It’s a magical spot for an al fresco lunch.

Annes Grove Gardens, set on a historic estate near Castletownroche Co. Cork, is in full bloom once again, with a trail of purple wisteria twisting around the pergola in the Walled Garden.

The home of the Annesley family from the 1600s until 2015 when it was gifted to the Irish state and entered the care of the Office of Public Works, Annes Grove Gardens opens to the public from Thursday to Monday from 10am.

Back in 1892, young Richard Arthur Grove Annesley took over Annes Grove. Richard was clearly a man with a vision (and a serious green thumb). He spent the early 1900s transforming the place, getting it all done up in Robinsonian style – basically, making it look wild and natural, but in a clever, designed way.

But here’s where it gets really interesting: Richard wasn’t just pottering about his garden. He was actually sponsoring some epic plant-hunting adventures. He backed the famous explorer Frank Kingdon-Ward on his trips to far-flung places like Tibet, Yunnan Province, Burma, and Bhutan.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Annes Grove (@annesgroveopw)

Thanks to these incredible expeditions, Richard managed to build up an amazing collection of exotic plants. If you head there, you can still see some of the absolute stunners that date back to his time, like the show-stopping Cornus kousa, the fiery embothrium, and the elegant eucryphia and hoheria.

Admissions is €5 for adults and €3 for children and students and visitors are invited to explore the gardens and terrraces and bring a picnic.

There’s also a Yoga class in the grounds every Sunday at 10am throughout June, July, and August. Just bring your mat and enjoy a peaceful start to your week – it’s €4 per person to take part.