Day Two: Two very different gardens and a hotel by the sea.
After another big breakfast, we boarded the bus for another day of viewing gardens and touring the towns and countryside of Ireland. We drove through gorgeous scenery of green fields separated by hedgerows, distant mountains, and views of the Irish Sea. We tried to guess what was growing in the fields, and often it was barley for Irish breweries. One large, stunning patch of red poppies and cornflowers created great excietment. Nora and Kevin proivided their usual educational commentaries, punctuated by jokes and good humor. They told us about the significance of poppies as the “flower of remembrance” (Flanders Field), changes in agricultural practices, and Ireland’s troubled history.
Our first step was at Altamont Gardens, originally a convent, considered a masterful example of combining a huge plant collection (1500 trees and shrubs alone) in a natural landscape. We saw giant-leaved Gunnera, sniffed fragrant roses, meandered through the Ice Age Glen, and climbed the 100 moss-covered steps. Altamount is called “the jewel in Ireland’s gardening crown”.
Next on our list was Mount Congreve Gardens, 70 acres of intensively planted woodland and a four-acre walled gardens. Although we missed the peak bloom period for the masses of spring bulbs, rhododendrons, camellias, and hydrangeas, this vast property had lots to offer. Trails labeled according to length and time needed, so we were able to choose our own intensity of exercise and viewing. Influenced by the iconic work of Capability Brown, the gardens were constructed to look like a natural landscape, with focal points of mossy stonework and viewing points.
A two-hour ride took us to County Cork and the town of Kinsale, where we spent the night in the lovely Trident Hotel, right on the water. We ate dinner at various restaruants, mostly those that specialize in quality seafood dishes. A few of us strolled through this quaint seaside town, looking in shop windows and listening to Irish music drifting from the pubs. It’s hard to give up the day and go to bed, as we are are so far north (53 degrees latitude) that the sun goes down late.
