Altamont Plant Sales and Walled Garden is an unmissable highlight of a visit to Altamont Gardens. Situated within the grounds of the estate and run privately by gardener and nurseryman Robert Miller, the area consists of the Corona North Commemorative Border and Altamont Plant Sales and Nursery.
The Corona North Commemorative Border took over a year to design, build and plant, and was opened in 2000 to honour Altamont’s late owner, Corona North. Many of the plants in the border were donated by friends of Corona and fellow great Irish gardeners. These donated plants and thousands of others grown at Robert Miller and then-business partner Assumpta Broomfield’s nursery make up one of the largest borders of its kind in the country and tell a story of Irish horticulture woven into a seamless living tapestry. A visit is a must for any seasoned or novice gardener looking for inspiration or simple enjoyment.
Altamont Plant Sales has not only grown in size in the last few years, but more so in reputation as a place to acquire seriously good garden plants Altamont Plant Sales has always been renowned for its extensive and exclusive range of herbaceous perennials – many of which can only be found at Altamont. But Altamont Plant Sales can also now boast of having one of the largest collections of old shrub roses available for sale to the gardening public year round. If trees and shrubs are more your thing, don’t despair. Rare oaks, maples, cherry blossoms, dogwoods, magnolias, beech and smaller flowering trees and shrubs suitable for every-sized garden are also available throughout the year.
A highlight of the Irish gardening calendar is Snowdrop Week, hosted at Altamont every February by the O.P.W. This is an opportunity to marvel at the vast varieties of snowdrops in bloom throughout the garden, and also to acquire several types to start or add to your own collection, along with a selection of hellebores second to none. Hundreds of complementary flowering plants are also available throughout the spring. Altamont Plant Sales is exactly as the name suggests: plants for sale – high-quality plants grown and cared for with expertise and knowledge. Robert Miller of Altamont Plant Sales is also available for consultancy work for new and mature gardens.
The delicate white and green blooms of the snowdrop peeping through the cold winter ground heralds the start of the gardening year. Their arrival is celebrated throughout some of County Carlow’s fantastic gardens by a dedicated series of events during February.
