OPW snowdrop garden open to public

Snowdrop Week returns to the Office of Public Works (OPW) gardens at Altamont Gardens in Tullow, Co Carlow this week, 12th-18th February.  This is a wonderful opportunity to view this unique collection of over 200 named varieties of snowdrops to celebrate the arrival of spring.
The gardens, cultivated since the 1750s, are now entrusted to the OPW Head Gardener, Paul Culter, who will be providing daily tours at 2pm during Snowdrop Week.
Known as the romantic garden in Ireland, Altamont is a formal and informal garden located on a 100 acre estate in Kilbride, Tullow, Co. Carlow.  It’s one of the top Irish gardens and is often referred to as “the jewel in Ireland’s gardening crown”.  It may still be very cold outside but in fact the gardens of Ireland are shaking off the wintry weather and there is no better time of year to catch this fabulous display of snowdrops in these beautiful tranquil gardens.
The gardens open daily from 9am to 4.30pm and is made up of beautiful lawns sloping down to a romantic lake surrounded by rare trees, rhododendrons and shrubs.  A fascinating walk through the Arboreteum, the Big Garden and the Ice Age Glen leads to the majestic River Slaney with wonderful views of the Blackstairs and Wicklow Mountains.