WHAT'S ON: Carlow Garden Festival's mid-week events that will keep you entertained

Carlow Garden Festival takes place from 29th July to 5th August.

This week you can find a wide variety of events to keep you occupied mid-week.

On Tuesday 1st August, there are two events taking place.

The first takes places from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm in Altamont Gardens, Co. Carlow.

Altamont Gardens covers 16 hectares, and includes a garden centre, formal and informal gardens, grasslands, and treeline and woodland habitats leading to the banks of the River Slaney.

Ecologist Mark Desmond will host this event. He speaks on the environments interesting biodiversity including the Slaney river which flows along the eastern boundary of the estate and is protected under the Slaney River Valley Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

The second event of Tuesday is from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm in Hardymount Gardens Tullow, Co. Carlow.

At this event, Seamus O’ Brien, Head Gardener of the National Botanic Gardens, Kilmacurragh, recounts the adventures of a trip he led in July 2022 to the mountains of Ladakh, where he and his group studied a high altitude desert flora. Ladakh has some of the greatest glaciers in all Asia and these glaciers water the deserts on the mountain slopes and valleys below, giving rise to a rich flora. Hear how climate change is threatening this rare eco-system.

The events on Wednesday 2nd August, include the following:

Carlow Garden Festivals “Soil to Seed”. This focuses on a Regenerative Organic Approach to Vegetable Growing with Colm O’Driscoll and is held in Burtown House and Gardens, Athy, Co. Kildare.
In his talk, “Soil to Seed” for the Carlow Garden Festival, Colm will delve into the area of regenerative organic vegetable production and share with you the most environmentally sustainable approach to growing vegetables. 

Carlow Garden Festival “Prime Plants for the Irish Kitchen Garden” & “Foraging Walk” & Plúr Bakery’s Three-Course Feast Supper, at Shankill Castle, Paulstown, Co. Kilkenny.
Shankill Castle’s host’s a trio of events in Carlow Garden Festival, which starts with Kitty’s informative talk, Prime Plants for the Irish Kitchen Garden, focusing on ten essential kitchen garden plants that thrive in our Irish climate. Mary and Robert White of Blackstairs Ecotrails lead an in-depth foraging walk through the grounds and organic farm of Shankill Castle. Seamus Jordan of Plúr Bakery will cook up a three-course feast supper, celebrating foraged, seasonal and local ingredients, ending the day with a relaxed evening of great food and garden chat.

On Thursday 3rd August from 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm, Carlow Garden Festival’s Robin Lane Fox “Beauty & Biodiversity” will take place at Borris House & Gardens, Co. Carlow.

Then from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm, Carlow Garden Festival’s Shirley Lanigan “The Allure of Herbs” will take place at Kilgraney House and Herb Gardens, Co. Carlow.
Shirley Lanigan's workshop at Kilgraney House and Herb Garden covers the sowing, propagation, cuttings, caring and harvesting of herbs that can be grown in Ireland. There will be demonstrations on each of the aspects as well as helpful hints on the use of herbs in cooking.

The Garden Festival will continue into the weekend - find out more HERE.