Inspiration for Gardeners along Ireland’s longest herbaceous border

June 27, 2016

When visiting the gardens of the great houses of Ireland you will often stumble across magnificent, colourful plants climbing their classical walls, waiting to be admired. This summer, be inspired by Ireland’s longest herbaceous border in the third best garden in the world at Powerscourt Gardens (National Geographic). The original selection of plants and shrubs along the herbaceous border were chosen by Lady Powerscourt, the wife of the 7th Lord Powerscourt. Her husband once said “The planting of the choice plants and shrubs, and seeing them increase year by year in size and beauty has been one of the greatest pleasures of my life.”

Join the horticulturalists of Powerscourt Garden Pavilion who will be giving a free talk to help you create a miniature version of their famous herbaceous border in your own garden at home. Popular from the Victorian era onwards, herbaceous plants were carefully chosen and arranged, not for their rarity, but for the beautiful sight they created when placed together. Get ideas from the Powerscourt team about which herbaceous plants to grow together, conditions, plant care and climate, and unusual annuals and specimens to try. The talk takes place on 12^th of July at 11am in Powerscourt Garden Pavilion.

Now that you have the know-how come back and join Head Gardener Alex Slazenger for a lovely morning exploring the herbaceous border at Powerscourt Gardens on the 15^th of July at 11am. Featuring over 700 varieties of plants and shrubs, this spectacular border boasts an amazing array of foliage at varying heights during the summer months. Alex will give visitors behind the scenes advice on how he creates this display each year and how to produce a well-stocked border. Tickets to Powerscourt Gardens must be bought for the tour which is free for annual members of Powerscourt. For more information and to book tickets, visit the Powerscourt Estate website www.powerscourt.com/events

About Powerscourt Gardens: Set in the wild Wicklow countrywide in Ireland, overlooking the Sugarloaf Mountain, Powerscourt enjoys a breath-taking panorama. The Gardens stretch over 47 acres and offer visitors a sublime blend of formal gardens, sweeping terraces, statues and ornamental lakes, secret hollows and rambling walks. www.powerscourt.com