SOME OF THE best gardens are green, with little other colour disturbing their composure. One such monochromatic pleasure is the 35-hectare ornamental patch at Killruddery House in Bray, Co Wicklow, home of the earls of Meath. The garden, which dates from 1682, was laid out in the French style by a Monsieur Bonet, who, before coming to this estate at the feet of the Sugar Loaf mountains and Bray Head, had been gardener to William Petty, the surveyor-general of Ireland.
Bonet was a follower of André Le Nôtre, gardener to Louis XIV, and his design for Edward Brabazon, the fourth earl of Meath, was as fashionable as could be. It was a marvel of order and precision, a stern yet beautiful discipline imposed on the raggle-taggle landscape of Wicklow. A pair of matching canals stretched from the house, their glassy surfaces like elongated mirrors, reflecting and amplifying the dwelling’s magnificence. Beyond their ends, a round pond threw up a lone but triumphant jet of water.
On the east side, Bonet created the Angles, a patte d’oie (literally, goose foot) arrangement of high hedges in yew, hornbeam, beech and lime. On the far side of the canals was the wilderness. This was based on the French idea of a bosquet, and was hardly wild at all, being a grove of trees planted in a formal manner. (I love the idea of this garden of extraordinary symmetry and regularity being carved out of a savage landscape, with a carefully calibrated “wilderness” at its core.) A sylvan theatre for outdoor entertainment was placed at the edge of the wilderness, and nearby, a double doughnut of beech trees enclosed a circular pond. Elsewhere, Bonet provided a maze, a bowling green and other chic pleasures for his employers. More than three centuries ago, it must have been an odd thing to find such a treasure hidden away on this singular island perched on the outer rim of Europe.
Much of Bonet’s garden remains today, with the exception of the maze; the bowling green, which is prone to flooding, has also been through several metamorphoses. If Bonet could see it from the air, he’d be well pleased with the enduring geometric perfection and grandeur of his creation (although gobsmacked, no doubt, by the thousands of houses that have grown up on its edge). The later, 19th-century Italianate parterre looks incidental in comparison, with no offence to its designer, Daniel Robertson, who also worked on Powerscourt.
During the past century, however, the gardens had declined into a gracious decrepitude, and were decidedly woolly about the edges, despite the best efforts of the Brabazon family (who were also deeply involved in dealing with dry rot in the house). Daragh Farren, who has been head gardener for the past eight years, says: “I think we’ve managed to halt the decline and to finally turn a corner.”
Indeed they have. Thanks to the efforts of Farren and his tiny team (which might swell to three and a half people at peak time), the gardens are looking better than ever. Much of the maintenance involves precise cutting and clipping: besides all those hedges (almost six kilometres, apparently), there are eight hectares of grass, including several challenging gradients. “It’s been a matter of finding the right machines,” explains Farren. “And we’ve gone carefully, always with a mind to the integrity of the garden.”
The present earl of Meath, Jack Meath, who is a forester, has been quietly labouring in the woodland, opening paths that had long ago closed over. There is also new creativity in this ancient plot: the meadowy Elizabeth Walk (planted with magnolias of the same name) leads to a copper-clad, sculptural gazebo made by Jack’s niece Naomi Jobson, which commemorates his late parents, Elizabeth and Anthony Brabazon. The pretty ornamental dairy has been restored by the younger members of the family, and is now a tearoom, serving toothsome cakes and savouries; and Killruddery Arts hosts events including movie screenings and other cultural happenings. There is an optimistic energy about the place that dances around the edges of this self-possessed and geometrically-perfect antique.
The gardens at Killruddery House, off Southern Cross Road, Bray, Co Wicklow, are open daily until September 30th, 1-5pm. Admission: €6 (adults), €2 (5-12 year-olds); 0404-46024. The Enchanted Garden is an arts event with children’s workshops and interactive installations today and tomorrow, 12.30-5pm €7, €25 (family). See www.killruddery.com
TO DO THIS WEEK
Although midsummer is past, you can still sow salad plants and be harvesting them within weeks. Consider all kinds of leaves, as well as spring onions and radish. The latter two must be sown straight into the ground. To avoid washing away the tiny seeds, water the drill thoroughly first, and sow sparsely so that you don’t disturb the roots by unnecessary thinning. Rocket should be direct sown, as it tends to bolt (flower early and run to seed) when transplanted. Other leafy salads can be sown in modules and planted out when they are a few centimetres high. These plantlets are less vulnerable to slugs and snails than just-germinated seedlings. Red-leaved lettuces are less popular with molluscs.
OTHER DIARY DATES
Bray Garden Walkabout and Flower Festival. Fourteen town gardens open. Today and tomorrow, www.braygardenwalkabout.ie.
Enniskerry Garden Club Garden Trail. Ten gardens open. Today, 12-5pm, €10, €25 (family), www.gardentrail.001webs.com.