THERE is something magical about the rediscovery of a garden that has been hidden for decades beneath thick undergrowth. In the right hands, the restoration becomes a labour of love, a carefully thought out endeavour that seeks to sympathetically rejuvenate and replenish a once-thriving and beautiful space. The Lost Garden project at the Montalto Estate near Ballynahinch in Co Down fits this bill perfectly.
Built in the mid-to-late 18th century, the centrepiece house was once the seat of the Earl of Moira. The estate was bought by the Wilson family in 1995, who then set about returning the 400-acre park and woodland to its former glory. The estate opened to the public in 2018 and among its many attractions is an exotic plant collection, initially created by keen botanist Sir Arthur Rawdon, sometimes described as 'The Father of Irish Gardening'.
During the preparations for the opening, the team at Montalto uncovered stone slabs in what was regarded as a wild, overgrown area. Further exploration later revealed the remnants of a five-acre sheltered garden with a glasshouse at its heart, where little over a century ago fruit, vegetables and an array of ornamentals once to grew under the supervision of Lord and Lady Clanwilliam.
"We retained as much of the original garden as we could, as this for us was always a restorative project with a modern take on it," says Lesley Heron, the estate's head gardener.
"The Victorian glasshouse, although in disrepair, is a focal point in the garden and all its original features are on show."
Parts of the original rose arch have been retained alongside newer components that have been sympathetically fashioned. A stone seat sits as was in the early 1900s, while the pathways and stones that shape them are original, as is the well that supplies the water to the glasshouse.
There's also the remains of two bridges, linking one side of the garden to the other, that have been reinstated; an alpine area expertly nurtured by Gordon Finch, current chairman of the Ulster Alpine Society; and the addition of a stag sculpture, a nod to the estate's former deer park, adjacent to the Lost Garden.
Amazingly, some trees and shrubs have survived including Mahonia, Japanese maples and Philadelphus.
The newly-created 1.2 mile Lost Garden Trail aims to provide visitors with an understanding of what the area would have looked like back in 1912.
Lesley pays tribute to the foresight and enthusiasm of current owners Gordon and June Wilson, who she describes as "the main driving force in this project", collecting historical information from a wide variety of sources and piecing it together.
"They have a real passion for Montalto and have done so much to get it to where it is today," she says.
"This project was done slowly and sympathetically, making sure not to destroy any artefacts, trying to preserve and keep all that was possible."
The new trail invites visitors to step back in time and enjoy the tranquillity of the beautiful garden, nestled into the drumlins and surrounded by native woodland.
"It also reveals a bygone era where gardening was essential to feed the household, and the feats of engineering that was used to grow crops in our climate," says Lesley.
"It shows you how an experienced gardener located the position of this garden to take advantage of light levels and low wind – it has its own micro climate which is very different to the rest of the estate."
The Lost Garden Trail at Montalto Estate is the perfect place to lose yourself.
