Paulstown's Shankhill Castle among venues for this year's Carlow Garden Festival

Always popular with Kilkenny gardeners, the Carlow Garden Festival will return at the end of July, opening its garden and castle gates to gardening enthusiasts.

This annual festival, organised by Carlow Garden Trail, and renowned as one of Ireland’s finest garden festivals, takes place from Saturday, July 29 until Saturday, August 5. 

Among the venues this year is Kilkenny's Shankill Castle and Gardens in Paulstown, which will play host to a trio of events on Wednesday, August 2, including a talk by Kitty Scully on essential kitchen garden plants that thrive in our Irish climate; an in-depth foraging walk through the grounds and organic farm of Shankill Castle with Mary and Robert White of Blackstairs Ecotrails; and a three-course feast supper, celebrating foraged, seasonal and local ingredients cooked by Seamus Jordan of Plúr Bakery, to end the day with a relaxed evening of great food and garden chat.

Now in its 21st year, the week-long festival will see 18 acclaimed gardeners and garden designers from Ireland and the UK deliver an inviting range of events that includes specialist talks, garden tours and workshops. Long-table supers, afternoon tea and evening meals along the Carlow Garden Trail are all part of the mix on offer. 

Launching this year’s programme, Robert Miller, chairperson of the Carlow Garden Trail said: “Gardening has become an increasingly important part of our lives since the pandemic. It is known to decrease stress levels, improve mental health, boost our immune systems, build strength, and improve memory. 

“Visitors to this year’s festival will gain practical information and advice from renowned gardening and horticultural experts, many from the UK, whom Irish gardeners would not have access to unless via their TV screen. From the amateur to the expert, there is something for everyone, which will marry traditional garden values with biodiversity to create an ideal garden space."

Summing up the value of this annual gardening festival, chairman of Carlow Tourism, Michael Walsh said: “Diversity and inclusion is most certainly the focus of this amazing festival; it is all encompassing addressing topics as diverse as climate change, biodiversity, foraging and growing your own. It takes place at one of the loveliest times of the year to see gardens in full bloom with the main gardening work in gardeners’ own garden havens completed, giving them the opportunity to down tools and travel to our beautiful county.  

For more information and to book tickets visit www.carlowgardentrail.com. For a copy of the event brochure call 059-9130411