There’s a feast of talks, tours and events at this year’s Carlow Garden Festival

THE GARDENING paradise of Co Carlow, best described as ‘one county, one garden’, will open its garden and castle gates to gardening enthusiasts for the Carlow Garden Festival at the end of July.

This annual festival, organised by the Carlow Garden Trail, and renowned as one of Ireland’s finest garden festivals, takes place from Saturday 27 July until Sunday 4 August.

Now in its twenty-second year, this eight-day festival will see 20 acclaimed gardeners and garden designers from Ireland and the UK deliver an inviting range of events that includes specialist talks, garden tours and workshops. Afternoon tea and evening meals along the Carlow Garden Trail add to the mouth-watering mix on offer.

“The festival opens with a double line-up of two acclaimed UK gardeners in the Arboretum,” said Robert Miller, chairperson of the Carlow Garden Trail, at the festival’s launch last week.

“Ann-Marie Powell is fresh from her winning of the People’s and Children’s Choice Awards in Chelsea, while Alan Gray of East Ruston Old Vicarage in Norfolk shares the meticulous process of transforming a blank canvas into one of the UK’s finest contemporary gardens,” said Robert.

“This sets the tone for the rest of the festival, with visitors sure to gain practical information and advice from renowned gardening and horticultural experts.

“From the amateur to the expert gardener, there is something for everyone, with talks marrying traditional gardening values with biodiversity to create the ideal garden space,” added Robert.

See the Carlow Garden Festival website at www.carlowgardentrail.com for more.

“Diversity and inclusion is most certainly the focus of this amazing festival; it is all encompassing addressing topics as diverse as garden design, vegetable and herb gardening, year-round garden colour and biodiversity, while also recognising Carlow’s profile for its quality food offering,” said Michael Walsh, chairman of Carlow Tourism.

“It takes place at one of the loveliest times of the year, with the main gardening work in gardeners’ own garden havens completed, giving them the opportunity to down tools and travel to our beautiful county.”

The Carlow Garden Festival has special accommodation packages available and provides the perfect opportunity to travel around the county. Visitors can also partake in the two food fest events in the Arboretum in Leighlinbridge and Hardymount Gardens.

For more information and to book tickets, visit www.carlowgardentrail.com.