Irish Product Review » Feature, Garden » Blackwater Garden Centre – A Hidden Gem for Garden Lovers!

Blackwater Garden Centre – A Hidden Gem for Garden Lovers!

March 27th, 2011 | Add a Comment

Garden Guru Workshop

Blackwater Garden Centre is a family run business based in Co Waterford (well only just in Co Waterford, it’s about 2.5 miles towards Ardmore after you cross over the Blackwater bridge that separates the counties of Cork and Waterford). I visited on a sunny Sunday when the garden centre was hopping and although there’s lots of car parking space, it still felt busy.

My reason for visiting was twofold. I wanted to check out their free Sunday garden guru workshop (this week it was on herbs for health) and also get some advice on getting my own garden up and running for the vegetable season ahead.

The workshop was well attended and informative. Mike, the garden guru and guide, gave us easy to follow, practical advice, including some tricks on growing great herbs for medicinal & health purposes. We tasted a variety of exotic leaves from Mike’s veggie patch and looked at seeds which could be sown now.

The location isn’t your usual easy access venue but that just adds to its charm. It’s like a hidden gem full of cheerful people who clearly enjoy what they do. There’s also no doubt that Mike and the Blackwater team really do know their stuff. The garden centre itself is situated above the estuary of the river Blackwater and perhaps the owners could have lowered some of the hedges to make more of the view. That said, the centre itself is so packed with colour and scent that maybe it would just be a distraction!