The Gardens At Ballymaloe Cookery School

Walk through the little wooden gate at the entrance to Ballymaloe Cookery School and step into a veritable Eden. Beyond the main cookery school building (once an old apple store), lie several captivating gardens - some carefully designed and highly ornate, others allowed to grow wild at certain times of the year. Each space has a unique personality and a special story of its own to communicate.

The gardens may be enjoyed one by one over the course of several visits to the school. Ideally, however, a most pleasurable morning or afternoon can be passed meandering from one to the next. Our popular Garden Tours, conducted by our knowledgeable Garden Guides, are an absolute must for anyone keen to learn more about:

  • The history of the gardens
  • The astonishing variety of plants and flowers
  • Daily maintenance and seasonal planting
  • Organic composting

OUR SPLENDID GARDENS INCLUDE:

The Water Garden

The Water Garden

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The Soft Fruit Garden

The Soft Fruit Garden

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The Celtic Maze & Wildflower Meadow

The Celtic Maze & Wildflower Meadow

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Topiary & Shell House

Topiary & Shell House

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The Old Pleasure Garden

The Old Pleasure Garden

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The Herb Garden

The Herb Garden

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Lydia's Garden

Lydia's Garden

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The Ornamental Fruit Garden

The Ornamental Fruit Garden

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The Kitchen Potager

The Kitchen Potager

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GARDEN OPENING HOURS & PRICES

Garden Opening Hours

Open All Year

- Monday - Saturday 9.30am - 5:30pm
- Closed Sunday.

Glasshouse Opening Hours

The Glasshouses are generally open Monday to Friday, and visitors are welcome to come in and look around as part of The Farm Walk.

Admission

  • Adult: €8.50
  • OAP & Students: €7.00
  • Children (8-16 years old): €6.50
  • Children Under 8: FREE
  • Family (2 adults/3 Kids): €25
  • Annual Ticket: €45 per person
  • Annual Family Ticket €80

Includes entry into the gardens & Organic Farm.

Garden Tours

  • Guided Garden Tours may be booked.
  • A guide will be provided free of charge to groups over 15 people with an admission price of €7.50 pp.  
  • Concessions do not apply to tours.  
  • We charge €20 for a guide for groups under 16.  
  • A minimum fee of €60 applies for a guided tour for very small groups.

Please phone us on +353 21 4646785 to arrange a garden tour.

Farm Walk

A visit to the Ballymaloe Cookery School Gardens can be extended to include a highly recommended visit to our beautiful organic farm.

The Farm Walk begins just beyond The Shell House at the end of The Topiary Garden. Follow the Butterfly Archway

food truck

The Food Truck and Field Café at Ballymaloe Cookery School opens from June-September.

We serve light lunches using produce from the farm and wonderful Irish artisan food producers, homemade kefir and kombucha, delicious Golden bean coffee, loose leaf tea and a selection of freshly baked seasonal cakes and sweet treats.

Opening times are from 10am-4.30pm Monday - Saturday June to September.

Garden Blog: 

Nature extends its hand to us in our time of need

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Garden
March 2021

European garden Heritage Network Award

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Garden
October 2016

Garden Diary - May 2016

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Garden
May 2016

Garden Diary - January 2016

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Garden
February 2016

Bulb Planting

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Garden
November 2015

September is Harvest Time

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Garden
October 2015

Garden Diary - June 2015

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Garden
June 2015

Springtime

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Garden
May 2015

Spring is in the Air!

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Garden
March 2015