74 



JOCENAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ January 27, 1863. 



mixing these materials so as to resemble blocks of granite, was a 

 happy one, and we have little doubt will be very satisfactory. 

 Mr. McDonald, who is well acquainted with the geology of 

 Ireland, was agreeably surprised to find such granite close at 

 hand, as it is chiefly confined to the coast line. 



The new balustraded garden in front of the mansion is 

 350 feet in length and 250 feet in breadth. The boundary granite 

 wall, parallel with the mansion, shows a height of about 8J feet 

 outside, facing the open lawn already referred to ; at the lower end 

 4 feet is hidden, which would give 12 feet if all were shown. The 

 lower courses consist of bold rock faces, and the upper courses of 

 dressed ashlar, showing joints of 1J inch. The height of this 

 wall, as seen inside, is 2 feet, and it is covered by an elegant 

 coping of original design 2 feet in width. On this, granite 

 pedestals with neat plinths are placed at 30 feet distance from 

 each other. These panelled blocks are 2 feet square and 3 feet in 

 height, with a neat cornice round, projecting 6 inches. On these 

 pedestals handsome tazzas wiil be placed suited to the size of 

 the pedestals. On the end pedestals are fine granite balls, 

 beautifully worked and of elegant design. 



The wall supporting the lower side of the terrace — that next 

 the bowling-green on the east side — is 12 feet in height outside, 

 built also of granite, with handsome buttresses, panelled, and 

 showing three water tables, and standing 35 feet apart. This 

 wall is dressed ashlar with plain joints, the base course 18 inches 

 deep ; all above 12 ineheB. A moulded string course projects 

 4 inches, and on this rests a beautiful coping of original design 

 18 inches deep, in lengths of from 4 to 6 feet, which forma the 

 parapet inside, and projects 3 inches over the string course. The 

 whole of these walls testify to the beBt workmanship and the moat 

 refined taste. 



■ We now step inside again. We know nothing of the previous 

 arrangements close to the house. A low wall now separates this 

 garden from the lower business and living rooms of the servants, 

 so that they also may see its beauties. On this wall vases were 

 to be placed, and a border for flowers was to be made in front, 

 on each side of the grand iron staircase. This staircase, connect- 

 ing the drawing-room with the new garden, is in the centre 

 of the main building and the centre of the garden ; it is 14 feet 

 wide, and composed of thirteen steps, tread of steps 18 inches. 

 These steps rest on four beams, which spring out from the house 

 and repose on massive granite blocks 23 feet from the walL A 

 fine granite slab covers the ends of the blocks, and forma the firat 

 step. To conceal the iron beama at each side, there is a hand- 

 some moulded iron skirting fully 2 feet in depth, which rests at 



the bottom on tables of granite finely dreaaed and moulded, on 

 which Warwick vasea were to be placed. This stair is of the 

 moat elegant and newest design, and was made by Mr. Turner, 

 of Dublin, whose refined taste is well known and appreciated. 



We had the pleasure of seeing the main features of this 

 garden approaching completion, men being actively engaged in 

 levelling the sunk panels. Besides the walk all round, the space 

 is divided into four equal parts by a broad longitudinal walk, 

 crossed by a tranaverae one ; the first being opposite the grand 

 staircase. These walks were beautifully made, verges of turf as 

 level as a table, sloping bank, and the rest level before coming to 

 the earth in the panel, all equally true and exact. These fou? 

 panels will be 2 feet below the level of the surrounding walks. 

 How these are to be laid out, if not already done, we cannot 

 tell. We do not think that Mr. McDonald and Lady Louisa 

 Tighe had then quite decided on the matter. We gathered this 

 much, that it was to be different from what generally obtains. 

 Beaides the flowers in the two borders near the house, and the 

 tazzas and vases, mere brilliancy of colour was not to be at- 

 tempted. Being directly in front of the principal rooms, it was 

 very desirable that the garden should be aa attractive in winter 

 as in summer, and, therefore, its interest would chiefly depend 

 on the artistic nature of the designs, and the use of dwarf 

 plants, permanent in their character, and more distinguished for 

 their foliage than their flowers. Such a plan would be especially 

 desirable at Woodstock ; for, as we shall see presently, there is 

 plenty of room for floral display elsewhere. Mr. McDonald 

 jocosely told us we must see the panels of that garden when they 

 were finished ; but if that second visit should not take placa 

 shortly, we feel confident he will kindly satisfy our anxiety, and 

 that of others on this subject, as soon as he shall have pleased- 

 and satisfied himself. Such a system of parterres could never be 

 tried under better auspices, and a deliverance on the subject under 

 such circumstances would be especially intereating and important- 



Not to speak of the massive walls of this garden, nearly 

 14,000 cubic yards of earth were brought to form the terraces^ 

 chiefly from behind the Araucaria-avenue. The excavation thus 

 made will be devoted to a sunk drive, and recesses for ferneries 

 and aquatic plants. The whole was moved by the hardy pony- 

 looking horEes. Owing to the suitability of the ground, this- 

 work could have been done, Mr. McDonald told us, for £200' 

 less money by rails and waggonB, but Lady Louisa decidedly 

 preferred giving the money to the small tenants for cart-work. 

 Need we wonder that such considerate proprietors should live in 

 the affectionB of their humbler neighbours? 



After some consideration as to the best mode of finishing our 

 meagre outline, we have come to the resolution to sacrifice 

 succinctness to variety ; and will, therefore, take the accompany- 

 ing rough sectional surface line of Woodstock as the key-note 

 of our observations. Beyond A is the romantic and picturesque 

 bank to which we have previously alluded. From A to B is the 

 ground of the new bowling-green. At the wall at B a fine 

 double staircase was being built, which is now finished. From 

 Btoit isaj be considered as a line in the centre of a gravel walk, 

 running from the S.E. to theN.W., there being only a turn at P. 

 From b to D is the transverse line through the width of the new 

 panelled balustraded garden. At D is a sloping bank, and 

 eight granite steps 15 feet long, the same width as the walk 

 here. At E is another slope, and a rise of three steps, and 

 50 feet of a fine sloping lawn on each side of the walk. From 

 E to F the broad walk is continued 450 feet. At r is a noble 

 Beech, and beneath its shade is placed a splendid block of 

 granite as a seat. From this the walk turns to the right to 

 bring it in a straight line with the centre of a walled garden 

 at G. From p to G is 300 feet. The garden is a square of 

 330 feet. Bejond are three terraces, I, K, L, with sloping banks, 

 and six steps in the walk between each of them. From the upper 

 rise at l the walk goes on to IT, with a line of Irish Tews on 



each side. At ji is the boundary of shrubs and trees, ani 

 beyond, the line would be continued through the deer park, 

 until it merged in the wooded hill of Mount Alto. From these 

 massive granite steps at D, placed in the middle of the new 

 garden longitudinally, a fine view is obtained of the Araucaria- 

 avenue, extending diagonally ae in the dotted line nr. We shall 

 leave the avenue at present, with stating that improvements 

 were in progress for connecting it more efficiently with the new 

 garden. Close to this place were two fine healthy specimens of 



' CupresEus macroearpa 30 feet in height, and an Abies morinda 

 25 feet in height, that were transplanted in May 1860, and no 

 machinery used except the living machinery of Irish labourers. 

 The sides of this main walk, from D to G, were chiefly open 

 lawn, with such turf as is seldom seen out of Ireland, studded 

 chiefly with single specimens, backed by irregular masses of 



I evergreens and deciduous trees. The rain descended in torrents 

 during the previous night ; but though that walk was on such 

 an incline, so well had it been made that there was not a wrinkle 

 or a bit of surface gravel washed out of its place. As yet 

 we have seen no glass, but in passing along from p to G we 

 observe a lean-to greenhouse in front of the shrubbery, far 

 off on the right hand, and looking somewhat lonely in its 



solitude. 



