7015 RHSI September 2011 Journal_Layout 1 17/08/2011 08:41 Page 1 The Journal Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland New series, Volume 3, Part 3 - September 2011 © COVER: ROBERT S MYERSCOUGH. Magnolia grandiflora CULTU TI RA R L O S H O L C I A E Y T O Y R • • O F D I R E L A N 2 Editorial & Contributors 3 Clippings Patrick Bowe 5 Ambrose Congreve - An Appreciation Robert S Myerscough 6 Footnote on Ambrose Congreve Natalie McGettigan 7 RHSI Library - New Acquisitions Carmel Duignan 9 Book Review - In the Footsteps of Augustine Henry and his Chinese plant collectors Helen Rock 11 Book Review - The 100 Best Gardens in Ireland Patricia Tyrrell 12 Review - Chelsea 2011 Photo essay 13 Four of the Best at Bloom 2011 Eanna Ni Lamhna 15 Boglands - Wild Wet and Wonderful Brendan Sayers 19 West Wing Rhodos Robert S Myerscough 23 Magnolias - Primitive Beauties Deborah Ballard 27 Planning a Fruit Garden Adelaide Monk 32 The Art and Craft of Gardening Paddy Carr 34 Obituary - John Newell 35 Forthcoming Events Editor: Helen Rock Production Editor: Koraley Northen Advertising: Hannah Bielenberg Next copy date: 10 October 2011 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 The Journal of the RHSI - September 2011 1 7015 RHSI September 2011 Journal_Layout 1 17/08/2011 08:41 Page 2 Editorial his was a year that saw the demise of Diarmuid Gavin’s €2.3m Irish Sky Garden, the Tdomestic decking as dogma and the first ever fairground attraction at Chelsea, won triumphant return of plants to gardens; a year him a longed-for gold and people’s favourite. when the crowds visiting Bloom 2011 in the Patricia Tyrrell loved it (p.12). Tender and Phoenix Park swelled to almost 90,000 and beautiful West Wing Rhodos are the subject of Bord Bia expanded their artisan food village to Brendan Sayers’ learned article (p.19), while include a well-designed series of businesslike plantswoman par excellence, Carmel Duignan, fruit and vegetable beds. They also brought on reviews Seamus O’Brien of Kilmacurragh’s the farm animals - milch cows, sheep, goats, majestic new book on Irishman Augustine pigs and hens - to demonstrate to both young Henry’s plant-hunting in China (p.9). and not so young where much of the rest of our Patrick Bowe has written a witty food actually comes from. appreciation of the recently deceased Patron All we need now is for Bloom to give us of this Society, Ambrose Congreve, while humans some shelter from the burning June Paddy Carr gives us an obituary on his late sun, so we don’t have to wilt as we walk around friend, the talented gardener John Newell; trying to admire the wonderful show gardens. Robert S Myerscough grows a lot of magnolias The marquees are under-ventilated and too and writes passionately about his “primitive hot for refuge, so my suggestion is that next beauties” (p.23) ; Eanna Ni Lamhna tells us year the organisers vent the marquees more why the recent ban on turf-cutting on raised than previously (this is perfectly possible), bogs is to be welcomed and why we don’t need while outside they could “channel” the British moss peat to garden well; Deborah Ballard Royal wedding at Westminster and wheel in a takes us step by step through the planning and battalion of mature trees in big pots, thereby maintenance of a productive fruit garden; and creating an instant and hugely atmospheric Adelaide Monk brings us full circle in the last allée to shade the fair skins of the faithful. of her expert trilogy on plant propagation. ● Helen Rock Contributors Maeve Kearns is a past President of the RHSI. An Taisce, she lectures in sustainable Patrick Bowe is an acclaimed writer and speaker development at DIT and is currently Vice on gardens and garden history. An architect by President of the Tree Council of Ireland. Her training, he also practises as a garden designer. latest book is Wild Dublin (O'Brien Press). Robert S Myerscough is a landscape and garden Brendan Sayers, Foreman of the Glasshouses at consultant with a special interest in trees. He is the Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, is an acclaimed currently President of the RHSI. Council member author, broadcaster and plantsman. Deborah Natalie McGettigan is a bookseller and the Ballard is a writer who lives in Carlow where she Society’s Librarian and PR officer. Carmel teaches fruit and vegetablegrowing Duignan, a long-standing member of the RHSI, is (www.growfruitandveg.ie). Adelaide Monk is a well-known plantswoman, writer and speaker. Craft Gardener and chief propagator for the Patricia Tyrrell is a plantswoman, horticulturalist gardens at Farmleigh in the Phoenix Park. Paddy and landscape architect. Popular broadcaster and Carr is a past Chairman of St Brigid's author Eanna Ni Lamhna is a botanist and Horticultural Society, Finglas, Co Dublin. ● ecologist from Co Louth. A former president of 2 The Journal of the RHSI - September 2011 7015 RHSI September 2011 Journal_Layout 1 17/08/2011 08:41 Page 3 Clippings record-breaking nearly 90,000 visitors Adescended on the Phoenix Park for Bloom 2011. The sun shone, everyone seemed in good humour after the royal and presidential visits and there was a palpable air of festivity. The crowds kept coming, with the happy result that the RHSI Stand welcomed at least 27 new members into the Society. Welcomed is the right word. We need you, new members, and hope you’ll introduce yourselves at future fixtures. And we need occasional volunteers, Part of the crowd at Bloom to help in running the Society. It’s a good way of making friends and gathering ideas for your small gardens, which surely must inspire and garden. encourage anyone gardening in a small space. Our Bloom stand, with its elegant green- Oliver and Liat Schurmann of Mount Venus and-white floral theme and colourful RHSI Nursery produced an outstanding entry, information leaflets, drew so much interest that winning gold and the Best in Show award in passersby had to be dissuaded from helping the large garden category, not for the first time. themselves to our handsome white hydrangeas, Plants for sale were of a high standard and which were not for sale until the end of the the garden centres and nurseries did their usual show. We wish to thank Johnstown Garden roaring trade. The North Dublin Flower Club Centre, Naas, for the superb plants and (affiliated to the RHSI) was chosen to containers; Formality at The Cowshed, represent AOIFA (Association of Irish Floral Glasthule, Co Dublin, for the attractive garden Artists) and took first prize in the Floral table and chairs; the loyal members who Marquee for a stunning exhibit. Adding greatly manned the stand and acted as stewards to the general interest and no doubt ensuring (‘Bloomers’); and above all Mary Lee, who the return of the crowds next year were the oversaw the entire RHSI Bloom project from new-style artisan food market, fashion shows, start to finish. cookery and flower arranging demonstrations. For helping fund us we thank Supernemos, Congratulations all around. makers of a bio-insecticide for controlling vine Maeve Kearns weevil and other pests. Also Enrich, producers PHOTO: GARY O’NEILL of peat-, pest- and- toxin-free topsoils and ongratulations to Co Dublin Florist compost. Thank you to Urban Plant Life of CChristopher White, of Three Gates Cork Street, Dublin 8 and to EverEdge, the Garden Centre in The Naul, who won a producers of a versatile edging for lawns, drives Bronze Grenfell medal at Chelsea. Flowers and paths, who were more than pleased to used in his design included Heliconia, yellow contribute. and red Leucospernum, green Dendrobium and There were fewer show gardens this year gold Cymbidium orchids and Tillandsia and I particularly missed the usual number of xerographica. The Journal of the RHSI - September 2011 3 7015 RHSI September 2011 Journal_Layout 1 17/08/2011 08:41 Page 4 isitors around the world can now take a free Vtour of the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, thanks to a new iPhone app. The tour, combining archive photos, maps and audio commentary, features over 30 stories about the Gardens’ plant treasures (did you hear about the vicious plant that can eat sheep?), the philosopher’s stone where Wittgenstein sat, Turner’s famous curvilinear glasshouses, historic plant hunters and the shrub that inspired Thomas Moore’s Last Rose of Summer. The Jealous Wall at Belvedere and Mary Mulvihill. A government grant ensured the app is free to download. Access it at www.botanicgardens.ie elvedere House, Gardens & Park in Co BWestmeath has beaten off stiff competition to win the inaugural Outstanding Business Award, presented in May by the Midlands Gateway Chamber. Belvedere, a deeply atmospheric 18th century place of harrowing histories, large gardens, Gothic follies, woodland Turner’s Palm House at Glasnevin walks and organised events, is run by Westmeath Conceived by journalist Mary Mulvihill, Co Council and is open to the public all year three tours of 40 minutes each are narrated by round. ● Matthew Jebb, Brendan Sayers, Glynn Anderson PHOTO ON LEFT: KORALEY NORTHEN $XWXPQ5HÁHFWLRQV Time to collect Colors and Inspirations A Special Sales Weekend at Mount Venus Nursery 17th -18th September 2011 11am -5pm For more visit: www.mountvenusnursery.com Tel. 01 4933813 The Walled Garden, Tibradden, Mutton Lane, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16 4 The Journal of the RHSI - September 2011 7015 RHSI September 2011 Journal_Layout 1 17/08/2011 08:41 Page 5 Ambrose Congreve - An Appreciation By Patrick Bowe our great gardens were made in Ireland international business and created a Fin the latter half of the twentieth garden of international renown, was an century.