Rathmichael Lodge is one of those gardens that wins an “oh!” of pleasure when they first burst into the field of vision. Like sex appeal it’s a quality that is hard to pin down, but whatever it is Corinne and Richard Hewat’s creation has it in spades.

The garden is at its peak in June; Corrine loves roses and the garden is full of old fashioned ladies like ‘Adelaide’ , ‘Margaret Merrill’ and ‘Mme Isaac Pereire’ . Cottagey plants, like foxglove and alchemilla mollis seed happily in corners and covetable varieties - violas, delphiniums, oriental poppies, thalictrum, hemerocallis - await admiration in the borders.

Festooned in wisteria and particularly exuberant climbing roses, the house forms a backdrop to this informal cottage style garden, and a terrace provides shelter for tender treasures in troughs and pots. Surprises waiting to be discovered include a Millennium Walk leading to a gazebo, a perfectly manicured tennis court and a pair of stone dogs wearing ivy collars.