Ireland’s splendid gardens are in full bloom this time of year and brilliant festivals lie aheadOne of the many peacocks at the gardens at Johnstown Castle, Co Wexford. Photograph: Patrick Browne Fri May 22 2026 - 06:00 • 5 MIN READI often wish I could stop the clock at this time of year, get endlessly drunk on the scent of ancient lilacs blooming coolly in the hedgerows, listen forever to the dawn chorus pealing through the windows of our old farmhouse, and spend the rest of my days cooing to the pots of newborn seedlings emerging overnight. But if gardening teaches just one lesson, it’s that time and the eternal dance of the planets stops for no one.Instead, it’s a case of “carpe diem” when it comes to thoroughly enjoying this liminal, glimmering moment in the turning of the gardening year before it inevitably slips away.How? One of the most enjoyable ways is by paying a visit to some of Ireland’s outstanding gardens, many of which are at their most beautiful at this time of year. Caher Bridge in Co Clare; Glenveagh and Cluain na dTor, both in Co Donegal; RHSI Bellefield in Co Offaly; Ilnacullin in Bantry Bay; Kells Bay in Co Kerry; Lismore Castle Gardens in Co Waterford; Kilmacurragh, Powerscourt, Killrudderry, Patthana and the Blake siblings’ gardens, all in Co Wicklow; Altamont in Co Carlow; Hillsborough Castle and Mount Stewart in Co Down; and Kylemore in Co Galway immediately come to mind. Just make sure to wear comfortable waterproof shoes, bring a rainproof coat, pen and rainproof notebook to jot down plant names, pack a tasty picnic, and you’re all set.Or how about heading out to one of the many great garden festivals taking place around the country this summer? Caher Bridge Garden in the Burren, Co Clare The National Botanic Gardens in Kilmacurragh, Co Wicklow, with Rhododendrons in bloom. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw Mount Stewart, run by the National Trust, has some of the most unique gardens in the world The biggest and longest established is Bord Bia Bloom, which celebrates its 20th birthday next Thursday, May 26th in the gorgeous grounds of the historic Ashtown Demesne in the heart of Dublin’s Phoenix Park. Spread out over a 70-acre site, this year’s event includes 20 show gardens, talks and workshops by leading gardeners, designers and plantspeople including Adam Frost, Diarmuid Gavin, Kitty Scully, Daphne Shackleton, TJ Maher, Vick Ind and Ealma Purcell, a nursery village, a garden design clinic in association with the Garden and Landscape Designers Association (GLDA), and an exhibition of Irish botanical art. On Bloom’s sustainable living stage, guest speakers will be debating a diverse variety of topics including the role of community gardens in connecting us with nature, how to build a nature-first economy, and some of the very best ways to conserve wildlife. The four-day event will also be hosting expert talks on everything from practical beekeeping in kitchen gardens to managing pests and diseases, maintaining soil fertility organically, and supporting biodiversity. Meanwhile, the Mallow Home and Garden Festival continues this weekend (May 23rd-24th) in the grounds of Cork Racecourse in Mallow, Co Cork, with expert talks, demonstrations and plant stalls by many of the country’s leading specialist nurseries (@mallowhomeandgardenfestival on Instagram). Early next month, the Laois Garden Festival, Buds and Blossoms, kicks off outside Abbeyleix on Sunday, June 7th with specialist plant nurseries in attendance and expert talks by chef and food writer Edward Hayden, broadcaster and flower farmer Darragh McCullough, and Ciarán Fitzgerald, head gardener of the newly-restored gardens of Johnstown Castle Estate in Co Wexford (laoisgardenfestival.com). Crowds enjoy Bord Bia Bloom 2025 in the Phoenix Park. Photograph: Sam Boal/Collins Photos Other shows taking place over the coming months include Garden Show Ireland in the grounds of Antrim Castle from June 12th-14th (gardenshowireland.com) with specialist plant sales and guest speakers including horticulturist and broadcaster Marie Staunton, plantsman and head gardener of RHSI Bellefield Paul Smyth, horticulturist and presenter David Domoney, gardener and YouTuber Niall McCauley, and expert forager Jane Rea. The always-wonderful Galway Garden Festival takes place in the ever-charming Claregalway Castle and its grounds on July 4th-5th (galwaygardenfestival.com). For details of these and other upcoming garden shows and festivals around the country, see the website of the Irish Specialist Nurseries Association (irishspecialistnurseriesassociation.com)Alternatively, might this be the summer to hone your skills with a course or workshop given by one of the country’s expert gardeners? The RHSI is partnering with Carl Wright to offer an unmissable one-day garden masterclass on May 29th at his remarkable garden, Caher Bridge in Co Clare, where Wright will give a guided tour of the flora of the surrounding Burren followed by an in-depth plunge into the creative processes that drive him. Jane Maloney, Kaia O'Hare, Tim O'Mahony and James Pasquali at Powerscourt House and Gardens. Photograph: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland This summer also sees the launch of Tilled Earth, a new organic garden and learning space in Achill, Co Mayo recently established by the well-known organic gardener, educator and garden writer Klaus Laitenberger and his wife Joanna who runs their family seed business, Green Vegetable Seeds (greenvegetableseeds.com). While it formally opens its doors to the public in early July, some events are already scheduled for June including a one-day course on growing your own vegetables as well as its much-anticipated supper club hosted by the couple’s son Thien Laitenberger, a Ballymaloe-trained chef. Speaking of Ballymaloe, the professional herbalist Sonya McGee will give a one-day workshop at Ballymaloe Cookery School on June 18th on all aspects of growing and using herbs (ballymaloecookeryschool.ie).In Co Laois, organic gardener Tanguy de Toulgoët is running a series of excellent courses on seasonal food growing and sustainable living throughout the summer and autumn from his home at Dunmore Country School near Durrow (dunmorecountryschool.ie). Meanwhile, in Co Wicklow, the horticulturist, arborist and author John Grimshaw is teaming up with gardener, plantsman and author Jimi Blake to give a joint workshop, The World of Woody Plants, at Hunting Brook Gardens near Blessington (huntingbrookgardens.com) on July 20th. And if all that doesn’t somehow whet your appetite, then consider a one-day course on creating your own cut flower garden with flower farmers Ciarán and Kealin Beatty at their organically managed flower farm in Co Leitrim on June 14th (leitrimflowers.ie), or a workshop with the botanic artist Yanny Petters at Killruddery near Bray, Co Wicklow on painting flowers in watercolours on July 11th (killruddery.com).This week in the gardenStart planting out tender bedding and half-hardy annuals and vegetable transplants in the garden, making sure to harden them off first by gradually exposing them to the cooler, more variable growing conditions over at least a week.There’s still time to sow seed of cosmos for late-flowering plants that will give a colourful display of flowers from late summer until the first killing frosts.IN THIS SECTION