‘The flowers of Spring 2024 are set to be incredible due to the rain of summer 2023’ says the Estate Manager of Mount Congreve Gardens in county Waterford.
The magnificent Mount Congreve Gardens are set to swing open the gates as it reopens for the season at 9am on February 1st 2024 and the team say visitors are in for a treat at these spring gardens.
Blooming on the recent news of being tipped by the prestigious Conde Nast Traveller in their 'Best Place To Go' 2024, the New York Times listing including Mount Congreve Gardens in their ’52 Places to Go for 2024’ and winning the ‘Best Newcomer’ in the Irish Independent Reader Travel awards along with the ongoing new developments at the 70 acres gardens the team are excited to re-open the gardens and share some of the new updates completed and underway since the gardens closed for an annual break following Christmas.
The Estate Manager Ray says, “Visitors to Mount Congreve Gardens this spring are in for a feast for the senses; much of our restorative works can be seen now in the walled gardens, and the flowers of spring 2024 will show us why all of the rain of summer 2023 was necessary.”
In the gardens at Mount Congreve Gardens, spring is all about early arrivals. We already have carpets of snowdrops and crocuses, especially around the great oaks at the bell gate lawn. We also still have winter flowering plants such as Daphnes, Sarcococcas and Mahonias that have been giving us a beautiful fragrance all around the house and down along the fragrant walk.
The early Camellia sasanqua are already out in the upper woods and main path and will soon be followed by our majestic Magnolias blooms along the river walk which tend to come before the magnolias on the Herman Dool walk. Our Rhododendrons are already coming out in the upper woods and in a short few weeks, the entire garden will be a blaze of colour.”
Photograph: Patrick Browne
Mount Congreve’s 70 acres of woodland gardens roll downhill from an elegant 18th-century mansion to the River Suir and are home to one of the largest collections of plants in the world.
The gardens include intensively planted woodlands, a walled garden and 16km of walking trails along with an elegant 18th-century mansion to enjoy a glimpse into times gone by along with the beautiful new Stables Café and Visitor Centre with delicious menus curated by The Pantry by CLIFF and filled with garden produce.
The gardens at Mount Congreve which is located just 10 minutes from Waterford City is now open from Thursday to Sunday from 9am to 5pm until March 1st when the gardens open 7 days per week. For further details see www.mountcongreve.com
Mount Congreve Gardens has recently been named in the 'Best of' and 'Must Visit' lists of Conde Nast Traveller and The New York Times while also having just won the 'Best Newcomer' in the 2024 Irish Independent Reader Travel Awards.
