Late summer is one of my favourite times to visit gardens, as you will see in the coming weeks, as I finally get around to writing up posts on some of the amazing gardens I went to see. I decided to start off with a garden that I have wanted to go to for the past 3 years.
June Blake’s Garden in Blessington, Co. Wicklow is just unbelievable! I have for the past few years just drooled over the photos that other people have put up on Facebook or on Twitter. It is just full of colour and I have just longed to wander amongst the flower beds and experience the garden for myself.
Finally this summer, along with my mother, I headed off on a road trip to Wicklow to finally see this fantastic garden. Let me tell you this garden did not disappoint, it was truly one of the best gardens I have seen in ages. I think I loved it because it is how I dream my own garden will look one day!
From the minute you drive through the gates, you are transported right into the centre of a plant paradise. I loved the long sweeping driveway and the dappled shade that is cast down from the towering trees that lined it.
I must admit, I was very excited when I got out of the garden and was finally about to walk around the garden that I had wanted to walk around for so long! After a walk around the plant nursery and I had admired some large trees growing in lovely rust covered containers, we made our way to the main attraction.
After we had greeted the master mind behind the garden, June Blake, we scurried away quickly to look at plants and let her get back to her interrupted lunch! Before we did scurry away, she advised us to start our visit from the Prarie beds at the top of the garden which have lovely views over the rest of the garden.
I loved this part of the garden as it was very natural with the slopping lawns and strategically placed plants to add colour and interest. I don’t think you can really beat the views from up here over the garden and surrounding fields and countryside. I would highly recommend coming up here and sitting on one of the perfectly placed benches for a while.
After admiring the views from this part of the garden, we made our way down the grass covered slope into the woodland part of the garden. I have always had a fondness for woodland gardens and this one did not disappoint. I loved the combinations of plants mixed with ferns and shrubs. It was so natural that it looked like it had always been there. I was a big fan of the paths through this area and definitely plant to try and recreate these in my own garden.
Once you reach the reflection pool and hot beds, I know for myself anyway, the rest of the garden fades into the background. The plants and flowers here are just so vivid and spectacular you truly get lost between the plants.
Everything from the rudbeckia to the tiger lilies to the Echinacea looked just amazing. While the colours were very different they all worked so well together. I got so much inspiration here for planting combinations and what plants work fantastically together.
I don’t think I can really talk highly enough about this garden and really can’t wait to call back to it next year to see how it has developed and changed.
My Name is David Corscadden and I have just finished my degree in horticulture from UCD. I have a keen interest in wildlife friendly gardens or as I like to call them “Wild Gardens”. I have in the last year taken a u-turn in what I thought I would do after college. I have moved more in to the literature side of horticulture and plan to do a masters in journalism next year.
