At Caherhurley Nursery, we believe that plants should be grown in ways that complement both the Irish climate and the conditions that are commonly found in Irish gardens.

Our philosophy can be described with four statements:

1. We only select the hardiest plants to grow at our nursery. We find that many plant varieties available in Ireland are just unsuitable for our climate; some are vulnerable to frost, but winter dampness can also cause trouble. Then there is the problem of plants that look good when purchased, but perform poorly. Many varieties do not flower as abundantly as they would in other, less hostile parts of Europe. We decided to do something about this by offering varieties that can cope with the more challenging Irish climate.

2. By growing our plants in the harsh conditions of our windy mountain slope, without any protection from glasshouses or polytunnels, we give them a far better chance to survive the challenging circumstances anywhere. They are much better adapted to the extremes of the Irish climate than the few-months-hardened-off polytunnel-grown plants out of the modern fast-crop mass-production nurseries which have been ‘hardened off’ only briefly.

3. Our plants are grown to certified organic standards (IOA licence 4308) without chemicals or artificial fertilisers. They are grown slowly into compact, strong, fresh and healthy looking plants, waiting to burst out into something wonderful in your garden. Since our plants are certified organic, they do not contain any chemicals that kill bees, insects and other wildlife. In fact, certified organic is the only guarantee that you will not bring harmful chemicals into your garden. By purchasing our plants, you will make a positive contribution to the environment.

4. We cultivate plants that differ from those commonly grown in Irish gardens. We predominantly grow plants that have a natural appearance. We value plants that display true beauty. We find that some newly-introduced plants fall short of the expectations promised by their developers, and that our favoured, less common varieties perform better.