The walled garden at Glenarm Castle no longer fulfills its original task of providing all of the fruit and vegetables for the, "big house." There is now only a very modest kitchen garden as you enter the sheltering walls. The balance of the acreage has for the most part been laid out in lawns with large herbaceous borders. There is also a herb garden surrounded by yew hedging and an orchard area was planted out about four years ago.
For the last eight years the garden has hosted a tulip festival over the May Day bank holiday weekend. Last year I was absent in foreign climes at the time of the festival but as I was present in the old sod this year I decided to mosey along to Viscount Dunluce's pad and savour its horticultural delights anew.
Approximately eight thousand bulbs are planted each autumn. The bulbs are supplied by, "Bloms Bulbs," and a representative from that firm is always present to answer questions and of course take orders. It is I think the scale of the planting that creates the impact. With perhaps a hundred or more of each variety daring you not to be impressed with their vibrant colour. Maybe I will invest in a gross or a small gross of new bulbs this year.
I had thought the mild spring might have resulted in the show being past its best but there were only one or two varieties that had blown.
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