86 



IRISH GARDENING 



Flowering Shrubs at Hamwood. 



It was on a lovely spring day that 1 visited 

 Hamwood, where Mr. Charles Hamilton has one 

 of the finest collections of rare flowering shrubs 

 in Ireland, the soil and sheltered position of the 

 gardens being particularly suited to Magnolias 

 and other delicate shrubs, some of which are, I 

 am told, the finest specimens of their kind in 

 the British Isles. 



The garden, which is an old one, is divided 

 into smaller ones by two fine beech hedges and 

 several yew hedges. The beech hedges are 

 known to be well over one hundred years old, as 

 they were high 

 hedges and a 

 feature of the 

 garden as far 

 back as 1801. 



These small 

 g a r de n s — de • 

 voted, one to 

 China Hoses, an 

 other to Pseonies, 

 a third to Tea 

 Roses, and a 

 fourth to Rhodo- 

 dendrons and 

 Irises — ad d 

 greatly to the in- 

 terest and beauty 

 of the garden, the 

 two first-men- 

 tioned having a 

 row of old nut 

 trees which run 

 along the south 

 s i d e , be y ond 

 which is a border 

 of b a m b o o s 

 which make a 

 very striking 

 back ground. 

 The other side 



of the wall which shelters the bamboos iscovered 

 with Pyrus japonica of all the newest varieties, 

 Knap Hill Scarlet being one of the finest, and 

 well worth growing, as indeed they all are. 



The borders which run up the centre of the 

 garden are entirely devoted to shrubs, and here 

 are splendid specimens of Magnolia parvifiora, 

 Watsonii, conspicua, tripetala, stellata, and 

 others. There is also a very line Viburnum 

 rhytidophyllum, which is supposed to be the 

 largest in the Bri1 isji Isles. 



In the little old-fashioned Rose garden, with 

 its beds surrounded by box edges, is a tree of 

 Magnolia Kobus, which when covered with its 

 white flowers is quite a sight. Another feature 

 of this little garden is the huge tree of Berberis 

 Darwinii, which grows on the top of an old 

 rock garden made over one hundred years ago. 



PhMo by] 



At, 



Viburnum bh"s 

 amwood . II Eee 



In spite of the many new varieties of Berberis 

 which appear year after year none have to my 

 mind surpassed this for colour or profusion of 

 blossom, dust over the wall, and also in full 

 bloom is a tall tree of Waterer's Double Cherry, 

 which is one of the oldest in this country, as it 

 was planted by Mr. Hamilton as soon as it 

 appeared on the market. 



The east wall is devoted to Magnolias and 

 Pyrus japonica : amongst the former are 

 Alexandrina, thompsoniana and grandillora ; 

 these all do particularly well, and the line old 

 Wistaria, which runs all along the south wall.fhas 

 a stem which is nearly three feet across, and must 



be a wonderful 

 sight when in 

 bloom. 



Near this Wis- 

 taria is the rock 

 garden, where I 

 noticed some of 

 the rarer Alpines 

 doing well, and 

 healthy plants 

 of Helianthcmum 

 rosma r if o li u in. 

 Veronica Hul- 

 keana. and Cop- 

 volvulus Cne- 

 oiuin. which is 

 quite three feet 

 high and a very 

 line shrub. 



Passing out of 

 the garden one 

 walks down the 

 shrubbery, when' 

 t he ground is car- 

 peted with Ane- 

 mone apennina. 

 which has natura- 

 lised itself, and 

 seeds lively all 



over the place. 

 It was originally brought here from Italy many 

 years ago, and has made itself quite at home. 

 Here also are some line Maples, Pyrus, Rosa 

 rugosa varieties, cherries. &c. 



Philadelphia grandiflorus has assumed toe 

 like proportions, and is a marvellous sight when 



in (lower: it measures 2] feel high by .'{Sleet in 

 diameter. The old Berberis Darwinii is also a 

 monster, lor when measured was found to be 

 P.) feet high by 28 feel through. Both of ihrsi: 

 line specimens are in good health and still 



giowing. Does any reader know of their equals ? 

 As this article is supposed to be mainly about 

 shrubs it is unnecessary to prolong it by de- 

 scribing any more of the well planted grounds 

 where are to be seen some beautiful pines and 

 enormous beeches and other forest trees. — 

 " Visitor." 



TIDOI'll VI, I. I'M 



i hicrh In s tlir 



[Mis. 



»ueh 



