Enter a magical new world at Griffins Garden Centre
Constantly voted the best of all, it encompasses everything from blazing displays of colour to beautiful containers, water features to paving, fruit trees to herbs and vegetables, plus advice, guidance, and simply the best garden ideas anywhere. And that's even before you discover the restaurant with all its tempting dishes and home baking, or wander through the wonderful gift shop.
But now there is something very special coming up at Griffins and once you discover it you won't be able to tear yourself away, be you eight or eighty. They have created a truly magical combination of display gardens, every one of which seems to come straight from the pages of a story book.
Not for Griffins the regimented ranks of display, the formally set out plots. Instead you wander a meandering path which brings you, as if by chance, past a beautiful courtyard garden (ideal for those with limited space), through a vegetable plot (growing your own has never been more popular), a wildlife garden, a dreamy white border, a golden garden. A twist of the path reveals a secret garden. A lacquer red curved bridge glimpsed beyond the trees leads to an exquisite Oriental setting with delicate maples and wisteria. Beyond that a peaceful retreat, complete with gazebo. And look up there! It can't be! Yes it is - a genuine tree house. Master designer Olly O'Flaherty, busily overseeing its construction, says his work is his life. “Building tree houses is making people's childhood dreams come true and what could be better than that?”
A rock and water garden, celebrating the beauty of natural features, stops you in your tracks as you listen to the sound of a trickling stream. You'd love this at home? Just ask, there are friendly and willing staff ready to advise on how to go about it.
There is a kids' garden, designed most carefully by the juvenile members of Griffins' popular Slug Club. “They decided what they wanted to see in an ideal garden of their own, and then we put it into practice,” says Margaret Griffin, showing the neat vegetable plots, the woven willow shelter (just right for adventures), the bright flower beds.
In all there are ten beautiful and inspired display gardens to delight you as you wander, seeing a wonderful idea there, a perfect container here, a beautiful shrub, a lantern in a tree. Even brilliant ways to disguise an unsightly fixture. And finally, as the path takes you by the riverside walk, and you come to a bench perfectly sited by the restaurant, you can sit and look back down to where the Dripsey sweeps out of sight to join the Lee in Griffins' very own Meeting of the Waters.
“We wanted to show how you can achieve so many different atmospheres, ambiences, in your own garden, however limited your space,” explains Margaret. “These raised beds, for example, aren't too big, so they're easy to maintain, and would be ideal for the older person.”
The magical gardens at Griffins will change with the seasons, showing how you can create a place of wonder and delight yourself, whatever the time of year. One thing is certain: coming to Griffins will never be simply a matter of popping in for a plant and a coffee. It's going to be an escape into a world of enchantment, imagination and very near a fairy tale. You wouldn't be surprised to meet Peter Pan round the next corner.
Griffins Display Gardens will be open from Monday next, August 15 and on Friday, August 19 Dermot O'Neill of RTE's Mooney Goes Wild will be present all day from 11am. There will be a competition to name the individual gardens, with prize vouchers for those coming up with the best title for each. Free food tasting all week (Granny Griffin has been busy!) and a free raffle too. They're working flat out to get everything ready in time.
For years, customers have been saying they come here to relax, to chill out. Now they will find that touch of magic too.
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