Two tree men. First, Jack Whaley who, last weekend launched his book The Age of Walled Gardens at his home at Bloomsbury, Kells, County Meath. Mrs Daphne Shackleton gave the address. The book will no doubt be reviewed in the appropriate columns of this newspaper, to which Jack contributed for a long time. His knowledge of plants in general, and in particular trees, is formidable, and he shares generously. He has a masterly touch. Any plant coming from Jack and Ann Whaley will flourish. He gave two lime trees to a friend some years ago. One now stands, majestically, of flawless outline, in the centre of his lawn. Dauntless, too, is Jack. The reception was held the day after he came back from hospital after a hip replacement. Published by Jim McAleese's Fieldgate Press, Oristown, Kells. Jim notes in a press release that Jack, now in his 87th year, uses an electric car to drive to his walled garden - over his bridge across the Borora river "where he still works the year round". Needless to say, he has many specimen trees. Perhaps most people put at the top the Tulip tree (Liliodendron tulipifera), but then others admire. . . well there is a wide choice.
The other tree man is Aubrey Fennell of Thornville, Palatine, Carlow, who sent a beautiful document, handlettered, i.e. written in noncursive lettering, on two sides of a sheet nearly foolscap size, in tremendous detail listing trees he has visited and measured for the Tree Register of Ireland. He lists and measures some of the trees visited under the headings of girth, height above the ground of measuring the girth, estimated height, and address. He quotes Augustine Henry early in the century regretting that Ireland "renowned in ancient days for its oak timber . . . is now singularly wanting in even good specimens of solitary oak trees. Mr Fennell thinks that Henry would be pleased that so many fine trees survive and others waiting to be discovered. He has measured 2,000 trees in the last 15 months "with a natural bias to south Leinster, where I live". He asks that anyone knowing of fine trees might write to him or phone 050331395 after 6 pm. On another day we'll look at some of his surprising statistics. And did you know that the Quercus suber or cork oak, the one you see in southern France, Spain and elsewhere, grows in Ireland? He lists five, apart from the one in Glasnevin, Dublin. Others are in Adare, Limerick, Tollymore, Down, Russelstown, Carlow, Shillelagh, Wicklow and Scarrif, Clare. The survey was initiated by the Tree Council of Ireland. Afterthought. Were corks ever made in Ireland of these oaks? Y