Ireland's great houses, castles, plants and gardens are part of Irish history, heritage and cultural uniqueness.
I fell in love with the plants and gardens of Ireland during an Irish garden tour five years ago. Irish gardens, due to vicissitudes of Irish history, are pages in a garden history book. They are firmly interwoven with Ireland's manor houses, historic castles and ancient ruins.
Here are some of my articles for Landscaping at Suite101:
- Ireland's Oldest Garden, located in Bray, county Wicklow, demonstrates this historical allure. The Brabazon family (Earls of Meath) has continuously owned Killruddery Estate since 1618. Killruddery contains Ireland's oldest garden features. In recent years the house and garden have provided shooting locations for many films and TV series.
- Ireland's Oldest Garden – Part II is a virtual exploration of some existing 17th and 18th century landscape features existing at Killruddery. Twin canals and a turfed amphitheater are the most distinctive design constructions.
- Killruddery Gardens' Victoriana demonstrates renovations, begun about 1840 and shaped by popular tastes. These features persist alongside of Killruddery Gardens' original 17th- 18th- and 19th - century garden features.
- Killruddery Gardens' 19th Century shows that early 19th century maintenance was ongoing. The owners purchased contemporary cast-iron statues and installed more features. However,Killruddery Gardens retained their original 17th- and 18th- century garden features.
Here are some of my articles about Irish plants:
- Shamrocks for the Home Landscape explains why you probably need look no further than your lawn or nearest pasture for a shamrock. The lovely book, Shamrock: Botany and History of an Irish Myth, by E. Charles Nelson, explains why.
- Druids, Saints and Trees tells how author Niall Mac Coitir assembles folklore of native Irish trees. His book Irish Trees: Myths, Legends & Folklore shares with us druids, saints and common folk and their love and use of plants.
© Georgene A. Bramlage. 2008.
