Irish trip April 2018

The start of our Irish trip. We leave Llanfair Court in Monmouthshire at 8.00 but a few garden shots first. We head for Fishguard via Port Talbot to collect Thomas Methuen-Campbell.

Osmanthus delavayi full out and looking fine. One of four in square beds featuring a magnolia.

Osmanthus delavayi
Osmanthus delavayi
Osmanthus delavayi
Osmanthus delavayi
Typical snow damage on Ceanothus thyrsiflorus repens. Hard to know what to do as far as pruning goes. May be a ‘start again’ situation.
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus repens
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus repens
Rhododendron impeditum ‘J C Williams’ full out.
Rhododendron impeditum ‘J C Williams’
Rhododendron impeditum ‘J C Williams’
Mistletoe in Davidia involucrata. Not seen this before! Both look content.
Mistletoe in Davidia involucrata
Mistletoe in Davidia involucrata
The date plate at Llanfair.
date plate
date plate
Carpinus betulus in flower
Carpinus betulus
Carpinus betulus
Forsythia at its best.
Forsythia
Forsythia
Forsythia
Forsythia
Seed pods still holding on Cercis siliquestrum but the seeds have long shed.
Cercis siliquestrum
Cercis siliquestrum
A three and a half hour crossing in choppy seas required some liquid support (three good gins) and sitting dead centre in the ferry. We then arrive as guests at Carrichbryne House after another hour and a half drive. Not much garden here but:
Scilla as a carpet like bluebells. Thicker and larger than I have seen before.
Scilla
Scilla
Scilla
Scilla
Fritillaria full out amid the scilla as well.
Fritillaria
Fritillaria
Fritillaria
Fritillaria
Team photo before we set off for Fota Arboretum – two hours away.
Team photo
Team photo
Fota Arboretum was a joy – 35 acres of well maintained trees and shrubs with lots of new planting. The head gardener really on the job. Plenty of recent storm damage from Storm Orphelia.
Before we even get going a huge Mayterius boriaria from Chile.
Mayterius boriaria
Mayterius boriaria
Pinus incinata had contorted branches and appeared as a rounded shrub.
Pinus incinata
Pinus incinata
Pinus incinata
Pinus incinata
Pinus incinata
Pinus incinata
Pinus sylvestris ‘Aurea’ seemed very dwarf as well.
Pinus sylvestris ‘Aurea’
Pinus sylvestris ‘Aurea’
Pinus sylvestris ‘Aurea’
Pinus sylvestris ‘Aurea’
Pinus parvifolius ‘Negishi’ was likewise.
Pinus parvifolius ‘Negishi’
Pinus parvifolius ‘Negishi’
Pinus parvifolius ‘Negishi’
Pinus parvifolius ‘Negishi’
The front of Fota House run by a trust. The arboretum is state run and we had no idea about the wildlife park or golf course. Sadly the pretty island of Fota and its landscape have been split up.
Fota House
Fota House
Phyllocladus trichomanoides as a huge tree planted in 1941.
Phyllocladus trichomanoides
Phyllocladus trichomanoides
Phyllocladus trichomanoides
Phyllocladus trichomanoides
A young Torreya californica much like ours.
Torreya californica
Torreya californica
A vast Olearia paniculata with wonderful peeling bark.
Olearia paniculata
Olearia paniculata
Olearia paniculata
Olearia paniculata
A huge Picea sitchinensis (Sitka Spruce) with wonderful bark. One seldom sees this conifer in maturity like this as it is usually cropped for timber.
Picea sitchinensis
Picea sitchinensis
An equally huge Eucalyptus viminalis.
Eucalyptus viminalis
Eucalyptus viminalis
And Eucalyptus muelleriana.
Eucalyptus muelleriana
Eucalyptus muelleriana
The view across the lake.
view across the lake
view across the lake
Nothofagus solanderi planted in 1943.
Nothofagus solanderi
Nothofagus solanderi
Nothofagus solanderi
Nothofagus solanderi
Cryptomeria japonica ‘Spiralis’ – one of the finest record trees I have ever seen.
Cryptomeria japonica
Cryptomeria japonica
Cryptomeria japonica
Cryptomeria japonica
Cryptomeria japonica
Cryptomeria japonica
Cryptomeria japonica
Cryptomeria japonica
Osmanthus serrulata in flower was a new one to me and needs checking out.
Osmanthus serrulata
Osmanthus serrulata
Osmanthus serrulata
Osmanthus serrulata
Enkianthus subsensilis said the label but we agreed this is Enkianthus perulatus.
Enkianthus subsensilis
Enkianthus subsensilis
Enkianthus subsensilis
Enkianthus subsensilis
A gigantic Leptospermum ericoides planted only in 1979. Shooting from the base.
Leptospermum ericoides
Leptospermum ericoides
Leptospermum ericoides
Leptospermum ericoides
Nothofagus dombeyi with smaller leaves than some.
Nothofagus dombeyi
Nothofagus dombeyi
Nothofagus dombeyi
Nothofagus dombeyi
Podocarpus totara ‘Aurea’ was a dramatic yellow in the landscape. Much yellower than ours.
Podocarpus totara ‘Aurea’
Podocarpus totara ‘Aurea’
Podocarpus totara ‘Aurea’
Podocarpus totara ‘Aurea’
The record Irish Cryptomeria japonica with an enormous trunk.
Cryptomeria japonica
Cryptomeria japonica
Camellia japonica ‘Variegata’ – a large and vigorous plant put in in 1961. Not as horrid as some evergreen camellias.
Camellia japonica ‘Variegata’
Camellia japonica ‘Variegata’
Camellia japonica ‘Variegata’
Camellia japonica ‘Variegata’
Azara integrifolia var brownea with wonderful scent.
Azara integrifolia var brownea
Azara integrifolia var brownea
Then a gigantic Dacryarpus dacrydiodes planted in 1916 and only recently correctly labelled. Very different in habit and leaf form to our two young trees at home. Our foliage is bronze and trailing not green as here.
Dacryarpus dacrydiodes
Dacryarpus dacrydiodes
Dacryarpus dacrydiodes
Dacryarpus dacrydiodes
Dacryarpus dacrydiodes
Dacryarpus dacrydiodes
Chamaecyparis nookatensis ‘Jubilee’ was a fine feature plant with a pencil shape.
Chamaecyparis nookatensis ‘Jubilee’
Chamaecyparis nookatensis ‘Jubilee’
Chamaecyparis nookatensis ‘Jubilee’
Chamaecyparis nookatensis ‘Jubilee’
Olearia lacunosa – another species new to me.
Olearia lacunosa
Olearia lacunosa
Olearia lacunosa
Olearia lacunosa
Abies pinsapo but with no cones yet. Much larger than ours at home which did have cones last year.
Abies pinsapo
Abies pinsapo
The conservatory which was restored in 2000 and the team with our host. Not much plant wise in here.
conservatory
conservatory
conservatory
conservatory
Berberis insignis in flower which our plant still has not managed.
Berberis insignis
Berberis insignis
Aeonium arboreum ‘Schwarzkop’ in full flower which I do not think that I have photographed before.
Aeonium arboreum ‘Schwarzkop’
Aeonium arboreum ‘Schwarzkop’
Aeonium arboreum ‘Schwarzkop’
Aeonium arboreum ‘Schwarzkop’
The back of Fota House up to the walled garden and herbaceous/rose borders. The walled garden not overseen by the trustees rather than OPW – the Irish state entity which manages and now owns historic houses and gardens.
back of Fota House
back of Fota House
Then to Blarney Castle and Gardens where we were met by Adam Whitbourn (head gardener) and Rory. A hugely exciting and developing garden with big plans for more planting. They had visited Vietnam three times collecting seed and had several polytunnels full of wild collected schefflera, polyspora and other novelties.
Blarney Castle
Blarney Castle
Note the entry charges to Blarney – they get 500,000 visitors which is the most for any Irish garden. We did not go near the Blarney Stone itself and avoided all Americans which was not difficult in torrential rain.
Blarney Castle and Gardens
Blarney Castle and Gardens
Pseudotsuga menziesii at the entrance in full maturity.
Pseudotsuga menziesii
Pseudotsuga menziesii
Blarney Castle
Blarney Castle
Blarney Castle
Blarney Castle
Blarney Castle
A yew border filled with topiary and alliums. Odd but effective and different. Below it a whole bank of rhododendrons newly planted from Millais nurseries.
yew border
yew border
Statue of a heron – one of the better in a horrid collection around seven Blarney stones – enough bullshit here to fill a lorry as they were only erected two years ago.
Statue of a heron
Statue of a heron
A fairly rancid fox!
fox
fox
A (not the) famous Blarney stone with bullshit to match.
Blarney stone
Blarney stone
The witches cauldron. A yew growing in rock with a huge spread.
Yew
Yew
Pinus montezumae – a blue form which seemed more cold hardy than ours ever were.
Pinus montezumae
Pinus montezumae
Pinus montezumae
Pinus montezumae
Cupressus dupreziana was attractive and worth getting.
Cupressus dupreziana
Cupressus dupreziana
Blarney House, lived in by the (private) owners but open for tours for three months in the year – a quarter mile from the castle.
Blarney House
Blarney House
Cyathea tomentosissima was a new one to me. They take these out to the fernery for the summer.
Cyathea tomentosissima
Cyathea tomentosissima
Cyathea tomentosissima
Cyathea tomentosissima
Cyathea tomentosissima
Cyathea tomentosissima
Ilex aquifolium ‘Bacciflava’ in full yellow berry despite the time of the year. The best show of this I have ever seen.
Ilex aquifolium ‘Bacciflava’
Ilex aquifolium ‘Bacciflava’
Ilex aquifolium ‘Bacciflava’
Ilex aquifolium ‘Bacciflava’
Schefflera frangipanensis seedlings from various Vietnamese collecting trips. Quite some variation. Having signed the Nagoya Protocol papers we leave with some trophies to try out and report back on.
Schefflera frangipanensis
Schefflera frangipanensis
Schefflera frangipanensis
Schefflera frangipanensis