Magical rural idyll at Belvedere House
GARDENS and flowers are normally associated more with love and romance than deceit and jealousy.
Common to see love seats and plants from lovers and friends, uncommon to see a ‘Jealous Wall’ as a major feature in a garden.
In 1757 Robert Rochfort returned to Belvedere House in Mullingar, Co Westmeath, in the midst of a pretty tangled story of mistrust and bad blood.
He built a Gothic folly between his home in Belvedere and neighbouring mansion Tudenham which was owned by his brother George.
This folly was to block the view between both houses so they would be unable to see each other.
The backstory to the building of this wall is an unpleasant story of jealousy, paranoia, manipulation and bitterness. As I say, not emotions you would normally associate with beautiful gardens.
The passage of time consigns such feuds and squabbles and nastiness to the footnotes of history.
The majority of people who look upon the Jealous Wall structure in the 21st century have no idea of the story behind it and of how it came to be.
Rather they admire the curious structure as an impressive back drop to Cherry Valley and the beautiful tree planting in Belvedere.
The Jealous Wall isn’t the only folly in the gardens. Belvedere is famous for its follies.
The word “folly” is commonly used to describe an ornamental building serving no useful purpose - some were designed as “sham ruins” while others were built simply to adorn the landscape.
On the estate as well as the famous Jealous Wall you will find the gothic arch and octagonal gazebo.
In Georgian times, the inclusion of such follies as part of the overall improvements to the landscape were to provide subjects for melancholic contemplation of the triumph of civilisation over barbarity.
The one-and-a-half acre Victorian Walled garden is all that you would expect from gardens such as these containing a beautifully reproduced glasshouse complete with herbaceous beds at their best at the moment, of course an impressive rose garden, herb garden and a vegetable potager.
Below the walled garden is the relatively recently created Enchanted Glen where you may well bump into some fairies among the woodland treasures.
This was designed and created by horticultural tutor at Belvedere House and Gardens, John Smyth. The garden and grounds also house a 40ft Trachycarpus fortunei, a 45ft monkey puzzle, Osmanthus burkwoodii, and many unusual tree species such as Picea smithiana which were grown from seed by previous owner Charles Howard Bury from his expeditions to the Far East.
If a garden contains a part of everyone who has lived in it and tended to it then the grounds in Belvedere contain not a small amount of sadness and pain but they now also keep a small bit of happiness, laughter and light-heartedness from each child that enjoys playing in the grounds, and each bigger child that admires the beautiful plantings in the garden.
On July 24, Belvedere plays host to the Midlands Home and Garden Show.
Now in year five, this show is fast establishing itself on the circuit of talks that us gardeners must get to.
As the more rare and unusual plants become less and less available in mainstream garden centres, it is becoming more and more the premise of good plant shows such as this one in the Midlands to offer the more choice varieties.
If you are hunting for a particular specimen that may have thus far eluded you then it is most likely that you will find it at one of these garden shows which are used as shop windows and indeed shop floors by the specialist nurseries and growers from around Ireland and beyond.
I love going to these shows as you will always come away with something new be it a plant or a new tool that I convince myself that I absolutely need and wonder how I ever gardened without.
Like all good garden shows, furniture, ornaments, sculpture all will be on display and inspiration will be all about. What makes this show all the more special is the setting.
The beautiful grounds of Belvedere House should ensure that this show continues to become even stronger and more successful as the years go on.
John Smyth will be delivering a number of seminars at the show:
* Creating your very own Eden
* 100s of essential tips for designing or renovating your garden space
* What Plant Where
John will demonstrate the plants available at the festival and how to get the best from them also the top 20 must have plants for your garden
There will also be a tour through the Historical gardens with John Smyth outlining the design behind the parklands and estate.
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