WALLED GARDEN HISTORY
The Walled Garden at Greenmount was constructed in 1801 as evidenced by the keystone above the arch. In this era walled gardens were built primarily to provide an encouraging microclimate for fruit, vegetable and flower production. This garden once produced exotic fruits such as grapes and pineapples.
Walled gardens required large numbers of highly skilled gardeners to maintain them and consequently most fell into dereliction at the beginning of the 20th century as the cost of labour rose.
With the founding of Greenmount College in 1912, this garden was developed to train students in horticulture and consequently there was sufficient manpower to keep it in full commercial production.
The garden remained fully operational up to the mid 1980s until new production units at the college gradually replaced the older facilities within the walled garden thus leaving it somewhat redundant.
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
The Walled Garden was redeveloped for the millennium. Greenmount designed the garden, provided the site, technical expertise and labour while Richardsons Fertiliser (IFI) provided financial support. The garden has a dramatic, formal framework integrated with softer plantings. Formal plant features such as knot gardens, box edgings, yew obelisks, pleached lime trees and rose beds contrast with loose and colourful mixed borders and an ornamental fruit and vegetable garden. A grand curvilinear style glasshouse is located on the west facing wall. The parterre in front is linked via a step cascade and flowing rills to a bronze sculpture within the central circular pond. The garden serves as an excellent outdoor classroom for Horticulture students who as part of their studies maintain, nurture and c
Admission:
Group visits only and by appointment (Charge Applies).