The Journal Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland New Series, Volume 3, Part 2 - May 2011 © COVER: HELEN ROCK

The Journal Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland New series, Volume 3, Part 2 - May 2011 © COVER: HELEN ROCK. Paeonia mlokosewitschii

CULTU TI RA R L O S H O

L C

O Y

• • O F D I R E L A N 2 Editorial & Contributors 3 Clippings 5 Robert Myerscough - New President of the RHSI Peter Harrison 7 Chairman’s Report from the AGM on 23 March 2011 Adelaide Monk 9 The Plan is the Thing Deborah Ballard 13 Caring for Young Crops 18 In Praise of the Paeony Helen Rock 21 A Garden Centre Grows in the City Oliver Clark 23 Diary of a Sweet Pea Grower John Markham 25 Dahlia named after Jim ‘Lugs’ Branigan Jim Kelly 27 Obituary - Dr J G (Keith) Lamb 29 Obituary - Rosemary Brown Natalie McGettigan 30 RHSI Library - New Acquisitions Helen Rock & Aidan Dunne 31 Reviews - Books Robert Myerscough 32 Review - Coastal Gardening Seminar at Malahide Denise Gill 33 Review - RHSI Wildlife Seminar 35 Forthcoming Events Photo Credits: Deborah Ballard - p15, 16. Carmel Duignan - p18 (pic 1). Barbara Harford - p23. Koraley Northen - p5, 7, 10 Aquilegia vulgaris & Scabiosa, p11 Thalictrum delavayi, p21, 24, 33. Helen Rock - cover, p9, p10 Sunﬂower, p13, p19 (pics 4 & 6). Ralston Ryder - p29. Janet Wynne - p18 (pic 2), p19 (pics 3, 5, 7). Editor: Helen Rock Production Editor: Koraley Northen Advertising: Hannah Bielenberg NEW copy dates: 10 June 2011, 1 October 2011, 10 February 2012

Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland Cabinteely House, The Park, Cabinteely, Dublin 18 Tel: 01 235 3912 - 10am to 1pm Tues, Wed & Thurs [email protected] - www.rhsi.ie Registered Charity CHY4598

Printed by Blackthorn Print & Design - 01 295 7235 1 Editorial ay is a busy month in the garden so we of career. Now he is the proud owner of Mare bringing you timely advice from a Dublin’s newest garden centre, right in the range of expert growers, to keep you on your heart of historic Dublin. Lest we forget the toes. Farmleigh’s Adelaide Monk teaches legends of an era that is now passing, John the importance of taking pencil and paper Markham writes about Garda Jim Branigan, to plan the colours and contours of beds and famously known as ‘Lugs’ and the red Dahlia borders before attempting to plant out all that is named after him. your new seed-grown stock. Deborah Ballard We feature a colour spread of writes engagingly on caring for young crops, unimpeachable Paeonies and urge more while guiding you meticulously through the people to grow them and bring you a process. message from Bord Bia's Gary Graham, Sweet pea are delightful, in scent, colour appealing for passionate gardeners to work and form. We think that nobody should be as ambassadors at large during this year's without them in high summer but as Bloom in the Park. Sadly, in our Obituaries, growing them well is a bit of a science, we we say a ﬁnal farewell to two formidably have a grower’s diary, kept by Ollie Clarke, skilled gardeners who died just as spring was one of Rush Horticultural Society’s most arriving. They are Rosemary Brown of passionate and successful sweet pea Graigueconna and Dr Keith Lamb of native exhibitors. Irish apple fame, who predeceased his When tax accountant Sam Smyth found horticulturally gifted wife, Helen, by just 19 himself spending every lunchtime at home days. They are gone but will not be forgotten ● gardening, he knew it was time for a change Helen Rock Contributors

Deborah Ballard is a writer who has been Kinsealy Research Station, and when Dr growing fruit and vegetables for many years Lamb retired, Jim became head of that in her garden in Co Carlow. She also department. John Markham is a renowned teaches growing (www.growfruitandveg.ie) gardener and a former Chair of Council. and convenes a Grow It Yourself group in Natalie McGettigan is the RHSI’s Librarian, Graiguenamanagh, Co Kilkenny PR officer and a member of its Council. (www.giyireland.com). Ollie Clarke is a well Adelaide Monk is Craft Gardener and chief known sweet pea grower and exhibitor. He is propagator at state-owned Farmleigh, in a member of Rush Horticultural Society. Dublin’s Phoenix Park. Robert Myerscough Aidan Dunne is an artist and writer. Denise is a landscape and garden consultant with a Gill teaches gardening in Dundrum and is a special interest in trees. He has recently member of the RHSI Council. Jim Kelly been elected President of the RHSI, a term worked under Dr Lamb at the Teagasc of office that runs for five years. ●

2 The Journal of the RHSI - May 2011 Clippings

CULTU TI RA Many thanks to all who R L O S H O

volunteered help and/or C

donated plants to the Y

• • RHSI’s annual Plant O F D Sale at St Brigid’s Parish I R E L A N Centre in Stillorgan on 30 April. Help and donations are always welcomed and this annual sale is an important source of revenue for the Society. Five Years A-Growing The fifth successional Bloom garden show will take place from Thursday 2nd Gentiana verna to Monday 6th June in the Phoenix Park, Dublin. The RHSI will once The Burren in Bloom Festival (in again have a stand in the Floral association with the Burren College of Art Pavilion. If you have a gardening query, and the Burrenbeo Trust) runs from 29 do not hesitate to ask at the RHSI April to 29 May and includes a series of stand. We’re there to help as best we talks and walks. It will give people an can. This year, the Bloom show appreciation of the Burren and its gardens, always the central attraction, formation, and how it continues to be a will reflect the new approach to source of great botanical, archaeological, sustainability in garden design and what and cultural wealth with its unique wild can be achieved on a limited budget. flowers and ancient sites. For the best deals on ticket prices, it’s www.burreninbloom.com wisest to book early and online at The Irish branch of WAFA (the World www.bloominthepark.com to avail of Association of Flower Arrangers, the discounted rates and beat the queues. international governing body that RHSI members can avail of a further €2 coordinates floral art events all around the euro discount by quoting the code world) has announced that the venue for BUD11. the World Show in June 2014 will be the Bloom is open from 10am to 6pm RDS in Dublin. Also see The Journal, each day and free shuttle buses will run September 2010. for the duration between Heuston Station and the show. Disabled visitors We want to keep you up to date with will be properly facilitated. - MK fixtures and other news, but don’t have email addresses for all our members. If this applies to you just send your details to [email protected] now and we will do the rest.

The Journal of the RHSI - May 2011 3 25 & 26 June, 10am to 5pm: Open Late Summer Tour - Isle of Wight Weekend at Fruitlawn Garden in Gardens, 5 to 9 September 2011. Abbeyleix, County Laois, the home of Tour leader Peter Harrison is organising an designer Arthur Shackleton and artist Carol intriguing trip to the temperate Isle which Booth. Unusual promises spectacular visits to the restored plants, local food Osborne House, (a summer favourite of and crafts for sale. Queen Victoria and her husband Albert), On the 25th, US- the l20-acre haven that is Ventnor Botanic based furniture Gardens, the intimate National Trust maker, Charles gardens at Mottistone Manor and a visit to Shackleton, will the private designer garden of Haddon Lake bring his Naked House. Proposed visits to Nymans and Table Project to Ireland for the ﬁrst time as Denmans in West Sussex are also planned. part of Fruitlawn's Open Weekend. For more Booking form is enclosed with this issue of information on this uplifting, day-long The Journal. Book early, as numbers are event, visit NakedTable.com or go to strictly limited to 30 persons. Fruitlawn Garden on Facebook. Admission €5, children under 12 free. Phone 057 873 0146 or 087 231 8287.

23 November marks the last RHSI event of 2011. It’s a social evening with a talk by Patricia Butler, author of Irish Botanical Illustrators and Flower Paintings, a glass of wine, plus an exhibition and sale of members’ paintings. All members are invited to submit their Watch out for Dahlia ‘Fifteen Love’, a new a r t w o r k , and most distinctive Dahlia and one of the botanical or ﬁrst Collerette ﬂower types to be produced otherwise, and on such rich, dark foliage. It’s a vibrant burnt we would like to orange with an unusual almost black centre, hear from you and is certain to take centre court in either well in advance, saying you will participate a border or container. ● and whether your art is for sale. Contact Please note new copy dates for the Journal Hannah at [email protected] or 01 235 3912, or are 10 June 2011, 1 October 2011, and 10 Jean at [email protected] February 2012. Copy received later than or 01 295 6260. these dates may not be included until the following issue.

4 The Journal of the RHSI - May 2011 Robert Myerscough - New President of the RHSI

“ rom an early age I English designer, John Fwas interested in Brookes. This brought gardening. A together my interest in photograph taken when architecture and design I was two or three shows with gardening and plants. me engaged in some As we were experiencing form of gardening. By one of our recessions, I the age of six, I had my continued with some non- own small patch in executive directorships, which I particularly but eventually remember sowing carrots concentrated solely on and Californian poppies design and advisory work. (Eschscholzia californica) My particular interests and at my first boarding school, I shared a are historic gardens, and trees. As a member tiny patch with another boy. of the tours committee of the International When my grandfather died in 1954, we Dendrology Society, I organised a tour in the moved to Clonard, his house in Sandyford. south of Ireland in 2010 and also enjoyed This was still very much country then, where organising tours in France, Italy and Holland the hunt met and wildlife roamed. Clonard for the RHSI in recent years. had beautiful gardens, particularly a well In the Council of the RHSI we are maintained walled garden with all the fortunate to have committed members, traditional features. The vista from the west whose experience in all aspects of gardening side of the house terminated at the Hell Fire is vast. I was overwhelmed when my Club on its distant hill. In between, all was colleagues decided to nominate me for countryside. It was here that I became really election as President, a role that has been interested in every aspect of gardening, but it filled by many distinguished horticulturalists was not until much later when I bought my in our long history. first small house that I had something to call I am enormously excited about the future my own. of the Society and committed to doing Although I have made a number of whatever I can to encourage more gardeners gardens, we have never stayed long enough to support our aims, and to extending our to reap the full benefits of their maturity. relevancy for gardeners throughout Ireland. The present garden in west Wicklow stands Much good work has been done in the last at 280m above sea level and presents few years, through our Journal, seminars and challenges previously unencountered on the lectures, so we are working from solid milder coastal strip. One is always learning foundations.” ● something new, particularly the value of Newly elected RHSI President, Robert perseverance. Myerscough, was born in Dublin in 1940 and Shortly after I decided to end my career educated at Castle Park School, Dalkey and St in insurance in 1988, I took a course in Columba’s College, Rathfarnham. garden design at Kew, run by the great

The Journal of the RHSI - May 2011 5 BLOOMERS required A message from Gary Graham, Bloom Manager, Bord Bia

With over 60,000 visitors attending each year, Bloom has become a remarkably successful event in its four short years and Bord Bia is determined to make it even better this year. In addition to the introduction of new features and many improvements to layout we want to ensure that our visitors have the best day possible and get the most from their visit to the Phoenix Park. We want them to be entertained, informed and inspired! That’s where you, the passionate and knowledgeable gardeners of Ireland come in! Many of our visitors are novice-gardeners and they come with many questions that require properly-informed answers. Many others struggle to find their way around all that Bloom has to offer and they often leave without seeing the whole show. This year we want to develop a team of BLOOMERS (Bloom Ambassadors) who will assist us in assisting our visitors to have a great show. With your help we want to form a roving team of experts who will circulate throughout the show advising Bloom visitors on how to get the best out of the show. As a BLOOMER you will be asked to give us a half day of your valuable time and in return we will provide:

refreshments Bloom/RHSI branded attire complimentary tickets early admittance to the show and special access to gardens

BLOOMERS will be invited to an induction/sneak preview meeting the week before Bloom commences on 2nd June which will afford you an opportunity to see the gardens under construction and the Super Garden 2011 winner before the final show appears on RTE1 on Wednesday evening 1st June. So if you want to help Bloom, help gardeners and help the RHSI to raise its profile, please contact Mary Lee on 086 125 5718.

6 The Journal of the RHSI - May 2011 Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland Annual General Meeting 23 March 2011 Chairman’s Report adam President of the RHSI, Ladies and received. Our second MGentlemen: - Welcome to the 181st annual Seminar on Annual General Meeting of the Royal ‘Wildlife Friendly Horticultural Society of Ireland. Gardening’ held earlier We have come through the last 12 months this year at the National a stronger society adjusting to the changes, not Botanic Gardens, was only all around us, but in our outlook, which also a great success. We promotes and encourages all that is best in were saddened by the modern horticulture. Our Society is late withdrawal from maintaining its support and continuing to the programme of RHSI Chairman, develop through our programme of events. Dermot O’Neill due to Peter Harrison I would like to thank our former Secretary, illness, but grateful to Dr Matthew Jebb, Caroline McMackin for all her great work on Director of the National Botanic Gardens, who behalf of the Society. Caroline left to take up a so ably stepped in at the last minute. Our best full time teaching post and we wish her well. thanks are due to the many who contributed We welcome our new secretary, Hannah in so many ways to a great day. Bielenberg, who has settled in very well over The various events on our programme are the past six months and I thank her for her the result of careful planning and hard work by contribution to the smooth running of the our Fixtures Committee, our Plant Sale Office. Thanks are also due to our Archivist, Committee, our Bloom Committee and our Betty Dwyer and all the volunteers who freely Seminar Committee. Thanks to all members give of their time to assist in the Office of those committees, and to those who helped whenever called upon. with the Sweet Pea & Rose Display at Marlay. The Journal, now under the Editorship of I would like to thank our Vice-Chairman, Helen Rock, ably assisted by Koraley Northen Avril Larmour, who gives great guidance to us as Production Editor, continues to thrive. As I all in many ways. We are grateful, too, to Anne have said before it is not only the mouthpiece James who administers the Affiliated Society of the Society, but the face of the Society, and Lecture Scheme and to Janet Wynne our each issue is eagerly awaited by the members, webmaster. for many of whom it is their principal contact This year we have come to the end of our with the Society. It is an excellent publication President’s term of office. Maeve Kearns has and the feedback continues to be terrific. We fulfilled the office of President for the past five thank them both for all that they are doing in years with great zeal and efficiency, always that regard. anxious to promote the Society at every Our Tours have been very successful, opportunity and achieving a remarkable enjoyable and well supported, our Garden response to her entreaties for support and Visits warmly welcomed and our Lectures well sponsors for our events. You have done us

The Journal of the RHSI - May 2011 7 proud, Maeve, and we thank you for your It remains for me to reiterate my thanks to commitment and loyalty to our Society. members of Council and to all who work so This year two members of Council are hard for the Society. I thank you for your stepping down, having given great service to continued support and wish you an enjoyable the Society. Nancy McKeever, floral artist, and fruitful year in your gardens. ● teacher and judge and for nine years editor of Peter S Harrison our Journal, and Mary Lee, who has been part of a wonderful team in many areas, but RHSI Officers & Council particularly in the planning and staging of our stand at Bloom. I am pleased to say she is to Patron continue with this and serving on another Ambrose Congreve important sub-Committee of the Society. Our President thanks to both. Robert Myerscough Earlier this year we were saddened by the Chairman death of one of the great horticultural scientists Peter Harrison of the twentieth century, Dr Keith Lamb. He Vice Chairman was a noted pomologist, work recognised by the establishment on the UCD campus of the Avril Larmour orchard of old Irish apple varieties, known as Hon Treasurer the Lamb Clark Historic Apple Collection. He Brenda Branigan was also a pioneer researcher on blueberries Council Members and a noted plant propagation specialist at Denise Gill Kinsealy, where he became Principal Research Philip Hollwey Officer. Anne James He later restored and developed his father’s Valerie Little rock garden at Woodfield, Clara, Co Offaly. He Yvonne McCann was a recorder for Co Offaly for the Botanic Natalie McGettigan Society of the British Isles. He was an Koraley Northen illustrious past President of the RHSI, and a Ignatius O’Brien recipient of the RHSI Medal of Honour in Violet O’Brien 1982. His contribution to Irish horticulture Helen Rock was exceptional and he will be greatly missed. John Quin It is a matter of much regret that we also Mary Ronayne record the loss of two prominent long standing Deirdre Ryan members of the Society and former Council Members over the past year: Dr Philip Smyly, Jean van der Lee who established the Bonsai Group, now sadly Janet Wynne defunct and Rosemary Brown, that great Archivist gardener, who, having lovingly restored the old Betty Dwyer family garden at Graigueconna, led the way in Secretary Ireland on the opening of private gardens to Hannah Bielenberg the public.

8 The Journal of the RHSI - May 2011 The Plan is the Thing By Adelaide Monk

The Dutch Garden at Farmleigh ow that you have all your seeds sown, I Annuals from seed are so easy to grow Ndo hope that most of them were and really hardy, but the main thing is to successful and that you’ve been rewarded have lots of plants. I love this method of with a bountiful supply of annual flowers for gardening simply because it gives you loads the garden, with vegetables and herbs for of scope to play with colours and textures. your veg patch or allotment and the odd As you get bolder, start adding the odd exotic oddity for the house or glasshouse. perennial or two here, an evergreen shrub The next step is to plan where you want there. Also there are myriad bulbs to keep everything to go. It’s no good just shoving in you going through to May - snowdrops, plants to fill up gaps. You need a plan. Sit narcissi, tulips, a clump of Iris reticulata with down with a pen and paper and your list of snowdrops under a tree or shrub is a joy on a new plants and grade them by colour, size cold spring day. and spread. Spend a little time over them, it All this time of course, your little dears can be fun. You may want a cool border or are hardening off ready for planting, dying bed, ie, blues, pinks, purples and whites; or a to to get out and show off their finery. I like hot bed of reds, yellows, oranges, or you to put all the blues, pinks, purples and whites could be really radical and mix everything together, pack them in. That way they all together. Remember, it is your garden, so hold each other up and scramble together anything goes. and weeds get very little chance to come

The Journal of the RHSI - May 2011 9 through that. I always keep some plants back Campanula latifolia, tall and blowsy, Anemone to fill any gaps that may appear in this lovely later on - lovely flowers but a bit of a thug, it wilderness later on. will try to take over. Use lots of Aquilegia (perennial). You can I could go on about the cool border never have enough of these. Plant drifts of forever, there are so many ways and ideas cornflower, which will flower for ages, about it. A typical border will have repetition of plants and colours along it, drifts of planting. There are very traditional rules about all of it, but you do not have to go into that detail unless of course you want to. Just follow your plan and even if you only plant annuals this year you will have a wonderful display for the whole summer.

Aquilegia vulgaris, the European Columbine Scabious, Cosmos ‘Sensation’ (tall), Cosmos ‘Double Click’, a double- flowered variety, very pretty, about 2ft (60cm). Use lots of Nigella, which scramble Scabiosa ‘Oxford Blue’ everywhere, some hardy perennials such as Verbascum chaixii album, Filipendula elegans, Eupatorium, Thalictrum aquilegifolium and Thalictrum ‘Hewitt’s Double’ for later on - all tall, gauzy purple underplanted with Dahlia ‘Thomas Edison’, a big, purple dinner-plate Dahlia. Giant Sunflower Delicious. Now onto the hot border, the reds, You need a strong line at the back of the yellows and oranges, wonderful plants like border for this kind of planting, but try to Inula magnifica (if you have the space), avoid straight lines. Build up the layers sunflowers which do not need much space toward the front, pop in a few surprises here but you must stake them to stop them falling and there, a clump or two of Paeony roses over. The birds love their seedheads later on (there are great colours around now), in the year. Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ (tall), C.

10 The Journal of the RHSI - May 2011 ‘Emily McKenzie’ (short), different types of Rudbeckia including ‘Cherokee Sunset’, ‘Goldilocks’ and ‘Rustic Dwarf’. Lots of rich colours. Again, I am only telling you about the ones I love. Be traditional or exotic as the mood takes you. And I must not forget about the vegetable patch. Now, you may not have room for this, but a couple of large boxes made from decking or some such, or a couple of large pots, will provide you with lettuce, scallions and herbs for most of the summer. Sow your lettuce in small pots and when mature enough transplant to your wooden box or large pot. Thalictrum delavayi ‘Hewitt’s Double’ Cut-and-come-again varieties are great In all this time I have not mentioned value for cropping salad leaves all summer. scent. Plant stocks (Matthiola) everywhere, Just remember to do a couple of repeat both Brompton and night-scented stock. sowings to keep you going through the Nicotiana sylvestris (a tall white one) and not season. Do the same with scallions. ‘Lisbon’ forgetting sweet pea. ‘Matucana’ is the most is a tasty variety. Parsley, sage, thyme will all strongly scented sweetpea. Exquisite. Grow grow happily in large pots if you do not have on a trellis or wire, on a frame, on anything! space for a herb bed. Basil unfortunately And plant some night-scented stock in a pot must grow indoors but if you have tomatoes by your back door for a lovely evening treat. as well, what more could you need? Then, some summer evening, a colour, a If you are lucky enough to have space for scent, or just a combination of plants will a vegetable patch, you can have onions, catch your eye and you will ﬁnd yourself leeks, parsnips, carrots, courgettes, broccoli smiling. All you have to do now is enjoy it. and cabbage, to mention only the basic ones. ● Early cabbage such as ‘Greyhound’ can be started from seed indoors and planted out after all risk of frost has gone. But watch out for pigeons. They love cabbage and ‘Greyhound’ is very delicious. Potatoes are easily grown in pots if you lack space. There are potato barrels on the market now, purpose built, or a large plastic pot is just as good. The potatoes will not be huge but gorgeous none the less. www.nemo.ie

The Journal of the RHSI - May 2011 11 Live the Good Life - Grow Your Own Food Organic Native and Acclimatized Heritage Vegetable Seeds and Fruit Trees Available now from

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12 The Journal of the RHSI - May 2011 Caring for Young Crops By Deborah Ballard

Corn plants hedged with Hyssop in late July at Marlay Park, Dublin aby vegetables have a host of enemies. days, making a nutritious, if revolting, BCats are a menace even before seedlings addition to the compost heap. emerge, but can be deterred by laying It is one of those annoying double-binds gooseberry or blackthorn prunings over the that mulches, which conserve moisture and seed-bed. keep down weeds, also harbour slugs. One In our damp climate, slugs are Public type can work in your favour: by using old Enemy No 1. Metaldehyde or methiocarb carpet on paths between beds you not only pellets are highly toxic. Alternative slug keep the soil moist and weed-free, but pellets and repellents are ineffective, in my provide a home for the slimy molluscs, experience, but beer-traps work: there are which you can expose and destroy by lifting few sights more cheering than a slug the carpet occasionally during the daytime. crawling obliviously through cabbage If all else fails, slugs can be caught red- seedlings towards the trap. Half-ﬁll a jar with handed by hunting them at night with a beer (yellow-pack is quite good enough) and torch and bucket of salty water. sink it into the ground with the rim slightly Most other pests can be foiled by barriers, above soil-level; slugs crawl in and drown. erected when the crop goes into the ground. The contents need changing every couple of Putting up barriers may seem like hard work,

The Journal of the RHSI - May 2011 13 13. 11. 2009 14:38:29

New Members Welcome

• Activities include • Lectures • Workshops • Garden visits • Tours • Journal • Lending Library • Plant sales • Flower Arrangement • Special Interest Groups

ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF IRELAND Cabinteely House, The Park, Cabinteely, Co.Dublin www.rhsi.ie Tel: 01 2353912, www.rhsi.ie, [email protected] 14 The Journal of the RHSI - May 2011 but it beats picking off caterpillars or finding your carrots riddled with maggots. Horticultural fleece prevents carrot root fly attack entirely if put down when you first sow; pleat the fleece to allow for growth and lift it only to weed. The larger brassicas are usually safe from butterfly attack until transplanted into their final positions in June; construct a frame tall enough for the mature plants and drape it with netting, which will also protect against pigeons. If the mesh is fine enough, like Bionet, it will protect against cabbage root fly. Otherwise, use cabbage collars; making your own from carpet underlay will ensure they stay put, unlike the flimsy bought kind. Netting is essential over soft fruit, or birds will get the lot, particularly if you live in open country. The mesh should have holes large enough to admit pollinating Tying-in winter squash insects. Birds will also strip cherries and hoses buried in the soil are better, but deliver attack other early top-fruit; unless they’re water indiscriminately. Hand-watering at wall-trained these are difficult to protect, the roots with hose or watering-can delivers now that small boys can no longer be got to water exactly where it is needed, and lets you scare them away for tuppence a day. see how your plants are doing. Potted plants Weeds rob young vegetables of nutrients can be watered through a reservoir, an and moisture; hoeing between rows on dry upended plastic bottle with the bottom cut days is quick and effective. Alliums (onion off, placed neck down in the compost. family) must be weeded until harvest, but Leafy vegetables need most water, close planting of courgettes and potatoes particularly salads, celery and spinach, which allows mature plants to shade out weeds. bolt if they dry out, while calabrese and Young fruit trees are also vulnerable to weed cauliflower can develop ‘button’ heads. competition, and a circle at least 1.5 meters Fruiting vegetables such as peas, beans and (5ft) in diameter around the tree should be sweet corn need watering when the flowers kept mulched and weed-free. Mulch should form, and again while the fruits are swelling. not touch the bark. Potatoes benefit from a thorough soaking Give vegetables a good soak when they when tubers start forming in May, and need it, rather than frequent surface shortly before lifting. Alliums rarely need watering. Sprinklers waste water and watering, and root vegetables don’t need encourage moulds by wetting leaves. Leaky much either, but newly-planted fruit trees

The Journal of the RHSI - May 2011 15 Jobs for Early Summer

• Keep up successional sowing of salads and fast-maturing varieties of peas, carrots and beetroot

• Transplant brassicas and leeks to their final positions in June Mulch strawberries with straw must be watered in dry spells. Pots must be • Sow spring cabbage in late June watered, twice daily in hot or windy weather. If your soil was manured and limed • Continue earthing up potatoes appropriately for your crops, they should not to prevent greening of tubers need further feeding now; lush, over-fed plants are prone to wind damage and aphid • After midsummer, sow crop attack. If plants fail to thrive, a seaweed which usually bolt if sown solution is a good tonic. Potted vegetables earlier, eg, Florence fennel, do have to be fed, with proprietary fertilisers rocket, coriander and spinach or comfrey tea. • Nip out side-shoots of tomatoes After hardening off, tender vegetables (in axils of the leaves - don’t should be planted out during mild, windless confuse side-shoots with flowers) weather after all risk of frost is past. Climbers such as beans and squashes need • Mulch strawberries with straw or encouraging up their supports until they get mulching mats and net all soft fruit the hang of it. Sweetcorn is wind-pollinated, so if it’s grown under cover you will have to • Thin gooseberries do it yourself: take pollen from the male ‘tassels’ at the top of the plant, and brush it • Thin apples (after the natural through the female ‘silks’ at the tips of the ‘June drop’) baby cobs. Brassicas should be transplanted to their final positions in June by ‘puddling • Cherries and plums should be in’, that is, filling the planting holes with pruned if necessary in early summer water and allowing it to drain before putting in the plant, back-filling and firming well. • Check for blight warnings Walking your plot daily, you nip (www.met.ie) and spray potatoes problems in the bud, snapping off the tops of with copper-based fungicide or broad beans to rid them of blackfly, tying in Burgundy Mixture on stems and a vine or adjusting a net. And you will be upper and lower surfaces of leaves. rewarded with the first strawberry, a taste of harvests to come. ●

16 The Journal of the RHSI - May 2011

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Browse in our gift shop for unusual presents. Come and enjoy morning coffee, lunch or afternoon tea in the Copper Kettle Coffee Shop. Visit over 20 different show gardens at the National Garden Exhibition Centre. All plants in the gardens are labelled.

10% discount for the month of May for telling us you saw this ad in the RHSI's Journal. The Journal of the RHSI - May 2011 17 In Praise of the Paeony

1. Paeonia mlokosewitschii 2. P. (Gansu group) aeonies are the flower of wealth in Japan, needing little in the way of care and Pand of health and happiness in their attention, once established in light shade native China, Tibet and Bhutan. The roots and not too deeply planted in plenty of leafy of the Moutan or Tree Paeony have been garden compost. Slugs and aphids largely used in Far Eastern medicine for thousands ignore them and most kinds tolerate drought of years and as a result, are an endangered in high summer after flowering. While they species in the wild. Luckily it has long been are vulnerable to a fungal pathogen, Botrytis bred in cultivation and there are now many paeonia, that rarely becomes a problem sumptuously beautiful varieties in unless a very large collection is kept growing circulation, as there are many delicious, closely together. often scented herbaceous sorts. Just as bulbs do, paeonies need the At the end of the 19th century, the nourishment provided by their dying leaves popularity of the paeony reached its peak, and stems to replenish their stores for the followed by a decline for much of the 20th, next year, so don’t be tempted to cut them when the only paeony in most Irish and off before they can do that. The leaves of European gardens was a dark, double red many paeonies are very pretty and often stay with not very exciting foliage. The species looking good until late autumn. Paeonies paeonies, such as the still rare Caucasian develop seed capsules after flowering and beauty, Paeonia mlokosewitschii, [featured on some of these are also very decorative into our cover] are still not easy to come by, but the winter. many lovely hybrids, often bred in the US, I like to underplant all paeonies with are now available. bulbs that flower from autumn until spring, Paeonies deserve to be more widely until the filigreed foliage of the paeony grown; they are not only sensational to see reappears and takes over the space. ● but are paragons, rarely complaining, HR

18 The Journal of the RHSI - May 2011 3. Double ﬂowered tree paeony

4. Single white tree paeony 5. Double tree paeony

6. Old double red paeony from Rose Cottage, Rathgar 7. P. mascula

The Journal of the RHSI - May 2011 19 Visit the Festina Lente restored Victorian Walled Garden Old Connaught Avenue, Bray, Co Wicklow Open daily from 9am to 5pm, and Sundays 11am to 6pm

Garden Shop and Refreshments Contact Ann Gleeson or Patrick Howlett Phone: 01 272 0704 - Mobile: 0863293680 [email protected] www.festinalentegardens.ie THE WEST CORK GARDEN TRAIL in association with THE HAROLD BARRY TRUST 11th to 26th JUNE, 2011 A wonderful opportunity to visit 19 very different gardens in beautiful West Cork

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20 The Journal of the RHSI - May 2011 A Garden Centre Grows in the City By Helen Rock ith the closure in February of the Westeemed Hackett’s near Capel Street Bridge, Dublin city centre seemed to have only one dedicated garden shop left, Mr Midleton’s on Mary Street. But across the river on Cork Street, a new retail gardening venture has been taking shape over the past year. Urban Plant Life, which once only supplied specimen plants to offices, trade shows and ‘greens’ for film sets (eg, Far & Away), has branched out and become a fully Sam Smyth at Urban Plant Life fledged city garden centre, a sort of Aladdin’s Further on is another surprise, a sort of cave with free parking for cars and bicycles. secret courtyard with stone walls, once a The setting is historic and quite high building that is now open to the sky. extraordinary once you enter behind the This houses masses of large potted long, rather blank façade that fronts onto specimens, much of it box (Buxus) at the street. Sitting on a three-quarter acre site competitive prices. There’s a whole series of is an old set of granary buildings, formerly different rooms to explore, including a owned by the Plunkett family who rented heated one lush with the shining foliage of them to Guinness’s Brewery for drying tender plants, another devoted to bonsai, barley. You cactus and palms. Outside and in, there are can still see simply masses of different kinds and sizes of the iron cart pots on sale. tracks set “Everything is for sale,” says Urban Plant into the Life’s owner, Sam Smyth, waving his arm to c o b b l e d encompass nice bay trees, bamboos, herbs yards, now and statuary. A former tax consultant with made quiet KPMG and lecturer to the Law Society, he and soft gave it all up to indulge his passion for underfoot plants. Over mellow ‘George Clooney’ with a deep coffees from the Nespresso machine in the layer of pine little shop, Sam showed us a range of n e e d l e s Japanese Silky tools he’s imported, including made from a fabulous looking pruning saw that looks s h r e d d e d like it would slice through branches as a Specimen plants and statuary Christmas knife through butter. We’ll be back to buy trees. Other recycling here includes several one of those. ● gargantuan tanks for catching and Urban Plant Life redistributing rainwater. 110-111 Cork Street, Dublin 8 01 453 6201 - www.urbanplantlife.ie

The Journal of the RHSI - May 2011 21 22 The Journal of the RHSI - May 2011 Diary of a Sweet Pea Grower By Oliver Clark his is my eighteenth season growing Tsweet pea on cordons. I got hooked when Maria Melvin, present day chairperson of Rush Horticultural Society, suggested that I grow sweet pea at the back of a coal bunker in our yard. Then I moved on to growing them on an old chicken run, which they loved. When I ran out of space, I made a new site at the back of my polytunnel and used this area until 2009, when I moved lock, stock and barrel to a bigger site. I simply love growing sweet pea. The effort put in is matched by their performance, their colour, their reliability Oliver Clark sowing sweet pea in January and stamina. I exhibit sweet pea at nearly all Using a peat-based seed compost, I sow the in-season shows in the greater Dublin in shallow trays in January, cover them area and have always grown a wide range of lightly with peat, label and cover them with cultivars. Among my favourites are Lathyrus panes of glass and sheets of newspaper. I pot ‘Honeymoon’, ‘Mrs Bernard Jones’, them up into 3” plastic modules. There they ‘Anniversary’, ‘Jilly’, ‘Valerie Harrod’, stay until hardened off and planted out. I ‘Gwendoline’, ‘Glasnevin’, ‘Charlie’s Angel’, keep them watered and free of slugs and ‘Zillah Harrod’ and ‘Valerie Harrod’. pinch out the growing tips when they reach Once again, the RHSI and the Parks the third leaf. In early to mid-April I Department of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown cultivate the sweet pea growing area well, County Council are organising a Sweet Pea using plenty of organic matter and a dressing Display (16 & 17 July) in the Orangery of of fertiliser. All going well, I then plant out the restored 4.5 acre Walled Garden at about 600 of the sturdiest seedlings 9 inches Marlay Park in Rathfarnham, Dublin 14. apart in rows 6 feet apart. I insert 8 foot Using the Orangery as a display space for canes and when the plants are sturdy sweet pea creates a welcome challenge for enough, pinch out all but the strongest shoot those of us who grow sweet pea on cordons and train it, one plant per cane, secured with and we always get a big welcome from the plant rings. I do my utmost to keep the area RHSI and the gardening staff. I enjoy staging weed free and regularly pinch out sideshoots my vases and having a bit of banter over and tendrils. breakfast while judging is under way. I hope to give the blooms an airing, For the 2011 season I’ve sown the starting with the Bray Show in late June and cultivars in the table at the end of this article will be trying to shine at our own show here and have had reasonable success with in Rush, where we initiated an All-Ireland germination, unlike a number of compatriots Championship in 2006. This requires four who’ve reported poorer germination levels vases each, with nine stems of a different than normal.

The Journal of the RHSI - May 2011 23 cultivar in each vase. I am very pleased to say that sweet pea growing in the greater Dublin area is strong, diverse and healthy. All of these shows guarantee a superb display of sweet pea and are well worth a visit. Do come along, and bring your friends. ●

Table of Cultivars

Cultivar No. seeds sown No. Seedlings Comment Gwendoline 100 100 Large, wavy lilac pink on white background, rich scent; a banker with virtually all cordon growers Jilly 100 61 Best cream sweet pea, well-scented Honeymoon 100 98 Very reliable lavender, strongly scented Mrs Bernard Jones 100 72 Lovely pink, reliable performer Jeannie 100 42 Cream Anniversary 100 30 Picotee on white ground, long stems, highly scented Bridget McAleer 50 37 Deep lavender, raised by Chris McAleer, Balbriggan Horticultural Society Valerie Harrod 50 20 Pink, good performer Glasnevin 50 24 White, ﬁrst class exhibition form Florencecourt 50 12 Salmon-cerise with a white eye Zillah Harrod 65 24 Lavender Pocahontas 40 30 Bright vermilion crimson, strong scent Rowallane 40 31 Salmon pink on cream Total 945 581

Sweet Pea Shows Date Venue Society Contact No. June 25 St Cronan’s NS, Bray Delgany & DHS 01 287 4400 July 3 Ardgillan Castle, Balbriggan Balbriggan HS 01 841 4943 July 9 St Maur's GAA, Rush Rush & DHS 086 879 9571 July 10 Chanel College, Coolock Dublin 5 HS 01 847 3559 July 16 & 17 Marlay Park Walled Garden RHSI & DLR Co Co 01 287 4400 July 23 & 24 St Andrew's Parish Centre, Malahide Malahide HS 087 256 1761

24 The Journal of the RHSI - May 2011 Dahlia named after Jim ‘Lugs’ Branigan By John Markham

Three Jim Branigans: Young James at school in 1920; as bodyguard to footballer Georgie Best in Dublin and centre, the red semi-cactus Dahlia named in his honour n 1 January 2010 The Irish Times carried a number of exhibition dahlia cultivars that Oan extract from the recently published were popular at the time. The following Royal Irish Academy’s Dictionary of Irish March, the seed was sown in trays in a Biography on James ‘Lugs’ Branigan (1910- heated glasshouse. After germination they 1986), the Garda credited with routing the were potted on into 7cm (3”) pots and Animal Gang hooligans at the Battle of protected until all danger of frost had passed. Baldoye. A Dubliner born in James’s Street, In mid-June, 500 seedlings were planted out where he attended the Christian Brothers’ in well-tilled ground, 30cms (1ft) apart. School, he joined the Garda Siochana in As soon as they started flowering in late 1931 and quickly became a household name July, all those lacking potential were pulled in Dublin in the 1930s and 1940s. out and sent to the compost heap. Those In the 1950s, when the Teddy Boy era remaining were supported by a stake and was in full swing, Jim Branigan’s fame spread labelled with a brief description of each further. It was not unusual for him to be bloom. In late August, Alick noticed a called upon to deal with a mini-riot at striking large red bloom in the middle of the showings of the Bill Haley film Rock Around seedling patch and instinctively knew he the Clock. had a winner. In 1981, Jim’s son Alick registered a It was a brilliant, non-fading, red semi- Large-flowered Semi-Cactus Dahlia, which cactus which, if disbudded, would yield he named after his father. To this day it blooms 25cms (10”) in diameter. The plant remains in the National Dahlia Society’s can reach a height of 120cms (4ft). The Classified Directory, which lists it as a red following year Alick grew about twenty of cultivar that is usually of exhibition the original 500 seedlings for further standard. I got a rooted cutting of it from the assessment. But over the next few years they late PAX Hackett almost 30 years ago and all fell by the wayside, with the single have been propagating it annually ever since. exception of the red ‘Jim Branigan’. In 1976 Alick, who gardens in In 1981, Alick sent a tuber of his Summerhill, Co Meath, saved the seed from cultivar to Derek Hewlett in the UK’s

The Journal of the RHSI - May 2011 25 Dahlia Shows Society Date Contact Cameron HS 31 July Kathleen Regan 01 848 0538 Fingal (Swords) HS 13 Aug Madalaine Harford 01 840 3926 Dublin 5 HS 20 & 21 Aug Bernard Carolan 01 847 3559 Delgany & District HS 27 Aug John Markham 01 287 4400 St Brigid's (Finglas) 28 Aug Patsy Fitzsimons 01 834 2140 N of I Dahlia Society 31Aug Joan Laverick 028 9070 3147 Howth/Sutton HS 3 Sept Mary Stanley 087 647 8067 Balbriggan HS 4 Sept Dominica Mc Kevitt 01 841 4943 Irish Dahlia Society 10 & 11 Sept David Moloney 052 612 6158 Clontarf HS 17 Sept Elaine Garland 01 831 3880 Naul GC 24 & 25 Sept Christopher White 01 841 3494 National Dahlia Society (NDS). Derek grew A display of dahlias is a great way of it that year and named it Seedling of the learning more about this wonderful Year, ﬁne praise during the centenary of the herbaceous perennial and members will not NDS. Alick relied on “the insects” for be disappointed if they visit any of the pollination and his notes show that the host RHSI’s Afﬁliated Society shows listed above. ● parent was the white, medium decorative dahlia, ‘Suffolk Spectacular’. TREEOLOGy

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26 The Journal of the RHSI - May 2011 Obituaries

encountered has been of inestimable value to the Irish Seed Savers Association, which had begun gathering and propagating native apples. His dissertation, History, Characteristics & Distribution of Irish Apples, gained him a PhD. In the 1950s, Keith was appointed soils advisory officer at Johnstown Castle, Co Wexford and sojourned in Canada and the US to study crop growth in peatland soils. This resulted in the establishment of commercial plantations of blueberry and cranberry in Ireland. As chief horticultural officer at the Kinsealy Research Centre, he led the work on hardy ornamental crops that proved so Dr J. G. Dalkeith Lamb (1919 -2011) beneficial to the emerging nursery stocks eith Lamb, who died in January, was one industry. It also led to the publication of the Kof the great horticulturists of our era. influential Nursery Stock Manual (now out of Born in Dublin, he was a modest and print), which was a bestseller in its category charming man who spent most of his and distributed worldwide. A member of the professional life in horticultural research. His International Plant Propagators Society work always displayed integrity and since its inception in 1967, Keith wrote for incisiveness and his crop investigations and edited its publications, contributed to its formed the bedrock of development in conferences and was awarded the society’s several horticultural sectors. Pragmatic and prestigious Rose Bowl. courteous, his scientific conclusions became In 1982, he was granted life membership guidelines for aspiring growers. of the Royal Dublin Society for his Keith’s early love of horticulture was contribution to science. Yet more honours fostered by his father and he began his came his way: in 1997, the Institute of degree at Reading University. When war Horticulture cited his research on “nursery came in 1939, he returned home and did a stocks, apples, strawberries and tomatoes” practical year at Spiers Nursery, Athy, Co during a medal ceremony and in 2002, his Kildare before resuming his studies at UCD, contribution to food crop research won him where he obtained a First. As research the Euro-Toques Award of Merit. A life assistant to Prof G.O. Sherrard, he helped member and former President of the RHSI that famous man in his Brussels sprouts (1983-1988), Keith Lamb received its Medal breeding and began his own work on of Honour. In 2009 he got the Kildare Medal strawberries. for services to the hardy plant industry. With Widely celebrated for his survey on Irish Patrick Bowe, he co-authored A History of apple varieties being grown here, his detailed Gardening in Ireland and was a regular research into the native varieties he contributor to a range of journals and

The Journal of the RHSI - May 2011 27 A new trail showcasing gardens close • Professional garden maintenance visits anytime to Lough Derg on the River Shannon • Work practices following principles of garden design A full list of gardens is available on • Ask for best prices on PKS copper gardening tools www.loughderggardens.com Simon Craigie Gardens Contact us for your free printed guide: 3 Belgrave Square East 067-33464 Rathmines, Dublin 6 loughderggardentrail@ 01 496 9766 - Mobile 085 125 3990 www.gscgardenservice.com gmail.com

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28 The Journal of the RHSI - May 2011 magazines. His graceful, informative writing a day when his beloved snowdrops were in brought great pleasure to his readers. full bloom, a day which engenders hope in Keith Lamb was a gardener of high us all. He predeceased his wife Helen, a keen repute. He built three gardens (that I know gardener, who died 19 days later, on 15 of) and his lovely garden at Clara, Co Offaly February. shows the result of dedicated and inspired Jim Kelly attention. He was buried on St Brigid’s Day,

b b b osemary Brown, who died on 18 RJanuary 2011, aged 92, was a notable gardener and ﬂower arranger, and creator of one of Ireland’s best known gardens at Graigueconna, near Bray, Co Wicklow. Rosemary Sophia Riall was born in Sussex, but the family moved back to Ballyorney House, Enniskerry, in 1922. Her mother was a passionate gardener with famous friends in the gardening world, including the rose expert Graham Stuart Thomas who, with their shared interest in old roses, became Rosemary’s friend for life. Wartime service led to marriage to John Brown in 1943. They moved to Ireland in 1970, settling at Graigueconna, a house already with the remains of a famous garden. Rosemary Brown (1918 - 2011) Started by Rosemary’s great-grandfather, In 1987 it was ﬁlmed for the RTÉ series Phineas Riall, in the 1830s, the garden had A Growing Obsession. Rosemary considered been laid out in the early 20th century by his it to be essentially a wild garden, where grandson, the notable alpine gardener Lewis shrubs and old roses, foxgloves and Meredith. Neglected, it needed major hellebores mingled freely. Rosemary Brown restoration and, as she recounted it, John never lost her appetite for life, and was still attacked the wilderness with mattock and showing visitors around Graigueconna in saw while she followed with fork and spade. 2010. Shortly before she died, discussing her Rosemary joined the RHSI soon after funeral service, she said, pragmatically returning to Ireland and served on Council “There is to be no grief for me. I have had a in the 1980s. Meanwhile Graigueconna long and interesting life.” ● gained renown, particularly for its display of scented June roses, and received [This is an edited version of the obituary published in The Irish Times on 29 January 2011.] international acclaim, being featured, for instance, in Country Life. The Journal of the RHSI - May 2011 29 RHSI Library - New Acquisitions By Natalie McGettigan

Marylyn Abbott - Gardening with Light & gardening. Essential reading for those setting Colour A personal odyssey through her life out on a new garden or taking stock of an as a gardener as well as a stimulating primer older one... in the creative use of colour. Pippa Greenwood - 1001 Ways to be a Better Barbara Abbs - Choosing and Using Climbing Gardener Packed full of tips to help you Plants Covers the essential basics of achieve wonderful results in your garden. planting, training, supporting and pruning. Claudia Lazzaro - Italian Renaissance Garden Rosemary Alexander & Fergus Garrett - A fine coffee table tome. Dear Christo: Memories of Christopher Lloyd Cristiana Moldi-Ravenna - Secret Gardens at Great Dixter An intimate collection of in Venice Gardens you may not come across, writings and photographs by Lloyd's wide even if a regular visitor. circle of family and friends, describing what Anna Pavord - The Curious Gardener - A Dixter means to them. Year in the Garden With a chapter for each Helena Attlee - Italy’s Private Gardens: an month, the author of The Tulip brings Inside View A look at several gardens you together the best of her journalism. A may not have encountered. Gorgeous treasury of practical advice. photography. Jane Powers - The Living Garden - a Place Marigold Badcock - Companions to Clematis that Works with Nature - see review on page Suggestions for growing clematis with other 31. plants. Eluned Price - The Winter Garden How to Richard Bird - Making the Most of Perennials have the garden looking well even at the in the Garden Featuring over 650 plants, this end of the gardening year. is a visual directory and practical guide to Reader’s Digest - The Time-Saving Garden growing perennials to suit every type of Advice on achieving and maintaining a space. beautiful garden with the minimum of time Fine Gardening Magazine - Galleries of and effort. Garden Plants Groups plants by type - eg, Eric Sawford - Gardening with Shrubs gold-leaved, graceful grasses, to make it Shrubs form the backbone of a planting easier to find the right plant for every place. scheme and add year-round interest. This Robin Lane Fox - Thoughtful Gardening practical book covers what you need to The FT columnist’s first gardening book in know for their successful growth and 25 years, it draws on his lifetime of practical maintenance. ●

30 The Journal of the RHSI - May 2011 Reviews - Books The Living Garden - A Place that Works and experience in the with Nature by Jane Powers (Frances process. This she relays Lincoln, €26.99) with great clarity and “I spent my teens and twenties looking some wit, in a lovingly for the meaning of life. And then, in my made and lavishly thirties, I found the answer. It was in the illustrated (mostly with compost heap.” So writes Jane Powers in the her own photos) introduction to her ﬁrst book, The Living hardback generously Garden, an important new addition to the ﬁlled with a useful canon of really good books on gardening, the distillation of all she has learnt. subject closest to the author’s heart. As she And it’s a timely publication too, being relates, when Patsey Murphy, her editor at so in tune with the eco spirit of the Zeitgeist. The Irish Times, asked her to write a weekly Jane Powers has put a trojan amount of work column for the Saturday supplement, it was and passion into this book and it really the one thing she passionately wanted to do shines through. Each chapter begins with a more than anything else in life. lyrical quote that sets the tone and welcomes That was in 1997 and, ever an assiduous you in to a treasury of gardening, which researcher, she has been writing informed includes some great recipes for making articles on all aspects of gardening ever compost. Helen Rock since, amassing a huge amount of knowledge

The Complete Field Guide to Ireland’s companions and fantastic Birds by Eric Dempsey & Michael O’Clery heralds of the seasons. (Gill & Macmillan, €19.99) As with plant species, bird You don’t have to be a twitcher to appreciate varieties are relatively Eric Dempsey’s Field Guide, meticulously restricted in Ireland, as illustrated by Michael O’Clery. Almost 20 compared to Britain and years have passed since the first edition was continental Europe and, as published. A second followed in 2002. As with plants, the reason is most likely our Dempsey notes, we’ve seen significant geological history. Still, more than 400 changes in bird population and distribution species of bird are full-time residents or since then and these are all reflected in this migratory visitors. Many will be familiar, new edition. And physically, the book itself some, tantalizingly, almost identifiable, is more compact and robust, making it an others not familiar at all. With readily ideal travel companion. accessible information on appearance, Travel isn’t obligatory, mind you. dispersion, timing and population rates, the Birdwatching definitely begins in the garden, Guide is ideally structured to lead you not whether you’re looking upwards or just only to name the bird, but also to build up a around you. Birds love gardens – think of the clear picture of its nature and lifecycle. The ubiquitous Robins, Wrens, Blackbirds, Tits names are also helpfully indexed in Irish, and Chaffinches - where they are welcome English and Latin. Aidan Dunne

The Journal of the RHSI - May 2011 31 Review - Coastal Gardening Seminar at Malahide

rish gardening has a well After a splendid Ikept secret: the annual dinner at the Grand conference of the Hotel on Saturday, John Northern Ireland Heritage Sales entertained with an Gardens Committee account of his time as (NIHGC). Their 18th Chief Gardens Advisor to conference, on ‘Coastal the NT and on Sunday, Gardening’, took place at Seamus Galvin spoke Malahide Castle over a Malahide Castle, Co Dublin. about the island of Garinish weekend last October. The venue alternates where he gardens with his team; not the annually between the North of Ireland and Glengarriff one but the island in the the Republic. Kenmare River near Sneem in Co Kerry, Proceedings opened with a whistle-stop which the 4th Earl of Dunraven turned into lecture tour of Ireland’s coastal gardens by a garden and holiday home in the late 19th architectural and garden historian Terence century. Reeves-Smyth, whose illustrations Mike Nelhams, who has been in charge (paintings, maps and aerial photography) of Tresco Abbey Gardens on the Scilly Isles showed how gardens, many now lost along for over 25 years, regaled us with tales of the with their houses, were laid out in past time virtually the entire collection was centuries. wiped out by cold in 1987, followed by Seamus O’Brien, plant hunter and head severe storms in 1990, which decimated the gardener at Kilmacurragh, lectured on shelter belts and felled many of the ﬁnest coastal gardening past, present and future. trees in the garden. Glynis Shaw, a photographer and garden On the edge of a 100ft cliff sits the historian from Wales, spoke about the historic seat of the Kennedy family, Culzean gardens of North Wales’s seaside resorts in Castle, now owned by the Scottish NT. their heyday, including Portmeirion, which Head gardener Susan Russell recounted the is still worth visiting. history of the castle and its gardens and the Mike Snowden, formerly National Trust challenges of coping with weather coming in (NT) head gardener at Rowallane, advised off the sea, as well as with plant thieves. The on practical management issues, including Conference concluded with a visit to the how a garden can ﬁt unobtrusively into its gardens of historic Beaulieu House, on the surroundings while coping with storms and edge of Drogheda. rising sea levels. Paul McDonnell of Fingal Take note! The 2011 NIHGC Parks & Gardens gave us an overview of the conference, on ‘Kitchen Gardens & Talbot Collection at Malahide and Gardening’, takes place in the Glens of encouraging news on restoration work by the Antrim from 7 to 9 October. Email Reg at gardening team. A guided tour of the [email protected] for all the details ● gardens followed. Robert Myerscough

32 The Journal of the RHSI - May 2011 Review - RHSI Wildlife Seminar

Dr Abdul Hamid Al-Amidi, Dr Matthew Jebb, Eanna Ni Lamhna, Niall Hatch, Peter Harrison

HSI members and friends gathered in developed in Ireland. Said to deal effectively Rthe National Botanic Gardens on 5 with vine weevils, chafer grubs, cabbage March for our second seminar, opened by worms and carrot weevils, it is available in Chairman Peter Harrison. Niall Hatch of garden shops. BirdWatch Ireland began with wonderful Dr Matthew Jebb, Director of the images of garden birds, explaining how to Gardens, stepped in at short notice when the identify them, how to attract them to nest listed speaker, Dermot O’Neill, was taken ill. in our gardens and how to help them survive Matthew shared his wide knowledge of those the winter. alien species that have arrived in Ireland Eanna Ni Lamhna told us of other small over the last 200 years, some uninvited, wild creatures who share our gardens, others brought in as garden plants, and all of including 32 or 33 native species of which have now escaped to colonise the butterﬂies and 14 of ladybirds. She said that landscape, eg, culprits such as Gunnera, 45% of land inside the M50 is green space which has blanketed areas of Achill Island and that 25% of that is gardens. So we and is smothering native plants. I went gardeners have stewardship of a valuable home to go bug hunting in my garden and resource, making our gardens an important to count the spots on ladybirds. Thanks are housing estate for wildlife. Please don’t make due to our sponsors Bord Bia and it a ghost estate. SuperNemos, and to the RHSI for After lunch and a walk in the Gardens, organising such an enjoyable day. ● Dr Abdul Hamid Al-Amidi introduced us to Denise Gill SuperNemos, a new bio-insecticide

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34 The Journal of the RHSI - May 2011 Forthcoming Events produced goods and much more. Organic fruit RHSI ﬁxture dates are shaded. See and vegetables for sale in the outdoor market. ﬁxtures list for directions and full list of Visit the RHSI stand at the Fair. events planned for 2011.

29 April - 29 May - Burren in Bloom festival. 18 May (Wednesday) - Floral Art Group. See Clippings. ‘Summer Anticipation’ by Maria Carey. 8pm at Wesley House. 7, 8, 14 & 21 May (Saturdays & Sundays) - Blossoms from China. Guided walk at the 20 - 22 May (Friday to Sunday) - Garden National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin. Many Show Ireland at Hillsborough Castle. of our common garden plants are Chinese in www.gardenshowireland.com origin. May is the best time to see Paeonies, the Handkerchief Tree, Wisteria and many other 20 - 25 May (Friday to Wednesday) - Tour of ﬂowering plants in full bloom. 2.30pm at the gardens of the South of France. Fully booked. Education and Visitor Centre. 22 May (Sunday) - Guided walk, biodiversity 8 May (Sunday) - Rare & Special Plant Fair at at Kilmacurragh, Rathdrum, Co Wicklow in Birr Castle Demesne, Co. Offaly, 10am to 5pm. celebration of International Biodiversity Day. Entry €6.50. Good plants and food in an 2.30pm. Free. historic and beautiful setting. 24 - 28 May (Tuesday to Saturday) - RHS 9 - 12 May (Monday to Thursday) - Tour of Chelsea Flower Show. Book online at gardens in Kerry. Fully booked. www.rhs.org.uk or phone 0044 121 767 4063.

14 May (Saturday) - National Poultry Spring 28 & 29 May (Saturday & Sunday) - Fifth Sale at Larch Hill, Kilcock, Co Kildare, 11am Biennial Show of the Cactus & Succulent to 5pm. Many breeds of chickens, ducks and Society, in the Conservatory at the National geese. Great country fayre atmosphere. Botanic Gardens. Opens 1pm on Saturday, Entrance €6.00. 10am on Sunday.

15 May (Sunday) - Irish Specialist Nursery 1 June (Wednesday) - Summer Sensations: Association (ISNA) plant sale at Larch Hill, Flower Arranging Demonstration by Richard Kilcock, Co Kildare. 11am to 5pm, entrance Haslam. 8pm at the National Botanic Gardens. €5.00. More details on www.isna.ie Cost: €20.00 Advance booking essential, by post to Visitors Centre, National Botanic 15 May (Sunday) - Sustainable Environment Gardens, Dublin 9, by phone to 01 857 0909, Fair at the National Botanic Gardens, or download a booking form on Glasnevin. Leading environmental and www.botanicgardens.ie Organised with the conservation organisations, display North Dublin Flower Club as part of their information and products on conservation, fundraising efforts for the World Show of environmental education, fair trade, ethically Flower Arrangers.

The Journal of the RHSI - May 2011 35 2 - 6 June (Thursday to Monday - Bank 16 & 17 July (Saturday and Sunday) - Sweet Holiday weekend) - Bloom, Ireland's largest Pea Display in The Orangery, Marlay Park gardening, food and family event, Phoenix Walled Garden, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16, by Park Dublin. See Clippings for discount, page kind permission of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown 6 for BLOOMERS wanted, and County Council. Take path to the left of www.bloominthepark.com Marlay House leading to the café. The Walled Visit the RHSI stand in the Floral Marquee. Garden is behind the café. 12 noon to 5pm both days. 11 - 26 June - West Cork Garden Trail. Visit 19 very different gardens in beautiful West 16 & 17 July (Saturday and Sunday) - Rose Cork. [email protected] Festival, St Anne’s Park, Raheny, Co Dublin. www.westcorkgardentrail.com 23 July (Saturday) - Garden visit to Mrs 19 June (Sunday) – ISNA (Irish Specialist Clodagh Bowen, Kilternan. 2.30 to 4.30pm. Nurseries Association) Plant, Shrub & Flower Directions in ﬁxtures list. Fair 10.30am to 4pm at Russborough House, Blessington, Co Wicklow. Farmers market. 14 August (Sunday) - Tullamore Show, Free admission to fair and grounds. Butterﬁeld, Greatwood, Blueball, Co Offaly.

25 June (Saturday) - Garden visit to Mrs 27 August (Saturday) - Day tour to Ardgillan Noreen Keane, Old Conna, Bray. 2.30 to House Gardens plus Kinsealy Research Centre 4.30pm. Directions in ﬁxtures list. (replacing planned visit to Malahide Castle) and Chris Heavy's garden. Booking form 25 & 26 June (Saturday & Sunday) - Open enclosed. Weekend at Fruitlawn Garden, Abbeyleix, County Laois, 10am to 5pm. Includes US- 27 August (Saturday) - An Afternoon of Tea based furniture maker, Charles Shackleton’s and Roses at Festina Lente, Old Connaught Naked Table Project on 25th. See Clippings for Avenue, Bray, Co Wicklow. Guest speaker, tips details. on companion planting. Tea & home made cakes. www.festinalentegardens.ie or phone 2 July (Saturday) - Day tour of gardens in Ann Gleeson, 087 3293 680. Dunlavin, Co Wicklow. Details on booking form enclosed. 5 - 9 September (Monday to Friday) - Tour to Isle of Wight. See Clippings and enclosed 5 - 10 July (Tuesday to Sunday) - Hampton booking form for details. Court Palace Flower Show. www.rhs.org.uk/ﬂowershows 22 September Andy Sturgeon lecture cancelled

9 & 10 July (Saturday & Sunday) - Second Sweet Pea Shows - see page 24 Annual Galway Garden Festival at Clare Dahlia Shows - see page 26 Galway Castle. www.galwaygardenfestival.com

36 The Journal of the RHSI - May 2011