Created in the late 18th century, the walled garden was an integral part of this working Irish estate. It was improved significantly in 1869 when the 4th Earl of Enniskillen married Charlotte Baird, a wealthy heiress from Dumfriesshire. She invested much into the development of the garden, providing many of its main features including the entrance bridge, pergola, Rose Garden and greenhouses. The garden remained in production up until the 1940s, having up to 12 full time gardeners at its peak.
Work so far
The upper part of the garden, known as the Rose Garden, has already been restored, and the remaining 2 acres, known as the Kitchen Garden is currently undergoing a project to return it to the 1930s arrangement.
So far, the original pathways have been restored and herbaceous borders planted containing a wide variety of plants, including achillea, asters, bergamot, marigold, cosmos and many summer flowering bulbs. These can also provide cut flowers for use in the house.
Two large fruit and vegetable plots have been brought into cultivation and are used to grow common vegetables and Victorian favourites such as sea kale. Each year new and unusual vegetables are grown - most recently tree spinach, callaloo and mooli radish. The plots are edged with calendula and other flowers to attract beneficial insects. 110 meters of espalliers have been installed to support native Irish apples.