Kilcoan Gardens
Open April – September
Wednesdays – Sundays 12noon-5pm
Garden Entry – £3.50 Children – Free
Kilcoan gardens are situated on the Causeway Coastal Route within the peninsula of Islandmagee. They are 2 miles from The Gobbins Cliff Path, with beautiful views over Larne Lough. The Gardens have grown over the past 20 years and now extend to 5 acres. They include a series of rooms, a cottage garden, orchard, vegetable area and herb garden. There are also several meadows, established perennial beds, a willow arch, wildlife pond and a recently planted prairie border.
The cut flower field includes raised beds full of annuals and perennial beds all of which contain plants suitable for cut flower production. Peruse a varied collection of hardy perennials and a particular indulgence of old roses, with over 140 different roses (both old and new) throughout the garden.
Kilcoan gardens are maintained organically to let nature take its course as much as possible. The gardens are full of wildlife. Irish hares, bats and badgers visit frequently, with buzzards, sparrowhawks and kestrals flying overhead. There is a diverse range of insects throughout the garden.
You can see 10,000 native trees on the surrounding farmland and the Woodland Walk has views towards the Mournes, the Glens of Antrim and Scotland. There are plants for Sale beside the polytunnel – they are expanding their range of plants for sale.
Winner of Britain’s Bee Friendliest Garden 2012 – Bumblebee Conservation Trust