Hats off to Kildare outfit Caragh Nurseries, which is behind the extensive spa garden at the Galgorm Resort in Co Antrim. The 48-room hotel and outdoor spa village – the first of its kind in Ireland or Britain – was developed with a £10 million investment by brother Nicholas and Paul Hill and has been quietly gaining in reputation.

The spa garden is its “pièce de résistance” according to Nicholas: “We wanted to create an instant mature garden and that is not easy. I think what Ian and Jo McGarry have done is remarkable. The landscape here is wild and beautiful and the spa really is about embracing the natural elements in a very easy, informal way.”

The garden has many elements and “it’s not just one hot tub thrown outside on a deck,” according to Ian McGarry. There is a glass- fronted sauna overlooking the river Maine which flows through the estate, an outdoor Jacuzzi, a relaxation room and four hot tubs that are heated by their own oak fire, each with their own secluded garden.

The original plan had been for a totally native Irish garden, but under the guidance of the McGarrys, this was revised to include a wider variety of plants.

“You want something that looks good 12 months of the year, and you want something that looks a bit special and manicured,” said Ian McGarry. “It is alright saying you want that rustic, barren look and to have native plants but you’re limited if you stick to native.

“We have a massive big olive tree that is 400 years old, we’ve got some huge Turkish oaks and we have the arbutus strawberry tree which is native to the south of Ireland, so there’s a bit of a compromise.”

The spa has to be one of the biggest in Ireland and is set into four zones, each offering distinct heating and cooling experiences.