Maurice and Joy Parkinson have over the past twenty years designed and subsequently constructed this very unique Ulster Garden on what was previously a small farm stepped in local and national history.
The setting for Ballyrobert Gardens is a 17th century landscape complete with original cottage, barn and farm layout extending to 16 acres. Sensitively integrating a number of these elements is a six acre Robinsonian style garden containing one of the province’s most extensive collections of plants laid out in intimate settings and sweeping borders. The design integrates the built and natural history of the site with Maurice and Joy’s passion for gardening.
Ballyrobert Gardens has many delightful features such as the traditional entrance, fairy tree, hole tree and spiral. These nestle handsomely with lawns, lake, streams, formal garden,extensive borders, orchard, meadows and woodlands and designed in a manner ‘to fit the place’.
A recent addition to this outstanding garden is a “Walk on the Wildside” consisting of more than half a mile of grass pathways, in the shape of a spiral and concentric rings, through traditional pasture rich in wildlife and mystery. This is an all year round garden and includes a large collection of varieties of snowdrops which highlight the garden in late winter.
In 2016 Ballyrobert Gardens featured in the Guardian newspaper as one of the top ten secret gardens in the UK and also appeared live on BBC’s nationwide TV Breakfast Time programme to demonstrate a high quality naturalistic style garden.
On site is one of the province’s few specialist nurseries stocked with a wealth of rare plants.
Visitors have the opportunity to relax and have a cup of tea and refreshments in garden’s tearoom.