IRISH GARDENING 



VOLUME XVI 



No. 18:; 



EoiTOR-J. W. Besant. 



A MONTHLY JOURNAL DEVOTED TO THE 



ADVANCEMENT OF HORTICULTURE AND 



ARBORICULTURE IN IRELAND 



JULY 

 1921 



Mount Usher, Ashford, Co. Wicklow. 



W. Phylis Mooke, 



also tlni 

 visa was 

 flowered, 

 imported 

 greatly treasured 



OUNT USHER has always 

 l)een famous for its trees 

 of CordyUne austmlis, and 

 many gardens in Co. 

 Wicklow have fine speci- 

 mens from seed saved and 

 distributed by the late Mr. 

 Edward AValpole. 



Cordylime indivisa is by 

 far the. finest species of the genus. 

 There are other very attractive sorts, 

 such as the free-flowePing and sweet- 

 scented C. Banksii and its hand- 

 some variety, C. erythrorachis with lits 

 brilVantly coloured mid-rib. These 

 ■ at Mount Usher. CordyUne indi- 

 long time in the British Isles before it 

 Much difficulty was found in getting 

 seed to germinate, hence it was 

 the few gardens fortunate 

 enough to possess it, and in which it would 

 grow. It well merited the admiration be- 

 stowed upon it, as' it is a very striking ornamental 

 plant, especially in its younger stages, when the 

 leaves reach down to the gi'ound. The two fine 

 specimens at Mount Usher have' been there about 

 l;j years and are evidently quite happy. The plant 

 of which the photograph of the' inflorescence was 

 taken, is a stately one thirteen feet high; the lower 

 leaves have fallen off, showing the stems. The leaves 

 are very numerous, some four feet long, seven inches 

 broad, glaucous, with a bright red mid-rib, which 

 is a striking feature. The inflorescence springs 

 from the centre among the young leaves, forces its 

 May outwards in a remarkable manner, even per- 

 forating some of the loaves. At first it Is erect, 

 then horizontal, and eventually bends directly down- 

 wards parallel to the stem. This can be seen in 

 the photograph published. At time of writing. May 

 14th, although not fully developed, it has numerous 

 large glaucous, leaf-liko bracts which completely 

 cover the whorls of flo\\ers occurring at intervals 

 along the rachis. One of the upper of the.sc may 

 be seen in tlie photograph, bent back to shew the 

 flowers imderneath it. The buds are dark plum 

 colour, opening into creamy white flowers densely 

 crowded in a beautiful spiral arrangement of 

 spikel.ets with golden yellow anthers. Dark purple, 

 almost black, berrv-like fruits in the autumn are 



very decorative and of great weight. CordyUne 

 indivisa is a native of New Zealand and belongs to 

 the LiUacecs. 



There are so many trees, shrubs and plants of 

 interest at Mount Usher it is difficult in a small 

 space to describe them. The following are a very 

 few noted during a visit in May, when the broad 

 walk was aflame with fine big plants of the 

 deciduous Azalea, Rhododendrons, Lilac, Tulips, 

 Magnolias, Aubrietias, Clematis, and HeUchrysum 

 bclUdioides abounded. The very stones in the river 

 are held in a vice-hke grip by Saxifraga peltata, 

 whose delicate pink flower contrasted with iron- 

 like roots and stems. A plant of Acer carpinifoUum , 

 the hornbeam-leafed maple, 13 feet high, with very 

 upright growth, and the Asia Minor Rhododendron 

 Smirnowi are interesting and seldom seen. R. 

 Smirnoivi is very hardy. Its stout leathery leaves 

 have a thick ,grey blanket-like tomentum "u'hich 

 is also on the scales of the flower buds. The flowers 

 are in large trusses, bright rose-pink, with scalloped 

 edges to the petals. Mr. E. H. Walpole, who 

 carries on so well the work and traditions of Mount 

 Usher, has extended the garden. A piece of rough 

 scrub brambles and Allium under Alder trees is now 

 effectively cleaned and planted, two swift-flowing 

 .streams adding greatly to its beauty. All visitors to 

 ]\Ilount Usher have wondered at the way ilr. Fox 

 succeeds with the Gentian family. In the new ground 

 a patch, 12 ft. long, 5 ft. broad, of Gentiana verna 

 in full flower, grown from seed, a sheet of brilliant 

 blue, makes one full of envy, which feeling is in- 

 creased when a group of Lewisia Hou-eUii is seen on 

 the moraine, with its wavy rubber-like leaves and 

 beautiful soft pink flowers.' I counted 42 plants in 

 this group, and walked on quite overcome— with 

 jealousy I 



Myosotidium nohile defies the damp of a County 

 Wicklow winter, and is sending up large thick shin- 

 ing green leaves, with flower -heads 4 inches across 

 of bright azure blue with purple eye. It is a native 

 of the Chatham Islands, and is sometimes called the 

 Chatham Island Lily. It belongs to the Borage 

 family. Mr. Fox has a colony of Forget-me-not Rnfh 

 Fisher spread round this lovely plant. The effect 

 is a blue haze. Calceolaria violacca is generally 

 treated, even in Ireland, to a sheltered position, if 

 not given a wall. .\t Mount U.sher it is used as a 

 screen or slielter for tender plants. Its soft mauvo 



