542 



JOURNAL OF HOBTIOULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Deoembar 17, 1874. 



gardens have made a better mark in the horticultural world, 

 uud the young men trained there are to be found in every 

 direction near and far. Its fame in stock-breeding is not less 

 well-established, as the annals of the Irish societies testify ; 

 whilst home-sport is sedulously cared for in its well-filled pre- 

 serves, and the thousands of pheasants reared here annually. 

 All this is done with the strictest order and neatness, and these 

 desirable accompaniments are not less observable even on the 

 outlying portions of the property occupied by tenants and 

 labourers. This is a gratifying fact; for, unfortunately, we 

 oftener find lying in close proximity in this country luxury 

 and squalor, order and disorder, than i^ at all desirable. It 

 is, however, with the gardens I intend more particularly to 

 deal. I had the pleasure of looking over them lately with the 

 efficient gardener, Mr. E. Burns, just before the late epell of 

 bad weather, and it was certainly a treat not to be forgotten. 

 I had frequently seen Loughcrew before, but I doubt if I ever 

 saw it, particularly in the flower-garden department, come so 

 near absolute perfection. It will not therefore, I trust, tire 

 your readers to give as brief a n'sume as possible of the most 

 noteworthy features. 



By the way, an important fact to sight-seers, Loughcrew is 

 easily reached. It is a great drawback to many of our best 



Fig. 153. 



1. Princeps of Wales Gerauium. 



2. Semperrivnm californicum. 



3. Alternauibera amabUis. 



4. Thymus citriodora aurea variegata 

 6. Meserabryanthemvm corditolium 



var. 



places being situated in backward localities — they are not 

 easily got at. The Dublin and Drogheda Railway runs to Old- 

 castle, from which, if young and active, a walk of two miles 

 will take you to your destination ; if not, cars are always to 

 be obtained at the station. And the scenery is some of the 

 finest ; certainly nothing like it in Meath. The country is 

 bold and billy, yet, being so judiciously planted by the late 

 Mr. Naper, looks neither bleak nor barren. Some of the hills 

 attain a considerable height, and on a range of these over- 

 looking the mansion and grounds excavations were made a few 

 ;^ears since at Mr. Naper's expense, and conducted by a com- 

 petent antiquarian, which led to the most interesting results. 

 Should the visitor bo a student of archn;ology , a trip to the hills 

 will be at once pleasurable and profitable, whilst to anyone 

 the vast view to be obtained will well repay the trouble of 

 the ascent. 



The mansion is approached, going direct from Oldcastle, by a 

 broad and well-kept drive, with a handsome lodge in out stone, 

 and some neat flower beds in front. There are two other 

 beautiful entrances, one with a very elegant rustic lodge, and 

 which skirts an imposing piece of water as it approaches the 

 mansion. The house is of the Grecian order, and built ex- 

 chisively, as well as the offices and stabling attached to the 

 courtyard, of the finest cut stone. The front is supported by 

 a long sweep of terraces kept closely shaven, and at the end 

 and rear is situated the flower garden, to which we will first 

 direct our attention. 



Entering by a neat gate we find on our left, immediately 

 under the end windows of the house, three very pretty beds, 

 whether we regard the arrangement of colours or the suitable 

 adaptation of the plants as to size and habit. The centre bed 



is an oval, exceedingly well arranged indeed, with a circle at 

 either end. The end beds are planted in concentric circles, 

 the centre being Abutilon Thompsonii, the outer ring dark 

 Heliotrope. The planting of the oval being a much more com- 

 plicated afiair, I enclose a sketch (fig. 155), numbering the beds 

 and their occupants, which will, I trust, convey a clearer im- 

 pression than a mere description in words. The Coleus was 

 beautifully coloured, and as regular in height as if run in a 

 mould ; whilst the pretty little Alternanthera and Lobelia 

 pumila filled the outer curves to perfection. 



Passing the end of the house the flower garden lies stretched 

 before us. It is a sunk or panel garden the whole length of 

 the mansion, and of a considerable breadth. A terrace and 

 broad gravel walk run round on three sides, with a more ele- 

 vated terrace at the further end, which is backed-up with a 

 fine conservatory. A walk leading from where the mansion 

 opens on the parterre cuts the flower garden in two, and mid- 

 way sweeps round an ornamental fountain. The present 

 flower garden is comparatively new, being entirely the work of 

 the present gardener, Mr. R. Burns, and totally difierent from 

 the old flower garden which existed when he came there. It 

 does him infinite credit, and this season in every detail it 



1. Lady Plymouth Geranium 

 Lobelia, plaut for plaut. 



2. Golden Feather. 



came as near perfection as possible. Here again the Coleus 

 did admirably. Some of the Golden-bronze Geraniums made 

 splendid beds, of which I may particularly mention Lady 

 CuUum, Her Majesty, and Kentish Hero. The beds were 

 planted in the following manner : — 



1. — Geranium Snowflabe, edged with Lobelia pumila. 



2. — Geranium Lady Cullum. 8. — Geranium Gloire de Corbeney. 



4. — Geranium Golden Cerise. 5. — Pii,k Pelargonium Illustration. 



6.— Centre, Abutilon Thompsonii; Pelart,'onium Waltham Seedling. 



7. — Lord Palmerston. 8. —Her Majesty. 



9. — Centre, Coleus Verschaffelti ; Pelargonium Countess of Warwick; 



Cerastium. 

 10. — Pelargonium Kentish Hero. 11. — Docliess of Sutherland. 

 12. — Centre, Abutilon Thompsonii ; Pelargonium Black Dwarf. 

 13, — Pink Pelargonium Madame Barre. 

 14.— Golden Cerise. 15. — Pelargonium Emile Licau. 



16,_3un3et. 17.— Fairy Nymph, edj^ed with Lobelia pumila. 



m. — Jean Sisley centre, then Banco Bijou, edged with Ageratum Tom Thumb. 

 26. — Fountain. 

 19. — Centre, Coleus Verschaffelti, surrounded by a star of Golden Feather ; 



outer segments. Lobelia pumila. 

 20.— Same as 19. 



21. — Victor Millet, edged with Crystal Palace Gem. 

 2'2. — Illustration, edged with Little David. 

 23. — Lady Plymouth, witli Iresine dotted through 

 21. — William Underwui>ii, edfjed with Crystal Palace Gem. 

 25. — Madame Barre, edged with Little David. 



A. — Cineraria maritinia, bordered with Lobelia pumila. 



B. — Dark Heliotrope, bordered with Golden Thyme. 



c — Polemonium cn;ruleum, bordered with Lobelia pumila. 



D. — Ageratum Imperial Dwarf, bordered with Golden Chain P. 



K. — Iresine Liudenii, bordered with Mangles' Variegated. 



F. — Centaurea candidissima, bordered with Lobelia. 



On the terrace next the house are four beds which deserve 

 especial mention, as they are msdels of elegance and taste. 

 They are oblong beds, and planted as in the annexed illustra- 

 tion. The combination of Lady Plymouth with Lobelia has a 

 pleasing and chaste effect, but the other bed should be seen 

 to be justly appreciated. It abundantly proves that in this 

 country at least gardeners should depend for colour more on 

 foliage than bloom, and it was instructive to see how beautiful 

 and fresh this bed looked dressed with its Sempervivums and 

 Alternantheras, although the season was drawing to a close 

 when I saw it. The conservatory at the extreme end of the 

 flower garden is well stocked with the things usually found in 

 such structures, with fine speoimenB of Cyathea dealbata, 



