Mick Horkan is the head gardener responsible for restoring and maintaining the amazing estate which surrounds the Lough Gill Distillery.

One of Hazelwood Demesne's greatest treasures is its vast collection of wondrous trees. On entering the grounds you are immediately surrounded by beautiful varieties from the mighty Oak to the lowly Hazel and everything in between, it can be hard for your jaw not to be drawn down as your eyes are drawn up into the stunning canopy.

Unfortunately, before Lough Gill Distillery became involved the grounds and trees alike suffered many years of neglect and several beautiful specimens were condemned.

Invasive species of plants such as rhododendron and cherry laurel had taken over large areas of forest smothering the soil and plant life before it making it impossible for our native varieties to reseed and grow. 

Wild Ivy also played a major part in the destruction of many long-standing old trees of Hazelwood. Ivy in another setting can be a beautiful part of the garden and a giving partner in both food and shelter to the birds and the bees but under trees, it slowly creeps up the trunks and overwhelms a tree, eventually dragging it to the ground.

Today I’m glad to say we can see the fruits of many a day’s toil. Working to restore the gardens and woodland, several beautiful parts of the Hazelwood grounds have been rescued and are now rehabilitated with native flora and fauna. Many new areas are now planted in the gardens and throughout the forest, tree saplings are springing up and will take the place of their fallen family, and so the good work continues.