National Botanic Gardens of Ireland



 
 The National Botanic Gardens of Ireland has a long history, dating from 1795. I spent almost 2 hours touring the grounds; it was fascinating to learn how the plants are organized based on the type of research the organization is involved in. I was able to get a private tour of the gardens. This gave me an opportunity to ask questions about how the grounds have been used and maintained in the past, as well as how it’s cared for today.  There is a director who dictates how the grounds are handled in general, however the gardens employ over 40 grounds-people who are in charge of various sections of the grounds.  The site is also a public work, which means that they are an active research site that works with the local universities in addition to carrying out their own cataloging and seed saving.  Much of their research is aimed at an evolutionary view of the development of plants and plant families throughout history. There are samples that have been collected that are over 200 years old that can still have DNA extracted!  


 


In addition, there are some antique glass houses on site that were built especially for these gardens. 

 

 I went through one with some gigantic wall-climbing palms, one with succulents, and an especially charming one filled with all sorts of orchids. 

 

 This location also provided some great ideas about how to present and organize different plants.

 

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