Located in Kilkenny City, the Rothe House Garden is a recreation of a historic garden from the 17th Century. It is the only urban garden of this period which is open to the public.
The reconstruction was undertaken by the Kilkenny Archaeological Society and Rothe House Trust. The walled garden is divided in two parts. In the lower garden, vegetables and herbs that would have grown in the 17th Century are planted. These include deer tongue lettuce, scarlet runner beans, gortahork cabbage, mammoth leeks, lovage, borage and lady's bedstraw. Meanwhile, the upper garden contains a wide range of fruit trees, apple, medlar, quince and damson.
The apple varieties include blood of the boyne and scarlet crofton. Surrounding these functional plants, there are beautiful flowers, such as sweet rocket, calendula, rosa maidens blush and hollyhocks.
Bring a little part of the Rothe House garden home with you. Look out for their popular plant sales during the year.