There are thousands of great sites on the World Wide Web for gardening and gardens information. There are so many in fact, that one of the biggest challenges is to find the information you are after without getting involved on a wild goose chase. Here are some focused resources to get you started.

From England, the Garden Visit Website is one of the most valuable resources you'll find. The site is managed by Tom Turner, who teaches garden history, garden design and landscape planning at the University of Greenwich, and is the author of English Garden Design History and Styles since 1650.

The Garden Visit Section on Ireland shouldn't be missed. There's a map index listing about three dozen notable Irish gardens. You can find a particular garden in the alphabetical index, and then get full information about hours of opening and costs of a visit, and a link to the garden's website, if available. Some of the gardens are pictured.

A site called Local Ireland provides an excellent comprehensive overview of Ireland today. The section on Tourism and Travel provides fantastic information to help you get started planning your trip to Ireland. You can search and book accomodations, find out what's going and what to do in any Irish county, and the zoom-in and zoom-out maps are great for trip planning. The detail is tremendous. Just as an example, if you want to rent a bike in any little town (or large city), all the information is there.

The Dublin Garden Group's attractive website "consists of the most distinguished private gardens in the greater Dublin area, whose owners would like to welcome groups at the best time to view." Even if you aren't planning a trip to Dublin, enjoy some of the best photos on the web of magnificent home gardens.

The Northern Ireland Tourism Board's official site has a section on Houses and Gardens. It's not yet completed, but the links at the bottom of the page can connect you to a good quantity of additional valuable tourist info.

The official website of the Irish Tourist Board is another good starting point for comprehensive travel and holiday info.

Ireland at a Glance at the WildIreland Website gives a good quick snapshop factual overview of Ireland.

Agri-Tours Ireland offers an 8 day gardens tour. They also offer tours for other agricultural interests, such as dairy farming. Their website carries some nice photos of the countryside.

General Travel Plans can be researched at a comprehensive travel site called 1 2 Travel.Com in the Ireland Travel Information Guide.

What would a summer garden be without butterflys? Learn about Irish Butterflys at this site.

Ever wonder what a Garden Center (no, make that Garden Centre) looks like in Ireland? Hennessy's in Kilkenny is on the web with a thumbnail gallery of plant pictures from the establishment. Or Horkan's Garden Centre, in Castlebar, County Mayo.

View of the Cliffs of Mohrer in County Clare
visit a Cliffs of Mohrer website