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We caught up with the fantastic Trevor Edwards, who will be leading both of our Ireland tours this year to find out 10 reasons why you should explore this magnificent country with him. From amazing landscapes to the warmth of its people, there is something to delight and enchant every visitor to Ireland, and Trevor has revealed exactly why it's the perfect destination for lovers of the great outdoors and plants alike...
10 Reasons To Visit Ireland
4 March 2020
Irish Rover
8 days from $2,245pp
Gardens & Wildflowers of the Burren
4 days from $1,495pp
1) This tour is a superb introduction to the island of Ireland. Covering both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, the tour will provides a taster for a more focused return visit.
1) The relatively small island of Ireland has more geological variation in the than the vast expanse of Europe. This is heaven for wannabe geographers and geologists! The Burren is the place where all of those boring geography textbooks come to life. It’s the perfect place for people of all ages, especially if they’re into rocks and nature.
2) The gardens on offer throughout the island of Ireland are an interesting mix of both private and public gardens.
2) The retreating Caledonian Ice Sheet has created the Burren landscape which is unique in all of Europe.
3) We enjoy privileged access to some normally private gardens.
3) There will be good opportunities to get up close and personal with some wonderful wildflowers.
4) The visits provide and interesting encounter with the coexistence of interesting, historic & modern architecture and horticulture.
4) You will be able to admire some of Ireland’s most beautiful landscapes. The Burren is famous for having one of the most unique and beautiful landscapes in Ireland. While the rest of the Emerald Isle is known for its shades of green, the Burren National Park is known for its various shades of grey.
5) Ireland is the home of some of the best young experimental modern gardeners who are introducing new varieties of plants and so pushing the normal gardening limits to introduce better plants.
5) The Burren will bring everything you learned in geography class to life!
6) The Plant Hardiness Zone of many parts of Ireland allows the growing of many exotics. As a result of the warm air from the Gulf Stream Drift allows Ireland to grow a wide range of plants not suitable for gardens of other parts of the British Isles and the rest of Europe.
6) The Burren is located just a short drive from Ireland’s most visited natural tourist attractions – The Cliffs of Moher.
7) Good road infrastructure provides us with easy and comfortable coach travel over the 300-mile length of the Island – whilst still experiencing the some of the famous rural charm of the Emerald Island.
7) One obvious reason to visit The Burren is that it is situated along the Wild Atlantic Way, now listed as one of the best coastal drives in the world. Be prepared to have your breath taken away by the beauty of this rugged coastline.
8) Many of the gardeners and owners we will encounter on this tour are personal friends of mine!
8) A photographers’ dream – whether you are botanising or walking past the landscapes and seascapes, be sure to bring lots of memory for your camera!
9) I am an experienced, life-long self-employed horticulturist, and I will share with you my knowledge, love and passion for the chosen gardens.
9) Experience some charming West of Ireland villages. For example, the small village of Liscannor, just a few kilometres from the Burren National Park, which is famous for having the highest number of pubs per person in Ireland – one pub for every 26 people! We will find time to stop off for a pint of Guinness and maybe even some nice pub grub.
10) Finally, during this tour we use three comfortable modern 4* hotels, which will ensure that we are well fed, watered and rested.
10) You will feel you are on a different planet! The landscape on The Burren is so completely barren and so unique that it’s often compared to the moon. You simply won’t find another place like it on earth!
Meet your guide, Trevor Edwards
An award-winning garden designer, writer and broadcaster, Trevor is one of our busiest and most popular garden Tour Managers, and he has led many garden tours around the world.
If you're interested in joining Trevor on our Irish Rover vacation, which departs on either May 14th or August 13th, click here to view the full itinerary or to book your place today.
For our Gardens and Wildflowers of the Burren vacation, which is again led by Trevor, click here to find out more. This trip departs on June 2nd and is four days long.
