The Hanging Basket takes centre stage this month. This traditional planting can make a real statement in your garden and is really easy to accomplish.
What you will Need
You will need a 14'' hanging basket, 14'' liner, multi-purpose compost, water retaining gel and slow release fertiliser. And of course some plants of your choice!
Let's get Started
Start with proping the basket with the liner onto a bucket (this will stop the basket from rolling around as you are planting it).
Mix your compost with a spoon of swell gel and a spoon of slow release fertiliser and water (leave this mix for about an hour before using).
Half fill the basket with your compost mix, then start placing your plants. Plant something tall in the centre e.g. geraniums to create some height in the basket. Surround this with your trailing plants (petunia, diascia, bacopa). Fill in with compost and as a finishing touch plant lobelia or allyssum into any gaps. Water well!
Shhh...Our Top Tips
When hanging your basket avoid windy spots as this will dry out the basket very fast.
Place in a sunny spot - water at least once a day and more when it is hot and dry or very windy.
Choice of Plants
The choice of plants for your hanging basket is very personal. Some people like a riot of mixed colour while others like a more co-ordinated look. It will also depend on the aspect of where you are placing your basket although remember most of the summer bedding plants prefer a sunny spot.
If you have a shady area, choose plants such as begonias, fuschia, mimulus and new guinea bizzy lizzie which will give you fantastic colour and brighten up that shady corner.
The 2012 Summer Hanging Basket Competition at Powerscourt Garden Pavilion has begun!!
About the Competiton
Create the most ORIGINAL and SPECTACULAR summer hanging basket to be in with a chance to win a €50 Voucher to spend on goodies in the Garden Pavilion! We can't wait to see your basket beauties! Photos of all entries will be uploaded onto our website and social media after the competition has ended so we can all enjoy them!
The prize: €50 Voucher to spend in Powerscourt Garden Pavilion
How To Enter:
By Email: Send a photo of your summer hanging basket to marketing@powerscourt.net and include your Name, Address, Email Address and Phone Number alongside your entry. If you would prefer not to be added to our mailing list please add in 'Do not Mail' to your email.
By Post: Send a photo of your summer hanging basket to Aoife O'Driscoll, Powerscourt Estate, Enniskerry, County Wicklow. Please include your Name, Address, Email Address and Phone Number alongside your entry. It will not be possible to return any photos sent to us.
In Store: You can also enter the competition by filling in a form at the Garden Pavilion.
Closing Date: The closing date for entries is 5pm on 28th June. Good luck and thanks for entering!
Top Tips:
Click here for our top tips to create a beautiful hanging basket at home!
Today we chat with Michael Byrne, Head Gardener at Powerscourt who gives us an insider's track about life behind the scenes in the Gardens!
1) How did you come to work at Powerscourt
“After maintaining historic gardens across Scotland and setting up my own landscaping business, I wanted to move back to Ireland and find a better quality of life and spend more time with my family. A few months after my return I found myself in County Wicklow, being interviewed for the post of Powerscourt’s Head Gardener. On the day of my interview, I arrived with hours to spare, so that I could walk around the gardens, taking notes and getting a real feel for the place.” The day after the interview he got a phone call from Sarah Slazenger to say that he’d got the job!
2) How big is your team?
“There are five of us in total – Dermot, Derek, Ken, Shane and myself. In the spring we take on an intern from countries such as Ireland, France, Italy or Germany and in the summer we take on students for seasonal work”
3) How many different types of plants and trees are there at Powerscourt?
“There are hundreds of different types of plants, trees and shrubs here. In the herbaceous border there are 700 different varieties of plants and we have 50 types of roses in the Rose Garden – from a hybrid tea to a patio rose.”
4) Could you tell us a little about the Gardens, why are they so special?
“Every day I come to work I see something new or have a fresh idea about something that I have walked past every day for the past four years. The sheer scale and size of the gardens is very impressive. There are so many different themes in the garden including the Italian garden, the Japanese garden, the walk full of rhododendrons and azaleas and an extensive herbaceous border. From the really structured symmetry of the gardens and terraces to the informality of the sweeping herbaceous border, all parts of the gardens are unique and special.”
5) Where do you get your inspiration about what to plant here?
“I tend to go with what has been here before and if it didn’t do well I try to find out why. Were the soil conditions wrong? Was it too damp for the plants? Are they happy in the sunlight or part shade? Plants are specific as to what they require. I try to introduce varieties of specimen plants that are new to Powerscourt whilst being aware that it is a heritage garden. I keep with tradition wherever possible but know when to move forward. This year we are introducing more winter colour to the gardens to brighten up the dark winter days in the garden.
6) What is a typical day for you at Powerscourt Michael?
“I have a very long commute to the gardens! (2 minutes) The first job is to open the English and Chorus Gates. I take a short walk around the fountains and water features to make sure they are all working. Then I make my way back to meet with the gardeners and discuss the daily to weekly work rosters and how we are progressing. I carry out my own work in the gardens whether it is pruning roses, cutting grass or edging the flower beds.”
7) What is your hidden gem here?
“I really enjoy the pet’s cemetery and the rhododendron walk. It’s one of the quietest parts of the gardens. The Pet’s Cemetery is a real novelty for me because I love animals so much.”
8) What are the challenges you face in the garden?
“We face problems with both drainage and drought with the nature of our climate. There is damage from wildlife – the grey squirrels tend to damage a lot of the trees. We have had badgers and foxes dig in areas that don’t need to be dug! It’s a challenge to keep the fountains and water features going and maintain the troughs and the urns because of their age. The weather is often against us too!”
9) What are you most proud of in the garden?
“When all the flowers are blooming and there is as much colour in the gardens as possible – it is great to see the garden in all its beauty.”
10) We’re curious, how DO YOU mow the sloped lawns in the Gardens?
“Years ago they would have been cut with a scythe. In more recent years the gardeners used Flymos with a long piece of rope. We have invested in a machine called a Ferris which is a hydrostatic rotary mower that will climb a bank up to about 60 degrees. All the terraces can now be done in 3 and a half hours!”
11) What look in the Gardens can we easily create at home?
“You could create your own Japanese Garden or an area in your garden for Japanese plants and traditions. Anyone can create their own home herbaceous border on a small scale.”
12) Tell us something we don’t know about the Gardens…
“Along the rhododendron walk as you walk to the dolphin pond, there is a small cave which was filled in years ago. Apparently there is a hobbit’s cave there!”
Thanks very much Michael, we have really enjoyed talking with you today. Next time you are in the Gardens why not say hello to Michael and his team!
Article courtesy of Shay from daytripperdublin.com Thanks for the lovely article and pictures Shay!
As you enter the main gates you sense that you are entering a very special place. A mile long avenue of 2,000 beech trees stretches out before me, their pale trunks reflecting the morning sunshine.
Powerscourt Gardens are recognized as one of the most beautiful gardens in the world. As I enter them from the rear of the house I am confronted by a spectacular view, before me the magnificent Italian Terraced Gardens slope down to the lake with the impressive Sugarloaf Mountain in the back ground, creating the perfect setting. The design of the gardens was first started in the 1731, the Italian Gardens were laid out in the 1840′s, taking 100 men 12 years to complete.
Springtime in the Gardens.
Springtime is a wonderful time to visit. The gardens are a blaze of colour as Powerscourt celebrates its magnificent Tulip Festival (10th-24th April) It is a wonderful sight to watch thousands of Tulips gently swaying in the breeze. Displays of Tulips are located throughout the gardens, from the Italian Gardens to the herbaceous borders in the Walled Garden and the flower beds adjacent to the green houses.
Presently so much in bloom, my favourite place at the moment is the Japanese Gardens as everything there is coming into flower, Rhododendrons, Azaleas and Cherry Blossoms have created a mosaic of spell binding vibrant colour, the Japanese Maples and the Weeping Willow are coming into leaf as the Magnolia slowly looses its delicate flowers.
Elsewhere in the gardens, bringing colour to the secret corners Rhododrendrons, Bluebells and a late flowering Magnolia are all in flower. On the opposite side of the Walled garden facing the green houses is an extensive collection of Camellias that are sadly passed their peak but still worth seeing.
When visiting the gardens give yourself a couple of hours to discover all that they have to offer, its a magical experience. The Italian Gardens, Tower Valley, The Japanese Gardens, The Walled Gardens and the Rhododendron Walk are full of rare and exotic plants.
Location:
The gardens are located just outside the village of Enniskerry in the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains, 19km/12miles south of Dublin City centre.
Powerscourt House & Gardens Web Site:
http://www.powerscourt.ie/gardens
Bus:
No, 44 from Dublin City centre to Enniskerry Village, No, 185 from Bray Dart Station to Enniskerry Village.
Bus routes and timetable: http://www.dublinbus.ie/
Open:
Daily 9.30am-5.30pm
Article courtesy of Shay from daytripperdublin.com
The California Lilac, so called because it is native to California and the flowers resemble those of the lilac tree (Syringa).
The Ceanothus are a family of both evergreen and decidious shrubs or small trees. They come in a variety of colours including pink and white but most people will be familiar with the beautiful blue varieties.
Ceanothus enjoy a sunny South or West facing position, sheltered from cold winds and a free draining soil. Damage can be caused by positioning in a wet spot particularly in Winter. Ceanothus vary in colour (depending on the variety) from a subtle powdery blue to a deep sapphire blue. They require very little feeding and almost thrive on a little neglect! If feeding becomes necessary early Spring is the best time to do it. Pruning, if necessary, should be done immediately after flowering. Avoid pruing late in the season as it promotes new growth which can be hit hard by early frosts.
Some varieties to try; Ceanothus x 'Blue Sapphire', it's graceful arching form makes a beautiful ground cover specimen. Abundant dark sapphire blue flowers cover the plant in April. The dark emerald foliage turns almost black in Winter.
Ceanothus arboreus trewithen blue is a much larger growing variety growing 8ft high with deep blue panicles of flowers which appear in April and May, backed by a broad dark green foliage.
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus var. repens flowers in April, May and into early June. This low growing evergreen shrub is cloaked in fluffy powder blue flowers. Planted at the front of a mixed border, it looks great when coupled with Euonymus 'Emerald & Gold' or Dianthus 'Kahori'.
About the Competiton
Set your garden up in style this summer with our competition to win a Devonshire Sunlounger from LeisureGrow. The stunning Devonshire collection was inspired by decadent design. The Devonshire range is our premium cast aluminium range due to the detail in design and finish. Cast aluminium is anti-rust and easy to maintain. The prize is worth a whopping €399 so get entering today!
The prize:
*Sunlounger only, table not included
How To Enter
Send your Name, Address, Email Address and Phone Number to aoife.odriscoll@powerscourt.net
The closing date for entries is 5pm on 31st May 2012. Good luck and thanks for entering!
If you would prefer not to be added to our mailing list please add in 'Do not Mail' to your email.
For more information on our Leisuregrow range check out our new stock at the Garden Pavilion
Gardening Jobs for April
Prepare your flower beds & borders!
Dig in some well rotted manure, alternatively use pelleted chicken manure or fish blood and bone (Lovely!)
Summer Flowering Bulbs
Plant Summer flowering bulbs such as Gladiolii and Lilies, start off the non-stop Begonias but do not put them outside just yet wait until the risk of frost has passed.
Tulips & Daffs
Dead head Tulips & Daffodils as the flowers go over but leave the foliage intact to die back naturally. Divide the primroses after they have finished flowering and trim back winter flowering heather.
Happy Gardening!
Michael Seery, creator of the Enniskerry History Blog, writes about the origins of Powerscourt Waterfall as a tourism attraction:
"260 years ago, Bishop Pococke wrote about his visit to Powerscourt in 1752 which was part of his travels around Ireland:
Powers Court, belonging to Lord Powerscourt... In the Park two miles from the House, is the famous fall of Water, which is a cascade that falls in one spout without breaks… the high ground on each side covered with wood in the way to it is very fine.
Tourism in the modern sense began around 1750, so Pococke was one of the earliest to write about a visit to Powerscourt. As the century progressed, many more came after him. Travel in Britain and Ireland by the aristocracy rose significantly as the Grand Tour of Europe became impossible during the Napoleonic Wars. Travel narratives and guidebooks recommended sites to see, and even in those guides restricted to Dublin, tourists were recommended to visit Powerscourt House and the Waterfall.
The Waterfall was particularly popular. The latter half of the eighteenth century coincided with the Romantic movement and the search for the sublime—places and views that would evoke emotions of awe and terror, of the dominance of nature. Powerscourt Waterfall fit the bill nicely, and visitors seeking sublime wrote about it effusively. Edward Lloyd wrote in his “Month’s Tour” in 1781 that:
When we approached the waterfall we were struck with amazement. The astonishing accounts we had heard of this phenomenon conveyed no idea of it to our minds. It descends from a steep rock of the stupendous height of 350 feet. In its fall, its appearance resembles the drifting of snow, and the spectators are bedewed with the spray at a considerable distance.
1: Powerscourt Waterfall by George Barret, ca. 1760. Writing in 1781, Edward Lloyd wrote: “In its fall, its appearance resembles the drifting of snow”
In 1821, Richard Wingfield, 5th Viscount Powerscourt dammed up the river above the Waterfall in preparation for a visit of George IV, with the intention of bursting the dam to produce an admirable flow for the royal view. Luckily for the King, he didn’t go, as the viewing platform on which he was to view the spectacle was washed away.
Successive Lord Powerscourts improved the grounds at the Waterfall, building a viewing bridge, a picnic area and seating, and a banqueting room. The Waterfall’s place on the tourist map was confirmed when it appeared in the hugely popular book ”A guide to the county of Wicklow”, published in 1822, which would be the standard reference for tourists to the county for the next 50 years.
Entering the deer park an extent of 500 acres the road crossing the river lies through a great forest of oak which clothes the sides of two lofty mountains up to their very summits. The glen called the deer park is in the form of a semi-circle the mountains on each side as you enter the vale, meeting at the end. After a drive of nearly one mile in a direct line towards the mountain blocking up the end of the glen the waterfall is perceived issuing from the top of the overhanging cliff which is a completely perpendicular rock and falling from a height of three hundred feet into a natural reservoir below behind a group of lofty rocks..."
2: An early photograph of Powerscourt Waterfall, by Lewis Wingfield, youngest brother of 7th Viscount Powerscout, ca. 1860
Thanks Michael, for this fantastic article!
Hello everyone!
We are delighted to let you know we have three winners for our recent South Coast Tour Competition, courtesy of Dublin Bus Tours
The winners are: Clare O'Connor Campbell, Michael Breen and Denis Mc Auliffe.
Many thanks to everyone who entered! For more information on the South Coast Tour, please click here. If the weather continues to be warm and sunny, can you imagine a more beautiful way to spend a day than by the coast and Powerscourt Gardens?
Yay, it's Friday! We have a great prize from Dublin Bus to get everybody in the mood for the weekend!
Dublin Bus Tours are very kindly giving away two tickets to 3 different people for their South Coast Tour Enjoy fantastic views of Dublin's beautiful South Coast as you travel past Dun Laoghaire Harbour and James Joyce’s Tower at Sandycove. What better way is there to spend a weekend this coming Easter Break?
Turning inland, the tour climbs into the beautiful Wicklow mountains and continues through Enniskerry village to Powerscourt Estate. You will have plenty of time to visit Powerscourt Gardens, including the Italian, Japanese and Walled Gardens. Click here for more information on Powerscourt Gardens, which are lovely at this time of year with the vibrant colours of Autumn.
Before returning to Dublin the tour passes through a wild ravine known as 'The Scalp' and the dramatic scenery of the Wicklow and Dublin mountains.
Click here for more information on the tour.
How to enter:
To enter simply send your details to aoife.odriscoll@powerscourt.net with “South Coast Competition” as the subject line and include your: Name, Address, Email Address and Phone Number.
Closing Date for entries: Thursday 29th March @12pm