About Us

Beechwood is the family home of Ned & Liz Kirby. Ned worked as a Juvenile Liaison Officer with the Gardaí (Police) and has retired for the past number of years. He now runs a garden consultancy business. Liz has worked in the Real Estate business and now runs her own business. The Kirby’s have 2 grown up boys. Gardening competes with golf, horse racing, and G A.A for their time

Beechwood Garden

In 1984 Ned & Liz Kirby acquired a half acre site at Templeisque, Glanmire with the view to building a family home. The location is a south facing sloped site, 450 ft. above sea level, looking accross the valley of Black Brook, a panorama of undulating fields broken by hedgrows, green farmlands, studded here and there with herds, barns, and treeframed homesteads. A family home was duly built.

 

The work of creating the garden that is Beechwood begun. In 1994 an additional half acre site was acquired. This new area had natural water springs and was generally wet and boggey and has been planted to enhance this aspect.

 

The garden has grown with time, with influences and inspiration coming from visiting other gardens in Ireland and abroad. Much of the stone used came from old buildings, the gates from a ruined farm house. Old Church doors are used on the coach house. The planting scheme is planned as a year round garden, taking into account soil type – acid, and, aspect chosen plants are planted in large drifts to give balance and pleasing effect. As all gardeners know, a garden never stands still, changes are always being planned as “new” plants are seen elsewhere and are deemed a “must have” for Beechwood. Hostas, Hellebores, Blue Poppies, Ferns, Primulas, Cranesbills, Rodgerisias and a sundry of ericaceous and herbaceous plants enjoy the peaty soil at Beechwood.