Wicklow's nickname, 'the Garden of Ireland', is justified by green idylls such as the 8-hectare Mt Usher Gardens, just outside the unremarkable town of Ashford, about 10km south of Greystones on the N11. Trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants from around the world are laid out in Robinsonian style – ie according to the naturalist principles of famous Irish gardener William Robinson (1838–1935) – rather than in the formalist style of preceding gardens.
There's also an Avoca cafe on the premises, as well as a 'shopping courtyard' where you can buy freshly baked goods, plants, furniture and clothing, as well as ice cream and photographs.
