West Cork is truly the garden paradise of Ireland, bathed as it is in the balm of the Gulf Stream which encourages the luxuriant sub-tropical growth of a kind more usually associated with much lower latitudes.

Our gardens are wonderful and diverse, healing and tranquil, exciting and unmissable.

The weather is a topic which is rarely far from a gardener’s lips, but climate change is something we can no longer ignore.  Many of us gardeners on the Trail are making great efforts to improve the sustainability of our gardens.  Whether it is with more naturalistic, wildlife friendly planting, or making efforts to reduce use of plastic or growing more edible crops, we all have our part to play, and we as gardeners will be happy to share our experiences.

Gardens have never been more important as havens for wildlife and biodiversity and as places of peace and tranquillity.  All these qualities are evident in the diverse range of gardens we have for you to visit, from large gardens as part of stately homes, to smaller private little gems.

On behalf of all the participants of The West Cork Garden Trail I send out a warm welcome and look forward to seeing you in our gardens. We would like to thank our stalwart benefactors The Gwendoline Harold Barry Trust and Cork County Council, both of whom made generous donations that help to make the running of the Trail possible.