Lissadell Gardens
Set along the shores of Drumcliffe Bay among the 400 acre Lissadell estate, the Lissadell Gardens include a Victorian era walled kitchen garden producing an astounding variety of produce, a walled Alpine Garden in a stunning seaside setting, and an arboretum.
The present owners of Lissadell House sought to restore the estate's walled Kitchen Gardens and Alpine Garden, motivated by grandiose visions to "bring back the estate to its original glory and to re establish a thriving horticultural enterprise and flagship of ecotourism in the Northwest." And in less than five years they have largely realized this vision. Lissadell has become an attraction for horticulturalist and gardening enthusiasts from around the world.
One century ago Lissadell House was surrounded by 1800 acres of woodland and park, the vast estate and house once employing over 200 people to maintain. Like many of Ireland's great houses the Lissadell demesne fell into fell into disrepair and neglect, with much of the land sold or repossessed. The current estate comprises some 408 acres of woodlands and two walled gardens: walled Alpine Gardens, located along the sea, and nearer to the house the walled Kitchen Gardens.
The walled Kitchen Garden is vast covering some 2.5 acres. Created in the 1840's it is very much Victorian era creation, with red brick walls and well ordered sections. The Kitchen Garden has been described as "a thing of beauty and mathematical precision. It is filled with rows and rectangles of perfect vegetables and other edibles," according to Jane Powers, gardening editor of the Irish Times. The garden is laid out in four equally sized plots: each of which is further divided for crop rotation. The project's supervisor interviewed old garden hands from Lissadell's heyday, remaining true to the original vision.
Lissadell's Kitchen Gardens produces a plethora of produce. Brick walls create mini microclimates enabling the growth of species atypical in Ireland. As a result more than 300 types of fruits and vegetables, under production, including apple orchard, dates, peaches, plums, even grapes. There's some 15 varieties of lettuce alone, as well as an astounding 169 varieties of potatoes, the largest collection in Ireland, donated to Lissadell in 2008 commemorate the International Year of the Potato.
Lissadell has become a model demonstration garden that serves as a centre of education for gardeners and schoolkids alike. Lissadell is committed to organic growing techniques and has recently received its certificate as an organic garden. Lissadell produces a bounty of produce that feeds Lissadell's Tea Rooms and numerous restaurants in the area.
While visitors are easily wowed by Lissadell's Kitchen Gardens, the walled Alpine Gardens, set in a stunning location along the sea, are also impressive and well worth a visit. Alpine varieties are only suitable for certain climates and soil times. And Lissadell creates that perfect environment. Its location along the bay facilitates a long growing season. Lissadell's soil is also perfectly suited. These recently reclaimed landscape, that had become overgrown with briars, contains fabulous layers of natural mulch.
Consulting gardener Jimmi Blake described Lissadell's Alpine Garden as possessing "the most beautiful soil I have ever seen," this being due to the soil, rich, crumbly and very free-draining, and perfectly suitable for alpines. Artificial ponds were re-established to further create micro climates. The restored Alpine Garden pays homage to some of the original species planted more than a century ago, while also featuring some contemporary favourites.
The Lissadell estate is also something of an arboretum, containing numerous tree species. The gardens and parkland were extensively landscaped in the 1830s, to complement the new buildings, and the plantations included sycamore, silver fir, spruce, pine, chestnut, beech, oak, and a nursery for birch, hazel and ash. In later years Sitka spruce, silver fir and cypress were added in addition to a Deodar cedar, a Wellingtonia and a Californian Redwood.
Lissadell also makes for a wonderful place for a stroll, with numerous walks following original walks through the estate.
