Roses in bloom?

Hello,
We are trying to plan a two week circle-the-island trip of Ireland to view the Irish rose gardens in 2019. We plan to fly into Dublin and begin our tour there. Should we arrive at the end of May, or would a mid-June arrival be better?
I realize that some roses are repeat bloomers, and some will open after others, but in general the first spring flush is the best, especially if we wish to see those roses which only bloom the once. 
I know that many flower festivals are in July, but that is often too late for the best roses. Certainly that is our experience here in Southwestern Ontario. I hope there are Irish rosarians in this forum who can answer this question, and give us their best advice!
Thank-you very much in advance,
Anne 
Ontario, Canada

Hi Anne,

The rose gardens in Ireland, and indeed the wild roses you can find around the countryside, are a sight to behold (and often a great scent as well!). Some rose varieties bloom from early summer right through to Autumn and much depends on the weather.

A good point to aim for, if you would like to see as many varieties of roses in bloom is mid June, but it will vary a bit around the country and a late spring could make a difference too. If you want to catch early bloomers or the varieties that bloom once, you would probably want to aim for the latter part of spring.

There are some great tips in Garden Tours of Ireland for the various gardens and the best times to visit them as well. Do you know what gardens you would like to visit? If you have an itinerary set already, it might also be a good idea to contact the various gardens to ask when prime rose blooming time is and if you have the freedom to plan, plan it around those times.

What gardens do you have on your list already to visit?

Wishing you a wonderful day,
Cornelia

Thank you, Cordelia,
The coach is laid on to get us from place to place, but we must tell them when we will arrive, so that is my dilemma. Just when to arrive?
We will be in Dublin to begin: so I think St. Anne's garden, then the War Memorial Gardens are a must? That is as far as I have investigated so far.
After that we are going north to Belfast, and then down the East coast via Westport and Killarney, and around the south to Kilkenny and back to Dublin. I would rather have gone toward the south first, since the roses will be blooming there first I should think, but that is not the route of the bus company. I think 2 weeks is barely enough also, but that is the time we have due to obligations at home.
Any recommendations are welcome.
Anne

Very sorry for the incorrect name, Cornelia... I blame auto-correct. Anne. 

Hi Anne,

Don't worry about the autocorrect, I do rather like the name Cordelia as well! :)

It can be a bit of a dilemma, especially if you want to be sure to catch the early bloomers, but I would advise you to make a list of the gardens you absolutely want to see and plan your tour that way. There may be a garden or two along the way that's not as far along as, or further along than, you would like, but you should be able to see most of what you want to see. All subject to weather conditions of course, 

There are great gardens all over and you'll certainly not miss out starting on the northern part of our green isle as it has some exquisite examples. The sheer variety of gardens you encounter as you travel around the island will hopefully keep you charmed your entire trip.

And don't forget the castle gardens! Although of course many castles had utilitarian gardens, there were often also stunning ornamental gardens added that are really quite lovely to wander through.

I hope this helps you plan your itinerary a bit, I'd love to see what gardens you pick for your final list!

Warm regards,
Cornelia

Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park just south of Belfast has an award winning Rose Garden that hosts Rose Week each July when tens of thousands of blooms star in the International Rose Trials. A must-see for your tour :-) 

Hi Anne,

Your tour sounds great, a lovely theme !
St. Anne's Rose Gardens in Dublin are indeed fabulous, there are a huge range of varieties. Make sure to leave time for a coffee and cake in Olive's Room Restaurant in the Red Stables (about 2 minutes walk from the Rose Garden, within the park). You should also include the National Botanic Gardens when in Dublin.
If you are going North, I would suggest Mount Stewart Gardens near to Belfast, the gardens were nominated for World Heritage status recently.In Tralee in County Kerry, they hold the Rose of Tralee festival each August, it will be too late for you but not to worry, the Rose Gardens in the Town Park are a beautiful visit too and will be more inseason in July anyway.

Good luck and enjoy your tour of Ireland!
Sandra. 

Hi Anne, There is an App you could install: 
Total Gardens Ireland
It is only on android phone at the minute but should be on iPhone early Summer 19.
It's great for planning garden trips as it shows you all the gardens in relation to each other on the map of Ireland. Both Public and Private gardens, some of the private gardens you will need an appointment, there are links on the app to their web pages.
Christine

Thank-you Christine.  I don't have data on my phone; it is old. But I found the page the group have on Facebook with my home computer. Very helpful, Anne 

Hi Anne
Great you found the TGI facebook page. The page is great for seeing pictures of gardens people have visited , the function for adding pictures on the App. is in the pipeline. Garden reviews are on the App. but as it is just released there are not many reviews yet but hopefully Springtime will remedy that !
Get yourself a new phone pronto, you need this App you just don't realise it yet .......you could be 10mins away from another garden and not know about it, then kick yourself when you return home !
Maybe a friend  (most young people will do this in an instant) would install on their phone for you (at the min it is free trail)
You will LOVE the gardens in Ireland , I'm excited for you !
Also go on the TGI facebook page and ask what is the best  the time of year for roses ....see you  there
regards
Christine