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Ballyrobert Gardens

RHS Partner Garden

Free access for RHS Members when open

154 Ballyrobert Road
Ballyclare
Co. Antrim
BT39 9RT
Northern Ireland

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Free RHS Member days
Free access (member 1 only for joint memberships) applies when open.

Telephone
028 9332 2952

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About the garden

Owned by the Parkinson family, Ballyrobert Gardens is a uniquely created Ulster Garden nestling in the countryside near Ballyclare, County Antrim, home to the famous Glens of Antrim and Antrim Coast Road. The setting for the garden is a 17th-century landscape complete with the original cottage, Irish barn and farm layout extending to 16 acres. Sensitively integrating the elements is a six-acre garden containing one of the province's most extensive collections of herbaceous plants, laid out in intimate settings and sweeping borders.   

Ballyrobert Gardens has many delightful features such as the traditional entrance, fairy tree, hole tree and Celtic spiral. These sit together handsomely with the lake, stream, formal garden, orchard, meadows and woodlands. A Robinsonian-style garden, it appeared in 2016 on BBC TV's Breakfast programme as an exemplar of a naturalistic garden. It is an all-year-round garden and has a collection of more than 200 varieties of snowdrops. There is also an adjoining specialist plant nursery stocked with a large range of herbaceous plants.

Facilities

  • Assistance dogs only
  • DIY Refreshments
  • Free carer entry
  • Parking
  • Picnic area
  • Plant sales
  • Toilets

Key features

  • Herbaceous border
  • Colour themed borders
  • Cottage planting
  • Prairie/naturalistic planting
  • Wildlife planting and features

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.