Garden Digest: Ideas to make the most of our green spaces

Check out all the garden visits, tours, talks, events, campaigns and online resources for the room outside

The gardens at Glin Castle in Limerick which will host an open day on Sunday, September 3.

• Flower Power is a presentation by the Irish Patchwork Society and The European Quilt Association at the National Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin, Dublin, that runs until August 20. As its name suggests, the free exhibition of approximately 300 small round textile art pieces is inspired by the theme of flower power. After Glasnevin, the exhibition will travel throughout Europe for the next 12 months.
• The Irish Garden Plant Society is hosting garden visits in Co. Wicklow on Saturday, August 19, at Russborough House and later at June Blake’s garden. The group will meet at 11am in the walled garden which is a short walk from the house. Just 20 minutes away, you will find June Blake’s garden, Tinode, Kilbride, Co. Wicklow, W91EC90. The group will aim to arrive at 2pm for a guided tour of this three-acre garden.
• Lismore Castle Gardens will host a talk by head gardener Colm O’Driscoll on the evening of Friday, September 29, from 7pm to 9pm. Colm joins Lismore from Airfield Estate in Dundrum, Co. Dublin, where he spearheaded the transformation of the gardens from a part-building site to one of Ireland’s must-see gardens. A graduate of the National Botanic Gardens of Ireland, Colm has enjoyed a diverse career, gaining experience in many sectors of the horticultural industry, including landscape, retail, nursery stock, and organic food production. For booking information phone [phone] or send an email to [e-mail].
• Glin Castle in Limerick will host an open day on Sunday, September 3. Admission is €10 per adult and gates open at noon. The open day will offer a tour of the ground floor of the castle and a tour of the gardens. You will get an opportunity to hear about the history of the FitzGerald family, view the superb interiors and admire the collection of Irish furniture and paintings. There will also be guided tours of the magnificent formal gardens and kitchen garden. For those who would like to extend their visit, The Knights of Glin Visitor Centre is a wonderful resource located next to Glin Library on Lower Main Street. Entry is free and here you can learn all about the 800-year legacy of the Glin Knights, from when the first Knight, Maurice Fitzgerald, arrived.
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