ORNAMENTAL TREES AND SHRUBS AT CASTLE WELLAN. 407 



ON ORNAMENTAL TREES AND SHRUBS IN THE GARDENS 

 AT CASTLEWELLAN, CO. DOWN, IRELAND* 



By the Right Hon. The Earl of Annesley. 

 [July 8, 1902.] 



I have derived myself such an infinite amount of pleasure from the 

 collection, the culture, and the possession of beautiful and new and rare 

 plants that I was very glad to receive an invitation from our excellent 

 Secretary to contribute a paper on ornamental trees and shrubs, to be 

 read before the Royal Horticultural Society. Considering that we have 

 now about six thousand members, I hope that it may be a means of 

 increasing the knowledge and the love of numbers of plants which, 

 though at present rare in most gardens, are both ornamental and easy of 

 cultivation. The plants I shall mention are all grown in my own garden, 

 and are hardy with me, the definition of the word u hardy" being that 

 they remain in the open air through the winter without protection of 

 any sort. 



I have been endeavouring for many years to introduce, and to accli- 

 matise, a number of exotic plants which are generally said to be tender, 

 or half-hardy ; and I believe that there are many of these which from 

 sheer ignorance we put under glass, and give hothouse treatment to, 

 when in reality they would do quite well in the open air if they were 

 tried under favourable circumstances. I may instance as an example the 

 common Aucuba japonica. When it was first introduced it was kept in 

 heat, and not for a long time was it put out in the open ; as we all know 

 now, it is quite as hardy as the Laurel. 



I propose to speak chiefly of things which are half-hardy or green- 

 house plants, but which I have found after many years' trial do perfectly 

 well with me out of doors. If I can, by mentioning their names with a 

 few words of description, induce any of my hearers to give some of them 

 a trial in their gardens, I think it may perhaps be of use. When we 

 think of the numbers of fine things which may now be brought to us so 

 quickly, so easily, and so cheaply from all parfcs of the world by our big 

 ocean liners, why should we be satisfied with the ancient Laurels and 

 Portugals and Aucubas, which are often the principal ornaments of our 

 shrubberies and pleasure grounds ? There are so many plants, both 

 beautiful and desirable, that are worth mentioning that I fear, having 

 regard to the shortness of the time at our disposal, that the lecture may 

 almost degenerate into a sort of catalogue. When I told my gardener 



* The illustrations are from plants photographed in the gardens at Castlewellan. 



