Powerscourt Gardens – Ireland
On a recent visit to Ireland, I visited the 1,000 acre estate located just south of Dublin, Ireland. Powerscourt Estate and Gardens in County Wicklow is in the town of Enniskerry and is one of the most beautiful gardens in Ireland! Powerscourt Gardens were recently voted Number 3 in the World’s Top Ten Gardens by National Geographic. The Gardens stretch over 47 acres and offer formal gardens, sweeping terraces, statues and ornamental lakes, secret hollows, rambling walks along gloriously green lawns. We visited on the last day of May when the average low temperature was 48 degrees Fahrenheit with a high of 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Managed by one Head Gardener and a team of four gardeners, Powerscourt Gardens were designed from 1731 onwards, with the desire to create a garden which was part of the wider surrounding landscape. Powerscourt Gardens include The Walled Gardens, The Italian Garden, The Dolphin Pond, The Japanese Gardens, Pets Cemetery, Pepperpot Tower, and other features and attractions.
The Italian Gardens is breathtaking and offer the best in garden landscaping and design. You can look towards the Sugar Loaf Mountain beyond Powerscourt Gardens and enjoy one of the most breathtaking views in Ireland. The Terraces in the Italian Garden were originally designed by the Architect Daniel Robertson in the 1840’s. The series of terraces linking the house to the lake took over twelve years to build with over one hundred laborers required to complete. The design of the upper stone terrace nearest the house was influenced by Villa Butera in Sicily.
The Japanese Garden was laid out over 100 years ago in 1908 by the 8th Viscount and Viscountess Powerscourt on reclaimed bogland to the south of Triton Lake. The Japanese Garden looks wonderful in spring when the azaleas are in full bloom and their blossoms perfume the air, and in autumn with the vibrant colors of the Japanese maples. Stone lanterns guide you through the winding paths of the garden, bringing you to its innermost circle. Here you will find a Pagoda and a trickling stream under pretty Japanese bridges. The next circle is marked by a ring of Chinese Fortune Palms, which have been cultivated in China and Japan for thousands of years and were first brought to Europe in 1830. The upper circle provides stunning views of the Japanese Garden and the Sugar Loaf Mountain with an elevation of 1,811ft in the distance. There is a beautiful concept behind each of these circles: working inwards, we discover our inner selves; working outwards and upwards we gain greater knowledge of the world around us.
The Grotto is one of the oldest features of Powerscourt gardens, next to the Japanese Garden. This is an elaborate grotto dating from the 1st Viscount’s garden in 1740. An air of 18th century romance still pervades here, with its secret pathways and romantic atmosphere. The grotto is made from fossilized sphagnum moss, taken from the banks of the nearby river Dargle. There is a small but impressive waterfall overlooking the grotto and you can listen to the sounds of water trickling down the grotto’s moss covered walls. This was an awesome sight.
Powerscourt Waterfall is Ireland’s highest at 121m (398ft.) and is 6km(3.72miles) from the Main Estate. It is set in one of Ireland’s most beautiful parklands at the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains.
I recommend all to visit this garden if possible. Bring your camera and comfortable walking shoes as it is extensive and hilly. Bring your raincoats as it rains often, not downpours but quick showers and then it’s sunny. That’s why Ireland is so wonderful and green!
To view a list of what was blooming during my visit click here.
Submitted by Karen Blackburn