Vandeleur Walled Garden

At the entrance to Vandeleur Walled Gardens

We'd been trying to head out to the Vandeleur Walled Garden for months, but something always happened. We'd even planned on going yesterday and the kids woke in the worst mood.  This morning, however, Jeff said we should just head out and I'm so glad we did!

http://vandeleurwalledgarden.ie/

We piled into the car after lunch and hoped the kids would sleep on the way out. Adele and Gordon got decent naps, but Walt barely closed his eyes.  However, they were SO good on the whole 80 minute trip.

We arrived and put the kids in the strollers.which turned out to be a good thing. In the actual gardens, they ask you to stay off certain areas (and on the paths) and the kids would've been everywhere. We walked around for a bit, then headed back out to a courtyard where they had a play area for the kids. We let them loose and they had a blast.

Then we piled them back into the strollers with snacks and walked around the gardens some more.  We only stayed a couple of hours, then hit the road home. We spent more time driving than anything, but the kids were so good the whole day! And the Vandeleur Walled Gardens were gorgeous and so peaceful.

Heading into the Garden reception area

The doorway to the actual walled portion

At the far end of the Gardens looking back towards the entrance

A lane among the trees

Gordon and Adele playing in the sandbox in the courtyard children's area

Walt found this box of game pieces and spent a long time taking them all out, then putting them back in again.

All 3 kids in the sandbox.

Adele got the game pieces from Walt and proceeded to carry them around for the next 20 minutes.

One of the buildings in the courtyard

Gordon is just fascinated by plants.

Walt -- always trying to escape

Letting the kids play their first game of giant chess

Pretty flowers

Pretty flowers

Pretty flowers

Pretty flowers

Proof that Jeff was with us, plus a great view of the flower beds in the garden