April is one of the months that the Japanese Maples really shine. Below is “Orange Sunrise”.

Competing with them  on the other side of the West Garden are the Flowering Cherries. Maybe the Cherries are reaching the end of their life: a lot of their branches are dead and their trunks ooze liquid.

Three of the many Alpines that are on show this month are Ramonda from the Pyrenees, Rhodohypoxis and Jeffersonia dubia below.

Meanwhile in the pond the leaves of the Butterbur are starting to expand as the flowers begin fading.

Coolwater is closed at present because of the coronavius crisis so a few pictures to show you what it’s like at present.

This we call Alligator Alley, although there are no such creatures in Ireland. Too cold here for them. 🙂

Beside the pond is a four feet tall concrete pot and to my surprise up came a whole load of tulips this Spring. I had completely forgotten about them and had planted something else on top. But tulips being tulips were not to be denied. 🙂 They also seem to have multiplied quite vigorously.

In the middle of the month I made a new Cactus bed and planted these fellows. It took two of us to lift the Echinocactus grusonii into position. One person couldn’t possibly lift it, it was so heavy. It came from a nursery in Cornwall. Beside it are two Bunny Ears from Shropshire, the albino version and the ordinary one.

And last but not least, I acquired a couple of Pseudopanax laetus. I really love the five fingered leaves on this small tree. This one is planted in the West Garden. I’ve still to find a place for the other.

Yes, well, we want to forget February, the most appalling weather ever, constant gales, incessant rain, bone-chilling cold. We will definitely have to be rewarded with a good summer.

A new trough with Limestone stones made for Globularias and Auricculas. The featured stone at the rear came from Mullaghdillon so we’re calling this the Mullaghdillon Trough.

An very early flowering Azalea, “Sapphire”, out of kilter with the rest of the Rhodos in this trough.

A lot of our Saxifrages thought it was Home from Home with the cold and have started flowering much earlier this year.

“Madame Lemonnier” Hellebore strutting her stuff.

Coolwater Garden has joined the Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland Partner Garden Scheme and RHSI members  will gain free entry to the garden. Visits will still have to be pre-booked in advance.

This winter has been a disastrous one for the Coolwater Alpines. Constant winter wet has destroyed so many plants this year. Below, the picture shows the state of one of our Lewisia Cairns: all the plants have rotted away.

Our Riparian Sculpture contrasts against the white winter-flowering heather.

View of the larger patio across the Water Garden.

And a view of the Xeric Bed across the Water Garden. The Agaves are getting very big now and soon may be touching the glazed cover on the pergola.

One of the garages in Coolwater is actually built on the old Limerick to Cork road, which had been discontinued as a main road  around 1745 when a new one was constructed a mile away. We’ve made use of a small space behind this garage to construct new compost bays for our garden.

On the right in the picture above, you can see part of the ‘old road’ wall, built from limestone.

To gain access behind the garage you walk along the top of the newly capped old road wall and down the steps.

I can imagine that when we empty all the contents of our present compost bins into here, it’ll be fairly full. 🙂  The concrete base is actually two feet above the base of the garage, which is not at all obvious from the picture. (There’s a gravel walkway between the bays and the garage.)

I thought that this month it might be nice to feature a couple of recent Trip Advisor reviews of Coolwater in October including some of Shannon Christine’s beautiful photos.

From Shannon Christine, Sacramento, USA.

We met a wonderful English and Irish garden mastermind Kevin this afternoon. We dried off and warmed up under heating lamps and had hot tea, chocolate and treats in his Pagoda with lovely conversation. Then we received a detailed tour of his stunning garden. He has thought of absolutely everything from repurposing aquariums, separating plants with all types of rocks from limestone to volcanic to slate, a floating pagoda and absolute perfect presentation of his beautiful nature babies.

Shannon Christine – Sacramento, California.

From Anna, Poland.

We visited on Saturday- 12 October 2019. I just texted and got immediate response. We really loved the website, so we had to see it on our own eyes. And wow !!!

It’s exactly like on the pictures- spectacular, despite October, garden was full of colours and didn’t loose any of it’s beauty. Can’t wait to see it also in April to May, when it suppose to be the nicest and in full bloom. Kevin is very organised, offered us his own umbrellas and even took us inside his house during strong rain. He is very friendly, has a great sense of humour, very passionate, experienced, professional individual- guide like no other.

We got locally grown thyme and mint for our cooking at home. He have mostly shrubs and trees, but also many flowers, as well. The eucalyptus trees and many types of palm trees are truly stunning. His garden is a real diamond for county Limerick- sparking innovation- he got the plant eating tiny insects, he mentioned kangaroos on the sign post, baby crocodile, laughing budda in the pond, duck and even cheeky monkeys :)- statues.

Having a tea at the Floating Pagoda- with a view on Mysterious hill or Castle- unforgettable. We mentioned loving walking trails- he gave us handy maps on Ballyhoura Walking. And if it wasn’t enough- our tour-2 hrs got extended by no less, but 45min! Worth every penny. Attraction for all ages, interests and you totally don’t need gardening experience to enjoy it. Cleanliness and tidy of the place is also impressive- 5 star experience.

Anna- Poland

Well August weather didn’t do much for the garden in Coolwater, with blustery winds and precipitation reaching 180% of the August mean. Gaultheria “Pearls” managed to give a fine show in the troughs, though.

I’d been told that there was little chance of having Loquat fruits from my trees because of our climate. Lo and behold ! What do I see? Three loquats on one of the trees. Two OK fruits and one non-developed one. Our first time of eating loquats and very nice too ! 🙂

We’ve installed a second bubbling? burbling? water feature on the patio and the sound is very relaxing when sitting down on the nearby bench.

Two of the flowers appearing in August shown below, Potentilla tonguei & Toadlily. (Helianthus is the featured photograph).

And last but not least, this is one of the Trachycarpus fortuneis, which was planted as a tiny plant six years ago.  It must have found some steroids in the soil. 🙂

The sky is grey and stepping up onto the patio, the water lilies haven’t opened yet.

Then, moving to the left, one sees the succulent section ensconced under the pergola.

A tiny banana plant planted in May is starting to shoot for the sky.

Further along, this Alstromeria is going great guns in its pot beside the pond.

A view of the floating pagoda (which hasn’t sunk yet! )

Detail of the floating pagoda, which was painted Cream & Black.

Coming down the main drive, this one of the Alpine troughs utilizing Killaloe Slate slag.

Agapanthus “Jacaranda” showing up against Phyllostachys vivax aureocaulis.

Into the West Garden, Hoheria sexstylosa “Stardust” behind another Phyllostachys.

Massed Hebes in front of the Thyme raised outcrop.

We fancied another pagoda in the garden but had no room to place one. Then we hit on the zany idea of having one floating on the garden pond. Never heard of a pagoda, that floated before but that’s not to mean to say it can’t be done.

Here’s the base going in with twenty four 25 litre drums nestled underneath.

Here is a pic, the next day, of the pagoda under construction on the base. Difficult to work at as it kept bobbing about all the time.

Following day, two pics of the pagoda almost finished. Anchors and chains still to be done and some more woodwork to be added but mainly there.

View from our kitchen window.

Well, May must have been the driest May on record in Coolwater. The soil in the alpine troughs had turned to a powdery dust but rain, like the cavalry, came at the end of the month just in the nick of time. Rock Roses around the garden (a few pictured above) are having the most floriferous display this year.

Above, Saxifraga canis dalmatica and below, a Globularia in the alpine troughs.