Fota House

Fota Plant Fair - April 13th
2025-04-13 11:00 - 16:00 (Europe/Dublin)
📅 Apr 13 | 11:00AM–4:00 PM
Our annual plant fair is a haven for plant lovers with numerous specialist nurseries from all over the country attending providing visitors with the opportunity to purchase unusual and special plants at competitive prices.
Our volunteer team from the Victorian Working Gardens will also be in attendance selling plants that are grown on site here. There will also be a vibrant selection of local artists and artisans as well as food stalls.
Entry Fee – €5.00 per adult payable on the day

A Practical Introduction to Scything Course
2025-06-14 10:30 - 16:30 | Fota House, Arboretum & Gardens
Fota House, Arboretum and Gardens are delighted to run a scythe course at Fota House. Please book online via Fota House or call us on 0214815543.
Price: €85 per person
Max Person: 12
The course will be run by Christopher Hayes and Fergus O’ Regan with the help of Ian Graham who runs Fota’s working orchard garden and has re-introduced scythe mowing in Fota. All three are enthusiastic advocates for the scythe as a modern, efficient and environmentally relevant tool.
Fota House has begun to take a greater interest in the management of its grassland areas, with the focus being to protect and promote biodiversity. The intention is to create sustainable managed wildlife areas in parts of the estate. A move to less disruptive methods are being explored. As an alternative to fossil fuel powered machinery scythes are convivial with nature and ourselves. Working with a scythe isn’t the hard, back breaking work many imagine. Children, men and women of all ages and a very wide range of abilities use scythes and learning to mow isn’t difficult. Scything is fun! Imagine a summer weekend without the noise and air pollution of lawnmower and strimmer engines!
The hands on one-day course will cover scythe adjustment, safe blade handling and mowing, fundamental mowing technique and sharpening methods and will also touch on grass and meadow management and some of the history and culture of scythes.
Our instructors will give personalised on the spot advice as you use your new skills on a variety of grass in the garden. They can also point you in the right direction regarding your own future use of the tool.
Our aim is to give you the skills and confidence to consider a scythe as a realistic option in your farm, garden or community.
There will be tea and coffee on arrival (10am), and a light lunch around midday. The course will start at 10.30am sharp. Please note there is a 10-15 minute walk from the car park to the Victorian Working Garden.
This course is suitable for adults of all ages (18+) and perfect for absolute beginners but also those with experience that would like to improve or refresh their skills.
Ideally participants would use their own scythes as this allows for help with personalised set up and tuning however your scythe should be in working condition.
Chris Hayes will have a selection of scythes and accessories for sale on the day and it may be possible for us to supply a scythe to use for the course but please request in advance for either.
Please get in touch if you have any questions about your (or your scythe’s) abilities to do this course.
Our Instructors:
Chris Hayes started scything when he worked as a forester. He needed a comfortable tool that would help him control grass growing around young trees in young woodlands. He has been teaching for eleven years and loves spreading the good news about this wonderful tool. He teaches and sells high quality scythe equipment (scythe.ie) appropriate to Ireland.
Fergus O’Regan is one of our team of volunteers. He started managing some of his home garden for wildlife around 15 years ago. As a beekeeper he started to use a scythe for managing vegetation around beehives. After trying to teach himself how to use an old scythe (and not doing very well at that) he became a student of Chris’s and is now enjoying the enormous potential of hand mowing.
Please book online via Fota House or call us on 0214815543.

Flower Arranging Workshop - Create your own beautiful bouquet
2025-08-08 10:00 - 13:00
Friday, August 8th – 10:00am to 1:00pm
Join us for a hands-on, 3-hour flower arranging workshop where you’ll design and create your own stunning floral arrangement using sustainable techniques. Taking place in the surrounds of Fota’s stunning Victorian Working Garden, you will use flowers grown on site. Whether you’re a beginner or have some experience, this workshop offers something for everyone!
During the session, we’ll explore the fundamental principles of flower arranging, including balance, proportion, and texture, to help you craft visually pleasing bouquets. You’ll also learn about effective colour combinations to make your arrangement pop and harmonize perfectly with any space.
To help your floral creations stay fresh and vibrant longer, we’ll share expert tips and techniques on how to extend the life of your bouquet.
By the end of the workshop, you’ll take home your unique floral masterpiece, along with the skills and confidence to create beautiful arrangements on your own.
Everyone goes home with a bouquet. Bouquets also for sale.
Chemical-free flowers and foliage grown in the gardens.
Experienced instructor.
Tea/Coffee included.
Beautiful setting of the Victorian Working Gardens

Fota Plant Fair
2026-04-19 11:00 - 16:00
Celebrate the season at the annual Spring Plant Fair at Fota House, Arboretum & Gardens — a true highlight of the spring gardening calendar in Cork.
This vibrant outdoor event brings together a carefully curated selection of specialist nurseries and expert growers from across Ireland. Discover an exceptional range of plants, from colourful spring-flowering favourites and hardy perennials to shrubs, trees, alpines and rare varieties — perfect for refreshing and revitalising your garden for the season ahead.
Alongside the plants, visitors can browse garden accessories and artisan stalls, enjoy food vendors on site, and seek practical advice from knowledgeable exhibitors throughout the day.
Whether you’re an experienced gardener or just beginning to grow your own, the Spring Plant Fair offers inspiration, expertise and a wonderful atmosphere to welcome the new gardening year.
