countrygardenroses.co.uk/2013/04/10/rose-gardens-4/#comments Wed, 10 Apr 2013 08:13:17 +0000 Country Garden Roses http://blog.countrygardenroses.co.uk/?p=2137 ]]>

ALPHA PIPER MEMORIAL ROSE GARDEN

Thousands of roses have been planted in Hazlehead Park’s Piper Alpha memorial garden as part of a campaign to ensure the site flourishes for generations to come.

Aberdeen City Council is working with Oil & Gas UK and the Pound for Piper Trust to help improve and maintain what has become a poignant tribute to the 167 men who lost their lives in 1988 North Sea tragedy.

Council staff prepared the ground and planted the bulk of the 11,320 roses, which should be in full bloom in time for July, which will mark the 25th anniversary of the disaster.

The Pound for Piper Trust has gained the support of the oil and gas industry, with Oil & Gas UK member companies providing generous donations to cover around £140,000 of the total £150,000 cost of the refurbishment.

Aberdeen City Council is providing the remainder of the funding while carrying out the majority of the restoration work and maintaining the gardens.

Kerri Henderson, whose dad died in the Piper Alpha tragedy eight days before she was born, helped plant the final roses during a ceremony in the gardens on Tuesday [09 April]. She was joined by representatives from Aberdeen City Council, Pound for Piper Trust, Oil & Gas UK, Cockers Roses and Aberdeen Sea Cadets.

Councillor Neil Cooney, Convener of Aberdeen City Council’s Housing and Environment Committee, said: “The memorial garden and statue is a very special place for Aberdeen citizens and the wider oil and gas industry, particularly for those whose lives have been affected by this tragedy. It is a place for quiet contemplation and reflection so it is therefore essential that it is attractive, well looked after and maintained to as high a standard as possible.

“Council staff already work hard on its upkeep but this additional support from the oil and gas community, both on and offshore, will bring a huge boost. We are extremely grateful for their generosity and hope we can continue to work together in meaningful ways so the memory of the victims of the Piper Alpha tragedy lives on.”

Carol Banks, Pound for Piper Trust founder, said: “This is a momentous day for everyone who has worked hard to make it possible. Since we set up Pound for Piper, we’ve been overwhelmed by the support of the onshore and the offshore community as well as the oil and gas industry which has backed the Trust both financially and in spirit.”

Geoff Holmes, CEO of Talisman Sinopec Energy UK Limited and a member of the Oil & Gas UK board added: “The industry’s support for this campaign has been inspirational; it demonstrates how passionate we all are about ensuring we remember those who lost their lives. The incredible efforts of the Pound for Piper team mean that the much-loved and important memorial to Piper Alpha will thrive for many years to come.”

Some 10,200 hybrid tea and floribunda roses (58 varieties) have been planted along with 599 ground cover roses, 171 hybrid musk roses and 350 rugosa roses.

The planting plan is designed to provide a good contrast of colour and height and was drawn up by Cockers Roses and Aberdeen City Council officers.

Other work will include rejuvenating grass areas, treatment of the perimeter hedging and trees to allow light and nutrients to the flower beds, maintenance of the benches, cleaning of the memorial and renewal of the lettering on the memorial plaque

Details of all our roses are available on our web site.
Over 1000 varieties to choose from.

www.countrygardenroses.co.uk

]]> http://blog.countrygardenroses.co.uk/2013/04/10/rose-gardens-4/feed/ 0 countrygardenroses ALPHA PIPER ROSE GARDEN http://blog.countrygardenroses.co.uk/2013/04/03/rose-gardens-3/ http://blog.countrygardenroses.co.uk/2013/04/03/rose-gardens-3/#comments Wed, 03 Apr 2013 07:58:30 +0000 Country Garden Roses http://blog.countrygardenroses.co.uk/?p=2133 ]]>

RINGLING ROSE GARDEN

What’s A Few Weeds !!!

Before ground was broken for their Venetian-style Sarasota mansion, Ca’ d’Zan, before all the paintings, tapestries and sculpture that would form the collection of the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art were bought, Mable Ringling started her rose garden.

The Italianate wagon wheel of heady aromatic roses that was completed in 1913 turns 100 this month, making it the oldest tended rose garden in Florida.

John Ringling was a tall, blunt, all-business lover of excitement and the grandiose, perfect traits for a circus magnate. His Ohio farm girl wife was a pretty, petite and gracious lover of flowers, who was also an avid reader and a quick and lifelong learner.

The couple traveled throughout Europe. While John scouted new acts for the family’s “Greatest Show on Earth,” Mable spent her time in museums honing her taste. Together they bought what pleased them, especially in Italy.

Mable decorated all their homes – in addition to Ca’ d’Zan, there was a 100-acre estate in Alpine, N.J., now part of Palisades Interstate Park; 636 Fifth Ave., now Rockefeller Center; a property in Chicago; and the neo-classical Worcester Home on Bird Key, part of a chain of barrier islands between mainland Sarasota and the Gulf of Mexico. The Ringlings also owned 100,000 acres in Oklahoma and Montana.

They began wintering in Sarasota in 1911. When working with architects and craftsmen, Mable was as determined as her husband to have it her way. She must have been, to envision a formal rose garden in the 20-acre jungle of mangrove swamp, rattlesnakes, water moccasins and alligators along Sarasota Bay that they selected for their winter estate.

“We have records of her working wearing a gun on her hip and high boots,” said Ron McCarty, curator of Ca’ d’Zan for 32 years. “She was quite a woman.”

Mable hated snakes, but they weren’t going to stop progress on her rose garden. There was nothing like it in the Sarasota of those days, a quiet enclave of 800 souls when the Ringlings arrived.

Not that the Ringlings and the Florida land boom allowed it to stay that way for long. John became the area’s largest landowner and built the causeway from Sarasota to St. Armands, Longboat, Lido and Bird keys, which he then developed.

After creating the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, he was instrumental in founding what has become the Ringling College of Art and Design.

Mable was elected first president of the first Sarasota garden club, the Founders Circle, and strongly supported beautifying the city growing around their winter home.

She was elected president of the Sarasota Woman’s Club a year later. She commissioned the New York architect responsible for the exterior of the Metropolitan Museum of Art to design their art museum in Sarasota.

Details of all our roses are available on our web site.
Over 1000 varieties to choose from.
(click below)

www.countrygardenroses.co.uk

]]> http://blog.countrygardenroses.co.uk/2013/04/03/rose-gardens-3/feed/ 0 countrygardenroses Ringling Estate Rose Garden 1 Arial http://blog.countrygardenroses.co.uk/2013/03/19/rose-of-the-week-42/ http://blog.countrygardenroses.co.uk/2013/03/19/rose-of-the-week-42/#comments Tue, 19 Mar 2013 08:19:41 +0000 Country Garden Roses http://blog.countrygardenroses.co.uk/?p=2129 ]]>

PENNY LANE
Climbing Rose
1998  14-15ft

Rose Of The Year 1998
This is the first climber to be voted Rose Of The Year in the UK. It is a significant addition to the range of repeat blooming climbers, because of the old fashioned nature of the flowers. They are filled with ruffled, informal petals which become larger and more beautiful as they expand. The colour is pearly blush with light apricot in the depths of the fragrant flower. ‘Penny Lane’ blooms continuously through summer and autumn on long slender shoots, usually singly, and sometimes in small clusters. The plant has flexible stems and grows vigorously to average height or more, making it ideal for pillars, pergolas, arches, wall and fences. The plentiful foliage is healthy, dark green and shiny with excellent disease resistance. Fragrant. Highly Recommended.

AWARDS Rose Of The Year 1998. GOLD STANDARD AWARD WINNER 2008 PENNY LANE   (Hardwell) Since 2006 a few roses are selected each year for this prestigious award.   Based on cumulative information from invited independent judges, the Gold Standard is awarded to worthy varieties.  Health,  floriferousness,  scent and commercial appeal are all considered key factors in the final choice. Bred by Harkness Roses. UK For further information  please see  Gold Standard Roses on the Main Menu.

Details of all our roses are available on our web site.
Over 1000 varieties to choose from.

www.countrygardenroses.co.uk

OH WOW

CLIMBING ROSE

8FT-10FT

OH WOW is exactly the reaction you will have when you see this beautiful climber.

Purple and white striped blooms cover this stunner all summer long. The large exotic flowers appear in flushes from spring to autumn and are a real head turner.
A very healthy rose with glossy medium green foliage which has excellent disease resistance and will tolerate a little shade.
The perfume is not very strong but quite pleasant.
Makes quite an unusual show as a cut flower.

Bred in the USA by Tom Carruth where it is known as ‘Purple Splash’

Details of all our roses are available on our web site.
Over 1000 varieties to choose from.

www.countrygardenroses.co.uk

]]> http://blog.countrygardenroses.co.uk/2013/03/04/new-roses-for-2013-11/feed/ 0 countrygardenroses OH WOW http://blog.countrygardenroses.co.uk/2013/02/26/frequently-asked-questions-2/ http://blog.countrygardenroses.co.uk/2013/02/26/frequently-asked-questions-2/#comments Tue, 26 Feb 2013 09:03:28 +0000 Country Garden Roses http://blog.countrygardenroses.co.uk/?p=2123 ]]>

JUDE THE OBSCURE

Q: Which is the most fragrant English Rose?

Other contenders for the title include Gertrude Jekyll (a perfectly balanced old rose fragrance), Lady Emma Hamilton (a deliciously fruity fragrance), Wild Edric (a blend of old rose and clove) and Jubilee Celebration (another lovely fruity fragrance).

Details of all our roses are available on our web site.
Over 1000 varieties to choose from.
(click below)

www.countrygardenroses.co.uk

]]> http://blog.countrygardenroses.co.uk/2013/02/26/frequently-asked-questions-2/feed/ 0 countrygardenroses JUDE THE OBSCURE 2012 http://blog.countrygardenroses.co.uk/2013/02/25/rose-gardens-2/ http://blog.countrygardenroses.co.uk/2013/02/25/rose-gardens-2/#comments Mon, 25 Feb 2013 09:08:47 +0000 Country Garden Roses http://blog.countrygardenroses.co.uk/?p=2120 ]]>

LEVENS HALL ROSE GARDEN

Nothing can compare with the sights and scents of a traditional english rose garden in full bloom throughout the summer. There is an abundance of flowers, delicate confections in pinks and whites or deeper velvety reds, each with its own rich and individual exotic perfume.

This area is planted throughout with ‘English’ roses. The result of hybridising the wonderful older roses with modern repeat flowering varieties to get the best features of both. They include: ‘Belle story’, ‘Perdita’, ‘Chaucer’, ‘Gertrude Jekyll’, ‘Mary Rose’, ‘The Countryman’ and ‘Wife of Bath’, all in shades of pink. ‘LD. Braithwaite’ and ‘Wenlock’ in crimsons, and ‘Winchester Cathedral’ in white. Drink deeply of their heady perfume. Breathe in the scents of summer…

The old rose garden at Levens Hall is charmingly set in an intricate pattern of low hedges and enticing winding pathways. The tree at its centre is the Maidenhair tree Ginkgo biloba, a unique survivor. Once known only through fossil records, the species was re-discovered in China in 1758. The Levens specimen in the centre of the rose garden is about 60 years old. Unusually for a conifer, the Ginkgo is deciduous and has flat fan shaped leaves which turn a lovely yellow colour before falling in the Autumn

Opening Times & Ticket Prices

31 March – 10 October

Open Sundays to Thursdays

(Closed on Fridays and Saturdays during the Season, ALSO CLOSED SUNDAY 9th JUNE)

The Gardens

10.00am – 5.00pm

The House

Open 12 noon – 4.30pm

(Last admission 4.00 pm)

Admission

House & Gardens – £12.50

Gardens Only – £8.50

No charge for Children under 16 – accompanied by an adult (four children per adult maximum)

Free admission to the Gift Shop and Bellingham Buttery.

Details of all our roses are available on our web site.
Over 1000 varieties to choose from.
(click below)

www.countrygardenroses.co.uk

]]> http://blog.countrygardenroses.co.uk/2013/02/25/rose-gardens-2/feed/ 0 countrygardenroses LEVENS HALL ROSES http://blog.countrygardenroses.co.uk/2013/02/20/rose-of-the-week-41/ http://blog.countrygardenroses.co.uk/2013/02/20/rose-of-the-week-41/#comments Wed, 20 Feb 2013 17:15:57 +0000 Country Garden Roses http://blog.countrygardenroses.co.uk/?p=2117 ]]>

REMEMBER

Hybrid Tea Rose    1994   3ft-4ft

A lovely addition to our HT section.

Classic shapely medium sized  blooms of  light pink, an extremely attractive and free flowering hybrid tea.

A bushy plant with young reddish foliage that matures to glossy dark green.

A very healthy and disease free rose which makes a real statement in the garden.  Can also be grown in a large container.

As with most Hts will thrive in full sun.

Highly Scented.

A lovely rose to plant as a memorial rose.

Used to be known as Royal Copenhagen.

RELATED TITLES

Remember Me.   Remembrance.    Liverpool Remembers.   Absent Friends.   Fond Memories.   Happy Memories.   Loving Memory.   Never Forgotten.   Peace.   Sweet Memories.

Details of all our roses are available on our web site.
Over 1000 varieties to choose from.

www.countrygardenroses.co.uk