Reviews
Gardens of Ireland, Terence Reeves-Smyth
There are very few fully-maintained old walled gardens in Ireland and Benvarden’s is undoubtedly the best in private hands. Gravel paths and low box hedging divide much of the ½ hectare (1 ½ acre) upper garden, whose curved walls support beautifully trained fruit. A colourful herbaceous border runs through the garden’s centre, punctuated by pergola arches wreathed with old rose climbers. To one side and overlooked by the glasshouse is a rose garden: a dazzling assemblage of hybrid teas arranged around a lily pond with an urn. There are David Austin roses to one side, a pretty sundial, and, in the adjacent block, a large box parterre with lavender and senecio around a weeping pear, enlivened by vivid clumps of Livingston daisies.
The adjacent lower garden is devoted to kitchen stuff, all beautifully ordered behind box-edged paths in the true 19th century style. Apples, plums, and pears are trained against the walls and on dwarf espalier supports, where the compartments are filled with regimented rows of vegetables and soft fruit. Glasshouses contain pot plants, tomatoes, vines and melons.
The nearby mansion is surrounded by much ornamental planting, both old and new, on lawns that sweep to the Bann1. An impressive cast-iron bridge of c1870 spans the river and to the west lies a mid 19th century oval pond surrounded by rhododendrons and Irish yews.
1 The river is actually the Bush.
A Garden Walk - Helen Mark (of BBC Radio 4 Open Country)
Someone shouted ‘smile’, a camera clicked and I had an the uneasy feeling that I had been caught in someone’s precious wedding day photographs – I soon realised as one group left and another arrived that the walled garden at Benvarden is a popular photo backdrop. I’ve always loved the atmosphere of a walled garden – being enclosed in a protected environment; you can feel a change in the atmosphere as you walk in. The bridal party didn’t seem to be terribly interested in what was growing; I suppose they had other things on their mind.
So that I wouldn’t ruin the wedding keepsake I thought it an opportune time to explore the surrounding woodlands. What a treat – conifers and broad leaf trees, bluebells and primrose, ancient Irish yews, maples, azaleas and rhodo’s in full bloom, pink, red, white – fallen petals forming a carpet of colour. I liked the contrast to the formality of the walled garden, but you can still see the great care that has been taken over the range of plantings especially around the river and pond edges.
The historic ‘big house’ is visible through the trees, surrounded by well-kept lawns. There was someone hoeing a vast stretch of gravel. The owner it turned out! Maybe it’s this family’s involvement in the garden that makes this place special, being personally tended by those with an intrinsic knowledge of the estate - must be tremendously hard work though.
Back in the, now empty, walled garden the magnolias and rhodo’s were breathtaking, hope they didn’t outshine the bride! Vast lengths of herbaceous borders would shortly be glorious, you could almost feel the high red brick walls absorbing what little May-time sunshine there was and radiating it back to all manner of plants tied into the brickwork.
An archway leads into the vegetable garden. My envy level soared – it was absolutely perfect – from ridges of potatoes to rows of rasps, abundant fruit and veg that would surely supply a small army. Meticulously cared for and picture perfect although I doubt a bride would want any snaps among the cabbage plants. As I drove off a family of rabbits ran across the driveway – I know where they were headed – who could blame them!