Loughgall invites visitors to enjoy its secret gardens in the heart of Co Armagh orchard county
Residents of the picturesque village of Loughgall are to share the delights of their beautiful gardens to visitors again this year by popular request.
The last Secret Gardens event in 2022 was so successful it attracted approximately 1,000 visitors.
Preparations are well underway for this year’s event at the start of June – when around 20 gardens will be open for public viewing.
The thought behind the Secret Gardens open days is that while village has been successful in several well-kept events and floral display competitions organised by the Loughgall and District Improvement Association play an important part in community life, many of the best parts of the village gardens – those behind houses, walls and hedges – are not on display to the public.
The gardens that are to be opened again vary from tiny enclaves offering peace and privacy up to sizeable ornamental and kitchen gardens. Some are long-established mature gardens, while others are more recently established or being actively developed.
Chair of the organising committee, Florence Anderson, said: ‘This is a fantastic opportunity again to showcase the village of Loughgall with many of its attractions, none the least of which are the gardens, the country park, the Manor House, the historic sites and the apple orchards.
"We truly are in the heart of the orchard county. The residents, the hard-working organising committee and the ‘red wellie boot’ team look forward to welcoming visitors from near and far.”
As well as seeing the delights of the gardens, visitors will be able to enjoy refreshments, including a barbecue at The Rectory, strawberries and cream at the WI Hall.
Several of the open gardens will have stalls with items as plants, crafts, hedgehog rescue information and bric-a-brac.
There will also be occasional live music on the street and in some of the gardens.
The gardens will be open from 11am - 5pm on Saturday, June 7 and 2 - 5pm on Sunday, June 8. Tickets can be bought in advance at Loughgall Village Store, or from Mervyn Walker, for £7, or bought on the day for £10.
The tickets are personal to the purchaser and allow access to the gardens on both days. They are not transferable. Children under 16 have free entrance.
Proceeds from the ticket sales will go to three charitable causes: Alzheimer’s Society NI, St Luke’s Church and Loughgall and District Improvement Association.
There will be several car parks made available for ticket holders, including one for disabled parking. Also this year there will be a hop-on hop-off bus to allow less mobile visitors – or those who are more pushed for time -- to see more of what is on offer. This will be a guided bus service with a renowned professional tour guide.
Tickets have a map showing where the open gardens are situated and other information about the event and there will be additional signage on the day. As at the previous event, each secret garden will be marked with a red wellie at the entrance.