Each year Carlow Garden Trail host a Garden Festival featuring an appealing mix of workshops, garden tours, specialist talks, Q&A sessions, films and long table lunches in gardens, garden centres and forests located on Carlow’s Garden Trail.

The festival takes place over a month, between July and August each year and hosts a range of gardening gurus from across the UK and Ireland in a variety of venues which included, but were not limited to, Delta Sensory Gardens, Arboretum Home and Garden Heaven, Patthana Gardens in Kiltegan, Kilgraney House and Herb Gardens near Bagenalstown and Huntington Castle and Gardens.

This year the festival began with a truly entertaining day, suitable for all the family, on July 27th as Colin Stafford Johnson, acclaimed Irish filmmaker and broadcaster led a special nature walk along the River Barrow in Leighlinbridge.

Other speakers that headlined this year were gardening icon Monty Don, a talk by Adam Frost (UK TV presenter and multi-gold medal winner at The Chelsea Flower Show in Duckett’s Grove Historic House and Walled Garden), Fionnuala Fallon of the Irish Times imparting her great gardening knowledge, Frances MacDonald of the Bay Garden in Camolin, County Wexford and Shirley Lanigan, author of Open Gardens of Ireland, who gave a unique tour of the artist Philippa Bayliss’ garden at The Meadows in Myshall Village.

There were also events with the much loved, very knowledgeable and internationally recognised Jekka McVicar, who made her festival debut and the return of Neil Porteous who played host to two wonderful gardeners, Carl Wright and Paul Martin.

Alasdair Moore, Manager of Estate and Gardens at the Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall also made his first appearance at the festival with a talk and a whole evening of activity was enjoyed in Arboretum Home and Garden Heaven where visitors experienced a visit to Arboretum Inspirational Gardens, a pre-event meal in the on-site Rachel’s Garden Café and late shopping.

Other festival highlights include Dermot O’ Neill and Monica Alvarez, who visited the Delta Sensory Gardens.

The Carlow Garden Festival is a wonderful opportunity for budding and experienced gardeners and nature lovers to obtain practical advice from a range of informative workshops while visiting the many beautiful gardens in the county. The festival provides gardeners with the ideal time to relax and make gardening plans for their own gardens in the coming months and year ahead.

Click here to find out more about the Carlow Garden Festival and how to book tickets for each event.