144 



IRISH GARDENING. 



Irish Gardeners' Association. 



Trip to Glenmaroon. 



ONE of the pleasantest trips experienced by members 

 of the Irish Gardeners' Association was that of 

 the 12th lilt., when Mr. W. S. Hall, the indefati- 

 gable hon. secretary, foregathered his flock at Park- 

 gate Street for the short run by tram to Chapelizod. 

 And it was a goodly flock — half a hundred, according to 

 our count, with the after addition of a few freewheelers 

 who joined at the entrance gates to Glenmaroon, where 

 Mr. V'incent took the party in tow, and under his able 

 leadership the tour of inspection commenced. First the 

 avenue, which approaches the new residence of the 

 Hon. Ernest and Mrs. Guinness, whose hospitable treat- 

 ment of the Irish gardeners^ is a pleasant memory they 

 are likely to hold for some time ; but of that anon. The 

 new residence on the park side of the property is con- 

 nected to the older building on the banks overhanging 

 the Liff"ey by a corridor bridge over the public road. 

 Ere crossing an auxiliary footbridge to the more 

 romantic Liff'ey side we notice that a good deal of heavy 

 ground work has been in operation, the newness of 

 which is still a little apparent, but the planting in 

 evidence will soon alter that. Amongst other things a 

 good planting of Anthony Waterer spiraea was gay with 

 its crimson blossoms, whilst nearer to the house a 

 massive bed of the deep red rose Fellemberg was very 

 bright ; but Mr. Vincent takes us to the edge of the 

 plateau, where the ground falls steeply to the valley 

 below, and from here a glorious panorama of the dis- 

 tant Wicklow hills is very gratifying. It is, in fact, a 

 vantage point from which an enormous sweep of the old 

 country under its most romantic aspect here greets and 

 satisfies the eye. 



Crossing the aforementioned footbridge, and gaining 

 the quaintly disposed terraced banks, a descent is made 

 to the Liffey side, where an hydraulic power house 

 interests those with engineering tastes. Many good 

 bushes of the Rosemary-leaved willow, Sa/ix rosntarhii- 

 folius, prove it a distinct and interesting plant for the 

 position, and near at hand is an extensive rock and bog 

 garden, over which one would have liked to linger longer 

 than time permitted. A goodly collection of the lesser 

 Alpines suited to the situation is very interesting, as 

 well as stronger growers in 'the way of Romneya coulteru 

 Amongst the former we noticed Calceolaria plan faginea, 

 Anthem is aizoon, Andromeda fetragona, Saxifraga longi- 

 folia vera, a plant with much narrower foliage than the 

 type, also Pentstemon coeruleus, Tropaeoliim polypliyllum , 

 and among stronger growers of the lesser type 

 CEnothera macrocarpa was very pleasing. 



In the bog garden proper, where placid pools are 

 broken by flat rocks, a brace of herons in bronze dis- 

 close themselves among the foliage, and appear very 

 happily associated with their surroundings, whilst on 

 a gently sloping bank dwarf bushes of rhododendrons 

 are brightened up during their dull season with the soft 

 blue of Viola corniita, apparently a superior type of the 

 old favourite. Irregular bits of flat stone form the walks, 

 and these have their crevices filled in with sedums and 

 a few other prostrate growers. Towards dryer ground 

 one comes on a fine planting of longiflorum lilies 

 springing through a dense jcarpet of mimulus, and what 

 must not be forgotten is good clumps of the Japanese 

 iris, Kempfaeri, flowering freely, but which one must 

 visit in early morning to catch them at their best. Con- 

 voh'olus mauriianictts v;a.s very beautiful, hanging in pen- 

 dant masses from the clefts of some boulders. We have 

 not seen it planted out before, but as seen here it is a 

 plant to be remembered. 



Our parly pushes on with the guide ahead, and we 

 leave the pretty rock and bog garden with some regret. 

 We now enter another garden by a perfectly circular 



arch, which is suggestive of — of, we do not quite know 

 what, but shall keep the idea for a future occasion if 

 ever such crops up, for it is both novel and pleasing. 

 Through the circle we find a garden gay with pentste- 

 mons, phloxes, delphiniums, and the coral red Pliygelium 

 capcnsis, and facing a homely-looking summerhoiise is 

 quite the finest specimens of the white Agapanthus we 

 have ever seen ; but we follow the trail of our party, 

 which sinuously keeps moving ahead. 



Now, on higher ground, beneath a sheltering wall, a 

 superb magnolia, with some of its huge, waxy flowers 

 half hidden in the polished foliage, commands one's 

 admiration, and in a chink of an old wall-buttress at 

 hand is the brilliant Gauschneria californicn. Away in the 

 foreground of shrubbery planting bushes of Ceanothus 

 Gloire de Versailles and the much darker indigo (aptly 

 named) are beautiful in colour tone ; nor must great 

 bushy growths of Buddlea variabilis veitclii be forgotten. 

 No modern introduction has become more popular, or 

 deservedly popular, than this buddlea. But our party 

 is quite disappearing, this time along winding walks, 

 under noble trees which overhang a steep declivity, 

 from whence far below a broad pool glistens. Some 

 said it was the Liffey, others not. It was not settled, for 

 the guide was still ahead, and when we catch him up at 

 an old Danish fort other things claim attention, one 

 thing being the stairs to the fort, which are placed out- 

 side for room, we suppose, as it is not large, or least 

 what remains of it, and the guide is still ahead ; but he 

 knows the geography of Glenmaroon, and leads us by 

 devious paths till another and wholly distinct feature is 

 presented. 



This we are inclined to call the Garden Beautiful, and 

 it was a garden of roses. A broad plateau of green- 

 sward facing the mansion — far reaching, and stretching 

 its whole length on the one side, a broad rising bank of 

 Dorothy Perkins rose, all pegged down and all smothered 

 in bloom ; it certainly was backed up with the small, white 

 Wichuriana also full of flower, but Dorothy eclipsed all, 

 and came as a revelation of her capabilities in this direc- 

 tion. Other roses, of which there were fine beds of Teas 

 and Hybrid Teas must not detain, nor the beautiful foun- 

 tain of gold fish and lilies, for we had been a long round, 

 and were preparing to say adieu to our courteous guidj, 

 who replied — " I think the teapot is ready." And it was, 

 and more also, as he gave us our last lead to a spacious 

 room, where long tables covered with spotless cloths, 

 relieved by bouquets of sweet peas, and laden with 

 sandwiches, cakes, buns and all that go to make a high 

 tea were in evidence. It was a big family, but Mr. 

 Vincent and his staff were more than equal to the 

 occasion, and never was a heartier vote of thanks 

 passed than that which was accorded to the Hon. 

 Ernest and Mrs. Guinness, not only for the privilege of 

 inspecting their beautiful gardens and grounds, but for 

 their kind and thoughtful hospitality, which, as remarked, 

 made in the altogether a pleasant and lasting memory 

 for the Irish gardeners of their visit to Glenmaroon. 



E. Knc^wldin. 



a^^ 6^^ C^^ 



Bladder Senna (Colutea) is an excellent shrub for 

 a mixed border. There are several species. They 

 are leguminous plants with oddly pinnate leaves and 

 axillary racemes of yellow flowers passing into much 

 inflated pods (hence the name " Bladder " senna). They 

 may be propagated by seeds sown in the autumn or by 

 cuttings struck in sandy soil under handlights. 



The Soap-tree (Gymnocladns chinensis) is a hardy 

 leguminous tree with double pinnate leaves and white 

 flowers appearing early in summer. The seed-pods 

 contain a soft substance which is used by Chinese 

 women for washing the face (hence the name of " Soap " 

 tree). It loves a rich loamy soil, and prefers partial 

 shade. 



