Snowdrop Month awaits for avid gardeners
Altamont Gardens has Ireland's largest snowdrop collection
THE ARRIVAL of the snowdrop peeping through the cold winter is celebrated in some of Co Carlow’s fantastic gardens with a dedicated series of events during February.
These celebrations include the highly-anticipated Snowdrop Gala at Ballykealey House, Ballon on Saturday 25 January, followed by a month-long programme of snowdrop-inspired events across Carlow.
Guided tours of the remarkable snowdrop collection at Altamont Gardens will run daily from 1-28 February, while Arboretum’s Inspirational Gardens will host a specialist snowdrop programme throughout the month.
Families can also enjoy snowdrop-themed fun at Huntington Castle, open every weekend in February. Nearby Shankill Castle showcases an extensive snowdrop collection each weekend, and the gardens at Burtown House, renowned for their equally impressive snowdrop displays, will welcome visitors each Wednesday to Sunday throughout February.
A major highlight in 2025 is the recent acquisition of a unique snowdrop collection by Robert Miller of Altamont Plant Sales at Altamont Gardens. This exceptional collection, sourced from the renowned Avon bulbs in Somerset, England, includes over 600 species and cultivars, many of which are rare or newly-bred varieties.
The addition has cemented Altamont’s status as having Ireland’s largest snowdrop collection and one of the most significant in Europe, offering a great opportunity for visitors to explore these delicate treasures and purchase select varieties.
Complementing this exciting development is the annual Snowdrop Gala, now in its 14th year, which takes place at Ballykealey House, Ballon on Saturday 25 January. This much-loved event celebrates snowdrops and other spring treasures with an engaging programme of lectures by renowned experts such as Keith Wiley from England and Callum Hallstead from Scotland. Author and owner and creator of Wildside, Devon, Keith talks on ‘Wildside – gardening on a different plane’. Callum, senior gardener at Cambo Gardens and curator of a national collection of snowdrops at Cambo, promises a fascinating talk on ‘Life after snowdrops – celebrating the snowdrop at Cambo and knowing how to move on’.
Following lunch, the afternoon includes a fully guided tour of Altamont Gardens and a specialist plants sale in Altamont Plant Sales. Tickets cost €130 and include morning tea and afternoon tea, lunch, lectures and plant sales at Altamont, plus a tour of the snowdrop collection at Altamont Gardens.
Snowdrop Month at Altamont Gardens runs from 1-28 February and is a great opportunity to view this unique collection, first started by Corona North, former owner of the gardens. Having been further developed by the OPW over the last 20 years, the collection is now among the largest in Ireland, with over 150 named varieties. Guided tours take place Monday to Friday throughout February at 2pm and group tours are available by appointment.
Snowdrop fun for all the family is on offer each weekend during Snowdrop Month at Huntington Castle, while the Arboretum has a specialist snowdrop programme for 2025. An extensive snowdrop collection is also available to view in Shankill Castle each weekend throughout the month of February, while the gardens at Burtown House will open every Wednesday to Sunday during February featuring an extensive collection of snowdrops, aconites, hellebores and early bulbs.
For further information, log onto www.carlowgardentrail.com or contact Carlow Tourism on 059 9130411 or email info@carlowgardentrail.com.
