Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Flowers and Foliage Now => Topic started by: Paddy Tobin on October 19, 2009, 11:56:06 AM
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Mary and I went to visit Mount Usher Gardens on Saturday last, 17th October 2009. This is one of our favourite gardens, very natural in its design, planting and maintenance. Autumn colour will probably be better in a fortnight's time as we noted that Liquidamber had not yet coloured to its best and there is one large tree which overhangs the river and is always a feature at this time of year.
For anybody visiting it is a very accessible garden being on the N11 (or M11 in parts) due south of Dublin, making the journey there very easy indeed. Also (with David in mind) there is an excellent restaurant, so refreshments are available and very good.
Some photographs for you. Paddy
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Continuing
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Some more: Number 2 somehow hopped out of order in the folder but I'm sure you will forgive me.
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Beautiful, Paddy ... and then I saw the word; 'Continuing'. I shall have to shower more praise later. :D
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I think our choice of shots would probably be identical if we were permitted to stroll together Paddy? :D
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Some plant detail now:
First two are limes, I think but am not sure
Acer azikazuki - an absolutely gorgeous tree gloriously decked in its red seeds
Actinidia kolomikta - climbing up and down and through several big trees
Arbutus andrachne - great bark (no bite)
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Cliff, I know you would adore this garden. It is simply beautiful, a great place for photography as witnessed by the large group from a camera club which was visiting on Saturday. Nice to see them but they did make the restaurant busy. Paddy
Cardiocrinum giganteum - there is always a great display of these when in flower, just seedheads at this time of year.
Correa - sorry, couldn't identify further.
Desfontanea spinosa
Enkianthus campanulatus
Fatsia japonica - some good patches of these growing well in the sheltered garden
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And finally -
Paddy
Mahonia species - I think.
Myrthus luma 'Glanleam Gold' - an Irish selection of the common myrtle
Pinus montezuma - two absolutely glorious trees.
Stewartia monadelpha - just adore the fact that they get this to flower here, good shelter in the garden. My S. pseudocamellia is a reluctant performer in the garden.
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What a pleasure to join Mary and youreself for this visit, Paddy! I can hardly believe that the autumn colour could get any better!! 8)
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Maggi, believe it or not, it gets better. Well, I really should say that I particularly like the colour changes on Liquidamber styracifolia. There is one on "Mount Usher 11" - it is on the right hand side of the river in this view. This is one of the smaller specimens but they become fabulous as the purples and burgandies mellow to butter and gold. On the left hand side of this photograph is Nothofagus fusca, a New Zealand beech and it also looks fabulous each autumn.
Paddy
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I've never been and think I need to.
http://www.mountushergardens.ie/ (http://www.mountushergardens.ie/)
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You would certainly enjoy it, Mark.
Can anybody comment on the photograph of the fruit above, labelled as "Mahonia sp." This was purely a guess on my part. The foliage was certainly not like the commonly seen Mahonia x meadia but the fruits were very similar to some mahonia species. Does anybody recognise the plant?
Paddy
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holy cow!
fantastic range of colour, and beautifully set off by the water; i bet its wonderful in several different ways through the year..
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Glad you like it, Cohan. It really is a lovely garden, the river is central to the layout and, as you say, adds greatly to the effect. It is lovely at other times of the year as well; spring, with sheets of bulbs naturalised in the grass, is wonderful.
Paddy
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You would certainly enjoy it, Mark.
Can anybody comment on the photograph of the fruit above, labelled as "Mahonia sp." This was purely a guess on my part. The foliage was certainly not like the commonly seen Mahonia x meadia but the fruits were very similar to some mahonia species. Does anybody recognise the plant?
Paddy
Paddy,
do you have a larger photo from the plant. From the fruits I don't think it is a Mahonia sp.
Superb pictures.
Uli
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Uli,
Many thanks for your interest in this plant. Unfortunately, it was planted in a woodland setting among other plants and was a weak and elongated specimen so I haven't a photograph of the whole plant. This photograph shows a little more than the one I posted earlier.
Paddy
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What an amazing visit you must have had Paddy, and returned home absolutey swimming in colour. The Nothofagus fusca is a very fine one, as every tree in this wonderful garden seems to be.
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Paddy, your mystery 'not Mahonia' fruit looks vaguely familiar to me. Could it be Garrya eliptica? It's a long time since I last saw it so I could be wrong. The female form isn't planted so often as the male because it is not so attractive in flower.
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Roma,
I think you have hit the nail on the head. How seldom we see the female form in gardens - the plant struck me as familiar but I still could not place it.
Well spotted, many thanks, Paddy
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Roma, what a fine mind you have, well done! Found this photo, "borrowed" from this site:
www.calfloranursery.com/.../pages_g/garell.html
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Lovely walk Paddy, many thanks, glad to hear there is a good tea room.
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David,
Knew you would want to know about the eating facilities - most important.
Maggi, that certainly seems to be the one. The photograph you show still has the white bloom on the berries but this wears off to show the darker purple colour.
Well spotted, Roma. Many thanks.
Paddy
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Paddy, I have been through your Autumn paradise at Mount Usher several times and each time a new slant on these glorious colours reflected for double enjoyment in the water - what a place, thanks so much to you and Mary for sharing your walk.
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Robin,
Glad you enjoyed it. The original planters of the garden were very clever in their placing of good colouring plants on the river bank giving twice the colour with the reflections. It's a garden we visit several times a year and always enjoy it.
There are no Heren cows there, though. They would add to the appeal, don't you think?
Paddy
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More peaceful without (bells) ;D
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More peaceful without (bells) ;D
and easier to enjoy looking up at trees without having to worry about where you are placing your feet! :o
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Your photos make the place look magical Paddy. I'm sure an accurate reflection?
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If only I had known about this garden when I stayed in Bray. Ah Well.
Lovely colours Paddy.
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Yes, Anthony, an accurate reflection - in the river. It's a great place for autumn colour.
Pat, this garden was certainly close by when you were in Bray and would have been worth a visit. Next time!
Paddy
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The female Garrya is a lovely thing and it's a pity it's not more widely available. I've never seen it here.
Just a slight diversion, Robin's cows were called "herren" which sounds like a breed but isn't there a Scottish song called "Caller Herren" about calling cattle in to be milked? maybe a lullaby or something. Small bell ringing in my unreliable memory. (Not a cow bell though :))
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Lesley,
A quick goggle came up with the following: The song is about "herrin'" = herring, the fish and the "caller" means freshly caught - see note at end.
Paddy
Traditional Scottish Songs
- Caller Herrin'
This song, by Carolina Oliphant (Lady Nairne), is one of many which she wrote in the first half of the 19th century. Prior to her death in 1845 she had published her works under the pseudonym of "Bogan of Bogan."
Caller Herrin'
Chorus
Wha'll buy my caller herrin'?
They're bonnie fish and halesome farin';
Wha'll buy my caller herrin',
New drawn frae the Forth?
When ye were sleepin' on your pillows,
Dream'd ye aught o' our puir fellows,
Darkling as they fac'd the billows,
A' to fill the woven willows?
Buy my caller herrin',
New drawn frae the Forth.
Chorus
Wha'll buy my caller herrin'?
They're no brought here without brave darin';
Buy my caller herrin',
Haul'd through wind and rain.
Chorus
WhaIl buy my caller herrin'?
Oh, ye may ca' them vulgar farin'
Wives and mithers, maist despairin',
Ca' them lives o' men.
Chorus
When the creel o' herrin' passes,
Ladies-clad in silks and laces,
Gather in their braw pelisses,
Cast their heads and screw their faces,
Chorus
Caller herrin's no got lightlie:
Ye can trip the spring fu' tightlie;
Spite o' tauntin', flauntin', flingin',
Gow had set you a' a-singing
Chorus
Neebour wives, now tent my tellin';
When the bonnie fish ye're sellin',
At ae word be in yere dealin' -
Truth will stand when a' thin's failin',
Chorus
Meaning of unusual words:
Caller=freshly caught
halesome farin'=wholesome food
creel=basket
braw pelisses=beautiful mantles
trip the spring fu' tightlie=dance the jig very neatly
Gow= Neil Gow, the fiddle player
tent=heed
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And, Lesley, the female garrya indeed has a beautiful berry/seed but the overall appearance of the shrub is not particularly attractive, a rather ordinary evergreen, glossy foliaged, shrub.
Paddy
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I won a prize for singing that song at a primary school competition , alond with "Flow Gently Sweet Afton"..... ah, happy days!
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Could you give us a few bars now? We're all listening.
Paddy
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Paddy, I've been through them both twice.... you can't have been paying attention! :-\ And I think I'm still word perfect... though I cannot say the same for the tuning! :-X
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We may call on you on another occasion. Perhaps, Lesley would form a duet?
Paddy
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Count me out for the singing, but I have to say the photos are stunning! Makes autumn feel not so uninviting. Good work, love them.
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Paddy, than you so much!!! Well, I did say that my memory was unreliable. It all comes back to me now. :) My mother used to sing this song, as a "for God's sake why won't you go to sleep" song, along with several others.
Maggi my best effort (I once had a fairly decent soprano voice) was "Oh Saw Ye Bonnie Lesley" in a school singing competition. The judge - who NEVER liked me, said it was a shame my talent wan't matched by my conceit. Nasty woman!
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I've been to Mount Usher but not in Autumn - I have been missing something special. Thanks for the photos, Paddy.
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I'm glad you enjoyed the photographs, Heather, and perhaps you will be tempted to visit in another season. Paddy