The Forecourt, with finely curved granite balustrade, was designed by Daniel Robertson as part of the mid-nineteenth Century enlargement of the mansion. The fine pair of entrance gates is the work of Edward Sheldon. To the right of these gates, viewed from the courtyard is an unusual stand of Blackwoods, Acacia melanoxylon, a tree-like wattle from Australia found in Ireland in only a few favourable locations. These trees flower prolifically in springtime.

Steps lead up to the magnificent terraced lawn which stretches east, leading to a massive outcrop of rock which was originally planted with alpines by the 13th Earl of Meath (1869-1949). To the right of The Rock is Rock Wood which has been under-planted with shade-bearing plants and shrubs with winding paths between the recent plantings.

The South Terrace in front of the house gives a panoramic view of the Long Ponds and the Lime Avenue in the parkland beyond the fountain. To the left is ‘Eve’s Bed’, a statue of Eve reclining.

On the left of the East Lawn, bordering a wood, are zinc alloy statues by Milt Kahl of Potsdam, Germany. On these East Lawns stands a large Turkey oak, Quercus cerris, planted to mark the birth of the present Lord Meath.

The Angles can be approached by the granite steps through the Rhodie Rood, a planting of Himalayan rhododendrons, Rhododendrons arboreum. The plants are about 150 years old and replace a maze that is known to have been on this site originally. Note the Chinese varnish tree, Rhus portaninii and the Maidenhair tree, Ginkgo bilabo. Beside the steps leading into the Angles find the Cupressus torulosa.

The Angles paths were laid out as pattes d’oie (French for ‘goose feet’), which offer a beguiling series of angled walks formed by high hedges of beech, hornbeam and common lime. The layout was very much in keeping with the fashion of the day.

At the end of the central path of the Angles the vista is closed with ancient evergreen Holm oaks dating from the end of the seventeenth century. Due to its Latin binominal, Quercus ilex, it is often known also as an ilex, meaning the leaves are holly-like. Beyond the Angles exists the old Bowling Green which is now a sports activities space for visitors. Nearby, an avenue known as ‘Monks Walk’ is planted with a number of interesting conifers.

The Beech Circle, part of the 17th Century garden, boasts a round pond 60 feet in diameter in the centre of which is an elaborate French fountain with many jets. The double row of beeches, now more than 250 years old, allowed guests to walk on an inside path with ‘windows’ cut in the hedge affording views of the pond and its fountains. Also note the 19th Century statues representing the four seasons cast by Barbezat & Cie of Val d’Osne in France.

Nearer to the house the Sylvan Theatre is still used for outdoor theatrical entertainments. Sir Walter Scott much admired the theatre which inspired his play, St. Ronan’s Well. Two fine marble statues and the elaborate gates provide a suitable theatrical entrance.

Between the Beech Circle and the garden wall, below the house, lies the 19th Century garden laid out in 1846 by Daniel Robertson, famous for his work at Powerscourt. He laid out the lower parterre or sunken garden. Sir George Hodson, a neighbour and amateur architect, designed the enchanting ornamental Dairy which is now the Garden’s Tea Room.

The Walled Garden can be accessed from the general Garden Entrance and is now providing an array of delicious ingredients for our Kitchen, Tea Room, Grain Store and Farm Shop. The Apple Orchard is harvested annually for Killruddery’s own apple juice and we keep bees, hens, and pigs here. There is also a Picnic Area and Giant Sandpit for our little visitors!

A Victorian glasshouse, known as a pit house, has been expertly restored, with the help of a heritage grant from Fáilte Ireland. The brickwork, glass and fittings have been meticulously replaced as the original manufacturer, Moncur of Edinburgh, designed them in the 1870s.

The designed cutting garden is delivering the most beautiful blooms for garden-fresh bouquets this year, including spring bulbs, exuberant dahlias in an array of colours and shapes and delicate summer scabiosa.

Our Garden is a rich landscape of formal planting. As an insider who lives here all year round, I almost take its formality for granted! When I do take time to walk and be in the Garden, it is the life that thrives within it that refreshes and surprises me. So many species of bird, red and grey squirrels, occasional rabbits, foxes and deer, butterflies, beetles, spiders, stoats – and endless unplanted wild flowers or escaped seedlings. The trees and plants are responding to the seasons before our eyes. My top tips: walk around the Long Ponds in bare-feet and take a slower pace near the fountain allowing its burble to wash over you. The stone steps at the back of The Rock offer mystery again and again – and it’s the best place to pick up acorns, beech seeds, chestnuts and pine cones…

Autumn and winter offer us an opportunity to spend some time tending to project type work, or remedial work on various aspects of the garden. Killruddery is a beautiful old heritage garden, packed with history and also populated by a fair number of old plants. Occasional remedial work is fundamental to these kinds of plants and features enduring – an important part of our job. We have been carrying out some of this kind of work on a lot of our hedges. So far we’ve worked on some of the deciduous specimens in The Angles (a significant feature of the 17th century design of the garden) by, in a nutshell, reducing their height. This must be carried out with care – each cut matters, and with some delicate plant material within, there is a considerable degree of finesse required.