All posts by jane

Powerscourt Estate

September 20, 2014fieldtripjane

After a few days in Dublin, the Other Half and I took a day trip south of the city to County Wicklow. We left the city in the morning, riding in a small van along some very curvy roads, to spend the day touring the Powerscourt Estate, some Monastic ruins, and the Wicklow Mountains. I of course was most excited to see the the award-winning gardens at Powerscourt which began to take shape almost two and a half centuries ago. Ah Europe, you have so much history to share!

Quite a backyard, huh? This main terracing was part of a redesign by Daniel Robertson in the 1840s. As the 6th Viscount’s architect, he drew up the plans in the style of Italianate garden design. This style began in Italy and was echoed in formal gardens across Europe. After his father’s death, the 7th Viscount completed Robertson’s plans and adorned the garden with a collection of ironwork gates and statuary. The view from the terrace is quite breathtaking as it has a natural backdrop of the Sugar Loaf Mountain.

The Walled Garden

Paths leading away from the main, back terrace brought us to a walled garden. Here in one of the oldest parts of the gardens, the plantings were more traditional and formal. There were many flowering beds with a mixture of perennials bordered by annuals, a collection of roses, and the glass greenhouses. Finely manicured trees were placed along the edges of the walkway and used as accents in the lawn. A collection of huge, showy hydrangeas and ornamental shrubs were placed along the walls that were not accessible by paths. I really enjoyed a colorful bed full of nothing but dahlias surrounded by alyssum.

Wooded Walk

The Powerscourt garden design “reflected the desire to create a garden which was part of the wider landscape.” I really enjoyed the blending of the more formal grounds and paths into this more wooded and winding walkway area of the estate. For over two hundred years, many specimen trees have been added. Currently there are about 250 varieties to see. There was also a Rhododendron Walk were the rhododendrons were in fact the size of small trees.

Pet Cemetery

Yes! As silly as some people may think it is, I cannot tell you how heartwarming I found this little lot nestled back in the woods. Plus, there weren’t any stray cats wandering around, so the visit was quite endearing. This is the resting area of many beloved pets of generations of the Wingfield and Slazenger families. This grave marker for two of the family’s cows, Eugenie and Princess, was my favorite.

A Victorian’s Japanese Garden

The 8th Viscount and Viscountess added a Japanese Garden to the estate in 1908. Having visited Japanese Gardens before, it was interesting to see this Victorian interpretation of the style. Instead of very carefully placed wood and stone elements, the winding paths had more iron and stone statues as accents. Azaleas, Japanese Maples, and Chinese Fortune Palms were planted here. Yes, palm trees can be grown in Ireland. Zone envy!

Adjoined to the Japanese Garden is a little grotto area surviving from the original garden design in 1740. The walls of the grotto are made from fossilized sphagnum moss and covered in trickling water, moss, and ferns. The Other Half really enjoyed this secret nook.

The Pepper Pot Tower

The last area of the gardens we visited was Tower Valley. The wonderful collection of trees extends to this area where a stone tower stands. The structure was designed after a pepperpot from the family’s dining room table. I immediately thought “This would be the best playhouse ever!” I mean, could you imagine being a kid and having this in your backyard? Then the Other Half and I hurried along the path, past the mock cannons, and up the spiral stairs to enjoy the view of the Powerscourt House and Gardens from the top.

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – September 2014

September 15, 2014backyard bed, fence bed, front bed, loki bed, sidewalk bed, southwest bedjane

Today is Bloom Day where gardeners worldwide share photos of what is blooming in their gardens. The cooler summer is beginning to transition into the beginning of this Fall. That hasn’t stopped the blooms on our Zone 6a Lot.

Sedum

The sedum in the south bed has begun blooming. This is the first of the sedum cultivars that blooms on the Lot. This could be due to the full sun the plant receives the majority of the day.

Cosmos

Here are some cosmos which found their way over to the Lot from the neighbor’s to the west side of us. Last season I had planted some annuals in her front flowerbed to welcome her to the neighborhood. Then Nature returned the favor this season. I had almost lost hope with this plant, believing I was mistaken and it was instead a weed, when it finally bloomed.

Potentilla

Also in the south bed, the Bush Cinquefoil – Happy Face® (Potentilla fruticosa) is still blooming. We planted this little shrub last season and it has adapted well. Potentilla is winter hardy, tolerates poor soil, and displays butterfly-friendly flowers from spring through early autumn.

Toad Lily

Fall means toad lilies on the Lot. This plant is situated in the east bed beside the foundation and is sending forth a lot of blooms. The flowers are small, but stunning nonetheless.

Sweet Autumn Clematis

This sweet autumn clematis is blooming for the first time since it was planted on the Lot. I had debated this past spring whether or not to add it. This month I found out I had already done so in a previous season. And that is why I should keep up more on this journal and new plant introductions to the Lot! Though considered an invasive in states south of here, this plant has not been placed on the invasive list for Michigan.

Mum

Though the black-eyed susans are fading in the backyard bed, the mum still blooming.

Fence-Bed

The phlox, coreopsis, wandflower, and black-eyed susans are blooming in the fence bed.

Pumpkin

And even though it is not in bloom form, I wanted to include this lovely pumpkin the pollinators and the volunteer pumpkin plant have provided us.

Other September Blooms include the coral bells in Loki’s bed, the plumbago in the backyard bed, and all forms of coreopsis, the blanket flower, coneflowers, and black-eyed susans in the south bed.

Visit May Dreams Gardens to view many more blooms for September.

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – August 2014

August 15, 2014backyard bed, fence bed, front bed, gate bed, loki bed, native plants, pollinatorsjane

Today marks another Bloom Day as garden bloggers worldwide share what is blooming in their gardens. Our pleasantly cool summer has continued as I strolled around the Lot to see what was blooming here in Zone 6a. Looking back on the Bloom Day post for August of last year, I noticed many of the same plants are blooming.

The coral bells in Loki’s bed are doing their August thing.

This season there were some renovations and additions to the beds near the back of the Lot at the rain barrels. Some chartreuse plumbago on the north side of the house was not receiving enough sun. I moved it to one of the rain barrel beds and now it really looks great with the cascade of blooms from the butterfly bush.

Another addition to the same bed is a Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica), a blue counterpart to the traditionally red cardinal flower. This plant was purchased with others at a native plant sale this past April. It’s looking a bit peaked, though it still produced blooms. I’m wondering if the seasonally wet bed doesn’t have consistent enough moisture for it.

The mum in the backyard lot is larger than ever this year and in great need of being divided. It’s blocking a lot of light needed by the aster behind it.

And here is another one of those serendipitous seeds sowings Mother Nature provides. A sprig of black-eyed susans sprung up beside the plumbago and sage on the other side of the backyard bed. She has quite the eye.

In the fence bed, the coreopsis is looking pretty against the purple foilage of the sedum.

And more black-eyed susans are cozy with the winter savory that is in bloom.

The hosta in the shady gate bed is blooming.

Around front in the south bed, many of the same plants are in bloom as last month. Though the monarda has passed, the coreopsis and cone flowers are still going strong. Joining them this month are (even more) black-eyed susans and the blanket flower.

Also in the south bed is this lovely hibiscus. I’m not sure if there is enough moisture in this hot bed for the hibiscus. However, since it is just recovering from being moved so often, I’ll give it another season here and see how it does.

Finally, I thought I’d include a snapshot of a container from the front porch. It’s just a simple combo of some annual lantana and pentas, providing a summer treat for pollinators. This container may or may not have been a result of my dear Other Half forgetting to water the petunias while I was away in Portland.

That is all for the Lot this month. Visit Carol’s August post at May Dreams Gardens for more photos on what is blooming in other gardens.

See Jane dig.

This is the diary of a girl and her garden.