Mount Usher Gardens

Mount Usher Gardens

One of only 3 Irish gardens with a top rating from the UK's The Good Gardens Guide, Mount Usher is not simply one of Ireland's greatest gardens, but it's a world-class example of a so-called Robinsonian garden, with its relaxed infomality and natural layout. Monty Don has described it as one of his favourite gardens anywhere.

Run by Avoca since Spring 2007, it's a haven of rare beauty and tranquility, laid out across 22 acres (approx 9 hectares) along the banks of the easy-flowing River Vartry. Here you'll find over 5,000 species of plant, all grown organically, giving the Gardens a cacophony of colour throughout the seasons. BBC's Gardeners' World readers certainly agree, voting it the All-round Favourite Garden to Visit in Ireland and the Most Romantic.

Explore any of the many walks to reveal vistas of meadows and glades. Take time on one of the benches overlooking the river bends. Cross gently swaying suspension bridges over swooshing weirs and waterfalls. And finish up with afternoon tea in our Garden Café (see sample menus below). Or simply drop in for a delicious lunch and a quick browse through the Courtyard shops or the The Greenhouse Shop. There's also the Potting Shed which is entirely built from reclaimed and recycled materials, and which has a wonderful stock of one-of-a-kind salvage and vintage items. Or perhaps take away some delicious fresh food from The Bakery. Whether professional gardener, casual tourist or lover of the outdoors, you'll find Mount Usher Gardens are very, very special.

Review

County Wicklow is most certainly Ireland's garden county. With every season brings something different to see and with many gardens and even garden centres to visit you will be really spoilt for choice. Our job at Top 100 Attractions is to uncover some of the best places for you to visit. That is just one of the many reasons why we have chosen to feature Mount Usher Gardens. With over a hundred years of history, every room in this garden has had plenty of time to flourish and this will become more apparent upon your visit. The day I visited Mount Usher it wasn't the best weather wise, yet I still left knowing that we had made the right decision. With the addition of the famous Avoca Garden Café and the sumptuous delights that they have on offer, I have to say that no picnic is needed here