EP234- Unveiling Carlow Garden Festival With Eileen O Rourke Carlow Tourism

Ever wondered how a small local event can grow into an internationally recognized festival featuring top UK and Irish gardening experts? Join us as we explore the incredible journey of the Carlow Garden Festival with insights from Eileen O'Rourke, CEO of Carlow Tourism. Since 2014, when UK gardening celebrities were first introduced, this festival has blossomed into a must-attend event for gardening enthusiasts. We promise you'll gain invaluable insights into historic gardens, ornamental borders, and food growing, making this event a true celebration of all things gardening over its 10 duration.

With Eileen we look at each event, chat about the fantastic speakers and topics which will be covered over the festival. The list of speakers is superb including Ann-Marie Powell, Niall McCauley, Arthur Parkinson, Kitty Scully, Colm O Driscoll, Paul Smyth, Matthew Pottage, Tom Stuart Smith, Klaus Laitenberger and many more.

Featuring an array of expert talks that cater to every gardener's interests whether you're a seasoned gardener or just starting out.

You can read more and buy tickets here:

https://carlowgardentrail.com

If you are having trouble getting the tickets you want please phone 059/9130411

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:13

how's it going, everybody, and welcome to episode 233 of master, my garden podcast. Now, this week's episode, we're actually looking at a really good garden festival that's coming up in county carlo. So, carlo, I live in county leash, which is very close to Carlow town, and this festival has been growing from strength to strength over the last number of years, and this year's lineup of speakers across whatever it is 10 or 12 days has really caught my eye. So there's a lot of really good speakers, really good venues as well, and I think it's something that's worth checking out for a lot of gardeners. There's something definitely in it for everybody.

Speaker 1: 0:48

So we're going to go through it and I'm delighted to be joined by Eileen O'Rourke, who's the CEO of Carlow Tourism, and Carlow Tourism, in conjunction with Robert Miller and Altamont Plant Sales, are sort of the people who put this together and, as I say, it has been going from strength to strength over the last number of years. So we're going to go through it. The various speakers I know a lot of the locations. Actually, as I say, I live close by, so I know a lot of the locations very well and they're worth seeing in themselves, and then just add in a good gardening speaker, speaker on top of that, and it becomes a great day for gardeners. So, eileen, you're very, very welcome to Master my Garden Podcast.

Speaker 2: 1:22

Thank you very much, John, for having me Looking forward to it.

Speaker 1: 1:25

Good so as I say, I'm quite close to Carlow. I only live 10 minutes from Carlow town, so I'm very familiar with a lot of the locations, which in themselves are very good, and this year's speakers particularly have. You know it has been grown over the last number of years. Obviously, the last number of years has kicked off with, you know, somebody like Monty Don or Adam Frost in the Arboretum on the first day and you know that's kind of the main kickoff, but the across the whole 10 or 12 days, whatever it is, there's a fabulous array of speakers across different sort of areas of gardening and the festival seems to be going from strength to strength.

Speaker 2: 2:08

Well, we're actually in our 22nd year, believe it or not, john, it was started way back in 2002. Carlyle County Council were instrumental in the establishment of the festival and some 22 years later, as you say, it has really grown dramatically. And I suppose 2014 was a landmark year for us in that the committee who run the festival and Robert Miller, as you said, of Altamont Plant Sales as our chairperson they decided to try and attract some of the UK gardening personalities, because some of our own audience were actually giving us that feedback that it would be lovely to see some of the UK experts. So in 2014 we approached Card Cline and Card Cline came and since then we've really had a kind of a half UK, half Irish makeup of gardening experts and people really seem to enjoy that.

Speaker 1: 3:14

Yeah, for sure.

Speaker 1: 3:14

And I can understand that you know the audience looking for, because you know when you look to TV and you look to sort of the go-to books for people, over the last sort of 20 years they tended to be you know the big UK gardening celebrities for want of a better word and you know I can understand the call for that. And what I like, or really like, about the lineups, particularly over the last few years and this year is no exception is the. The makeup includes some of the best Irish speakers as well, and I think that's that's brilliant because you know, at this point in time we have some fantastic gardening people as well and it gives that unique blend of you know the. You know some of the bigger names from the UK that people will be familiar with, but also the best, the best within Ireland as well.

Speaker 2: 4:04

So I think that's really I think that's a really important point, john, and thank you for making it, because I know that is the ethos of the committee as well, in that the festival equally recognises the brilliant Irish gardeners we have, but it also reaches out to theish gardeners we have, um, but it also reaches out, uh, to the uk gardeners, because I suppose people just love the idea that these are people that they see on their tvs and they wouldn't.

Speaker 2: 4:33

They come into their home, maybe every friday night or whatever night the gardening program is on, and that they just wouldn't get the opportunity to actually see them, uh, face to face. So that is a big selling point for us now, and you know the expert Irish gardeners, and then this opportunity to see UK gardeners that they wouldn't normally have access to, yeah, for sure.

Speaker 1: 4:55

The other thing that I like about the festival and actually that's something that struck me as well it is a kind of a true festival. When you think, when you think festival, you think something over a number of days. You know whether it is a kind of a true festival. When you think, when you think festival, you think something over a number of days. You know whether it's a music festival or you know whatever it is, a festival in your mind is over a number of days and this certainly is a festival in terms of you know the longevity of it. It's 10 or 12 days. So if you're, if gardening is your thing, you can, you can get and bunch two or three days together and you'll pick up some amazing speakers over over the course of those few days. So that's really good.

Speaker 1: 5:30

But what has really struck me is that whatever type of gardener you are, you know there's kind of something there for everyone. So if you're into the historic side of gardening or you know some of the the stately gardens, there's speakers on that. If you're into you know some of the stately gardens, there's speakers on that. If you're into you know creating borders and your ornamental garden, there's some very good speakers on that. Then there's very good speakers on growing food, which is something that I am passionate about personally myself, and then there's speakers that actually marry the two together, and there's some speakers thrown in there in relation to community gardens and having a purpose within a garden, and you know. So there's a really great sort of mix of topics as well, and ones that will definitely, you know, entice a lot of people to come.

Speaker 1: 6:17

So I think I suppose you know that's the sort of background of the festival, as I say, a true festival in that it's over a number of days. So what we're going to do is we're going to go down through them. You know the different events that are on and we'll talk, you know, sort of briefly, on some of these. As I say, I know a lot of these locations. I've actually worked in one or two of them in past lives, so I know them relatively well. I know a lot of the speakers. A good few of them have been on the podcast over the last number of years and, yeah, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's really good. So Carlow Garden Festival kicks off Saturday. No, sunday, the 27th, is it?

Speaker 2: 6:58

no, it's Saturday, the 27th, so Saturday, the 27th of July yeah, and we normally have our opening event that the first day. So this year we have Anne-Marie Powell talking about, you know, her passion for plants and kind of sharing her top plants with attendees and then we welcome back as well a gentleman we had many years ago who was really really popular. He's called alan gray, from east ruston or vicarage in norfolk, and he started his garden, you know, from scratch but it's become like 32 acres of one of the finest contemporary gardens um in the uk and he's actually in the process now of, you know, taking the next step with that garden and handing it over to a trust in the uk.

Speaker 2: 7:48

so they're opening the garden festival um at half past seven and it's it's a lovely evening yeah um, and I thought people would definitely know, uh, ann marie, because she got the people's choice award this year in chelsea and she also got the People's Choice Award this year in Chelsea and she also got the inaugural Children's Choice and anyone who was watching Gardiner's World you know she was so enthusiastic about winning that award itself. And, as you said before, it's a nice evening that people, if they want, can come for dinner in the Arboretum from 5 until 7. There's dinner from 5 until 7. Then the talk starts at half past 7 and then there's the opportunity to mingle with the speakers afterwards and the Arboretum stays open itself until 10 o'clock. So it's a lovely evening to start off.

Speaker 2: 8:40

And just earlier that day in the village of Loughlin Bridge we have Pádraig Webb, who's probably very well known to Carlow people and probably some Leash people as well, who has very good knowledge of the bird life of Carlow and of Ireland and he's going to lead a walk and talk along the River Barrow in Loughlin Bridge and that starts at two o'clock. So it's just a nice event if people want to go do something in the afternoon and then move on Then later that evening over to the Arborism.

Speaker 1: 9:15

Yeah, that's that sounds like a nice event. Along the Barrow is a beautiful walk and particularly kicking off from Loughlin Bridge, it's lovely, and particularly kicking off from from lochganan bridge, there's lovely. As a village it it has superb flowers, has always been. You know all the entrance roads. They always look well, so there's a very active gardening community there. And and then to take a walk down the barrow, it's beautiful there. So I can imagine that that's going to be and that's a free event for for people as a, as a kickoff on on that afternoon and then the arboretum event that evening. Uh, tickets, tickets are what?

Speaker 2: 9:50

25 euro I think for 25 euro for the two speakers and then, if you want to book, you can book dinner as well, um on the website and that's 22.95 yeah, and I have never had Anne-Marie on the podcast.

Speaker 1: 10:05

We actually did speak a couple of years ago and it was on the run-up to one of the flower shows and it actually didn't happen in the end, but I'll revisit it again. But Anne-Marie is a fantastic advocate of gardening at all levels and she's very accessible in that a lot of people follow her. She has huge Instagram followings and all the rest of it. She's a garden designer of the the highest acclaim. She's won multiple chelsea's and and so on and but she's very relatable for people, um, and she's very bubbly and you know fun and all the rest of it. So I expect that you know that that's going to be a very, a very good, good talk, um, on that evening and obviously in the arboretum as well. So lovely garden center. For anyone that hasn't seen it before, it's probably one of the biggest in the country, but a fantastic garden center, so it kind of marries it all together and a great way to kick it off and the next day then we the day kicks off in.

Speaker 2: 11:03

Yes, it kicks off in Ungardian Beow that morning with Niall McCauley again well-known Niall Gardens and that's at 11 o'clock in Ungardian Beow. And the Carle Garden Trail Committee took a decision a number of years ago to also include community gardens and tree trails within their garden trail. So we have, um, two tree trails one in ballam, one in mychal, and then we also have the fabulous guardian view, a lovely community garden, uh, people you know working together, growing together and then reaping the benefits of that collectively. Um, so now comes there to talk really about, uh, the benefits that he has enjoyed from his gardening enterprise and, um, you know what he gets, not only in terms of growing food, but also the joy he gets, the sanctuary it provides to him himself. So we're looking forward to that talk as well. And Niall was the Alan Titmarsh New Talent of the Year back in 2022. So you know he's hugely knowledgeable in this field as well.

Speaker 1: 12:28

That's for sure.

Speaker 1: 12:29

And on Gairdian Beo is a beautiful garden, a community garden, right in the heart of Carlow Town, beside St Leo's school, and that garden I actually gave a talk on composting there a couple of weeks ago to the committee and some of the other committees around the county who were interested in composting, so I know it very well. Beautiful garden, lots of veg beds laid out in the, you know, beside the polytunnels, owned by different schools or managed by different schools and different community groups and different people in the community, different community groups and different people in the community, and you know everyone comes together and helps one another there and then obviously they have a lovely speaking area there and there's a lot of community events and a lot of free education events there in that. So it's the perfect example of a community garden and Niall has been on the podcast, so really good speaker, saw him recently at Bloom and was speaking to him at Bloom. Yeah, really really good speaker and yeah, I'm sure he's going to go down well and a nice way to kick off the second day.

Speaker 2: 13:34

Yeah, and that afternoon then, john, we're moving out to Duckett's Grove, and I mean a lot of your listeners might be familiar with Duckett's Grove. Even from the moment you round the bend, as I call it, coming out from Carlo, it leaves a big impact on the landscape. It's a beautiful ruined Gothic mansion. It's a beautiful ruined Gothic mansion. The Ducats first came there in 1695 and they started building that fabulous house. Then, in the late 18th century, designed by Cobden the architect, lots of castellated towers and just, I suppose, a reflection of the status and the wealth that they had in Carlow at the time. And then, in 2005, carlow County Council acquired Duffields World. They renovated and refurbished the two beautiful walled gardens and they were opened in September 2007. And they were opened in September 2007.

Speaker 2: 14:42

So now we have the two-walled gardens, the lovely pleasure grounds, and in the last year or so there's been, you know, there have really been quite a lot of facilities put into Duckett's Grove. So there's a lovely tea and coffee. Well, it's a restaurant. Really, it's not just tea and coffee. They serve snacks, they serve light lunches, full lunches and then all the speciality teas and coffees that people like. And then, additionally, there's a tour guide there every Friday, Saturday and Sunday and he gives a free guided tour at 12, 30 and 2 30. Danny McDade is the tour guide's name. He's absolutely brilliant, really gives a terrific flair of what life was like in Duckett's Grove in its heyday. And then for international visitors there's also audio tours in all the main languages. We have six versions of them so people can avail of those as well if they don't particularly want to do the tour, and they're in English and Irish as well as the French, the German, italian and Spanish. So that afternoon. So the idea, I suppose, is that people might come to Nile in the morning and then make their way out to Douglas Grove in the afternoon. People might come to Nile in the morning and then make their way out to Duckett's Grove in the afternoon, and that starts at 3 pm out in Duckett's Grove.

Speaker 2: 16:08

And it's Arthur Parkinson, and Arthur Parkinson is probably one of the biggest new names in UK gardening and he's very involved with Sarah Raven in that he helps her in her own business and he's coming to talk about seasonal splendors and creative plantings, um, and he's written a number of books as well. We're actually trying to get a supply of the books, uh, to doug and scroll, because that's one thing people love as well. They like actually picking up a book and getting it signed by the author. But at this point in time I can't confirm. I have it sorted and we're trying to work through publishers um at the moment. But arthur is, you know, going to be talking about trying to create the perfect flower border and we're really looking forward to having him. Um, he designed emma bridgewater's garden as well, the potter, and, as I said, you know he helps out, uh, sarah raven quite extensively and his books are beautiful.

Speaker 2: 17:07

His books are just the, the photography.

Speaker 1: 17:09

I think he himself is a very keen photographer yeah, I haven't come across any of his books but um, yeah, I'm aware of him and I like the season of splendors and creative plantings. That's a nice topic. The gardens themselves very familiar with them actually. So back about 25 years ago I was doing some garden work not in there but right next door to it for a man who had come home from the UK. I can't remember his name offhand, but he was the soundest man. He was 94 when I was there, I think, and he had a nice garden. But he was a butler in one of the top hotels in London. Can't remember his name, but I know.

Speaker 1: 17:56

Now on Instagram you see loads of people feeding robins off their hand. But back at that time he used to open the door in the morning. He got up every morning very early, he used to open the door and he had three robins trained to come in and come in and sit on the counter when he was eating his breakfast and he'd feed them whatever. He was, giving them little porridge or whatever it was, but at that time it was, it was. It was incredible. He used to open the door and literally these three robins would go in and up onto the counter beside him and that was just almost beside ducat's grove. But the gardens themselves have come on massively over the last number of years and I know that emin wall has gone in there as head gardener in the last couple of years and I'm sure over time he'll put his his own stamp on it as well. And you know, as I say, fantastic gardens anyway.

Speaker 2: 18:43

But there will be developments going forward as well with it, with him and in there yeah, he already has, um, and I'm sure more is to come, but there's some beautiful cherry trees now lining up the main avenue as uh, as you walk in and you know he's doing a lot of really good work yeah, for sure.

Speaker 1: 19:02

So that's uh, that's 3 pm and they're kind of two that that could be tied together. And just for reference for anyone that's not from the carlow area, like you're talking a 15 minute drive from from one one talk to the next, so it's, it's no distance at all.

Speaker 2: 19:16

Yeah, yeah yeah, yeah, before we leave that day, if you don't mind, john, I might just point out that it's a lovely community atmosphere in Garginville. There's the talk and then they also have some plants for sale and there's also kind of teas and coffees that people want to get those as well. But a lot of the committee are there and it's just a really nice atmosphere on the day as well.

Speaker 1: 19:42

Yeah, it's a lovely garden anyway.

Speaker 2: 19:44

You can buy plants if they want.

Speaker 1: 19:45

Yeah, brilliant. And then so that finishes that day, the 28th, and then we move on to Monday, the 29th, and serious line-up on this day.

Speaker 2: 19:56

So what we do on a number of the days is we have, you know, know, a talk in the morning and again in the afternoon, and on the monday it's huntington castle and delta sensory garden share that and then they flip it on the on the following saturday.

Speaker 2: 20:16

So on the monday, um, we, we have Neil Porteous, very well known from his work with the National Trust, and he's coming to Huntington Castle in the morning to talk about five of the great gardens that obviously he's been very, very closely involved in Mount Stewart, obviously worked there for many years Rowellan, castlewellan, ross, trevor and Brookhall. And then that afternoon, uh, we will have the two presenters of homegrown uh, colin modriskel and kitty scully, and they're coming to delta sensory gardens, um, to give a talk on, you know, blending edibles into the actual ornamental side of gardening and how that can work. And we actually had both speakers last year individually in different locations. They were in Shankill Castle and in Birktown House, but this year they're coming together and it's following really the very successful programme that aired in March on our team. So we're really looking forward to that as well and we think it will be very popular.

Speaker 2: 21:26

So for anyone who's, you know, who's trying to build in. The growing of lettuce or beetroot or whatever it may be leaks into an ornamental garden and they want to see how that could possibly work. This is a really good job for them, yeah for sure.

Speaker 1: 21:43

And, and both of them would do that. So column, previously in in airfield, would have been very good at that, at blending the two together, and, uh, kitty obviously as well would, would do the same. So they'll, they'll be well versed on that and, uh, you know very good speakers in their own right. I was at columns talk last year in in burton house. So, yeah, it's very good. Um hunting huntington that morning. That's going to be a good one. Um, again, a garden. I know well. I actually did a lot of groundwork back in that and I was trying to think yesterday when that was so it was. I remember we were having tea there one morning and the news broke about BSE hitting Ireland. So that'll tell you the year.

Speaker 1: 22:25

I think it was 1997, if I'm right, and at that time the gardens were, they were going through a lot of their, I suppose. They were being reclaimed. They had gone kind of wild at that stage and were being reclaimed and a lot has happened since then. But at that time a lot of structural work was done out the front of the house just before you come to the u-walk, which is fantastic anyone that hasn't seen that. It's a long walk of u-trees and the way the, the way the sun comes through it is is amazing, um, but off that then, just in front of the castle itself, there's lovely, lovely structured pathways and they were all being put in at that time and, yeah, there was a lot of, I suppose, structured work.

Speaker 1: 23:07

Now a lot has happened since then in terms of the gardens and, I suppose, refining it. A lot of the planting has happened since then, but a fantastic place as well and really worth checking out. And obviously the talk itself then kind of relates. You know you're you're talking about five gardens that would have a similar feel to Huntingbrook, so the kind that kind of links together nicely, so that's a really good day.

Speaker 1: 23:27

Monday the 29th, Brilliant, brilliant day actually.

Speaker 2: 23:30

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 23:32

And so then, on to the 30th.

Speaker 2: 23:34

On to the 30th, then we move to Hardymount Gardens in the afternoon and then we're in the first of our ultimate events in the morning. So at 11 o'clock Margaret Gormley, who's the Chief Superintendent in the Phoenix Park, is coming to talk about well, the talk title is called A Feast for Senses and it's looking at the OPW Gardens. So I know she's going to focus. Some of them will be in Mochort, the gardens in King County Castle, obviously, ultimate itself, donnerail and a couple of the gardens down in Cork that will be in their ownership. So I think it's a lovely, you know, it's an overview of a number of gardens and the intricacies and the unique points of each of them. And just to explain to people as well, it's actually indoors and it's you know, it's darkened indoors.

Speaker 2: 24:34

There's a marquee within the plant sales area and ultimate, and that's where the talk will take place.

Speaker 2: 24:39

And obviously afterwards, if people want to take a walk around the gardens themselves or go to the sugar and spice cafe, that's where they can have lunch. And then in the afternoon we have another UK gardener called Matt, or Matthew Rees, and he's coming from Malverdees in the UK and he's going to really give a talk about you know how Malverdees came into being. I think he himself is there about 13 years and he was the assistant gardener in Great Ixter with Christopher Lloyd. So I'm really looking forward to that talk. He's going to focus on the classical design that is Malverley's, the colour-themed gardens, the white garden, the hot garden and a cool garden as well that they have there and mixed in with that then is you know, people can obviously go in and take a look at the beautiful walled garden that is Hardemount Two and a half acres and it's just a gorgeous garden. And once the talk is over, then there's a lovely tea served, afternoon tea served on the lawn of Hardemount and it's just a really nice garden party atmosphere.

Speaker 1: 26:03

Yeah, for sure, and Altamount is a great way to kick it off as well. Obviously, you have beautiful garden one, one of the best within the opw um suite of gardens which, as a as a block of gardens, actually kind of sometimes get overlooked a little bit in in terms of open gardens because they're they're free, typically for people, um, but there's some fantastic gardens, and that around the country as well, and you know, obviously, a lot of stately ones. You know kenny castle gardens and and all that. So there's, you know, as I say, it gets overlooked a little bit because they're they're free, but there's some fantastic gardens within that as well and then we're just so fortunate to have altamont yeah it's um, you know people.

Speaker 2: 26:44

I know from being in bloom and doing various shows over here. People absolutely love us and it's just a great attraction within the county.

Speaker 1: 26:53

Yeah for sure, it's brilliant garden, class garden. And then, obviously, robert's plant sales are there and he's very good. For anyone that hasn't been, you'll come across your specialist plants there and your niche stuff there, so he'll yeah, it's worthwhile for a plant hunter as well.

Speaker 2: 27:07

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 27:09

Yeah, so that's the 38th, and then we move on to Burton House the next day, I think.

Speaker 2: 27:15

Yes. So in the morning in Burton House at 11 o'clock we have Dr Derek Lupton, who's the curator in the botanics in Dublin, and he has a specialist talk. He's talking about the loss of plant diversity. You know the need for conservation and how botanic gardens are really in a position to contribute to global plant conservation because of their whole expertise and their knowledge in this area. So I think that's going to be very interesting for people as well. And again, you know the gardens in Burntown are open. They're very special gardens, not only the gardens themselves but then the lovely sculptures that are within them. So they make for a very interesting walk through them. And obviously then lunch served in the Greenbarn Cafe as well.

Speaker 2: 28:11

And that afternoon we move over to Shankill Castle where Clive Leitenberger is giving a talk about growing vegetables. And I suppose just a practicality is they're actually very close to each other, even though if you look on the map you'd say, my God, there's a bit of a distance between those. But literally Burr Town is at Junction 3 on the M9. So you go back to Junction 3 and you literally come off at Junction 7. And Shankill Castle is literally beside you there and Klaus Leitenberg is again a very accomplished speaker, very practical, very knowledgeable and just very willing to share his information. And the Coach House Cafe is going to be open on the day as well. It's open during the summer anyway and klaus will have some of his books. I know that it's it's a few years now since we had him, but I know, um, his books are very well written and people are very anxious, uh, to get them on the day as well yeah, for sure.

Speaker 1: 29:21

And uh, for any of you go to port town as the first one, um, without a doubt, one of the best restaurants in the country. Um, the gardens themselves are fantastic. As far as I know, it's an organic garden and the the restaurant. The restaurant is second to none, to be honest, which it's fantastic. Lovely setting. Uh, food is spectacular and uh, yeah, lovely day out. As I say, I was at one of the talks there last year, but I would be in the green barn not regularly, but a couple of times a year and really, really nice restaurants, so worth worth including that and I suppose it's just lovely, no matter where you sit in the john, to be honest, whether you're on the kind of outside area, and just it becomes so apparent where the food that you're eating is coming from.

Speaker 2: 30:08

It's just so close, um, and then when you're within the inner area as well, just a, lovely, um, kind of scandinavian style and, as you say, beautiful food yeah, for sure, and then Klaus Lettenberger in the afternoon.

Speaker 1: 30:23

So Klaus has been on the podcast before one of the most knowledge of people on growing vegetables. His books are spectacular in terms of you know, a very practical guide and, you know, for a beginner gardener who's looking to grow veg, they're they're super resource to have something that you'll dip into the whole time. So, yeah, that's another great day. So then we move on. Where are we now up to? On?

Speaker 2: 30:47

Thursday um, we head down the south of the county to the lovely village of Boris and we're also then just a couple of miles outside borough's, kind of halfway between, uh, borough's and bagnell's town, and uh, that's cabrini house and her gardens. Uh, but bonnie guinness kicks it off at 11 o'clock, um, in borough's house, and you know this is going to be a fabulous talk as well. Um, it's called high grove and my grove, so it's comparing. I I have to keep on remembering that he's King Charles and not Prince Charles, but King Charles's garden in Highgrove that he's been so instrumental in creating, and obviously Bonnie alongside him as well, and then her own garden. So, comparing both and you know it's a great opportunity to learn about how the people would again probably just see on television. You know many probably haven't had the opportunity to actually go and see it itself it's garden very much on organic principles, lovely flower meadows, and I suppose that reflects King Charles and steep commitment to sustainability and biodiversity over many years. And then, in contrast, then Bunny is going to present her own garden and I suppose the challenges and the joys and the triumphs that she's had along the way.

Speaker 2: 32:15

It's in Burrett's House, which is a spectacular location in itself, a spectacular location in itself. I always just say to people, you know, just to walk around the side of Burroughs House and take a view out to Mount Glenster and you know, particularly if the day is fine, you know the people knew exactly what they were doing when the locations that they chose for their houses. There's also a guided tour of the house at 10 o'clock that morning, at half 12 after Bonnie well, approximately half 12 after Bonnie finishes her talk, and then again at half past one. And for anyone who wants to avail of lunch, literally opposite the gates of Burra's house you have the step house hotel. Um, recommend the people free book if they can, um, but it's a beautiful restaurant as well, and again, very much um. You know, cooking by alan foley is on local principles, local wherever possible yeah, brilliant, another brilliant day, for sure.

Speaker 2: 33:24

And and then you're moving like we're into august now at this stage and yes we're moving on, then, to the second of august oh yeah, sorry, before we leave, um the the first of august, terry conroy, who owns danu herb gardens out in connemara. She's coming to talk about, I suppose, ancient medicines and herbs and you know how they were used in ancient Ireland and how we can use them today. So I'm looking forward to that talk, obviously because of the Herbal Gardens we have a. It usually focuses on a herbal talk and they're always really, really interesting. And then sorry, on the Friday, which is another highlight in the program, we're moving back to Altamont, friday the 2nd of August, and we go to the plant sales area in Altamont, as you said, owned by Robert Miller, and we have two great gardeners.

Speaker 2: 34:23

Tom Stewart-Smith is talking in the morning and Matthew Pottage in the afternoon, and you know that's going to be a great day. There's always a lovely garden party atmosphere. Tom Stewart-Smith for every year he's ever been in Chelsea he's got a gold, which is such an achievement in its own right. He's been there nine times and he's got, I think, three People's Awards and then nine golds, the most recent in 24. And you know he's going to talk really around gardens being for people and he has designed so many gardens and he's going to take us through some of those and then we have a kind of behind the scenes, up close view of Wisley, matthew Pottage, the former curator there. He's moved to the wild parks but he's coming to give a talk on Wisley. That again is probably you.

Speaker 1: 35:22

You know, people know from tv, but won't have been there or in the vein, won't have been there yeah, fantastic day and both both exceptional gardening, gardening people and and speakers, so yeah, really really good day out and obviously set then in elton mount again and in the plant sales area. So brilliant, brilliant day out.

Speaker 2: 35:41

And again there's. There's a lovely cafe there, so all the day they do sandwiches, soup, salads and then your cheese and coffees. So there's a good break. We start at half eleven, we're kind of over at one o'clock. Then there's a break between one and three. If people want to get lunch, do a bit of plant shopping, as you say, it's the place to do it, and then out to the gardens if they want to stroll around the gardens as well brilliant.

Speaker 1: 36:08

And then the next day another formal guest in the podcast fino new lawn, the healing power, the garden in the delta sensory garden.

Speaker 2: 36:16

So back to the delta sensory gardens so this is our second day for delta and uh, huntingdon they they're flipping now in that uh, delta is in the morning. Uh, on the saturday morning, again, a really good speaker, um, does a plant safari at the end of each talk and kind of goes. It's very helpful because it just goes through, uh, the main plants and, um, you know the natural remedies that are there that we can use in our everyday lives. And then we go out to Huntington again in the afternoon for three o'clock and for John Little, the UK gardener, he's like, he's a really brilliant speaker, a very, very enthusiastic and passionate, and his talk is all about gardeners being more important than designers and how investing in people, not stuff, could change the world. So it's quite a long title but it's basically what it says on the tin.

Speaker 1: 37:17

It's basically focusing on the gardeners themselves and prioritizing the people rather than the products and how that can lead to beautiful gardens and long-term sustainability yeah, it's a brilliant topic and you know, gardeners are more important than designers and I think that's probably more important than ever in this day and age. So I think that that will definitely be thought provoking and, you know, I would really worthwhile talk, obviously, on the day. So, yeah, and that's back in Huntington that day, isn't it?

Speaker 2: 37:51

That's. That's back in Huntington that day.

Speaker 1: 37:54

Brilliant, yeah. So and then you're on to the kind of final day and two superb speakers again. The first one is Paulul smith, doing a garden tour of the barrow experience gardens, gardens which are not that far from me, but I don't know them. I they're. I've never come across them before, so that's interesting. I was asking someone from who knows baglandstown the other day and they told me about them, but I wasn't familiar with them myself, so yeah, um, so this is a great opportunity because they're open weekends only and then only by appointment.

Speaker 2: 38:28

Um, it's a center, uh, similar to the delta, and the gardens then, uh, open when the service users are not there themselves, which is at the weekend, and they are fabulous gardens. They were designed and, in the main, built by the project manager there, a gentleman called john murphy, who has invested, you know, such time, energy, passion into them over many years. There are 10 different gardens in it monastic garden, a potager garden, um, 10 in total, and paul smith is going to lead a walk and talk through them. Um, and paul, you know, probably similar to arthur parkinson on the uk side, he's one of the newer voices in irish gardening. Uh, he's published co-published a book with dear mcgavin and he's going to give his overview of the individual gardens and then give his own slant on his gardening principles and his approach gardening, and he's currently the main gardener now in angela jupes, uh, benfield house, brentfield House and Gardens. So, paul as well, it's nice to have people coming home.

Speaker 2: 39:45

As I say, paul is originally from Carlow, so it's great to have him back as part of the festival. We had him a few years ago as well in Altamont Plant Sales as part of the day over there. So he's going to go through the, you know, the Mindfulness Garden, the French Garden, the Convent Garden. I mentioned already the Monastic and the Potager. There's also a Druid's Wood. There's so many individual gardens, all small, interconnected gardens that have been built and developed over the years. So looking forward to that. And then a gentleman, patrick Hunt, he's going to finish the festival with a walk through the forest in Rathwood. His specialism is biodiversity and, I suppose, teaching or explaining to visitors on the day the importance of the ecosystem that exists within the forest and the importance of the trees and the wildflowers. So that's going to finish out our talk. It's the last talk of the Garden Festival this year.

Speaker 1: 40:59

Yeah, brilliant, two fantastic speakers. To finish it off, paul has been on the podcast a couple of times and patrick actually has been on it twice as well, and I know that the yeah, both of them exceptional at what they do. And patrick, as you said, is very good at talking about wildlife, talking about biodiversity, understanding plants, spots, unusual things on these walks, and I know he does a lot of walks, uh, up in his own territory, up around county wicklow. So, yeah, that'll be a really interesting one as well, and actually, I would imagine, a very good one to to bring children to, because there's going to be a lot of interesting stuff there for them as well as he as he goes on this walk. So, yeah, a really, really good, good day to finish it off. So, yeah, as I said at the start, this is a real broad mix of topics, of speakers, of locations and, as we alluded to on the way there, there's there's loads of good restaurants in these places as well.

Speaker 1: 41:51

So you'll, you'll listen, listen to great gardening talks and and eat your way around carlo um yes so yeah, as I going from strength to strength and this year, fantastic lineup of speakers and a great array, so ticket sales. They're live now, so tell people where they can get their tickets.

Speaker 2: 42:11

The tickets can be purchased on carlogardentrailcom and we just it's it's very clear. There's a couple of options, just when you open the homepage, that are quite clear. There's a book now. There's also festival tickets, and what I also really stress is if anybody is having trouble trying to book them, please do just ring our office on 059-9130411, and the staff are very, very helpful, very willing to guide people through the process of trying to book tickets.

Speaker 2: 42:51

We try and make it as intuitive and as hassle-free as possible, but I know myself sometimes you know when you're online and you're trying to book something and it's not quite working out for you. I just encourage people to just take the phone in their hands and give us a ring and we'll definitely be able to solve whatever issues people might come across. And you know some of the events. You know they're proving very popular. So we're encouraging people to try and book early that they're not disappointed on the day, because obviously what does happen is the events become booked out yeah, which happened for quite a number of them last year. So just for people to get in early and get their tickets yeah, yeah, and there is.

Speaker 1: 43:34

I know that for sure there's. There's several of the of the events that will sell out, so book your ticket in advance if there's any particular one Like the venues have.

Speaker 2: 43:42

You know they have capacity but they can't go beyond that. So just to put that health warning to people, that the earlier they get in, well then obviously. Then the better chance they have.

Speaker 1: 43:53

Yeah. So have a look through it, have a look which ones might be of interest to you. Definitely there's gardens there, there's speakers there, there's so much to and, as we said, good restaurants along the way. So there's so much there to pique people's interest and spread out over a nice period of time. So, while you might get to all or many, there's certainly ones that you can pick and choose there within that and get to it, and a couple of good ones that will suit all the family as well. So, as I say, going from strength to strength, uh, eileen, thank you very, very much for coming on telling us all about carla garden festival I'll put all the links in the show notes and um, you know you can.

Speaker 1: 44:34

You can click through there if you want and, obviously, if you have the details, carla garden trail and, uh, you can phone the number if you're struggling on any of those bookings. But, yeah, a really, really great festival, what I'd call a true festival in you know, something spread out over a lot of days and and definitely something for every type of gardener and every type of interest. So that's been this week's episode. Thanks for listening and until the next time, happy gardening.