A garden in Northern Ireland had much reason to celebrate recently as it was named the winner of this year’s Historic Houses Garden of the Year award.
The Glenarm Castle Walled Garden in County Antrim has won the prestigious Historic Houses Garden of the Year award for 2023.
It became the first ever garden from Northern Ireland to have successfully been shortlisted for and then go on to be crowned a winner of the award, which is sponsored by Christie’s.
Glenarm Castle Walled Garden – winner of the Historic Houses 2023 Garden of the Year Award
Randal and Aurora McDonnell, the current custodians of Glenarm Castle Walled Garden, were delighted about their momentous victory.
They said, “When we embarked on this project over twenty years ago, there wasn’t much more than crumbling walls and a few grazing sheep, so to now be winners of the Historic Houses 2023 Garden of the Year Award is incredible.
“We are so grateful to everyone who voted for us and particularly thrilled to be the first garden in Northern Ireland to win this prestigious prize.
“The award is a particular testament to the dedication of our small team and some of the wonderful plantsmen and designers who have helped us over the years.
“The garden is still very much a work in progress, but we really hope that winning this award will encourage visitors from far and wide to come and see what we have been up to in our beautiful and special corner of the world”.
Historic Houses 2023 Garden of the Year Award – showcasing the country’s most spectacular gardens
The Historic Houses 2023 Garden of the Year Award has been presented annually since 1984.
The award is designed “to recognise the importance of some of the country’s most spectacular gardens with outstanding horticultural and public appeal”.
Ben Cowell, Director General of Historic Houses, speaking about the Garden of the Year Award, said that in the award’s 40th year, they were thrilled that the title went to a garden in Northern Ireland for the first time.
He said, “Glenarm Castle fully deserves its prize. The walled gardens there have been transformed through ingenious plantings and by an imaginative viewing platform.
“The gardens provide another additional reason to visit this most special place on the beautiful Antrim coast. Well done to all involved!”
Visiting Gardens – a popular pastime
Visiting gardens has always been a popular pastime for people over the centuries and remains popular today.
This is due to various reasons, such as the fact that visiting gardens can provide people with a sense of well-being as well as helping to reduce stress levels. They can also prove to be great places to socialise in.
With so many spectacular gardens to see and explore across the Emerald Isle, there are many popular destinations from county to county that are loved and explored by locals and visitors alike.
Find out more about the Historic House Garden of the Year here.
