Spring is in the air and I have lots of time to spare.
Lately, I've been keen on gardens and forest walks. So I searched for great places around Dublin that would allow me to spend a lovely spring day amidst buds and shoots. Luckily, Co. Wicklow has no dearth of splendid gardens; other than the well-known Powerscourt Estate in Enniskerry which I will be visiting in April for the Tulip Festival, there are many hidden gems which are peaceful and beautifully maintained so you can revel in the lap of nature. Mount Usher Gardens in Ashford, Wicklow, is one such great getaway.
The best way to get there is by car, of course, but Bus Éireann Route 133 does the job too. I boarded from the Montrose Hotel stop (opposite UCD). DO NOT rely on the timetable provided on Bus Éireann's website. I came in nice and early for the 9.32 a.m. bus, but there was no sign of it till 10.22 a.m. (I couldn't get on even that one because the bus driver didn't see me and I had to wait another bloody hour because I was so stubborn on visiting the gardens that day). My advice is: follow the real-time information on the Transport for Ireland (TFI) App. From Montrose Hotel, it's about an hour's drive and you get off at Ashford House.
Lately, I've been keen on gardens and forest walks. So I searched for great places around Dublin that would allow me to spend a lovely spring day amidst buds and shoots. Luckily, Co. Wicklow has no dearth of splendid gardens; other than the well-known Powerscourt Estate in Enniskerry which I will be visiting in April for the Tulip Festival, there are many hidden gems which are peaceful and beautifully maintained so you can revel in the lap of nature. Mount Usher Gardens in Ashford, Wicklow, is one such great getaway.
The best way to get there is by car, of course, but Bus Éireann Route 133 does the job too. I boarded from the Montrose Hotel stop (opposite UCD). DO NOT rely on the timetable provided on Bus Éireann's website. I came in nice and early for the 9.32 a.m. bus, but there was no sign of it till 10.22 a.m. (I couldn't get on even that one because the bus driver didn't see me and I had to wait another bloody hour because I was so stubborn on visiting the gardens that day). My advice is: follow the real-time information on the Transport for Ireland (TFI) App. From Montrose Hotel, it's about an hour's drive and you get off at Ashford House.
After disembarking, turn to your left (imagine you're facing the main road from where the bus dropped you off) and walk straight ahead. You'll see the really pretty River Vartry a couple of yards away. DO NOT go down the path that snakes down along one side of the river (see path to the left of the river in this image), because that leads you to the private gates of the Mount Usher house. So keep going on straight, beyond the shops, and you'll eventually come to a fork in the road - stay to the left; the road on the right fork goes uphill someplace else.
You're finally at Mount Usher Gardens! The first thing you'll see when you enter the premises of the Gardens is a cluster of shops - a cafe, a florist, a gift's shop, a clothes shop, and finally a tickets room (top left of the lawn), all around a lawn with pretty white chairs and pink flowers. You need to first get tickets before you enter. It's €8 for adults and €7 for students. They will also hand you a map and a guide of the plant species you can expect to see. The entrance to the gardens is actually via the ticketing room; the person at the counter will guide you. (The entrance is not the gate that you'll see outside the ticketing room). |
The Gardens are full of snaking paths around a wonderful variety of plants, trees and shrubs from all over the world. Some are recently-planted, while some are over a century old. There are some rare and endangered plant species too. If you truly appreciate Kingdom Plantae, there is much to look forward too. In mid-March when I visited, the buds were still sprouting. Ideally, if you want to see all the plants and trees in their true floral glory, visit in May or June. If you are a fan of carotenoids and the splendid foliage they bring, go in autumn.
The map will show you the recommended route you can follow - which I did - and it gives you a good coverage of all the key plant species there are (88 of them in total) in the Gardens. It is also very scenic because you'll get to stroll by the River Vartry, sit on benches under palm-lined lawns, walk on bridges and even round a little man-made island adjacent to the river.
The pamphlet that you will be given will contain the names and short descriptions of all the 88 species of plants in the gardens, with a number given to each species. The plant species can be identified with a wooden pole painted with their corresponding numbers.
The map will show you the recommended route you can follow - which I did - and it gives you a good coverage of all the key plant species there are (88 of them in total) in the Gardens. It is also very scenic because you'll get to stroll by the River Vartry, sit on benches under palm-lined lawns, walk on bridges and even round a little man-made island adjacent to the river.
The pamphlet that you will be given will contain the names and short descriptions of all the 88 species of plants in the gardens, with a number given to each species. The plant species can be identified with a wooden pole painted with their corresponding numbers.
Clockwise from top-left: Himalayan magnolia, Japanese maple, 112-year-old Western Red Cedar tree, a Eucalyptus variety
There are beautiful flowers everywhere too! Though visiting in summer would be even better, that doesn't mean you're going to be deprived of blossoms in spring.
The photo to the bottom-right is of the Nepalese Paper Plant, which might have seemingly inconspicuous flowers but produce the most magnificent scent. The flowers bloom only in winter.
The following are snapshots of various locations around the gardens. The weather was lovely the day I visited; don't they sparkle in the sunshine?
The following are snapshots of various locations around the gardens. The weather was lovely the day I visited; don't they sparkle in the sunshine?
Once you're done, come out via the same doorway you took to enter. You can unwind with a cup of tea at the cafe or browse the shops for interesting gifts. There is also an Avoca food market where you will be able to purchase local food items like local honeys.
To return to Dublin, leave the Garden premises and turn to your left. Keep walking for about 7 minutes Cross the road at some point when you see a Bus Éireann stop (stop name is Ballinalea Northbound), again you have to take Route 133. Checking the TFI app for real-time information before you leave the Gardens is a good idea, because the bus frequency is once every hour or half hour. You can also get a list of all the stops on Bus Éireann website for Route 133; clicking on the stop name will give you the coordinates, which you can paste into Google Maps and follow.
Adios, for now.
To return to Dublin, leave the Garden premises and turn to your left. Keep walking for about 7 minutes Cross the road at some point when you see a Bus Éireann stop (stop name is Ballinalea Northbound), again you have to take Route 133. Checking the TFI app for real-time information before you leave the Gardens is a good idea, because the bus frequency is once every hour or half hour. You can also get a list of all the stops on Bus Éireann website for Route 133; clicking on the stop name will give you the coordinates, which you can paste into Google Maps and follow.
Adios, for now.
March 2019