Join the Northern Ireland Heritage Gardens Trust for a weekend in October at its Annual Conference, to be held at the Brandon House Hotel in New Ross, County Wexford. Commemorating the 250th anniversary of American independence, this conference aims to highlight how North American plants have profoundly shaped Ireland’s gardens, evolving from the exotic, treasured specimens brought back from the early colonies to the staples of modern prairie-style popularized by Piet Oudolf.

Pioneering expeditions in the 17th century, such as thos of Tradescant to Virginia, brought back the tulip tree, swamp cypress, plhlox, asters, and Virginia creeper, while collectors in the following century such as John Bartram and Peter Collinson introduced maples, magnolias, and rhododendrons amoung many others, fostering a trend for “American gardens”.

The 19th century exploration of the Pacific Northwest by collectors such as David Douglas, Thomas Coulter, and Theodor Hartweg, introduced many more new tres and shrubs, their transport helped by the invention of the Wardian case, all of which have made an enduring impact on Ireland’s parks and gardens. The conference will visit the JF Kennedy Arboretum, established in 1968, which has one fo the most comprehensive and significant collections of woody plants in the world,

For complete information on cost and registration visit https://www.nihgt.org/events/27/thurs%2D1%2Doct%2D2026%5F2026+annual+conference/