In our 38 page garden special we begin with a recap on Ireland’s largest garden festival, Bloom where sustainability and biodiversity took centre stage. Bord Bia announced that the highest ever number of gold medals were awarded to the show gardens at the heart of the event. Then we look at the world’s most famous garden event, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and some of its show stopping gardens for you to draw inspiration from, or simply awe at the imagination used for each installment. We then visit two impressive public gardens, Woodstock Gardens and Hillsborough Castle and Garden which have both undergone huge restoration projects and are now reopened for you to visit. Here they let us in on their secrets for keeping the gardens in top shape, as well as the history. With the decline of large private gardens, we look at the benefits of spending time in your outdoor area, no matter how small and how to get the maximum enjoyment out of your space. Then in Floral Feast we show you how to uplift your indoor space with floral pattern. Whether you prefer bold, colourful designs, or the delicate English garden feel, adding floral patterns into your living space is sure to create a serene atmosphere. An extract from The Paper Florist shows you how to create and display stunning paper flowers, and pick the perfect bench for your garden from a wide selection of metal and wooden models. Outdoor Additions is a visual feast of lovely ideas for your garden with an inclusion of the best gardening tools for the job. Finally, of course is our monthly delight that is gardener Deirdre Prince with her advice on how to create a dog-friendly garden.
As for our readers’ homes this month we visit Navan where Hayley and Eugene have renovated former labourers’ cottages to create a beautiful home that is the stuff of fairytales. A woodland retreat in Hillsborough, home to Matthew Wilson, Belfast based vocalist and musician, sits on a hillside in the County Down countryside and onto Buncrana where Breege and Michael couldn’t believe their luck when they had the opportunity to design and build their dream home a stone’s throw from the beach and overlooking the sea. Our reader’s kitchen this issue is an elegant and contemporary design from Canavan Interiors with the island being the main focal point. Our travel abroad this issue takes us to New York with it’s iconic sights to be seen around every corner. Closer to home we focus on some of our Emerald Isle’s inland gems. Fantastic Eats by Angellica Bell is our cookbook this month which is full of fabulous recipes for children to make, perfect timing for the summer holidays.
We hope you enjoy this jam packed issue, and as always, if you have a home that you would like to see featured in the magazine contact editorial on 028 9147 3979 or editorial@ihil.net
