The Garden Trail is an association of public and private gardens who's owners are very committed and enthusiastic. Their primary aim is to promote garden visiting as a collective effort in County Donegal, encouraging garden visiting as an educational and leisure activity. Many of the private gardens also collect donations for charities.
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| Members of the Donegal Garden Trail at the 2017 Launch in Buffers Tearooms at Oakfield Park |
The member gardens have an inclusive approach, not rating or judging their gardens, but two of their members will visit new prospective gardens and determine two simple criteria: is the garden safe and is there sufficient horticultural interest to provide the public with an interesting and enjoyable visit.
2017 sees the number of gardens on the Donegal Garden trail at 22 diverse and enticing gardens over the length and breadth of the county. Each Garden has it's own dedicated section on the Donegal Garden Trail Website. Click on any Garden below to go directly to their web link:
- Nora’s Rose Garden, Ballybofey
- Backleas Gardens, Stranorlar
- Beltany View, Raphoe
- Ros Ban Garden, Raphoe
- Oakfield Park, Raphoe
- White House Garden, Castlefinn
- Mrs Jessie Mahaffy’s Garden, Lifford
- Dunmore House & Gardens, Carrigans
- Foxrock Garden, Greencastle
- Glenella House & Garden, Milford
- Rathmullan House, Rathmullan
- Greenfort Garden, Kerrykeel
- Carrablagh House, Portsalon
- St. Colomb's Gardens, Churchill
- Glenveagh Castle Gardens, Churchill
- Cluain na dTor Tropical Garden, Falcarragh
- Summy Garden, Portnoo
- Cille Garden, Kilcar
- Bruckless House & Garden, Bruckless
- Lower Cranny Garden, Inver
- Sea View Garden, Mountcharles
- Salthill Garden, Mountcharles
Visitors to all the gardens on the Donegal Garden Trail will discover a long established tradition of ornamental horticulture which began in monastic and castle gardens and continued in cottage and country houses. Today, the gardens are the continuation of that rich tradition. Children are especially welcome but should be carefully supervised due to streams, rivers or ponds.
Open days and times are listed on each garden's section on the website but many owners are happy to open outside of these times (do phone ahead to make sure). The Donegal Garden Trail has also linked up with Garden Supply Centres and Hospitality Providers all over the county for you to enjoy.
For full details visit the website at www.DonegalGardenTrails.com and you can also give the Donegal Garden Trail Facebook a like here to keep up to date with all their events.
