Áras an Uachtaráin goes Organic!

We arrive at Áras an Uachtaráin on an auspicious day – the now famous Blue Tits whose nest is located in the Walled Garden at Áras an Uachtaráin have finally flown the nest. The birds’ journey has been closely followed through Nestwatch 2010, broadcast on-line and on-air via RTE’s Mooney Show. Hatched 19 days previously, all the chicks survived and the Áras team were especially pleased to witness the fledglings take to the sky.

An Organic Vision in the making

Head Gardener Robert Norris has kindly set aside some time from his busy day to give us a tour of the presidential gardens. We are joined by US gardener and green living expert, Shawna Coronado, who has been in Dublin at Bloom 2010 with Glenisk to share her messages about sustainability and building communities through gardening. No stranger to US TV, Shawna will later this year appear in a PBS gardening documentary which will also feature First Lady Michelle Obama in her organic garden. So naturally, she was curious about the Irish presidential gardens.

For Glenisk’s part, as a company that has been promoting organics for more than fifteen years, we were especially interested in the gardens transformation to organic cultivation. Áras an Uachtarain applied for organic status for the presidential gardens a year ago from the Organic Trust and they are now half way through the two year certification process. The conversion process involves switching over to organic cultivation immediately, eliminating the use of artificial fertiliser, and synthetic chemicals, insecticides and herbicides. Organic status is not awarded, however, until the two year conversion process is complete, allowing the soil to renew itself and eliminate all traces of artificial input. According to Robert, it has been a challenging year given the stringency of the certification requirements but a worthwhile endeavour. We discover that it is also an initiative very much driven by President McAleese herself.

Fresh from the Garden

The vegetable garden at the Áras is a working kitchen garden, planted with an array of fresh vegetables and fragrant herbs, all grown according to the principles of organic production. It is also home to the Áras chickens and in keeping with the organic philosophy, the chickens play an important role in weeding and in providing organic fertiliser. The fresh produce and eggs are ingredients for the many thousands of meals prepared by the chefs at Áras an Uachtaráin each year, not only for the first family but for visiting guests and to cater for the many events held here. 

The vegetable garden is situated close to the Orchard, which features a wide selection of fruit. As well as apple, pear and plum trees, the Áras also cultivates strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, gooseberries and much more, all grown organically. In the future, if you ever find yourself having afternoon tea at Áras an Uachtaráín, you may be sure that the jam on your scones is made from fruit organically and (very) locally grown!

There are numerous points of interest at the home of the President, making it impossible to single one out, but for us, the highlights included the tree lined avenue approaching the Áras, lined with native Oak trees, each planted by a visiting Head of State and marked with a commemorative plaque. The front of the house boasts an intricately planted centrepiece, in the shape of a harp. This feature, apparently devised by President McAleese, is viewed to best advantage from the air and must surely make for a memorable first view of the property for visiting dignitaries arriving by helicopter. In the field opposite the main entrance to the house, cows from National Herd grazes. In the stables adjacent to the house, the horses of the Garda Mounted Unit are housed.

At the back of the house, the pristinely planted lawns are testament to the dedication of  the team of gardeners, and it seems that not a blade of grass is out of place. The lawns are dominated by a giant Redwood Tree planted by Queen Victoria in the mid 19th Century at a time when Áras an Uachtaráín was known as the Vice Regal Lodge.
Further along, the Walled Garden houses the flowers. Divided into four section, each representing a season of the year, cut flowers grown here adorn the interior of the Áras. The magnificent Peach House, built by renowned Ironmaster Richard Turner has been carefully restored and now houses a number of exotic plants and fruits including lemons and bananas.

View US Gardener Shawna Coronado's Video Diary of her visit to the Áras:

Public Tours at the Áras

As a horticultural spectacle in and of themselves, the gardens are well worth a visit, but when you factor in all that the Office of Public Works is doing to adopt a more sustainable approach to gardening, the tour is simply unmissable.
Tours of Áras an Uachtaráin are available to members of the public each Saturday. Tours of the gardens are also run, from June to September, weather permitting. For more information on tours, visit www.president.ie.