Category: Heritage Gardens & gardening


Kildare Post Gardening Column – Third Best Garden In The World

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28/08/2014

BeyondTheWildGarden's avatarBeyond the Wild Garden

I think by now you will know I am a big fan of the gardens at Powerscourt Estate. I have talked so much about their great trees and roses here before. It will come as now surprise to you all then that after a recent visit to the gardens I decided to dedicate my latest Kildare Post gardening column to the gardens. It was a great time to highlight the estate as recently it was named the third best garden in the world. An edited version of this article appeared in the print edition of the Kildare Post on 26th August 2014.

The world’s third best garden – By David Corscadden 

When it comes to Irish gardens that have had an impact on garden design a hand full of gardens come to mind. None standout more strongly to me though than Powerscourt Estate in Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow.

For me these…

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PicPost: Proud Planting

Filed under: Design, Great Gardens, Heritage Gardens & gardening, Historic landscapes, PicPosts- great photographs — 1 Comment
27/08/2014

WP_20140827_006

Having been over to Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse Museum today to do some gardening, I couldn’t resist snapping the front border, which was my first design and create project there a few years ago. The combination of grasses, shrubs and annuals was looking great in the sun, so here’s a sample. Sorry to show off!

Old School Gardener

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Great Garden @ Hatfield House

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24/08/2014

IMG_9760I finally fulfilled a long-held ambition last week – to visit Hatfield House, Hertfordshire, especially to see the gardens. Visiting with old friends Dave and Jen, we were first blown away by the sumptuous house with its amazing range of paintings, furnishings, panelled walls and most of all the ceilings- a testament to old-fashioned craftmanship – and lots of dosh! The Hatfield House website says of the house:

‘Hatfield House is the home of the 7th Marquess and Marchioness of Salisbury and their family. The Estate has been in the Cecil family for 400 years. Superb examples of Jacobean craftsmanship can be seen throughout the House.

In 1611, Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury built his fine Jacobean House adjoining the site of the Old Palace of Hatfield. The House was splendidly decorated for entertaining the Royal Court, with State Rooms rich in paintings, fine furniture and tapestries.

Superb examples of Jacobean craftsmanship can be seen throughout Hatfield House such as the Grand Staircase with its fine carving and the rare stained glass window in the private chapel. Displayed throughout the House are many historic mementos collected over the centuries by the Cecils, one of England’s foremost political families.’

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The outside areas were equally enjoyable, with a range of gardens and parkland, currently home to a display of provocative, beautiful and fun sculptures.

The West Garden was a little past its best when we visited, but was probably a wonderful display of colour just a few weeks earlier from the many herbaceous plants, roses and shrubs set out there. The climax, for me, was the wonderful Tudor Garden with its intricate box knots and clipped hollies. Here’s what the Hatfield House website says about the gardens:

‘The garden at Hatfield House dates from the early 17th century when Robert Cecil employed John Tradescant the Elder to collect plants for his new home. Tradescant was sent to Europe where he found and brought back trees, bulbs, plants and fruit trees, which had never previously been grown in England.

Visitors can enjoy the sundial garden and fountains, and view the famous knot garden adjoining the Tudor Old Palace where Elizabeth I spent much of her childhood. Following the fashion for landscape gardening and some neglect in the 18th century, restoration of the garden started in earnest in Victorian times. Lady Gwendolen Cecil, younger daughter of Prime Minister Salisbury, designed the West Garden as it is today.

The adjoining woodland garden is at its best in spring with masses of naturalised daffodils and bluebells.

The East Garden was laid out by the 5th Marquess of Salisbury. This part of the Garden has elegant parterres, topiary and rare plants are a delight for the gardening enthusiast and for those wishing to spend a quiet time in idyllic surroundings. Designed to be viewed from the first floor of the House, the East Garden is only open to the public on one day each week during the visitor season.

The Garden is maintained by Lady Salisbury and her small team of gardeners’

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Further Information: Hatfield House Website

Old School Gardener

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Norfolk Church Yard …towards a managed space

Filed under: Community Gardening, Design, Heritage Gardens & gardening, Historic landscapes, Wildlife and Nature — 2 Comments
11/08/2014

Some of the volunteers who helped to t idy up the Church Yard on Saturday

Some of the volunteers who helped to tidy up the Church Yard on Saturday

I’ve written before about our local church, St. Peter’s, Haveringland, or ‘The Church in the Fields’. On Saturday I helped tidy up the church yard, which doesn’t have any regular care or attention, particularly since services here now occur only once a month. 

About twenty willing volunteers strimmed (or ‘Whipper – snipped‘ as I believe it’s called in Australia!), raked, weeded and (my own contribution) removed ivy from the church yard walls. In about two hours I managed to clear one wall (see picture below); fortunately there’s only one more that needs the same attention – I will return to finish it soon.

The wall cleaned of its Ivy- and, inadvertently a mouse nest too...

The wall cleaned of its Ivy- and, inadvertently a mouse nest too…

Some years ago an enthusiastic parishioner planted a number of Yews and other conifers around the church yard, and I remember at the time this caused a bit of controversy, as some people (my wife and I included) thought a ‘softer’, more naturalistic  approach to the planting (with wild flowers etc.) might be more appropriate. Well, I must say, 10 plus years on and these trees do add some interest to the church yard and were probably a realistic planting option, giving some shelter to the space and taking into account the limited community/church interest in looking after the area since.

On Saturday I was approached by the (relatively new) local priest who asked if I’d be interested in producing a Management Plan for the church yard. He suggested mown paths through wild flower areas and access to some of the more recent graves, based on a mix of twice yearly maintenance input from contractors, along with periodic voluntary effort like the session on Saturday. I was pleased to hear of his ideas and obvious commitment to keeping the place in good shape and so I agreed to help.

The round tower of St. Peter’s
The front of the church yard with Yew avenue added a few years ago
Leaning grave stones- should these be straightened?
A gravestone cleaned of its Ivy- dating from early 20th century

So, watch this space as this new project unfolds and I get to research and develop planting ideas around wild flower meadows (and maybe a couple of areas of self -reliant shrubs and perennials?).

I’d be pleased to hear from anyone with experience or knowledge on this subject – especially with regards to church yards!

Old School Gardener

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Rothschild Cactus Gardens

Filed under: Great Gardens, Heritage Gardens & gardening, This and that — 2 Comments
29/07/2014

anne's avatarnot at home

The Villa Ephrussi Rothschild is surrounded by nine magnificent gardens decorated with patios, waterfalls, ornamental ponds, flowerbeds, shady paths and rare species of trees.

The gardens took seven years to complete, from 1905 to 1912. The site chosen for the Villa, with all the grandeur of its dual aspects, was not however particularly conducive to the establishment of a garden. In fact, the creation of a landscaped park on this rocky promontory covered in trees and battered by gusts of wind would be an amazing feat. But that was no obstacle!

All they had to do was to dynamite the ground and bring in enormous quantities of earth to make it flat. Hundreds of Italian workers were hired for these colossal excavation works. In 1912, on the day the Villa was inaugurated, the four hectares of garden were still not completely landscaped:  Béatrice Ephrussi gave priority to the areas that were…

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Hughenden Manor

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Francesca's avatarThe Girl Who Had Wanderlust

On the 24th we took a trip up to Hughenden Manor for the day to take a look around the estate.

We were aiming for the Manor first but we grabbed a tea first at the Stable’s restaurant, and they had awesome fruit teas. I had the Raspberry and Vanilla, which was amazing.

Then we went to the Manor, which was the old Prime Minister of England Benjamin Disraeli’s house in the times of Queen Victoria. To be brutally honest, I didn’t know that he existed until that day but now I know quite a bit. The house was beautiful, decorated in full Victorian style but downstairs in the cellars it was set up as it was in World War Two, because the house was used as a place to produce maps in the war.

We picniced in the apple orchards and looked at the gardens and the walled garden where…

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Planting Patterns #31

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16/07/2014

gravetye manor

Elliptical food growing in the walled garden at Gravetye Manor, former home of ‘natural’ gardener William Robinson

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Celebrating a century of roses at Bodnant Garden

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08/07/2014
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Royal Gardens of Cincinnati

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29/06/2014

sethsnap's avatarsethsnap

Cincinnati’s Royal Gardens are magnificent this time of year.  The Queen of the Queen City puts a lot of work into her fabulous parks.  Let’s take a look.

Shadows. Shadows.

The Royal subjects.

View from the Royal throne.

The Royal throne.

The culture show.

The Royal Court.

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PicPost: Son Flower!

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Filed under: Heritage Gardens & gardening, PicPosts- great photographs, Play, Wildlife and Nature — Leave a comment
16/06/2014

gressenhall sunflowers in curiosity cornerFathers’ Day at Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse Museum yesterday. Self seeded sunflowers in ‘Curiosity Corner’- a mini garden for under 5’s I designed and built (with help).
Old School Gardener

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