CIRCE'S GARDEN: PATTERNS IN LADY LONDONDERRY'S DESIGN AND
MANAGEMENT OF MOUNT STEWART NORTHERN IRELAND 1917-1955
A Report Prepared by
Stephanie N. Bryan, MLA
for
The Royal Oak Foundation,
The National Trust of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland
and Mount Stewart Gardens
2
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would first like to thank the Royal Oak Foundation for creating this once in a lifetime
opportunity, as well as the Mudge Foundation for generously funding this fellowship. During
my two-month stay in Northern Ireland, I have gained more knowledge about historic landscape
management, garden history, British culture and history, and horticulture than I ever could have
imagined. I look forward to applying a great deal of what I have learned at Mount Stewart to my
future work with historic cultural landscapes in the United States.
It is important to acknowledge the National Trust team at Mount Stewart for their warm
hospitality, insight into the gardens, assistance with various research materials, and patience in
answering my myriad questions. I would like to thank Head Gardener Neil Porteous for sharing
his vast knowledge and experience of Mount Stewart, as well as his infectious energy and
passion for the landscape. Lady Rose and Peter Lauritzen graciously shared their personal
memories of Lady Londonderry and granted me access to the many significant primary resources
that served as a basis for this report. Madge Smart kindly pulled sources from the archives and
provided me space to work from the estate office.
Finally, I would like to thank my mentors and colleagues at the University of Georgia for
helping me cultivate my interests in historic landscape management and garden history. I truly
appreciate Dr. Eric MacDonald and Professor Emeritus Ian J. W. Firth for reading early drafts of
this document and for their encouragement throughout the process.
3
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The early twentieth-century gardens at Mount Stewart are historically significant because
of their association with Edith, Lady Londonderry, a British aristocrat whose fusion of styles
produced a truly eclectic and idiosyncratic place. The current significance of the gardens,
however, extends beyond its historical associations. For example, in the wake of many global
challenges—climate change, a generation of youth disengaged from nature, energy descent, and
economic downturns—Mount Stewart, similar to other gardens, provides a place where people
can cultivate their relationships with nature and with each other. Thus, it is important for
researchers regularly to reexamine sources, such as Lady Londonderry's original garden books,
that can reveal information about how to manage and interpret the gardens in ways relevant to
the present day.
This report results from extensive research conducted in the Mount Stewart Archives and
aims to guide future management and interpretation of the gardens. Following the executive
summary, the report contains five parts. Part I is an introductory chapter that discusses the
purpose and scope of the report, the research methods and sources, and the nature and character
of Lady Londonderry's garden books. Part II provides an historical overview of Mount Stewart
and explains the evolution and significance of the gardens. Part II concludes by raising the main
research questions regarding what key characteristics originally defined the gardens and what
management
strategies Lady Londonderry and others employed to respond to changing external
circumstances. Parts III and IV address the research questions through a selection of quotes and
data collected from the pages of Lady Londonderry's garden books, among other primary
resources.
4
Part III specifically identifies characteristics of the garden during its peak period from
1917 to 1939. These characteristics include (1) an amalgamation of inspirations and influences,
(2) personalized mythologies and an imaginative sensibility, (3) a range of talents, (4) an exotic
collection, (5) a network of exchange, (6) color, (7) fragrance, (8) season, (9) a labor of love, and
(10) a cultivated exuberance. Part IV outlines seven design and management strategies applied to
the gardens from 1939 to 1955. The following subsections describe these strategies: (1) A
Continuation of Earlier Practices (1939-1940); (2) Responses to Severe Weather Events (1940-
1941); (3) Changes in Purpose I: Vegetables for Consumption (1941-1946); (4) Changes in
Purpose II: Flowers for Market (1941-1946); (5) Seeking Labor Saving Strategies (1947-1955);
(6) Economizing in the Gardens (1947-1955); and (7) Regaining Lost Knowledge (1947-1955).
Finally, Part V concludes with a summary of findings, connects past practices to present goals
and future challenges, and identifies topics for future research.
5
PART I: INTRODUCTION
Purpose and Scope of Research
The purpose of this research is to identify the aesthetic characteristics, design principles,
and adaptive management strategies that defined Lady Londonderry's gardens at Mount Stewart
in Northern Ireland from 1917 to 1955. This information will foremost guide the National Trust
in its future management and interpretation of the gardens. While the National Trust nominated
the gardens during the 1990s as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the author hopes that new areas
of significance identified and detailed in this report will assist them in the process of designating
Mount Stewart as a place of international esteem.
The history of Mount Stewart dates back to 1744 when Alexander Stewart purchased the
manors of Comber and Newtownards, an extensive landholding that included the Templecrone
demesne (later named Mount Stewart). Throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the
estate evolved as it passed through several generations of family members who expanded the
house, gardens, and landscape park. It was not until 1915 that Lady Londonderry's husband,
Charles Stewart Henry, inherited the property and succeeded to the title of 7th Marques. Lady
Londonderry began creating the gardens around 1917 and developed them with much expense
and passion over a span of nearly forty years. As Lady Londonderry aged, the National Trust
assumed management of the gardens in 1955.
The scope of this research is thus limited to the period from 1917-1955 when Lady
Londonderry created and managed the gardens that survive today. Although she remained
heavily involved in the gardens until her death in 1959, the author has not included this brief
transition period in the report because the National Trust inevitably would have influenced Lady
Londonderry's actions and decisions. During Lady Londonderry's period at Mount Stewart, she
also created and maintained gardens at Kinloch, a shooting lodge in Sutherland where she
6
periodically resided. Because of time constraints, the author was unable to research this garden
and determine whether Lady Londonderry might have applied design principles and management
strategies similar to Mount Stewart.
Research for this report focused almost entirely on primary documents contained in the
Mount Stewart Archives. The author concentrated on Lady Londonderry's nine garden books
because no one has thoroughly analyzed the sources as a complete entity. The author also
reviewed the National Trust's 2011 "Conservation Management Plan" to understand the
significance of the gardens, the management philosophy applied by the National Trust, and
challenges presently facing management. While the National Trust has managed the gardens for
over fifty years, the author did not attempt to review the extensive period from 1959 through the
present to gain a full understanding of how the gardens have evolved into their current state since
Lady Londonderry's tenure.
Research Methods and Sources:
The author used a variety of research methods and sources to compose this report.
Primary sources, such as garden books and published articles by Lady Londonderry, provided
great insight into her thought process, and revealed how she managed the gardens over a course
of nearly forty years. Additionally, the author reviewed literature that comprised Lady
Londonderry's library collection, specifically Arthur T. Bolton's Gardens of Italy and various
books of the Arts and Crafts Movement. Many of these books contained markers, loose sketches,
and notations by Lady Londonderry and thus served as one of her fundamental sources of
inspiration.
7
Historic photographs complemented the aforementioned textual resources by offering a
rich visual record of the gardens before World War I. Unfortunately, no photographs have been
identified for the critical twenty-year period from the start of World War II in 1939 to the time
when the National Trust acquired the gardens in 1955. This gap in photographic documentation
forced the author to rely solely on written accounts to understand how the gardens may have
changed. It is difficult to determine why there are no images from this period and one might
question whether this was an intentional choice, or caused by some unknown external
circumstance. Lady Londonderry's youngest daughter, Lady Mairi, reportedly captured the
gardens on cine film during the 1950s. While these moving pictures would certainly help fill this
gap in visual data, the author was unable to examine them because they remain in an obsolete
viewing format.
A range of secondary resources also supplemented this research, including the following:
(1) Circe: The Life of Edith, Marchioness of Londonderry by Anne de Courcy provided a useful
biographical account, yet surprisingly contained little mention of the Mount Stewart gardens; (2)
Anne Casement's unpublished report "Mount Stewart Garden Archives and Historical Survey
1917-1959" inventoried the plethora of primary resources at hand and included practical
chronologies of the estate and its garden features, significant persons associated with the
gardens, acquisition of plants, and so forth; (3) pamphlets published by the National Trust and
intended to aid the visitor's experience supplied a combination of basic historical information and
plant references; (4) the "Mount Stewart Garden Conservation Management Plan 2011" was an
indispensible resource that outlines the context and significance of the gardens, and states the
management philosophy currently employed by the National Trust; and, finally, (5) several
8
unpublished articles about the gardens, such as Michael J. Tooley's "Gertrude Jekyll and Mount
Stewart" afforded detailed analyses regarding focused topics on the garden's history.
Interviews with key persons associated with the gardens proved to be an invaluable
source. Lady Rose kindly shared personal recollections of her grandmother, Lady Londonderry,
as well as her experience of growing up on the estate. Members of the National Trust
management team, particularly Neil Porteous, Head Gardener, also contributed a wealth of
historical and practical knowledge about the gardens and greater region around Strangford
Lough. Additionally, informal conversations with visitors revealed much about how the public
currently uses and interprets the gardens. Finally, the garden itself proved to be one of the richest
resources, enabling the author to compare various recorded and verbal accounts with firsthand
observations.
The Nature and Character of Lady Londonderry's Garden Books
For this report, the author meticulously reviewed Lady Londonderry's nine garden books.
A careful analysis of the nature and character of these books revealed what types of questions
they can and cannot answer. Although garden historian Anne Casement categorized Lady
Londonderry's garden books as "diaries,"
1
the author considers this term misleading. A diary
connotes a personal account and usually one that offers insight into the writer's emotions or
values. Moreover, a person usually maintains a diary on a daily or weekly basis, as events spur
thoughts and feelings. Because Lady Londonderry's garden books do not contain any personal
accounts of her feelings or emotions towards the gardens, the author has avoided using the term
diary. Instead, the garden books generally fit within three categories: (1) record books, mostly
containing plant orders, instructions, or documentation of design work; (2) scrapbooks,
1
Anne Casement, "Mount Stewart Garden Archives and Historical Survey 1917-1969 Part 2," (1999), 93.
9
predominantly comprised of article clippings, photographs, letters, and random notes; and (3) a
combination of the two. See Appendix A for a detailed description of each garden book.
It is certainly useful that Lady Londonderry kept thorough records of the plants she
procured, including quantities, prices, sources, varieties, and so forth. Unfortunately, it is
difficult to infer anything about the values, events, motives, or other factors that spurred the
actions documented by these statistics. While the garden books contain much correspondence,
these documents also offer little personal insight because acquaintances wrote them to Lady
Londonderry and therefore only provide one side of the conversation. The author recommends
that a future researcher review the personal diaries kept by Lady Londonderry to determine
whether they offer insight into how she experienced and felt about her gardens (e.g., whether she
predominantly viewed the gardens as a showpiece to her elite circle of friends or if they fulfilled
some sort of deeper emotional need in her life).
Despite containing copious notes on plants, Lady Londonderry's garden books thus offer
a fragmentary view of how the gardens developed and evolved as a whole entity. Moreover,
because their content rarely flows in a consistent or sequential order, it often is difficult to piece
together a coherent narrative. The disorganized nature of Lady Londonderry's garden books
lends insight into her thought process and suggests that she did not think in a linear fashion. The
ways Lady Londonderry experimented with her gardens through plant material and allowed the
spaces to evolve organically without a definitive set of plans reflects this nonlinear aspect of her
personality.
Behind the front covers, many of the garden books contain indices that Lady
Londonderry later added. The subsequent inclusion of these indices further confirms the
disorganization of these garden books because it suggests that Lady Londonderry probably
10
needed the indices to facilitate finding information relating to specific topics. The indices also
signify that Lady Londonderry relied on these sources as references during the years after she
created them. Likewise, it is only appropriate that we, too, should consistently rely on them to
guide us in future management despite their shortcomings.
11
PART II: OVERVIEW OF THE HISTORY, EVOLUTION, AND SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE GARDENS AT MOUNT STEWART
Overview of the Gardens during Lady Londonderry's Tenure
When she later recalled visiting the grounds and house at Mount Stewart during the
1910s, Edith, 7th Marchioness of Londonderry, described the estate as "the dampest, darkest, and
saddest place I had ever stayed in, in the winter. Large Ilex trees almost touched the house in
some places and sundry other big trees blocked out all light and air."
2
While the grounds at
Mount Stewart left a dismal impression on Lady Londonderry, a 1913 account by her mother-in-
law Theresa, 6th Marchioness of Londonderry, described a different experience of the place. In
"The Garden at Mount Stewart," Theresa wrote: "In January when we gain the shelter of the
drive, the brilliant green of the grisileas and the grey green ilexes give a sense of warmth and
comfort ... Snowdrops all planted round the stems of the trees and the deciduous trees look like
ghosts mixing with the evergreens and the dark glossy leaves of the rhododendrons, with here
and there a patch of brilliant colour, the early flowering scarlet which never fails to show buds
and flowers in early January."
3
In 1915, only two years after Theresa wrote about the gardens, her son Charles Stewart
Henry, the 7th Marques of Londonderry succeeded to the title and inherited the family estate.
During this World War I period, Charles and his wife Edith frequently visited Mount Stewart,
which served as a convalescent hospital for soldiers. It was not until 1921, however, when
Charles became the Minister for Education in the first Ulster Parliament that he and Edith chose
Mount Stewart as their permanent residence. Because the gardens at Mount Stewart suffered
neglect during WWI or whether the designs were not of her taste, Lady Londonderry employed
2
Edith Marchioness of Londonderry, "Foreword to the Mount Stewart Garden Guide Book," (1956).
3
For the complete transcribed account, see Anne Casement, "Mount Stewart Garden Archives and Historical Survey
1917-1959 Part One," 13-15.
12
soldiers left jobless after the war to "make the grounds surrounding the house not only more
cheerful and livable, but beautiful as well."
4
Two key occurrences that shaped Lady Londonderry's life may have instigated this act of
renovation. Lady Londonderry became increasingly independent as Lord Londonderry,
consumed by both political and personal affairs, remained largely absent from their marriage.
Secondly, during WWI, Lady Londonderry established and managed a volunteer force
comprised of tens of thousands of women, known as the Women's Legion. This experience gave
Lady Londonderry the confidence and organizational skills necessary to overseeing large-scale
projects, such as creating a garden.
5
As a member of the aristocracy, Lady Londonderry had long
proven herself as a driving force in British society, and the gardens at Mount Stewart became a
new vehicle for her to express her power and energy.
Taking advantage of the microclimate
6
that produced relatively mild weather along the
nearby Strangford Lough, Lady Londonderry and her head gardener, Thomas Bolas, successfully
cultivated tender plants they obtained predominantly from North American, Asiatic, and
southern hemispheric regions. Few gardeners attempted to grow such non-native species
elsewhere in the United Kingdom because the tender plants rarely survived the region's colder
winters. Because of the microclimate, Mount Stewart infrequently experienced the hard frosts
that normally would harm tender plants.
4
Londonderry, "Foreword to the Mount Stewart Garden Guide Book."
5
Casement, "Mount Stewart Garden Archives and Historical Survey 1917-1959 Part One," 17.
6
In 1957, Lady Londonderry described these climatic conditions: "...we are situated on the southern shore of the
narrow peninsula of the Ards... The House faces almost due south and is but a stone's throw away from the salt
water Lough Strangford... The eastern shore of the Ards is on the Irish Sea and Belfast Lough sweeps right round
the northern shorefar inland. So narrow is the space between the head of Strangford Lough and that of Belfast
Lough that Mount Stewart... experiences island conditions. The climate is sub-tropical ... in hot weather we always
have extremely heavy dews at night. We do not have an excessive rainfall... we get all the sun of the east coast with
its drier conditions... the Gulf Stream running up the Irish Sea washes the shores all round the promontory."
Londonderry, "Foreword to the Mount Stewart Garden Guide Book."
13
A letter dated 4 June 1929 by Mrs. R. S. Milford from The Nurseries in Chedworth
offers some insight into this situation. She exclaimed, "It is heart-breaking to read of all the
things that can be grown in Ireland—which we struggle to keep alive in this chilly spot!"
7
A
letter dated 13 May 1936 from the National Botanic Gardens in Cape Town, South Africa offers
another reaction. Director R. H. Compton wrote, "I have much pleasure in sending seeds of
Psoralea pinnata herewith ... It was interesting to hear how well this charming shrub grows in
Northern Ireland."
8
An embankment known as the Sea Plantation, which existed between Strangford Lough
and the southern edge of Mount Stewart, also enabled Lady Londonderry to grow tender plants at
Mount Stewart. This feature protected the gardens from strong winds and salt waters that
originated from the lough. Lady Londonderry further sheltered her gardens by enhancing a
buffer of trees that grew along the southern border of the property. These unique geographic and
topographic features created a situation where many plants at Mount Stewart thrived and reached
record proportions in relatively short periods.
During the 1920s and 1930s, Lady Londonderry honed her horticultural skills through
self-education and experimentation, and her confidence as a gardener swelled. The gardening
successes at Mount Stewart undoubtedly added to a growing sense of awe and delight among
Lady Londonderry's circle of family and friends, in addition to those who read romanticized
accounts of the gardens in publications such as Country Life or Home and Gardens. A letter from
her gardening mentor, Sir Herbert Maxwell, dated 4 September 1933, confirmed this response,
stating, "You certainly fulfill the role of enchantress in all that you touch..." By the 1950s, after
only several decades had passed, the garden often deceived visitors by its centuries-old
7
Edith Marchioness of Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Gardens 1927-1936," (1927-1936), 36.
8
Edith Marchioness of Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Gardens 1935," (1935).
14
appearance. In his article entitled "Rhododendrons at Mount Stewart," Frank Kingdon-Ward
explained "In this favoured spot they grow faster than they do anywhere else, thus making
nonsense of the collector's reports of their size in the field."
9
Lady Londonderry was part of a significant movement in the history of horticulture and
gardening. Her subscriptions to foreign plant expeditions led to many new discoveries. A vast
network of exchange among gardeners, horticulturalists, botanists, explorers, and plant collectors
largely characterized this period in horticulture and gardening. Individuals from across the world
shared and traded innumerable seeds and cuttings with each other through the mail.
Consequently, the gardens at Mount Stewart housed one of the most unusual and diverse private
plant collections in the British Isles.
Significance of the Gardens Today
The National Trust considers Lady Londonderry's tenure from 1915 to 1959 to be Mount
Stewart's most significant historical period. On its website, the National Trust succinctly explains
that "Mount Stewart Gardens, by virtue of their creators, horticulture, plant collection, design
and microclimate, are established as
an unrivalled example of 20th-Century gardening...."
10
The
2011 Conservation Management Plan provides a more detailed statement of significance, a
portion of which reads as follows:
"... The garden is one of the few late compartmentalised Arts and Crafts-like
gardens. Mount Stewart is one of the great 20thC “personalised” gardens such as
Hidcote and Nymans, which combined a strong artistic theme with an unrivalled
plant collection. The basic arrangement is similar: artistically planted formal
compartmentalised gardens around the house, surrounded by a more natural
woodland garden with semi-natural planting. But Mount Stewart stands apart in
Lady Londonderry’s use of sculpture and mythology. Sculptures representing the
9
Edith Marchioness of Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Gardens 1937," (1937), 215.
10
National Trust, "The Garden Conservation Plan for Mount Stewart," National Trust,
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/home/view-page/item427360/264045/.
15
members of the Ark Club- founded by Lady Londonderry during the First World
War- populate the garden. Lady Londonderry was an early proponent of the use of
cast concrete by local craftsmen to create structure & form in the garden.
Of the great plantsman’s gardens from the early twentieth century such as Crarae,
Inverewe, Bodnant, Rowallane—none combined their collections with such
artistry of design, experimentation in their planting, or achieve such a romantic
and spiritual effect. The plant collection established at Mount Stewart (when in its
prime) was unique in the British Isles, and may only have been eclipsed by that of
Tresco Abbey Garden on the Isle of Scilly. Mount Stewart garden is of great
significance, locally within Northern Ireland, nationally and internationally. ... "
11
Aside from historical significance, the National Trust recognizes that many of its
protected sites are crucial to examining current global challenges of both nature and culture. The
National Trust explains that "helped by the unique microclimate on the Ards Peninsula, Mount
Stewart manages the largest plant collection in the National Trust's ownership."
12
Consequently,
the gardens at Mount Stewart are "proving to be a valuable haven for some rare plants threatened
by climate change in their native habitats."
13
In his 1984 "Woody Plant Catalogue for Mount Stewart," Michael Lear claimed Mount
Stewart's present collection of Southern Hemisphere plants as its most notable botanical asset.
The mild climate at Mount Stewart permits a greater range of "species plants" to survive.
Consequently, Lady Londonderry was less interested in filling her collection with cultivars and
hybrids. The staff at Mount Stewart recently identified in its collection a shrub known as
Brachyglottis brunonis (Senecio centropapus), which has become rare in its native Tasmanian
habitat.
14
The National Trust secured cuttings for its Plant Conservation Centre in Devon with
11
Neil Porteous, Mike Buffin, and Phil Rollinson, "Mount Stewart Garden Conservation Management Plan 2011,"
(2011), 25.
12
National Trust, "Setting the Example of Sustainability," National Trust, http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/mount-
stewart/our-work/.
13
Ibid.
14
National Trust, "Survey at Mount Stewart Expose Important Plants," Nationanl Trust,
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/what-we-do/what-we-protect/gardens-and-parks/projects/view-page/item808960/.
16
the intent that propagation "will ensure the survival of this rare specimen at Mount Stewart and
in other gardens for decades to come."
15
Collectively, the National Trust's sites serve as "sensitive barometers registering the
pressure of environmental change on our lives, and on the natural world around us."
16
Thus, they
are significant places where researchers can examine solutions and ways to adapt to these events.
The National Trust is "keen to find ways of reducing the environmental impact of gardening" and
aims for their sites to serve as models for the community.
17
For example, Mount Stewart
recently installed a new biomass boiler, which efficiently burns locally sourced wood chips to
provide heat and hot water to the vast estate. The staff has also reduced their consumption of
fossil fuels by adopting "an energy-efficient approach to the working day."
18
As natural resources have dwindled in the twenty-first century, so has youth engagement
with nature.
19
Gardens like Mount Stewart are invaluable to the community because they provide
places where children can cultivate relationships with nature and with each other, and lead
healthier lives into their adulthood.
20
Additionally, such places provide a major source of tourism
in Great Britain and are significant to sustaining local economies.
21
15
Ibid.
16
National Trust, "Space to Grow: Why People Need Gardens," (2012), 14.
17
Ibid.
18
National Trust, "The Warmth from the Willow," National Trust, http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/home/view-
page/item401315/264045/.
19
An Independent Research Study for the National Trust released during July 2010 suggests that "Children are
spending 60 percent less time in nature than their parents did at the same age." National Trust, "Our Land, For Ever,
For Everyone," (2012), 9.
20
National Trust, "Saves Children's Relationship with the Outdoors," National Trust,
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/what-we-do/news/view-page/item788564/. Stephen Moss, "Natural Childhood,"
(National Trust, 2012).
21
National Trust, "Space to Grow: Why People Need Gardens," 4.
17
Research Questions
Today, the National Trust faces new challenges in sustaining the internationally
significant gardens at Mount Stewart in the wake of global climate change, a generation of youth
disengaged from nature, energy descent, and economic downturns, among other events that
remain unforeseen. Undoubtedly, parallels exist between past challenges and present ones. For
example, the Interwar Period of reabsorbing jobless soldiers into industry is not very different
from the National Trust's recent endeavor to initiate a volunteer program that offers temporary
relief to unemployed individuals, particularly from the housing sector. While the volunteer
program provides a short-term solution to the management of a place that has remained
dependent on large numbers of employees and volunteers, it is important to consider a long-term
outlook so that management can adapt when circumstances change.
This report addresses the following questions: What characteristics defined the gardens at
Mount Stewart during their peak period from 1917-1939? How did Lady Londonderry adapt her
original designs to suit changing needs during WWII? After WWII, how did Lady Londonderry
attempt to revitalize her gardens before she transferred ownership to the National Trust? Finally,
what insight for future management can be gleaned from the aesthetic characteristics, design
principles, and adaptive management strategies applied to the gardens from 1917-1955? The
knowledge gained from answering these questions will guide long-term management and
interpretation of the gardens. This will ultimately assist the National Trust in fulfilling its
mission of keeping alive "the Londonderry sprit"
22
while concurrently maintaining the gardens as
a powerful source of discovery and delight "for ever and for everyone."
23
22
Porteous, Buffin, and Rollinson, "Mount Stewart Garden Conservation Management Plan 2011," 27.
23
National Trust, "For ever, For everyone Appeal," National Trust, http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/get-
involved/donate/current-appeals/for-ever-for-everyone-appeal/.
18
Fig. 1 (above) shows a 1956 plan of the Mount Stewart Gardens, modified by Lady Mauri Bury. The plan shows the various
compartmentalized spaces , such as the following: (3) the Mairi Garden; (4) the Dodo Terrace; (5) the Italian Garden; (6) the
Spanish Garden; (8) the Rock Garden; (9) the Shamrock Garden; and (10) the Sunk Garden. Several circulation routes comprise
transitional spaces , such as (7) the Lily Wood, (12) the Lake Walk; and (15) the Rock Walk, (16) the Ladies Walk, and (16a) the
Woodland Walk. Source: Guide to the Gardens published by the National Trust.
19
Part III: AESTHETIC CHARACTERISTICS AND DESIGN PRINCIPLES
Introduction
Lady Londonderry's garden books and correspondence reveal many qualities that
fundamentally defined the gardens at Mount Stewart as they reached their pinnacle during the
mid- to late-1930s. Since the gardens mostly were laid out and first achieved fame from 1917
through 1939, a full understanding of their historic characteristics requires a close examination of
that period.
24
This section of the report identifies important aspects of the gardens, which are
grouped into four headings. The first section titled Sources of Ideas describes (1A) an
amalgamation of inspirations and influences, (1B) personalized mythologies and an imaginative
sensibility, and (1C) a range of talents involved in creating the gardens. The second section
categorized as Plant Selections and Introductions details Lady Londonderry's (2A) exotic
collection of plants and her (2B) network of exchange. The third section explains the Plant
Arrangements at Mount Stewart, including (3A) color, (3B) fragrance, and (3C) season. The
fourth and final section discusses Labor Intensive Practices through Lady Londonderry's (4A)
labor of love and (4B) cultivated exuberance.
1) Sources of Ideas
1A) An Amalgamation of Inspirations and Influences:
In developing the gardens at Mount Stewart, Lady Londonderry referenced many and
varied sources. She drew inspiration from prevailing gardening practices, fond childhood
memories, travels, literature, and popular publications, among others. As Lady Londonderry
24
The purpose of the information contained in the subsequent sections is to provide a basis for understanding and
evaluating the significance of changes that occurred in the gardens during and after the Second World War. The
characteristics identified are by no means an exhaustive list and certainly many other qualities exist. In addition,
some of the characteristics warrant further investigation because they are only briefly described within the report.
20
assimilated these diverse interests into her gardens, she created a highly personalized place that
she could enjoy with her family and friends.
Lady Londonderry's Mediterranean travels, coupled with her well-read copy of the
Arthur Thomas Bolton's The Gardens of Italy, infused a strong Italian influence into her designs.
For example, her plans for an orangery greatly resembled the layout of the Medici Villa Castello
with its many potted fruit trees (Figs. 2-3). Terracotta pots filled with orange trees adorned
various garden spaces at Mount Stewart and as Lady Londonderry suggested, "On warm
evenings their delicious scent almost reminds one of Italy."
25
In her garden book, she explicitly
stated that the "idea [for the Italian Garden was] taken from gardens of Italy—Villa Gambaraia
(Florence) and adapted to site—also Villa Caprarola."
26
She also wrote that the "rose garden
design and lower terrace [was] designed by myself—but after the style of one of the formal
gardens of Dunrobin," her childhood home in Scotland. Adding to the mixture of influences, she
further explained, "The gateway out of garden ... [was] taken partly from the gateway at Easton
Neston, Northamptonshire."
27
In addition to Italian influences and fond memories, Lady Londonderry drew upon
contemporary practices in British gardening, such as through the Arts and Crafts Movement. The
library collection in her sitting room included numerous Arts and Crafts publications, many of
which contain Lady Londonderry's place markers, notations, and sketches.
28
Lady Londonderry
25
Edith Marchioness of Londonderry, "The Gardens at Mount Stewart," Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society
LX, no. 12 (1935): 522.
26
Edith Marchioness of Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Garden Book No. 1 1922-1927," (1922-1927), 5.
27
Ibid.
28
This collection includes the following books: Garden Architecture by Geoffrey T. Henslow (Dean and Son,
London 1926); Wall and Water Gardens by Gertrude Jekyll; three copies of Garden Ornament by Gertrude Jekyll
and Christopher Hussey (Country Life, 1918); Gardens for Small Country Houses by Gertrude Jekyll and Sir
Lawrence Weaver (Country Life, London, sixth edition, 1927); Art and Craft of Garden Making by T.H. and E.P.
Mawson (Batsford, London, fifth edition, 1926); and so forth. Casement, "Mount Stewart Garden Archives and
Historical Survey 1917-1969 Part 2," 245-51.
21
Fig. 2 (above) shows Lady Londonderry's plan for an orangery in the Walled Garden. Her
writing above the plan indicates "Page 281 Gardens of Italy" inspired it. Source: Londonerry,
Edith, Marchioness of. "Mount Stewart Garden Book No. 2 1922-1927,"7.
Fig. 3 (below) shows the referenced image of Villa Castello. Lady Londonderry's plan bears
much resemblance in the quadripartite division of space, the rectangular beds contained within
each section, and the many potted plants lining the paths. Source: Bolton, Arthur T. Gardens of
Italy. England: Country Life Limited, 1919.
22
owned three copies of Garden Ornament written by Gertrude Jekyll and Christopher Hussey,
which implies that she highly valued this particular work. The gardens at Mount Stewart contain
most types of garden ornaments illustrated within the text, such as gates, seats, stairways, pools,
terraces, and courts.
Although the library collection at Mount Stewart confirms that Gertrude Jekyll's ideas
and theories greatly influenced Lady Londonderry, correspondence and historic photographs
suggest that she did not always follow Jekyll's personal advice. For example, in a letter to Lady
Londonderry dated 19 December 1925, Jekyll wrote,
"Many thanks for so kindly letting me see the photographs of the Mount Stewart
gardens ... The garden seems to have grown up well ... Looking at the photograph
of the house front with the large flight of steps it looks as if the house ought to be
relieved of the thick growth of Ivy that smothers the pediment and top of the
portico and in fact the whole projection. That facade wants these architectural
features unobscured, and to have the natural light and shade of all the part that
stands out as intended by the architect. ... I know you will let me make these
remarks..."
Historic photographs from the 1930s reveal that for many years Lady Londonderry instead
maintained a heavy cover of vines on the south facade of the house (Figs. 5-6).
Aside from correspondence, it is difficult to determine whether Jekyll played a role in
any of the planting schemes at Mount Stewart. In 1920, when the gardens were still in their early
stages, Jekyll produced a series of plans for the West Garden, the terrace between the West
Garden and the house, and the Italian Garden.
29
It is uncertain to what extent Lady Londonderry
29
Michael Tooley suggests "a comparison of the planting plans for the walls of the Sunk Garden with the plants that
were growing there in August 1983 and the metal labels that have survived in situ from the 1920s shows that for the
walls, at least, Gertrude Jekyll's planting plans were realised." For more detailed information regarding Tooley's
analysis and theories regarding the Jekyll-Londonderry connection, refer to his unpublished paper: Michael J.
Tooley, "Gertrude Jekyll and Mount Stewart."
23
Fig. 5 (above) shows thick ivy on the south facade of the house in 1925, around the same time
when Jekyll wrote to Lady Londonderry. Source: Mount Stewart Archives.
Fig. 6 (below) shows an image of the house by R. J. Welch in the 1930s captured from a similar
angle. Both pictures reveal a thick cover of ivy maintained on the facade, with columns and
windows remaining exposed. Source: Mount Stewart Archives.
24
may have had input into Jekyll's layout and plant selections. Furthermore, it is hard to determine
whether Lady Londonderry ever fully or partially implemented the designs. For example, some
of Lady Londonderry's planting records for the West Garden correspond to plants on Jekyll's list,
such as veronicas and delphiniums. Lady Londonderry's notes, however, infrequently indicate
where she specifically placed plants and most often suggest only a general location within the
gardens. Her records also imply that her planting plans varied from year to year. Lady
Londonderry wrote that in 1921 "antirrhinums - cherry red - [West Garden] beds first
completed."
30
In 1922, she stated, "Anchusa and Delphiniums - from Whiteless - very
successful" and by autumn of the same year, she suggested to "Replant beds - using Dahlias ...
Gladiola padavennis and Primulinus mixed 1000 Liliums - candidum - superbum and
pardalinum - 500 Hyacinthus candicans - 48 Aconitum wilsoni and fischeri."
31
The correspondence confirms, however, that Lady Londonderry purchased plants from
Jekyll and that she visited Jekyll’s garden at her home, Munstead Wood. In a letter dated 9
November 1927, Jekyll wrote, "That good undershrub that you saw here, that makes good cover
(and food) for game, is Gaultheria shallon. I could send you almost any quantity. ... I am so glad
to know that the plants from here are doing well." While this correspondence does not offer any
insight into the personal relationship between Jekyll and Lady Londonderry, it at least verifies
they maintained a limited business relationship.
In addition to Arts and Crafts influences, Lady Londonderry called upon her Scottish
heritage and upbringing to entwine themes from Celtic folklore into her gardens. For example,
she delineated the Shamrock Garden with a trifoliate enclosure of clipped hedges (Fig. 7). Atop
30
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Garden Book No. 1 1922-1927," 25.
31
Ibid.
25
Fig. 7 shows an image by R.J. Welch of the hand-shaped planting bed, which Lady Londonderry
would have appropriately filled with red flowered plants. Source: Mount Stewart Archives.
the hedges, topiaries depicted "a complete hunting scene supposed to represent the family of
Stewart arriving for the chase...The figures...were taken from Mary 1st of England's Book of
Hours."
32
The main feature inside the Shamrock Garden, however, was a "large bed [that
formed] ... the left hand, the bloody hand of the McDonnell's, the direct ancestors of Frances
Anne, Marchioness of Londonderry."
3334
32
Londonderry, "The Gardens at Mount Stewart."
33
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Garden Book No. 1 1922-1927," 40.
34
The story relates to when two rival Scottish clans raced from Scotland to Ireland, in the hopes of whoever touched
Ireland first would possess the land. As McDonnell saw that he was losing the race, he cut off his left hand, threw it
on the shore, and claimed the land.
26
Celtic themes are evident elsewhere in the gardens, such as in the family burial grounds
which Lady Londonderry aptly named Tir N'a nOg—or land of the forever young—and a nearby
sculpture of the white stag, who, according to legend, accompanied spirits to Tir N'a nOg.
35
Lady
Londonderry's garden books show a preoccupation with these themes, and she often saved
articles on topics such as legends and superstitions in the garden.
36
Additionally, she collected
books such as Ella Young's Celtic Wonder Tales and even composed her own manuscript
entitled Character and Tradition. While many gardens contain Celtic themes, Classical
architecture, or Arts and Crafts ornaments, the amalgamation of these influences distinguishes
the gardens at Mount Stewart.
1B) Personalized Mythologies and an Imaginative Sensibility:
Lady Londonderry worked in a long-standing European tradition in which designers
wove Classical mythology into garden layout, architecture, and ornament. Similar to other
garden designers, Lady Londonderry selected deities and mythologies from the Classical canon
as a means to comment on her own personality, life history, accomplishments, values, and
politics. Lady Londonderry's practice of selectively incorporating Classical mythology was not
unique; however, the result of a garden with mythological elements as biographical commentary
on its owner and author is necessarily idiosyncratic and individual.
Some time during 1915, shortly after moving to Mount Stewart, Lady Londonderry and
her circle of family and friends known as the "Ark" began to hold weekly meetings over dinner.
This ritual offered the members a much-needed reprieve from wartime work and soon became an
35
Porteous, Buffin, and Rollinson, "Mount Stewart Garden Conservation Management Plan 2011," 26.
36
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Gardens 1927-1936," 124-25.
27
outlet for fun. Although membership in the Ark was by invitation only, the club quickly grew to
include an eclectic mix of personalities ranging from poets to politicians.
Members were required to adopt the name of a real or mythological creature, and Edith
identified herself with "Circe," the alluring sorceress from Greek mythology.
37
By 1924, Lady
Londonderry had commemorated certain members through cast-concrete sculptures of their
chosen characters that she placed throughout the gardens. She likely derived the forms for these
pieces likely from illustrations in Queen Mary's Psalter, a religious book that held special
significance to Lady Londonderry. The book also inspired the topiaries surrounding the
Shamrock Garden.
38
Lady Londonderry conceived the Dodo Terrace to display many of these
sculptures and drew inspiration for the terrace architecture from the Boboli Gardens in Florence
(Figs. 8-10).
Lady Londonderry also derived the structure and organization of the herm statues in the
Italian Garden at Mount Stewart from Italian influences, particularly the Upper Garden of the
Villa Farnese at Caprarola. Lady Londonderry selected imagery for the herms to reflect her
persona of Circe.
39
The herms sequentially portrayed scenes from Homer's Odyssey in which
Circe used magic potions to transform her enemies into swine (Figs. 11-13). For example, the
first herm shows a man's face flanked by clusters of grapes and swine's legs. On the second
herm, the face changes shape while a pair of hands grasps a cup presumably filled with Circe's
potion. Finally, the third herm depicts a fully transformed, devilish swine-like face with four
37
Anne de Courcy, Circe, The Life of Edith, Marchioness of Londonderry (Great Britain: Sinclair-Stevenson,
1992).
38
Lady Londonderry obtained a copy of this during Christmas 1912 from her mother. The volume contains various
notations and marks by Lady Londonderry and the illustrations more than likely inspired the ark and several of the
animal sculptures.
39
Lady Londonderry seems to have truly identified with this character. Correspondents, such as Lord Charles
Dunleath, who wrote personal letters to Lady Londonderry about gardening matters, often addressed her as "My
dear Circe."
28
Fig. 8 (above left) shows an undated conceptual sketch for the Dodo Terrace by Lady
Londonderry architecturally inspired by the balustrade of the Isolotto from the Boboli Gardens in
Florence (Fig. 9, above right). Sources: Sketch found as a bookmark in Lady Londonderry's
copy of Gardens of Italy 1919 Country Life publication. Source: Bolton, Arthur T. Gardens of
Italy, 271. England: Country Life Limited, 1919.
Fig.10 (below) depicts the completed Dodo Terrace. The Dodo (as seen to the left of the image
perched atop four pillars) represented Lady Londonderry's father, Henry Chaplin, who was often
satirized as such for sitting in Parliament for such a long period of time. Charley, Lord
Londonderry, was symbolized by the Cheetah (to the right side of the image, in the middle of
and below the two griffins mounted on the Loggia), a pun referencing his rampant infidelity to
Lady Londonderry. Some of these figures reappear on the wall that delineates the western end of
the Italian Garden. Source: Image by R. Welch from 1925 photo album. Mount Stewart
Archives.
29
Figs. 11-13 show the detailing and sequential ordering of the herms located in the Italian Garden
at Mount Stewart. Source: Images taken by Stephanie N. Bryan on 15 June 2012.
swine's legs. The significance of the orangutans placed atop each herm is not evident. While the
gardens at Mount Stewart often served as a social setting for Lady Londonderry's circle of family
and friends, the herms undoubtedly stood as a symbolic gesture of her power and place in
society.
Exotic plants augmented the dream-like atmosphere she created at Mount Stewart. Lady
Londonderry described the effect such flora had on visitors accustomed to the typical British
climate: "Planted at the end of the clearing, but not so as to impede the very beautiful view of the
Mourne Mountains which are seen across the water some twenty to thirty miles off, is a group of
Pinus Pinea. Plants of Magnolia grandiflora, Exmouth variety, are growing near the woodland
30
side; Acacias have made great growth and there are many Cordylines. Arriving from the colder
districts in England for Christmas you seem to be in fairyland."
40
Lady Londonderry intimated her love of mythologies and high level of imagination in her
published writings. She described, "There is a feeling of enchantment about the place, and indeed
it is not hard to believe that in this most mystical land it is, even now, as much the magic island
of gods and initiates, as it was when the sacred fires flashed from its purple heath-covered, honey
scented, mountain tops and mysterious round towers on island and hill." A Neolithic tumulus
called the "cromlech" located on the Mount Stewart grounds prompted Lady Londonderry to
relate her gardening successes to the ancient race that once presided over the landscape. She
wrote, "Is it too great a fantasy to think these shades are with us now in this land of Heart's
Desire—that they themselves have taken Mount Stewart under their protection and lent a hand in
the fashioning of these grounds and glades, and made a garden blossom in the twinkling of an
eye, where none was before."
41
The imaginative sensibility that defined the garden experience was not limited to
permanent or tangible features as outdoor events in performing arts certainly enhanced the
feeling on special occasions. In an article entitled, "The Gardens at Mount Stewart," dated 3 July
1926, Mrs. T. J. Andrews wrote about a musical performance of Boughton's "Immortal Hour"
that occurred in the gardens. The author described the experience with great passion: "... Of the
dream and wonder of the singing, and the acting and the perfect setting of the scene, it is difficult
to write in any way that might not sound hyperbolic and sensational, but those who were there
40
Londonderry, "The Gardens at Mount Stewart," 527.
41
Edith Marchioness of Londonderry, "Mount Stewart: The Land of Heart's Desire," Northern Ireland 1, no. 8
(1926).
31
will never forget it; and to some it seemed to bring again the golden days of Greece when, in
open air theatres, music, and the drama, were brought into the hearts and lives of men."
42
1C) A Range of Talents:
Bringing Lady Londonderry's elaborate ideas into fruition required a combination of
skilled artisans. Her head gardener, Thomas Bolas, undoubtedly played a leading role in the
creation of the gardens. In an article, Lady Londonderry explained that Mr. Bolas was "... able
and willing to carry out designs from the roughest plans, and together he and I have worked out
the designs, whether of buildings, walls or flower-beds, on the actual sites."
43
Thomas Beattie, a
stonemason from Newtownards, who produced much of the stonework, garden buildings,
sculptures, and gateways, contributed to this local talent.
44
Additionally, Joe Girvan, a
stonemason from Greyabbey, erected many of the garden walls,
45
artist Edmund Brock supplied
designs for the topiary in the Shamrock Garden, and Robert Burnett, an ironworker from
Yorkshire, produced the wire frameworks to support the topiaries (Fig. 14).
46
The gardens thus became a vehicle for expressing the range of talents possessed by Lady
Londonderry and others. While most gardens similarly display a high degree of artistry in their
architecture and ornaments, the gardens at Mount Stewart were distinct because they mixed
original artworks with many common, often mass-produced items (Figs. 15-16), such as wicker
furniture.
47
This assortment added to the overall eclectic nature of the gardens.
42
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Garden Book No. 1 1922-1927," 159.
43
Londonderry, "The Gardens at Mount Stewart."
44
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Garden Book No. 1 1922-1927," 54.
45
Ibid., 27, 32.
46
Ibid., 36-38.
47
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Gardens 1927-1936," 2.
32
Fig. 14 shows ironworker Robert Burnett from Yorkshire meticulously creating the wire frame
used for one of the topiaries that Lady Londonderry placed atop the hedge in the Shamrock
Garden. Images always depict Mr. Burnett dressed in a full suit and hat, which indicates the
pride he took in his profession as an artisan. Source: Londonderry, Edith, Marchioness of.
"Mount Stewart Garden Book No. 1 1922-1927," 37.
33
Fig. 15 (above) shows advertisements for common garden ornaments that caught Lady
Londonderry's attention. Source: Londonderry, Edith, Marchioness of. "Mount Stewart Gardens 1927-
1936," 2.
Fig. 16 (below) shows how Lady Londonderry filled her gardens with common items, such as
the wicker chair and table located in the bottom left corner of the image. Source: Mount Stewart
Archives.
34
2) Plant Selections and Introductions
2A) An Exotic Collection
Lady Londonderry had an unquenchable thirst for "unusual," "uncommon," and "rare"
plants.
48
She filled her gardens with an array of plant types, such as bulbs, vines, shrubs, and
trees. On 16 September 1926, Sir Herbert Maxwell wrote to Lady Londonderry that, "The lust
for lilies is a contagious disease as deadly as rhododenronitis, from which you suffer incurably
already." A visit by Lady Londonderry in 1922 to the gardens at Rostrevor House, which Sir
John Ross of Bladensburg had created on the slopes of a sheltered hill overlooking Carlingford
Lough in County Down perhaps, triggered this "lust." Lady Londonderry reminisced, "I shall
never forget the wonder and amazement of that visit ... in which Sir John initiated me into the
many and marvelous trees, shrubs and plants from countries all over the world, that could, with
knowledge and skill, be grown by the seaboard of County Down. It is due to Sir John's
encouragement and knowledge and the help he gave me, together with countless shrubs of all
descriptions, seeds, and cuttings that he sent here, that the gardens at Mount Stewart contain so
many tender and beautiful things."
49
An article about Mount Stewart from the Naturalist Field Club offers insight into the
variety of rare and interesting plants that Lady Londonderry had already acquired by 1926. The
author described many exotic plant species located around the Pergola and West Garden as
follows: "... Eucalyptus trees—E. globulus—the Blue Gum of Australia, growing at Mount
Stewart to a height of 85 feet; a New Zealand Tree fern
—Dicksonia antarctica—and the rare
Californian shrub Dendromecon rigidum, with its big yellow flowers ... The Pergola is planted
with twenty species or varieties of Australian and New Zealand Acacias, the Club Palm,
48
These terms recur frequently throughout the letters of correspondence, seed lists and plant catalogues, and article
clippings collected by Lady Londonderry.
49
Edith Marchioness of Londonderry, Retrospect (London: Frederick Muller Ltd., 1938).
35
Cordyline australis; the Chusan Palm, Chamaerops humilis; Ginger Plant, Hedychium Greenii;
Japanese Banana, Musa japonica; Jersusalem Sage, Phlomis fruticosa; Chilian Nut, Guerina
avellana; Cork tree, Quercus subes; Bottle brush Tree, Metrosideros; Loquat, Eriobotrya;
Vibernum rhytidophyllum from China; Eucryphia cordifolia and Crinodendron Hookeri from
Chile with Desfontainea spinosa and some fine lilies, Lilium auratum, L. Henryi, L.
Pardalinum..."
50
This quote offers a mere glimpse of the countless species Lady Londonderry
introduced to Mount Stewart, from countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, Chile,
Italy, the United States, India, China, and Japan.
Lady Londonderry not only desired such plants for their exotic qualities, but also because
she associated them with special places or stories. For example, in a letter dated 28 January 1938
Arthur Wauchope wrote, "...I am now sending you some of these (Olive seeds from
Gethsemane]... I am also sending you a few pods of seeds of the Judas tree which you might like
to have, also from the Holy Land."
51
A letter dated 29 January 1932 from Sir Lionel Earle
provides further insight. Earle wrote, "Our greatest plant treasure at the moment is Prostanthera
coccinea from Kangaroo Island. Seeds of this were collected for me by a lady who obtained a
permit to visit the Island to paint. The Island is a close preserve for a very rare flora and fauna.
This Prostanthera is a glorious scarlet flowered shrub requiring a cool greenhouse in this country
but eventually it may prove hardy in Ireland, we cannot say yet."
52
The collection of rare, exotic,
and often expensive ornamental trees and shrubs at Mount Stewart became conversation pieces
in the landscape, replacing the extravagant follies that had characterized the former English
landscape gardens.
50
Edith Marchioness of Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Garden Book No. 2 1922-1927," (1922-1927), 4.
51
Edith Marchioness of Londonderry, "Newspaper Clippings, Letters, and Notes " (c. 1950-3), 189.
52
Ibid., 1.
36
While collections of rare and exotic plants also characterized some gardens of Lady
Londonderry's day, Mount Stewart stood apart from other contemporary Irish and British
gardens, such as Rowallane and Bodnant, because its garden architecture and ornaments also
reflected unusual and foreign qualities. This is evident in an article dated 14 April 1930 by R. J.
Welch, which describes a group of women from Belfast visiting the gardens at Mount Stewart.
Welch wrote, "The models of the long extinct Dodo, that unwieldy bird of the Island of
Mauritius, in the Indian Ocean, were new to the visitors, none of whom had ever seen Dodo
models before. ...through the Dodo gateway ... the fine tall eucalyptus trees were pointed out; the
long strips of bark that they shed periodically were examined with interest. They were told that
these big blue gums from Australia or Tasmania were among the tallest trees in the world in their
native forests, and that they fruited abundantly at Mount Stewart, which they do not do, we are
told, even in the South of England."
53
2B) A Network of Exchange:
Beyond ample income, the relationships forged between Lady Londonderry and others
who possessed shared gardening interests made it possible for Lady Londonderry to procure and
cultivate such rarities. Lady Londonderry's network grew over time to include neighbors,
nurserymen, gardeners, horticulturalists, botanists, and plant- hunters, many of which Lady
Londonderry considered friends. These horticultural experts and friends included many notable
gardeners: C. W. James; Lord Aberconway of Bodnant; Hugh Armytage Moore of Rowallane;
Lord Digby; Arthur Dorrien-Smith of Tresco Abbey; Lord Dunleath of Ballywalter; Arnold
Forster of Zennor; Colonel Grey of Hocker Edge; Lord and Lady Loder of Leonardslee; Lady
Linlithgow of Hopetoun; Henry McIlhenny of Glenveagh; Lionel Rothschild of Exbury; Lord
53
Ibid., 88.
37
Stair of Lochinch; J.B. Stevenson of Tower Court; Guy Wilson of Broughshane; and the staff of
the Botanic Gardens at Edinburgh and Hyde Park Gardens. Lady Londonderry’s horticultural
network also included many nurseries and nurserymen: W. A. Constable; Hillier Nurseries;
Ingwersen Nurseries; Olive Murrell of Orpington Nurseries; Perry Nurseries; Reuthe Nurseries;
W. and L. Slinger; and Veitch Nurseries. Notable plant-hunters Frank Kingdon-Ward, George
Forrest, Clarence Elliot, and Joseph Rock also played a role in this vast community of plant
enthusiasts.
54
A letter dated 1 February 1930 provides a glimpse into the extent of this network of
exchange and the types of people involved. In the letter, a Spanish correspondent wrote, "I have
the honour to announce the despatch [sic] from Sevilla to Liverpool of forty olive-tree shoots and
forty orange tree plants, shipped on January 30 last, on board s.s. "Cervantes"; all ordered by His
Grace the Duke of Alba."
55
A letter dated 16 March 1940 from Norman G. Hadden shows the
reciprocal nature of this network. He wrote, "Thank you very much indeed for the lovely box of
plants which has just arrived from Mount Stewart; it is truly kind of you to send them to me and I
am immensely grateful. ...Would a few small seedling of Leptospermum sericeum be of use to
you? I will be delighted to send them."
56
Correspondents not only dispersed seeds but horticultural knowledge as well. For
example, in a letter dated 6 June 1930, Clarence Elliot wrote, "I have also here an interesting
Palm ... its name is Jubea spectabilis and is a native of Chile ... It is rapidly becoming
exterminated, and the Chilian [sic] people cut the trees down for a sort of honey sap which they
extract from the trunk ... It likes a position where its roots can get plenty of moisture."
57
A letter
54
Casement, "Mount Stewart Garden Archives and Historical Survey 1917-1959 Part One," 19-20.
55
Londonderry, "Newspaper Clippings, Letters, and Notes " 3.
56
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Gardens 1937," 21.
57
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Gardens 1927-1936," 76-77.
38
dated 28 June 1933 from Mrs. Maud White provides another example. She explained, "The
curator of the Brisbane botanical gardens, Mr. Bick, is sending you a number of seeds to try, and
I asked him to send directions with them for growing ... Then a nurseryman called Wood, in
Brisbane, is sending you 1 1/2 dozen Comquat [sic] trees, also a scented eucalyptus, a coral
flowered eucalyptus, and I think, a brown, scented boronia. The latter grows well in undisturbed
ground, in a damp fairly shady place. It grows wild in the forests near Melbourne. It likes the
same treatment as Ericas. It has a flower like a little brown hollow berry lined with yellow, and a
most enchanting scent."
58
While most letters regarding plant materials contained instructions from their senders,
Lady Londonderry recognized that it required a degree of trial and error to determine suitable
growing conditions for individual plants at Mount Stewart. In a letter dated 26 March 1938, she
wrote to Sir Mark Collett, "My own experience has been that no-one can say definitely what
plants will flourish in any particular garden. I think the site and soil affect the plant as much as
the climate ... Every year we make experiments with delicate plants, and our latest success has
been with Clivias, which are doing very well at the foot of a low wall right in the open."
3) Plant Arrangements
3A) Color:
For her gardens, Lady Londonderry preferred plants that displayed hot-colored flowers.
Crimsons, maroons, wines, oranges, fuchsias, magentas, and bronzes consistently dominated her
rare plant palette. Lady Londonderry was careful not to haphazardly place these selections
throughout the landscape; rather she experimented with many color combinations to achieve a
dramatic display acceptable to her discerning eye. For example, a summer 1938 garden book
58
Ibid., 120b, 21a, 21b.
39
entry suggested to "put wine coloured dahlias instead of orange—substitute wine for orange
everywhere —much more contrasting,"
59
This selection, however, failed to meet Lady
Londonderry's expectations and the following summer she wrote, "revise this garden not enough
colour for autumn."
60
Lady Londonderry's garden books further suggest that she strove to have her color
selections reflect seasonal tones. In an autumn 1922 garden book entry, she instructed Thomas
Bolas to "replant [the large West Garden] beds using Dahlias Orange King and Insulande
[varieties] for autumn effect"
61
By 1924 she suggested there was "too much yellow for Autumn
effect—Dahlia Insulande to be removed —Fire Dragon excellent order more."
62
By 1925, she
seemed pleased with the results and noted that "from spring to autumn always a succession of
bloom."
63
Following a visit to Mount Stewart a decade later, author G. C. Taylor described the
dramatic effects of color that Lady Londonderry had achieved with different pairings: "Many
uncommon shrubs, such as the lovely Abutilon vitifolium (both the blue and white forms), those
two handsome Chilian [sic] evergreens, Tricuspidaria lanceolata and Embothrium coccineum,
fuchsias, brooms, cistus, heaths, and Acacia sauveolens and other species, provide a permanent
furnishing in the beds and are reinforced for the sake of colour effect in the spring by masses of
tulips carefully arranged to provide a definite colour scheme."
64
Lady Londonderry’s garden books contain article clippings that give insight into how she
applied color theory to landscape design. For example, an undated article from The Garden titled
"The Use of Scarlet Flowers" suggested that such flowers were effective either paired with ivory
59
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Gardens 1935," 38.
60
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Garden Book No. 1 1922-1927," 39.
61
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Garden Book No. 2 1922-1927," 19.
62
Ibid.
63
Ibid., 27.
64
G.C. Taylor, "Mount Stewart-II. County Down. A Seat of the Marquess of Londonderry.," Country Life (1935):
382.
40
tones or "grouped fairly boldly in front of a solid dark background, preferably of a yew."
65
The
article responded to a previous one called "Scarlet and Grey in the Garden," which instead
recommended pairing intense scarlet tones with cloudy blues, purples, and silvery grays.
Both articles influenced Lady Londonderry's use of color. For example, a spring 1925
garden book entry for the Shamrock Garden called for the "borders between yews and paving to
be mostly orange and red—the latter to predominate."
66
Additionally, Lady Londonderry noted
on a 1925 plan for the eastern parterre in the Italian Garden that there should be "nothing but
scarlet, gray, or white in all beds" (Fig. 17). Lady Londonderry later wrote, "On the western half
of the garden the colours are intended to shade from blood-red into pinks, pale yellows, mauves
and purples, also silvery-greys ... The eastern half is kept for scarlets and orange, with dark prune
colours or mulberry and blues ... All the beds have a hedge of white heather."
67
While Lady Londonderry clearly drew inspiration from periodicals on how to group
colors, her library collection surprisingly did not contain any books on color theory, such as Gertrude
Jekyll's Color in the Flower Garden.
In a 1923 plan for the roses located within the Walled Garden,
Lady Londonderry selected hundreds of "rose," "blush," "red," "orange," "orange pink," "buff,"
and "white" roses and called for the "dark plants in the center shading outwards."
68
Her other
plans for mixed beds of herbaceous plants, vines, shrubs, and trees often repeated this "sunray"
pattern with gradations of color.
69
For example, in the eastern parterre of the Italian Garden hot
reds and oranges radiated from the center while a touch of complimentary blue color added
contrast along the outer rim (Figs. 17-18).
65
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Garden Book No. 2 1922-1927," 141.
66
Ibid., 130.
67
Londonderry, "The Gardens at Mount Stewart," 525.
68
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Garden Book No. 2 1922-1927," 5.
69
Londonderry, "The Gardens at Mount Stewart," 530.
41
Lady Londonderry's color choices remained relatively unchanged over time. Her later
plans, however, progress toward intermixing complimentary colors (Fig. 18). These plans also
reveal an evolution in Lady Londonderry's plant selections and groupings. For example, Lady
Londonderry repeated the same planting scheme for each of the eight large beds in her 1925 plan
of the eastern parterre in the Italian Garden (Fig. 17). This repetition produced a rather simple
and balanced effect. Her 1929 plan, on the other hand, shows increasing complexity and
asymmetry as she applied a different planting scheme to each of the eight large beds (Fig. 18).
Her later, highly irregular grouping of mixed plant materials was an uncommon way to treat a
parterre. This unusual treatment of the planting beds was part of Lady Londonderry's strategy to
create a succession of seasonal color. It also reinforces that Lady Londonderry was fascinated
with the "magical" qualities of plants, and the gardens truly became a means for her to act as an
enchantress and make the Circe myth a reality in her life.
42
Fig. 17 (above) shows a 1925 design for the eastern bed in the Italian Garden, taken from Lady
Londonderry's garden book. For this particular group of flower beds, Lady Londonderry set off
the central hot reds and oranges with complimentary blues along the edges. Source: Londonderry,
Edith, Marchioness of. "Mount Stewart Garden Book No. 1 1922-1927," 44-45.
Fig. 18 (below) shows a 1929 design for the upper portion of the same planting beds as seen in
Fig. 17 (above). While the color choices mostly remained the same, Lady Londonderry
intermixed colors and developed schemes that became more complex. Source: Londonderry,
Edith, Marchioness of. "Mount Stewart Garden Book No. 1 1922-1927," 50-51.
43
3B) Fragrance:
In addition to color, Lady Londonderry highly valued intense fragrance in the landscape.
She aspired to fill her gardens with curiously fragrant plants, such as Boronia serrulata, which
Stuart Low Co. described in a letter dated 11 April 1940 as having "a haunting scent" and
appealing "to people in a quite occult manner."
70
She meticulously recorded how her plants
performed, grading them as "deliciously scented," "one of the best," "quite good,"
"disappointing," and so forth. The gardens at Mount Stewart can thus be characterized as a
continual exercise in experimentation and improvement; a place representing the owner’s high
aesthetic and horticultural aspirations.
In 1925, a new rose was named "Dame Edith Helen" after Lady Londonderry and an
article by C. A. Jardine asserted that "There is no better lasting Rose extant, some blooms having
kept even ten days, perfuming the room all the time."
71
Lady Rose recalls that her grandmother
declared, "No scentless rose would ever find a home at Mount Stewart!"
72
In addition to roses,
Lady Londonderry filled her gardens with other fragrant plants such as lilies, eucalyptus,
rosemary, honeysuckle, daphne, edgeworthia, rhododendron, and verbena. Lady Londonderry
integrated many of these fragrant plants into her formal beds. In one of her garden books, she
saved an undated article entitled "A Nosegay Garden" and thus may have applied author F. A.
Hampton's idea of "making a permanent scent bouquet in a formal frame."
73
A letter to Mrs. Grieve dated 17 February 1938 suggests that Lady Londonderry
considered other creative ways to bring fragrance into the garden. In the letter, Lady
Londonderry explained that the fragrant "... Chamomile I bought from you last year ... is being
70
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Gardens 1935."
71
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Gardens 1927-1936," 52.
72
From a conversation between Stephanie N. Bryan and Lady Rose Lauritzen on 15 June 2012.
73
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Gardens 1927-1936," 124.
44
made into a lovely lawn." By 1940, Lady Londonderry recorded a number of "Uncommon seeds
for scents" such as Escacum affine, Maurandia eruchescens, Schizopetalon Walkeri, Nycterimia
capensis.
74
She also wrote her ideas for "A Scented Border for the evening," which included
"tobacco plants, night scented stocks, almond trees, pink daphnes, Mignonette, stocks, Madonna
lilies, Salonika, Philadelphus, Vibernum, lavender, Artemesia, Clerodendrum, jasmine var.
Honeysuckle, Sweet Briar, L. auratum, Hamamelis, [and] sweet scented cyclamen."
75
Lady
Londonderry also brought the sweet aromas indoors by filling the house with cuttings and forced
bulbs, in addition to her homemade potpourri. An entry in her garden book from summer 1925
noted that she cut "150 roses and 140 roses from the two year old beds—only full blown
blooms—for potpourri ... hundreds of roses still left."
76
3C) Season:
Lady Londonderry consistently looked for ways to extend the season of exceptionally
fragrant and colorful flowers in her gardens. One strategy included selecting many plant varieties
that nursery catalogues categorized as early or late bloomers. This theme dominated the article
clippings that Lady Londonderry retained in her garden books. Among these articles were the
following titles: "Winter and Summer Irises,"
77
"The Best Late Heaths;"
78
"Winter Flowering
Heaths,"
79
"Shrubs that Flower Late Summer,"
80
"Early Bulbs,"
81
"Early Shrubs of Merit,"
82
74
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Gardens 1937," 82.
75
Ibid.
76
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Garden Book No. 1 1922-1927," 11.
77
Ibid., 58.
78
Ibid., 81.
79
Ibid., 82.
80
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Gardens 1927-1936," 43A.
81
Edith Marchioness of Londonderry, "Garden 1935," (1935), 78.
82
Londonderry, "Newspaper Clippings, Letters, and Notes " 63.
45
and so forth. Her garden books often included her own "suggestions for flowering trees and
autumn colour" such as "at back of Rhododendron walk [to] give colour early and late."
83
In an article for the Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society, Lady Londonderry
pointed out that she grouped vines with trees and shrubs as another tactic to extend the season
and create a succession of blooms. She explained her process: "Clematis grows over and through
large bushes of Erica arborea, and Prunus pissartii is covered with Tropaeolum speciosum.
Clematis also looks lovely grown through standard trees of Wisteria. The shrubs lend themselves
to this dual purpose: not only are they lovely when in bloom themselves in spring and early
summer, but they display a mass of colour during the late summer and autumn months."
84
In her
garden books, Lady Londonderry often noted species in her plant order lists and saved articles
about climbers that would suit this "dual purpose."
85
As part of the aristocracy, Lord and Lady Londonderry spent much time at their home in
London socializing and engaging in political affairs. Yet, such a concern for seasonal effects
raises the question as to how much time Lady Londonderry may have resided at Mount Stewart
during the year.
4) Labor Intensive Practices
4A) A Labor of Love
Lady Londonderry's ever-growing collection of rare and unusual seeds and cuttings
required continual labor from the Mount Stewart staff, which totaled about twenty gardeners
after World War I. The staff often had to start seeds and cuttings in the greenhouses located in
the Walled Garden and later move the young plants to appropriate locations within the gardens.
83
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Garden Book No. 2 1922-1927," 33.
84
Londonderry, "The Gardens at Mount Stewart," 525.
85
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Garden Book No. 2 1922-1927," 56, 72.
46
The process lent itself to a degree of experimentation and, as Lady Londonderry suggested, "a
few plants should be kept in [the] reserve garden and not allowed to flower so that sufficient
cuttings can be taken for next year stock."
86
Today, one can perhaps visualize such efforts from an account of Meconopsis violacea, a
particularly rare plant cultivated from seeds sent from Frank Kingdon-Ward and subsequently
established for a period at Mount Stewart. In a letter dated 31 December 1949, head gardener
Thomas Bolas recalled, "...it took a horse and four wheeled lorry to remove the stock of plants
from the Kitchen Garden into the woods, what a sight those hundreds of first plants really were."
In addition to seeds and cuttings, many fine specimen trees and shrubs found a home in
the gardens at Mount Stewart. For example, in June 1923 Lady Londonderry purchased two
large bay trees from Mr. Hartmann in Ghent, Belgium, for a total of £43.15.0 (Fig. 19). In a
letter, Hartmann described the trees as "about 50 years old" and stated that, "they are the most
beautiful and perhaps the largest pair of Bay-trees in cultivation in Europe."
87
It is difficult to
visualize the journeys such plants took coming to in Northern Ireland in 1923, but a photograph
in Lady Londonderry's garden book, however, shows the two bay trees "on their way to the
harbour [from Ghent] to be shipped for their new home at Belfast."
88
The image offers a glimpse
of the intense labor required to transport such large specimen plants across land and water.
A letter from plant-hunter Clarence Elliot dated 6 June 1930 provides more insight into
the lengthy routes many plants traveled when being shipped from overseas. Elliot explained, "...I
have received five more plants [of Pica Lemon], big strong specimens four or five feet high ...
My friend got them sent down from Pica, the oasis in North Chile where they are grown. It
entailed a long motor journey for them..." In a letter dated 9 March 1926, Sir Herbert Maxwell
86
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Garden Book No. 1 1922-1927," 143.
87
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Garden Book No. 2 1922-1927," 105-06.
88
Ibid.
47
further explained such efforts, emphatically stating, "I saw Mr. Gill ... who described to me his
herculean labour in transporting huge rhododendrons from Wembley to Mount Stewart. What
you require is faith to remove these mountains, of course free of cost!"
Obtaining the plants was only half the battle. Entries in Lady Londonderry's garden
books suggest that her gardening staff initially planted many of the larger acquisitions where the
gardens permitted space and the staff later relocated the plants once Lady Londonderry and
Thomas Bolas determined permanent positions. In spring 1927 she recorded, "more flowering
cherries by lake - near overflow - plant in groups - get crabapples for hill - remove shrubs by
laurel walk to permanent positions on hill and elsewhere and new magnolias on bank by lake at
tennis court."
89
Around the same time, after Thomas Beattie finished producing pots for the
Shamrock Garden, she also noted, "two magnificent Magnolia grandiflora were planted in them
sent by Sir Philip Sassoon" which required "a most herculean labour getting them into
position."
90
Despite being an aristocrat, Lady Londonderry did not hesitate to take part in the
strenuous labor essential to managing her gardens. This attitude perhaps grew from her love of
the outdoors and slightly rebellious nature that began during her childhood. From an early age,
Lady Londonderry was an avid and fearless horseback rider, often riding astride and even
bareback--both highly unacceptable behaviors for a woman at the time.
91
Many years later at
Mount Stewart, it was common to find Lady Londonderry pruning branches halfway up a tree or
making compost for her plantings.
92
She often called upon houseguests to assist if a tree had
fallen in the gardens. If they agreed, she would don her customary khaki gardening boiler suit
89
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Gardens 1927-1936," 103.
90
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Garden Book No. 1 1922-1927," 40.
91
Londonderry, Retrospect: 19.
92
Porteous, Buffin, and Rollinson, "Mount Stewart Garden Conservation Management Plan 2011," 23.
48
Fig. 19 (above) shows the two bay trees at the harbor in Ghent. The image offers a glimpse of the
labor and money involved to ship and plant such large specimen trees. Source: Londonderry,
Edith, Marchioness of. "Mount Stewart Garden Book No. 1 1922-1927," 106.
Fig. 20 (below) "Clearing the Lily Wood 1940" shows Lady Londonderry in her outdoor attire,
helping friend "Ned" Fitz-Maurice (who was to become a casualty of WWII) remove trees and
brush for firewood. Source: Mount Stewart Archives.
49
and disappear into the gardens with them for an evening of log sawing.
93
Later, during the war,
she helped collect firewood by clearing the site for the Lily Wood (Fig. 20, previous page). This
labor of love greatly added to the character of her gardens.
4B) A Cultivated Exuberance
Although the garden areas nearest the main house contained a variety of formal elements,
Lady Londonderry created exuberance by adding an informal quality to the scene. Parterres
exuded a strong energy as Lady Londonderry's selection of mixed plantings almost burst forth
from the edges and towered over admiring guests (Fig. 21). She also encouraged plants suited to
dry conditions to grow within the cracks and crevices that formed part of her design on terraces
and in other paved areas within the gardens (Fig. 22). This exuberance spread into the
surrounding walls, down the steps, and onto open spaces where daisies often intermingled with
lawn.
Lady Londonderry explained, "The plants in the beds ... are encouraged to grow very
big, and shrubs are made use of as well."
94
In an article from 3 July 1926 entitled "The Gardens
at Mount Stewart," Mrs. T. J. Andrews wrote that "...in the pavement and in the surrounding
walls grow all kind of creeping plants, with here and there clumps of bulbous growths, small
dainty irises and early gladioli."
95
Achieving this "exuberant" or "natural" appearance with plants
in a geometric framework required great proficiency on the part of the gardening staff. For
example, the staff likely maintained a well-stocked nursery garden in order to propagate tender
plants growing in the parterres at Mount Stewart. This allowed them to hold plants in reserve
should an area need a boost of color or foliage as the season progressed. This process kept the
93
Ibid., 20.
94
Londonderry, "The Gardens at Mount Stewart," 525.
95
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Garden Book No. 1 1922-1927," 159.
50
Fig. 21 (above): Designers of the Arts and Crafts Movement reacted against the flower bedding
prevalent throughout Europe by using herbaceous plants to create informal, natural borders. Lady
Londonderry, on the other hand, took an entirely different approach to design by intermixing
trees, shrubs, vines, and herbaceous plants to create an informal effect within the formal parterres
of her Italian Garden, as seen in the image above. Source: Image by unknown photographer from
one of Lady Londonderry's photo albums c. 1934. Mount Stewart Archives.
Fig. 22 (below) of the Shamrock Garden shows how Lady Londonderry used design to add an
exuberant quality to the compartmentalized spaces of her garden. Source: Image by unknown
photographer from one of Lady Londonderry's photo albums, 1930s. Mount Stewart Archives.
51
parterres looking full for the greater part of the year. The ability to maintain this effect truly
attested to the attention and skill of head gardener Thomas Bolas, who was in charge of
orchestrating the gardening team's efforts on a daily basis.
Lady Londonderry created this exuberant aesthetic by introducing non-native flora that
displayed colors and textures foreign to the British landscape. Perhaps, exotic species greatly
attracted Lady Londonderry because the last Ice Age had left Britain fairly stripped of its native
flora, which made it difficult to create an exuberant garden from natural, ecological associations.
Additionally, her collection may represent a strong sense of national pride since many of Lady
Londonderry's plant selections can be traced to countries associated with the expansion of the
British Empire.
Lady Londonderry augmented this exuberant environment by adding exotic fauna to the
scene. At one point, Lady Londonderry introduced Stanley cranes from South Africa onto the
North Lawn at Mount Stewart. The gardening staff quickly removed the birds because they
became aggressive towards family and pets.
96
Following this event, Lady Londonderry acquired
ten flamingos as a present from King Fouad, after her 1934 visit to Egypt. The staff clipped the
birds' wings upon arrival to Mount Stewart and, although one escaped, the others resided by the
lake for almost fifteen years.
97
Aesthetic considerations may not have been the sole guiding force for Lady
Londonderry's design; it appears, however, that she endeavored to construct her own version of a
subtropical ecosystem at Mount Stewart. For example, in 1930, photographer R. J. Welch noted
that a group of women visiting Mount Stewart was particularly interested in "a number of little
96
Porteous, Buffin, and Rollinson, "Mount Stewart Garden Conservation Management Plan 2011," 23.
97
Ibid., 53.
52
tree frogs, hopping about on the leaves of the red tulips..."
98
Welch suggested that aside from
adding to the exotic feeling, Lady Londonderry had a practical reason for establishing tree frogs.
He explained, "No snail in those flower beds will have much chance of growing beyond the
baby-snail stage with those fine scavengers about, nor the insects that harm plants either."
99
Lady Londonderry often consulted zoologists regarding the animal life in her gardens. For
example, a letter from scientist L. Haig dated 26 May 1938 confirmed the dispatch of another six
dozen tree frogs to Mount Stewart and proposed green terrapins for the small artificial pools in
the stone terracing adjoining the house, as well lizards.
It is noteworthy that while the gardens were captured through conventional black and
white photography during their early stages, they were photographed in an entirely new manner
circa 1934. The method of floodlighting the garden at nighttime produced a theatrical effect,
making the gardens appear as though they were a setting for an ancient Greek drama (refer back
to Fig. 22). The photography of this period enhanced the exuberance throughout the gardens and
suggests the importance of the Circe myth; the viewer cannot help but feel as though they have
stumbled upon Circe's realm in the midst of a dense forest on some remote island (note the exotic
eucalyptus trees towering in the background of Fig. 22). These photographs indicate that the
gardens of this period reached a pinnacle of both creativity and upkeep. The images suggest that
Lady Londonderry had fulfilled her intent not only to create a garden that stimulated the senses,
but a place that embodied the Circe myth. Lady Londonderry's "magic" did not come easy as her
groupings of herbaceous plants with shrubs and trees were in fact intensely managed by her
gardening staff to achieve the exuberant effect she imagined.
98
Londonderry, "Newspaper Clippings, Letters, and Notes " 88.
99
Ibid.
53
PART IV: MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES DURING 1939-1955
Introduction
During the Interwar Period, many key ingredients combined to enable Lady Londonderry
to create the gardens at Mount Stewart in an eclectic fashion: establishing the Women's Legion
during WWI gave Lady Londonderry the confidence and organizational skills to carry out large
undertakings; a visit to the Rostrevor house whetted her appetite for rare plants; the
demobilization of the army following WWI provided necessary garden labor; the Londonderry's
coal mining interests supplied added income for procuring rare plants and paying laborers; and
the employment of the former head gardener provided indispensible local knowledge and
horticultural expertise. Around the time of World War II, circumstances began to change and
consequently Lady Londonderry had to adapt the management strategies she previously applied
to her expansive gardens.
The following seven sections outline a progression of events and adaptive management
strategies that characterized the gardens at Mount Stewart from the start of the war in 1939 to the
time when Lady Londonderry transferred ownership to the National Trust in 1955. These
sections are entitled: (1) A Continuation of Earlier Practices (1939-1940); (2) Responses to
Severe Weather Events (1940-1941); (3) Changes in Purpose I: Vegetables for Consumption
(1941-1946); (4) Changes in Purpose II: Flowers for Market (1941-1946); (5) Seeking Labor
Saving Strategies (1947-1955); (6) Economizing in the Gardens (1947-1955); and (7) Regaining
Lost Knowledge (1947-1955).
(1) A Continuation of Earlier Practices (1939--1940)
Although WWII commenced in 1939, the designed landscape at Mount Stewart
continued to expand as it had previously. The clearing of new garden spaces, however, filled
54
winter and wartime necessities as Lady Londonderry utilized trees and brush for firewood. By
November, the gardening staff had begun creating a new glade in an area known as the Sea
Plantation, which was comprised of trees that provided a crucial buffer between the gardens and
the lough.
100
As usual, Lady Londonderry consulted periodicals to guide her through the process
of developing this area.
101
In 1940, she purchased over thirty different "climbers to grow up
trees" in the wood walk, including clematis, hydrangea, jasminum, lonicera, vitis, wisteria, and
so forth.
102
As she noted, "the site [of the Sea Plantation] is very damp in places," she also
selected plants suited to boggy conditions, such as ferns and spirea.
103
She further ordered five
hundred Schizostylis coccinea, among several daphnes, Romneya coulteri, and Bambusa fastuosa
to fill the Sea Glade.
104
At the same time, Lady Londonderry created a Wild Garden along the outskirts of her
formal garden spaces. She planted this area with a variety of her favorite annuals and perennials,
including cyclamen, trillium, zephyranthes, anemones, cyclamen, primulas, anchusas, in addition
to many tulip and gladiola bulbs. She also filled the larger expanses with trees and shrubs,
including Rhododendron carneum, Cornus kousa, Berberis hyemalis, Sarcococca hookeri, and
Vaccinium oratum, among countless others.
105
While work progressed on these new extensions of the garden, the established areas
around the house apparently flourished. In a published article, Lady Londonderry described the
colorful Christmastime scene in the highly imaginative style characteristic of her earlier writings:
100
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Gardens 1937," 50.
101
Articles saved in her garden book include the following: "Plants for the Bog Garden," "Some Carpeting Bog
Plants," "By Waterside and in Woodland," "The Woodland Garden," Londonderry, "Newspaper Clippings, Letters,
and Notes ".
102
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Gardens 1937," 70, 72.
103
Ibid., 70.
104
Ibid., 75.
105
Ibid., 42-45, 51-57.
55
"My eyes first rested on one of the large standard orange trees, planted out
for some ten years now. It is laden with fruit ... The oranges shone in the sun like
gold. ...next...my eyes caught the rays of the sun shining on a large shrub of
Desfontania spinosa which had turned the blooms into flaming gold and red ... by
the bathing pool, mesembryanthemums were in flower ... Fuchsias are everywhere
in bloom ... By far the best winter effect in the garden ... is the view of the small
lake set in the midst of the garden, surrounded by fine trees. When the slanting
rays of the setting sun light up the Salix britzensis which are grouped around the
edge with masses of the deep red dogwood and companion shrubs of giant
Griselinia litoralis, a most vivid green, and large clumps of bamboos, the
reflection of these in the still clear waters of a winter's eve reveals a golden world
a flame, set with emerald gems."
106
Unfortunately, this spring-like scene was to be short-lived.
(2) Responses to Severe Weather Events (1940-1941)
During January 1940, the gardens at Mount Stewart suffered exceptionally severe winter
weather. Lady Londonderry wrote, "We had ten days of such frosts as we had never had here
before, with a heavy snowfall which crushed the acacia trees to earth; they curtsied most
gracefully down but never rose again."
107
Although her garden books listed certain species that
the severe winter weather badly damaged or killed, notations suggest that the vast majority of her
plantings survived. She recorded that some species such as Buddleia madagascariensis and
Cestrum elegans the cold temperatures "badly cut" or "killed outright," while others like
Abutilon megapotamicum, Beschorneria yuccoides, and Bougainvillea glabra were unharmed.
108
In December 1940, Mount Stewart experienced a "gale of hurricane force, followed by
heavy snow," which felled more trees and thus damaged walls and garden ornaments.
109
Lady
Londonderry noted the debris would take months of strenuous labor to clear away. The storm
created a particularly difficult situation because the garden crew was shorthanded during the war.
106
Edith Marchioness of Londonderry, "Christmas in the Garden," My Garden (1941).
107
Edith Marchioness of Londonderry, "Mount Stewart in War-Time," My Garden (1942).
108
Casement, "Mount Stewart Garden Archives and Historical Survey 1917-1969 Part 2."
109
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart in War-Time."
56
She responded to such uncontrollable events by suggesting that many of the felled trees could
provide a store of fine firewood. In an article for My Garden, she explained:
"… it is small compensation for our losses that we are now burning sweet-
smelling logs of cedar and eucalyptus, also we have logs of Crinodendron
Hookeri...and quite fair-sized logs of Myrtus Luma, with others coming in of
Eucryphia cordifolia, to be followed shortly by many large ones from a good old
monkey puzzle, the best burning wood imaginable. The prickly fronds make
wonderful lighters, cut in pieces, and the prickles removed at one end to make a
handle. We are also using eucalyptus twigs and leaves as bundles, even rosemary;
they make the perfect kindling wood and no paper is required at all, which we are
all enjoined to save."
110
Lady Londonderry's use of these exotic materials for firewood evidences her ingenuity and
adaptive problem-solving skills.
(3) Changes in Purpose I: Vegetables for Consumption (1941-1946)
As Britain became more entrenched in the war, the trial-and-error process of introducing
exotic and rare ornamental plants that had previously characterized the gardens shifted focus to
meet utilitarian needs. At the time, everyone in Britain was urged to grow as much of their own
food as possible because the German U-boat campaign interrupted food imports. While Lady
Londonderry had always supplied her Walled Garden with uncommon varieties of vegetables
and fruit trees, her garden books indicate a substantial increase in procuring these types of
productive plants from 1941 to 1945.
111
Lady Londonderry explained "... as everywhere else in
the British Isles ... growing more vegetables was imperative; this was a matter of especial
urgency for the winter months."
112
110
Ibid.
111
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Gardens 1937," 100-03, 289-92.
112
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart in War-Time."
57
For example, in October 1941 she ordered four three-year-old damson trees, 240 black
currents, yellow tomato seeds, and rhubarb.
113
On 22 October 1942, she recorded a purchase for
six "Thornless Wonder" blackberries and 1000 "Royal Sovereign" strawberries.
114
An order
placed 20 January 1943 from James Carter and Co. listed a large amount of vegetable seeds for
broad beans, beet, kale, broccoli, cabbage, savoy, cauliflower, sweet corn, chicory, cucumber,
eggplant, lettuce, onion, etc.
115
In 1943, she ordered 24 half-standard "Coxe's Orange Pippin"
apple trees to enhance her orchard, along with three "Marjorie" plum tree seedlings, which
offered the "dual purpose [of] large oval fruits of a deep purple covered by blue blooms."
116
In
1944, she ordered 100 packets of buckwheat from Alwood Bros,
117
and by 1945 she increased
her fruit selections with 1000 "Norfolk Giant" raspberry canes, fifty boysenberries, and 1000
strawberry plants.
118
These lists of fruits and vegetables only provide a glimpse of the myriad
productive plants Lady Londonderry purchased during this wartime period.
119
An article published by Lady Londonderry in "My Garden" offers insight into how the
cultivation efforts at Mount Stewart during the war carried on the same experimental nature that
had characterized their pre-war efforts of growing rare ornamental plants:
"Several varieties of vegetables not usually grown had to be tried out. One of
outstanding innovation in this direction was the cultivation of field peas for
drying. This experiment... proved a marked success. The French Roscroft
broccoli, normally reserved for culture in the extreme south-west of England, are
proving adaptable... Spanish beet for winter use had proved a valuable
addition...It was planted in the open and later lifted and placed at the foot of a
wall, where it has withstood frost and snow. Much useful experience has been
113
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Gardens 1937," 100.
114
Ibid., 103.
115
Ibid., 292.
116
Ibid., 100.
117
Ibid.
118
Ibid., 103.
119
Lady Londonderry was clearly influenced by contemporary periodicals regarding the new or unusual varieties of
fruits and vegetable she purchased. For example, she saved a 1941 clipping entitled "New Blackberries" by M.B.
Crane on page 160. She also underlined many plants in a clipping on page 158 by W.E. Shewell-Cooper called
"Unusual Fruits and their Uses." Londonderry, "Newspaper Clippings, Letters, and Notes " 158, 60.
58
gained in trying out several varieties of Brussels sprouts and cauliflowers for field
culture."
120
Lady Londonderry exhibits a sense of ingenuity in her ability to adapt management so as to
maintain the values that had previously characterized her gardens under new and different
circumstances. This increase in fruit and vegetable production raises the question as to whether
the staff at Mount Stewart supplied part of their yield to a local market, or if their goods mainly
served the purposes of feeding the community of people who lived and worked at the estate.
(4) Changes in Purpose II: Flowers for Market (1941-1946)
Until World War II was well underway, Lady Londonderry continued to order
extravagant amounts of rare trees, shrubs, vines, perennials, annuals, bulbs, and so forth to fill
her gardens. Nevertheless, as the war continued, she still found ways to fill the beds around the
house with colorful and fragrant flowers. A marked shift in the types of plants Lady Londonderry
procured from nurseries characterized the wartime period of gardening from 1941 to1945.
Records in her garden books indicate that her orders during this time predominantly consisted of
bulbs and other low-maintenance flowers for cutting purposes.
121
Although Lady Londonderry
still ordered considerable quantities of these plants, they would have required relatively less
labor and time to cultivate.
An entry in her garden book from October 1941 recorded "36 chrysanthemum rubellum
for cutting for market-kitchen garden."
122
Another entry from this period stated that a "collection
of 72 plants [were] for cutting for market," which included "Pallida odoratissima," "Seraph",
120
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart in War-Time."
121
Lady Londonderry saved articles that she likely consulted regarding these types of plants. For example, her
garden book includes clippings on "Bulb Gardens," "Uncommon Bulbs from North America," and "Miniature
Bulbs: A Selection to Grow in Pots and Pans." Londonderry, "Newspaper Clippings, Letters, and Notes " 57, 72,
144.
122
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Gardens 1937," 58.
59
"Prunella," "Fairy Princess" and "Corrida" varieties of iris .
123
These were "Planted end of
August [1942] along South Terrace Border [of the Italian Garden] - in groups."
124
During the
same year, she also noted that she "made new cauldron shaped bed by sea for all 500 [bulbs] ...
The other 500 by old Macrocarpa Tree [in a] new bed."
125
Additionally, her gardening staff
planted two hundred early and late flowering bearded irises in shades of pink, blue, yellow, and
mahogany "round the fountains at Mount Stewart."
126
The following year she recorded an order
for 1000 "Bulbs for Market ... Tulips from Bath," many of which the staff forced in pots in the
Walled Garden.
127
By 1943, Lady Londonderry's records indicate more variety, such as "100 Nerine
Bowdeni ... 36 Nerine Fothergilli ... 36 Notholirion Thomsonianum" placed in the "Beds below
upper Terrace" and "3 Sandersonia aurantica ... 100 Tritonia crocata ... 200 Alstroemeria
haemantha ... 60 hyacinths, 6 Lilium monadelphum, 12 Lilium Bellingham, 100 Lily of the
Valley ..." for the "greenhouse" and the "South Garden on 2nd Terrace."
128
She explicitly noted
that others, such as "twenty-four Crocus species ... twelve Eremurus Robustus ... twenty-four
Galanthus plicatus," were "NOT for MARKET" and rather her staff should plant them "by sea in
wood."
129
The bulbs and other cut flowers that Lady Londonderry obtained during this period
probably totaled tens of thousands. Because this number would have been relatively low in terms
of commercial production, Lady Londonderry most likely limited her supply of flowers to local
markets. Lady Londonderry's accounts suggest that during 1944 and 1945 she distributed flowers
123
Ibid., 91.
124
Ibid.
125
Ibid., 87.
126
Ibid., 91-92.
127
Ibid., 93.
128
Ibid., 94.
129
Ibid.
60
to Alex Dickson and Sons Ltd. in Belfast, Miss Ford, Downshire Shop, Lundy Bros. Collins and
Shileds, Mount Stewart Garden Sales, Samuel George, and Smith and McClure, and these sales
generated approximately £412.0.6 in income.
130
Her records from 1946 indicate £458.3.9 in total
sales to Dicksons, Miss Ford, Downshire Shop, Lundy Bros., Mount Stewart Garden Sales,
McBride, Collins and Shields, Samuel George, and Wiltons.
131
Because buying flowers during
the war would have been considered somewhat of a luxury, it is difficult to say who may have
purchased the flowers and for what reasons.
The shift in types of flowers predominantly grown at Mount Stewart during the war raises
additional questions. One might ask to what degree the family's involvement in politics and
concern for public relations might have influenced these changes in gardening practices. How
difficult was it for nurserymen to ship exotic ornamental trees and shrubs overseas during the
war? Might a decrease in gardening staff have instigated this adaptive management strategy?
Regardless of the circumstances, Lady Londonderry clearly possessed the creativity to devise a
way to maintain her aesthetic values of color and fragrance in the gardens during the war.
(5) Seeking Labor Saving Strategies (1947-55)
In the years during and after WWII, Mount Stewart experienced critical changes in its
gardening labor force. For example, multiple accounts suggest there was a shortage of persons to
employ in garden work. Such circumstances directly affected the management and aesthetics of
the gardens at Mount Stewart, in addition to many other large estates across Britain that faced
similar challenges.
130
Casement, "Mount Stewart Garden Archives and Historical Survey 1917-1969 Part 2," 243.
131
Ibid.
61
Published accounts offer some insight into the situation. In an article from 31 July 1954
in The Gardeners' Chronicle, Frank Kingdon-Ward wrote that, "Recently I had an opportunity to
see the famous Mount Stewart Rhododendrons in Northern Ireland ... Rhododendrons do
wonderfully well there, although of course, they suffered horribly during the last war, and also
during the particularly brutal spring of 1951. ... Owing to years of neglect they formed a jungle
of tropical luxuriance. ... After much thought and immense labour a great deal of replanting has
been carried out. "
132
By 1955, Lady Londonderry further explained, "It is a miracle how any
[lilies] survived in the wood in the dense undergrowth that developed during the years of the
war."
133
She further stated, "It was a tragedy all these lovely bulbs arrived just before we were
involved in the second World War, when labour and war conditions cut off all but the most
urgent garden operations."
134
Lady Londonderry's garden books, however, do not offer any insight into how many
people she employed as gardening staff throughout the years at Mount Stewart or how those
numbers may have changed during or after WWII. The aforementioned quotes by Frank
Kingdon-Ward and Lady Londonderry describe the scene at Mount Stewart nearly a decade after
the war.
135
Thus, it is difficult to discern whether such neglect resulted mostly from diminished
labor during the war, the significant loss of skilled management after head gardener Thomas
Bolas retired in 1947, or was a combination of these and other factors.
Thomas Bolas had gained extensive horticultural skills after working as head gardener at
Mount Stewart for over twenty years. When he moved away, he inevitably took an irreplaceable
132
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Gardens 1937," 215.
133
Edith Marchioness of Londonderry, "Lilies at Mount Stewart Co. Down, Northern Ireland," Lily Year Book
(1955): 31.
134
Ibid., 33.
135
It is important to carefully treat the contents of such writings and place them within a certain context. Because
Lady Londonderry and Frank Kingdon-Ward tailored their writings toward specific publications, one must consider
the possibility that they contain some degree of embellishment.
62
knowledge of the gardens with him. It was not until around 1950 that Lady Londonderry
replaced him when she hired a man named A. J. Mitchell as the new head gardener. His
appointment, however, was short-lived, since he left Mount Stewart after only about a year.
George Graham came to Mount Stewart from Castlewellan Gardens and lasted only a year after
Mitchell. Finally, Alexander Steele arrived from Brodick in 1952 and served as head gardener
until his death in 1968.
136
Unfortunately, because Lady Londonderry's garden books are not of a
personal nature (e.g. they do not express any frustration with the situation, as one might expect),
it is difficult to surmise exactly what motivated her actions during this period.
However, Lady Londonderry did save article clippings in her garden books that offer
some insight into the situation and place Mount Stewart within a broader context. The following
excerpt from an article entitled "Private Garden Marketing" published by F. J. Rose in the March
1948 Gardening Illustrated magazine explains:
"Previous to the 1914-19 war the gardens of the large estates provided the main
features of horticulture in this country. These gardens were superbly organized,
discipline was strict, and the hours of work were long. Thus they provided
excellent practical training for those young men who were fortunate enough to be
employed in them.
Since those days there has been a gradual change, for this is a changing world and
it was inevitable that horticulture should be included. Many of those famous old
gardens are now no more, others are being used as market gardens, and it is safe
to say that none is being run on the lavish scale of pre-1914 days."
137
This excerpt suggests a distinction: rather than an overall lack of persons to employ there was a
lack of qualified persons who possessed the skills necessary to oversee and carry out such large
and complex gardening operations. Lady Londonderry's records from the 1950s thus indicate a
gradual realization of this problem as she collected leaflets regarding new mechanical aids that
136
Casement, "Mount Stewart Garden Archives and Historical Survey 1917-1969 Part 2," 22.
137
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Gardens 1937."
63
might facilitate garden work.
138
She also saved articles such as "Labour Saving Plants" from the
Gardeners' Chronicle, which advised, "carefully selected and skillfully placed plants can
transform a wilderness into a pleasurable and economical garden."
139
Mount Stewart, similar to many other British gardens, thus had suffered from losing a
generation of skilled head gardeners whose talents they had not passed on to a new generation.
One would assume this transition period in management at Mount Stewart from about1946 to
1954 directly affected Lady Londonderry's attitude toward her gardens. By the early 1950s, Lady
Londonderry contemplated transferring ownership of her gardens to the National Trust, partly
due to the increasing difficulty she encountered in finding skilled and reliable workers. Certainly,
other concerns affected this decision. For example, she later recalled, "The fate of the unique
garden at Rostrevor belonging to Sir John Ross of Bladensburg, called so aptly by him
'Fairyland,' was a warning, as to what is likely to happen to Gardens in the future unless
safeguarded ..."
140
(6) Economizing in the Gardens (1947-1955)
Beyond issues regarding laborers and concerns for what might become of the gardens
after Lady Londonderry's lifetime, one must question the status of the Londonderry's finances
during this period. For example, Lord Londonderry died in February 1949 and it is likely that the
hefty estate taxes imposed by the post-war Labor Government affected the family's finances.
Upon Lord Londonderry's death, his only son Robin inherited the property for a brief period.
138
Due to time restraints, the author of this report was unable to examine the content of these pamphlets. Rather the
author solely relied on Anne Casement's inventory of such items. Casement, "Mount Stewart Garden Archives and
Historical Survey 1917-1969 Part 2."
139
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Gardens 1937," 267.
140
Londonderry, "Foreword to the Mount Stewart Garden Guide Book."
64
This situation probably motivated Lady Londonderry to seek new ways to economize in
her gardens. For example, a letter dated 26 June 1946 from W. A. Constable mentions the
cultivation of lilies at Mount Stewart for commercial purposes and the possibility of supplying
him with certain bulbs.
141
Additionally, Lady Londonderry saved a letter dated 19 April 1945
from Frank Reinelt of Vetterle and Reinelt Hybridizing Gardens in California to Guy Wilson of
Broughshane regarding daffodil breeding.
142
She also saved flyers on the topic, including one
from A. F. Blakeman of Seven Acre Bulb Farm in Abergele North Wales
143
and catalogues from
J. Parker Bulb Specialist in Manchester.
144
The article clipping on "Private Garden Marketing"
published by F. J. Rose in the March 1948 Gardening Illustrated magazine also explained how
the situation was not unique to Mount Stewart:
"The need for economy has decided the course of gardening in recent years. ... the
owner of a garden which necessitates the employment of several men, finds it
necessary to market whatever is possible to help with the expenses. So the
question arises--'What can be grown in my garden for market and how can it be
sold?' It is impossible for a private garden to pay its way completely unless it is
run on strictly commercial lines."
145
Correspondence reveals that by 1951 Lady Londonderry considered different alternatives
for generating income. For example, a letter dated 29 January 1951 from G. Reuthe Ltd.
mentions the dispatch of giant bamboo and offers advice on the commercial growing of
bamboos.
146
Another letter dated 5 March 1951 from Hillier nurseries, which lists plants shipped
to Mount Stewart, also references bamboos for commercial production.
147
Correspondence
additionally suggests that Lady Londonderry contemplated selling her potpourri, and had
141
Reference catalogue number "T6B9 7." Casement, "Mount Stewart Garden Archives and Historical Survey 1917-
1969 Part 2," 281.
142
Reference catalogue number "T6B9 46." ibid., 282.
143
Reference catalogue number "T6B9 49." ibid., 283.
144
Reference catalogue number T6B9 34." ibid., 282.
145
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Gardens 1937."
146
Reference catalogue number "KD3 34." Casement, "Mount Stewart Garden Archives and Historical Survey
1917-1969 Part 2," 268.
147
Reference catalogue number "KH3 34." ibid.
65
purchased equipment to distill essential oils and essences from plants.
148
None of these ventures,
however, proved successful which might have been due to the lack of skilled workers essential to
carrying out operations on a commercial scale.
The labor and financial situations may have instigated Lady Londonderry's attempts to
re-envision her designs in less labor-intensive ways that still upheld her aesthetic values. For
example, she redesigned the Shamrock Garden to feature winter and early spring flowering
plants in 1950.
149
Lady Londonderry's actions followed trends outlined in the article on "Private
Garden Marketing" where author F. J. Rose wrote:
"Nowadays one seldom sees the elaborate system of bedding out that used to be
such a features of private gardens in bygone days; instead one sees many more
flowering trees and shrubs, hardy bulbs of all kinds, rock and herbaceous plants.
... this phase of gardening [is] more economic ...."
150
Her new design integrated fifteen varieties of Prunus, in addition to various camellias,
magnolias, rhododendrons, daphnes, viburnums, mahonias, etc. "at back of hedge."
151
These
selections would have been much hardier and less maintenance-intensive than the tender annuals
and perennials that dominated her earlier designs.
Lady Londonderry also may have attempted to revitalize her gardens to prepare them for
public viewing once the National Trust assumed ownership. In a letter, dated 11 March 1954 an
acquaintance from the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh revealed that, "I was very interested
to hear that negotiations with the National Trust are now so far forward."
152
By 1955, Robin
passed away only a few years after his father’s death and ownership of the gardens subsequently
148
p 243 Casement = partial letter transcriptions
149
Londonderry, "Garden 1935," 42-44.
150
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Gardens 1937."
151
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Gardens 1935," 42-44.
152
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Gardens 1937."
66
transferred to the National Trust. Lady Londonderry remained actively engaged in decisions
related to the gardens until her own death in 1959.
(7) Regaining Lost Knowledge (1947-1955)
An effort to regain lost knowledge, particularly after head gardener Thomas Bolas retired
in 1947, also characterized the gardens' post-WWII period. Notes and correspondence in Lady
Londonderry's garden books suggest that she not only lost plants to neglect, but was unable to
identify the names and locations of many species within her gardens. For example, Lady
Londonderry recorded that "oranges and all plants [were] moved from greenhouse [in] June 1949
[because] nearly all [were] suffering from neglect and lack of water - names lost."
153
From 1955-1956, around the time the National Trust began managing the gardens, Lady
Londonderry frequently consulted Thomas Bolas regarding identification of various plants and
trees.
154
For example, in a letter dated 1 February 1956, Bolas wrote, "The name of the evergreen
climber you send me is Lardizabala biternata, and the shrub ... Hakaea ulicina. ... I do not know
if those hybrid Rhodos [sic] had any special name ... They came from Gil, if you have an old
catalogue of his they may be under name there. Cyathea medullaris
is the name of the Tree Fern.
I cannot remember any Maple in the Lily Wood, of course you have the purple leaved
Nothofagus fuscata in this wood. ... glad to be of some little assistance to your Ladyship."
Bolas's ability to recall these plants and their locations nearly nine years after his retirement
attests to the vast knowledge he accumulated during his tenure at Mount Stewart. The letters also
153
Ibid., 126.
154
Anne Casement's survey includes a list of these letters. Refer to catalogue numbers "KB1," "KB2," "KB3,"
"KB4," "KB5," and "KB6." Casement, "Mount Stewart Garden Archives and Historical Survey 1917-1969 Part 2,"
267.
67
substantiate the difficulty Lady Londonderry encountered in managing her vast plant collection
quite some time after replacing Bolas with new head gardeners.
Lady Londonderry also sought assistance from experts such as Constable Nurseries
155
and the National Botanic Gardens.
156
In a letter dated 11 March 1954, a person affiliated with the
Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh wrote, "I have been writing an account and trying to
unravel the confusion in names which is considerable. For the time being, I think the best plan is
to call everything where the leaf has a greyish tin indumentum underneath, R. magnificum, and
where the leaf is green underneath, R. giganteum. Most of the plants I had from you were R.
magnificum. One was R. giganteum ... I am fairly certain that this last plant was not grown from
Ward's seed, but must have been a Forrest plant. ..."
157
Aside from Lady Londonderry contacting nurseries to identify plants, correspondence
particularly from 1949 to 1950 indicates that many nurseries contacted Lady Londonderry
regarding seeds lost to their collections.
158
Letters of this nature continued for several years after
the National Trust became involved in managing the gardens. For example, a note from the
director of G. Reuthe Ltd. dated 19 February 1959 stated: "We take the liberty of asking whether
Her Ladyship has of any of the 5 following Rhododendrons of which we are greatly in need. We
need hardly say that we shall be pleased to let Her Ladyship have something by way of exchange
if and when required."
159
This letter reveals a change in the network of exchange that Lady
Londonderry and other plant enthusiasts had established before WWII. Private gardens like
155
Refer to catalogue numbers "KC5," "KC6," and "KC7." Ibid
156
Refer to catalogue number "KA18 26." Casement, "Mount Stewart Garden Archives and Historical Survey 1917-
1969 Part 2."
157
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Gardens 1937."
158
Refer to catalogue numbers "JR9," "JR10," "JTU11," "JTU13," JTU14," and "JR5." Casement, "Mount Stewart
Garden Archives and Historical Survey 1917-1969 Part 2," 266.
159
Edith Marchioness of Londonderry, "Gardens."
68
Mount Stewart became a valuable resource for nurseries and botanical gardens to reestablish
their public collections.
69
PART VI: CONCLUSION
Summary of Findings
The gardens at Mount Stewart can best be described as eclectic and idiosyncratic in
style—a fusion of ideas, inspirations, and influences that certainly reflect Lady Londonderry's
exuberant and highly imaginative personality. Design and management of the gardens during
Lady Londonderry's tenure evolved through three distinct phases: (1) Interwar pleasure and
indulgence; (2) WWII necessity; and (3) post-WWII attempted revitalization.
The employment of many laborers demobilized from the army and made possible by
ample revenue generated by the Londonderry's coal mining interest characterized garden
management during the 1920s and 1930s. These factors not only provided an avenue for creating
the extensive gardens, but for maintaining a highly managed aesthetic, as well. It seems likely
that Lady Londonderry not only saw this as an opportunity to indulge her creative ambition, but
felt motivated by a sense of patriotic duty with respect to assisting war veterans. As Lady
Londonderry stated, "Every employer in Ulster who could do so undertook to provide work for
ex-service men, in addition to the ordinary employees. This, from my point of view, was an
opportunity not to be missed."
160
The gardens at Mount Stewart became a vehicle for expressing the range of talents
possessed by Lady Londonderry and others. This mixture of influences contributed to the
eclectic feeling that characterizes Mount Stewart today. While many gardens in the United
Kingdom contain Celtic themes, Italian-inspired architecture, or Arts and Crafts-style ornaments,
Lady Londonderry's amalgamation of these inspirations distinguishes her creation. Similar to
other garden designers, Lady Londonderry selected deities and mythologies from the Classical
canon as a means of conveying her personality and values. Additionally, Lady Londonderry
160
Londonderry, "The Gardens at Mount Stewart," 520.
70
expressed herself through her exotic plant selections, which often included rare specimens that
were intense in both color and fragrance. Consequently, at Mount Stewart, exotic plant
collections played an even more important role than in other places of Lady Londonderry's time,
such as Bodnant, Hidcote, and Sissinghurst.
While the magical properties of plants and flowers fascinated Lady Londonderry, she
never seemed entirely fulfilled by her designs. A frequency of change characterized her gardens.
The key to Lady Londonderry's aesthetic may have been her identification with the mythological
character of Circe the Sorceress. In contrast to most gardens that are visually inspired, the
gardens at Mount Stewart do not emphasize layout and exhibit a mixture of influences without
great originality. Hence, the main inspiration of Lady Londonderry's gardens may have been
imagined or literary, such as the roles of a magical island. This literary association is perhaps
most evident in the exoticism and exuberance of Lady Londonderry's plant collection.
Before WWII, the gardens served as a place of pleasure and indulgence for Lady
Londonderry and her family, as well as a social setting for friends. A vast change in purpose
defined the period during WWII as the gardens became more utilitarian by mostly producing
vegetables for consumption and flowers for local markets. Various efforts to revitalize the
gardens defined the period following the war. For example, management shifted toward
determining new ways to economize in the garden during a time of financial uncertainty
instigated by post-war Labor Government estate taxes. Lady Londonderry sought adaptive
management strategies to reduce labor costs and to regain knowledge lost after her long-time
head gardener retired.
By 1955, Lady Londonderry negotiated with the National Trust to oversee her gardens in
perpetuity. She believed it was important to "ensure that these Gardens should be permanently
71
preserved and maintained in the future."
161
She further stated, "Gardens are meant to be lived in
and enjoyed and I hope they may long continue to be a source of pleasure to those who visit
them, as they have been in the past, when the grounds were always open on certain days to the
public."
162
Connecting Current Strategies and Future Challenges to Past Practices
The Mount Stewart Garden Conservation Management Plan (MSGCMP) recognizes the
rare and unusual plant collection that Lady Londonderry acquired and designed at Mount Stewart
as its most significant asset. The plan divides the gardens and pleasure grounds into twenty-three
character areas and focuses management on significant plants and conservation policies for each
defined space. In broad terms, the MSGCMP states,
"It is important that the garden and its planting should not reflect a single moment
in time ... but instead should be a mixture that encompasses the overall
“Londonderry spirit” of vibrant garden creation, plant experimentation and high
standards of horticulture while also recognising the most appropriate features and
designs of more modern times. To lock the garden into a single restoration period
or time would suffocate it, and as this was never a philosophy that Lady
Londonderry adhered to ... Instead the garden was and should always be a
dynamic living entity ...."
163
Hence, the overarching management strategy in the MSGCMP is for the National Trust to
garden in the "spirit" of Lady Londonderry. This strategy requires the National Trust to maintain
a collection of plants that combines species originally selected and favored by Lady
Londonderry, such as rhododendrons and lilies, with new cultivars that would align with her
aesthetic values if she were alive today. This frequency of change in the plant collection at
161
Londonderry, "Foreword to the Mount Stewart Garden Guide Book."
162
Ibid.
163
Porteous, Buffin, and Rollinson, "Mount Stewart Garden Conservation Management Plan 2011," 27.
72
Mount Stewart correlates with the mindset of Lady Londonderry's adopted persona of "Circe."
Additionally, the flexibility of this approach toward maintaining a rare and unusual plant
collection that changes over time will enable management to adapt its strategy in response to
future economic and environmental factors.
In the MSGCMP, the National Trust acknowledges that it faces new challenges in long-
term management of the Mount Stewart gardens as the descent from a period of cheap oil and
energy is underway, as many countries recover from a global economic crisis, and as climate
change permanently alters weather patterns, among other unforeseen factors. At the same time,
the National Trust recognizes that these challenges pose a special opportunity for Mount Stewart
not only to serve as a leader in solving these problems, but also to educate the public and inspire
citizens to take action.
In response to the descent from a period of cheap oil and energy, management at Mount
Stewart has adopted sustainable practices, such as installing a new biomass boiler that efficiently
burns locally sourced wood chips to provide heat and hot water to the vast estate.
164
Although the
MSGCMP does not detail the energy issue, the National Trust has taken further steps toward
sustainability by considering new ways to maintain the rare and unusual plant collection without
relying solely on foreign countries to transport seeds and specimens. For example, in 2010, the
National Trust signed an agreement to lease a section of the Walled Garden for the provision of
new propagation facilities.
165
Although at a much smaller scale than the extravagant Interwar
Period, the National Trust now produces a reserve stock of plants for the main gardens and
grows additional ones that can generate income from visitor sales. While reinstating this tradition
164
National Trust, "The Warmth from the Willow".
165
Porteous, Buffin, and Rollinson, "Mount Stewart Garden Conservation Management Plan 2011," 24.
73
requires extended efforts from the garden staff, it pushes Mount Stewart in a more sustainable
direction.
In addition to energy concerns, current management practices also have responded to the
recent global economic downturn. For example, the National Trust has initiated a volunteer
program that offers temporary relief to unemployed individuals, particularly those in the housing
sector of the economy. This approach parallels Lady Londonderry's strategy to employ jobless
soldiers for garden work. The recent volunteer program has enabled the National Trust to
maintain its large collection of rare and unusual plants, which requires intensive labor from a
reliable, educated, and skilled staff.
Still, economic downturns challenge managers at Mount Stewart in other ways, such as
securing funding for new plant acquisitions. The MSGCMP suggests, "New acquisitions should
be a blend of the best and most desirable of new cultivated garden varieties equally mixed with
wild collected material from China, Japan, Himalayas, North America and the Mediterranean
Zones of the world."
166
While the MSGCMP does not address potential problems related to
funding these exotic acquisitions, particularly during economic downturns, management may
consider reestablishing connections to acquire plant materials locally through private estates and
public botanical gardens. Such a practice would recall Lady Londonderry's Interwar period
"network of exchange."
167
The MSGCMP suggests that managers should replenish the garden "with a rich mixture
of botanical treasures and the very best cultivated plants that are adaptable and sustainable in this
166
Ibid., 29.
167
The National Trust recognizes how reliable funding remains a concern for all of its properties. Consequently,
they have begun a decade-long program to help land managers find new sources of income to support more
sustainable land management. They will explore funding through public bodies, new markets for ecosystem
services, and through their own commercial activity including product licensing, procurement and corporate
partnerships. National Trust, "Our Land, For Ever, For Everyone," 4.
74
unique microclimate of the Ards peninsula."
168
Still, rising sea levels and potential shifts in
prevailing wind patterns threaten the Sea Plantation and shelter-belts at Mount Stewart, which, in
turn, will affect the microclimate. Thus, climate change poses another problem for management
because it may raise questions about the long-term survival of some introductions from warmer
climates in the collection at Mount Stewart.
169
On the other hand, Mount Stewart has become a
haven for some plants already threatened in their native environments, such as the Brachyglottis
brunonis (Senecio centropappus) or Brown’s daisy tree endemic to Tasmania.
170
Consequently,
the exotic and exuberant plant collection at Mount Stewart may become an increasingly
significant resource in the near future.
Conclusion
Through extensive research of primary resources at the Mount Stewart Archives, this
report has identified three distinct periods of management in the history of the Mount Stewart
gardens. Accordingly, future garden managers should consider adapting an approach that
characterizes one of those three periods. Present management strategies of the gardens— such as
providing work to unemployed persons, propagating plants in the Walled Garden, and
maintaining an exotic and exuberant plant collection—correlates closest with approaches that
defined Interwar Period. It is likely that the National Trust will hold to the goal of maintaining
the aesthetic characteristics and design principles that defined the Mount Stewart gardens during
the Interwar Period since that is when the gardens reached their pinnacle. Economic and
environmental factors, however, eventually may prompt the National Trust to adapt an approach
from a different time in Mount Stewart's history, such as its WWII "period of necessity."
168
Porteous, Buffin, and Rollinson, "Mount Stewart Garden Conservation Management Plan 2011," 29.
169
Ibid., 42.
170
National Trust, "Survey at Mount Stewart Expose Important Plants".
75
During WWII, Lady Londonderry discovered less extravagant ways to fill her planting
beds and still maintain colorful and fragrant displays of flowers throughout the growing season.
She changed her strategy of procuring a wide array of unusual plants from overseas to one of
ordering bulbs and other low-maintenance flowers from local nurseries across Britain. Although,
Lady Londonderry still purchased considerable quantities of these plants, they would have
required relatively less labor and skill to cultivate. The overall purpose of the gardens during this
period shifted from indulgence and display to fulfilling utilitarian needs. Because the
government urged everyone in Britain to grow as much of their own food as possible during
WWII, Lady Londonderry shifted her focus from rare ornamental plants to uncommon varieties
of vegetables and fruit trees that could provide sustenance to the local community.
Lady Londonderry exhibited a sense of ingenuity in her ability to adapt management to
maintain her established values of color, fragrance, and rarity under external influences. Today
the National Trust faces many challenges from global climate change, economic downturns, and
the descent of a period of inexpensive energy. Because of these uncontrollable circumstances,
the National Trust may find it critical to interpret the WWII period in Mount Stewart's history by
shifting to a simpler and more pragmatic scheme for the gardens' planting beds. While this
approach would require considerably less funding, energy, and maintenance than current
practices, it also would enable the National Trust to maintain the "Londonderry spirit" through
changes in design.
In conclusion, the gardens at Mount Stewart are significant on many levels—from its
historical association with Lady Londonderry to serving as a place where managers can examine
global problems of both nature and culture. Mount Stewart exhibits multiple "functions of land"
outlined by the National Trust in their "Our Land, For ever, For everyone" report, including:
76
production, biodiversity, cultural history, recreation and inspiration.
171
The gardens at Mount
Stewart can and should remain a place for children and adults to connect with nature and with
each other. As "The Mount Stewart Conservation and Management Plan" suggests "Mount
Stewart was above all a family garden, a place for relaxation, enjoyment and entertaining."
172
In order to achieve this goal, it is important that future managers practice adaptive
management by frequently reevaluating their goals and adjusting their strategies as necessary,
while at the same time ensuring continuity with the historic character of the gardens. As Lady
Londonderry created and managed her gardens at Mount Stewart, she consistently relied on her
garden books, among other resources in the Mount Stewart Archives, for education and
inspiration. Thus, it is only appropriate that we, too, should consistently rely on these resources
to guide us in future management of the gardens.
Suggestions for Future Research
While researching the gardens at Mount Stewart for this report, the author identified
several gaps in the landscape’s historiography and noted potential sources of information that
might further enhance an understanding of the gardens. Outlined below are suggestions for future
research.
(1) Full Transcription and Organization of the Garden Books. The section entitled "The Nature
and Character of the Garden Books" and Appendix A explains the highly disordered and
incoherent nature of Lady Londonderry's garden books, which creates a fragmentary view of
how the gardens progressed over time. Anne Casement's study is a useful starting point for
171
National Trust, "Our Land, For Ever, For Everyone," 3.
172
Porteous, Buffin, and Rollinson, "Mount Stewart Garden Conservation Management Plan 2011," 27.
77
research because it offers partial transcriptions of these documents.
173
When closely examining
each garden book, however, it became evident that important Anne Casement's partial
transcriptions inevitably omitted significant pieces of information.
Full transcriptions would undoubtedly lend insight into many details that defined the
gardens at Mount Stewart and would thus facilitate identifying further patterns of aesthetic
characteristics, design principles, and management strategies from this period. After fully
transcribing the garden books, the author feels that it would be helpful to reorganize the content
in a chronological order. This would be a vast undertaking, yet it would greatly help future
scholars understand how the gardens evolved as a whole entity.
2) Examination of Lady Londonderry's Personal Diaries. In the early stages of researching this
report, it became evident that Lady Londonderry's garden books are not of a personal nature and
instead mostly contain copious records regarding plant orders. Consequently, it is difficult to
infer much about the values, events, motives, or other factors that spurred the actions
documented by these statistics. Lady Londonderry maintained separate personal diaries, which
are now located in the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland. It would be useful to examine
these resources and determine whether they could shed further light on Lady Londonderry's
personal thoughts and experiences of the gardens.
3) Considering the Other Side of Correspondence
. Research for this report included a review of
letters from people associated with the gardens at Mount Stewart. Because most of these letters
responded to ones sent by Lady Londonderry, they offer only one side of the conversation and
make it difficult to understand the full context of the conversation. For example, a letter dated 8
173
Casement, "Mount Stewart Garden Archives and Historical Survey 1917-1969 Part 2," 93-121.
78
July 1936 from Stuart Low Co. states, "Your experiment seems to us very interesting, and it will
be a pleasure for one of us to inspect your Garden if we might be allowed on some occasion,
when we are in the district."
174
The letter unfortunately does not indicate what type of
"experiment" Lady Londonderry proposed. Thus, it may prove worthwhile, if possible, to
research various archives associated with individual persons (e.g., Lord Aberconway, Frank
Kingdon-Ward, or Gertrude Jekyll), well-known nurseries, or botanic gardens with whom Lady
Londonderry regularly corresponded to determine if her original letters still exist.
4) Development of a Post-WWI Context (The Arts and Crafts Movement). It would be useful to
research the literature on other gardens of this period to place Mount Stewart within a historical
context. Most of the famous examples of Arts and Crafts gardens are associated with the
establishment of new gardens by the newly rich—hence "middle class" rather than "aristocratic"
persons, such as Lady Londonderry. Most importantly, the Arts and Crafts Movement was only
one among several influences for Lady Londonderry, such as admiration for the Italian garden
and enthusiasm for collecting plants associated with the twilight of the empire.
Garden historians have yet to determine a good categorization for gardens of this type.
For example, in The National Trust Book of the English Garden, author Richard Bisgrove titles
his chapter on early twentieth-century gardens "The Edwardian and Neo-Georgian Garden" in
which he describes a fusion of several ideas and influences. At Mount Stewart, exotic plant
collections, however, played a more important role than in most places, such as Hidcote,
Bodnant, and Sissinghurst. Jane Brown's book Gardens of a Golden Afternoon and Judith
Tankard's Gardens of the Arts and Crafts Movement would provide a solid starting point to
defend the argument that the gardens at Mount Stewart do not fully fit the mould of a typical
174
Londonderry, "Mount Stewart Gardens 1927-1936," 120-21.
79
Arts and Crafts garden. The Circe myth was perhaps the main organizing principle of Lady
Londonderry's gardens. Thus understanding the historical context of Mount Stewart may prove
that literary inspirations played a stronger role in Lady Londonderry's designs than Arts and
Crafts ideals.
5) Comparison with Other Londonderry Residences. Similar to other aristocrats, Lord and Lady
Londonderry maintained several residences across Britain. Anne Casement suggested that Lady
Londonderry's initial attempts at creating her own garden date to the early 1900s when she and
Lord Londonderry acquired their first home, a hunting box at Springfield near Oakham. In
addition to Mount Stewart, Lady Londonderry cultivated gardens at Kinloch, a shooting lodge in
Sutherland.
175
Correspondence indicated that Lady Londonderry also gardened at her London
home, Wynyard Park. The author of this report feels that it is important to research Lady
Londonderry's other residential gardens to determine whether or not she might have applied
design principles and management strategies similar to Mount Stewart. Determining how Mount
Stewart may have differed from these other gardens would provide insight into how Mount
Stewart was personally significant to Lady Londonderry.
6) Determining Local Needs Fulfilled by Mount Stewart during WWII.
The author encountered
numerous references suggesting that during WWII Lady Londonderry supplied flowers to local
markets. One would assume that few people considered cut flowers a necessity during this
period. It was not evident as to who purchased these flowers and for what reasons. While Mount
Stewart also increased production of fruits and vegetables during WWII, the author did not find
any references suggesting that the staff at Mount Stewart distributed food produced in the
175
Casement, "Mount Stewart Garden Archives and Historical Survey 1917-1959 Part One," 18.
80
gardens to local markets. This suggests that the products mostly supplied the community of
people working and residing at Mount Stewart. It would be useful to research the archives of
local newspapers and publications to construct a better understanding of what role Mount
Stewart played in providing its garden products to the greater community during the war.
7) Understanding Post-WWII Labor and Finances. During the course of this research, the author
encountered numerous published writings by Lady Londonderry and other persons associated
with her gardens, which stated Mount Stewart had suffered neglect from diminished labor during
and after WWII. Plant order records in Lady Londonderry's garden books, however, indicate a
trend of buying large quantities of plants immediately after WWII until the time of her death in
1959 (similar to her pre-WWI purchasing habits). One would assume that if there were a lack of
laborers Lady Londonderry would have restricted her orders during this period. Thus, it would be
useful to check consensus records at the Public Records Office in Belfast to compare how many
gardeners Lady Londonderry employed before and after WWII.
Because Lady Londonderry expended a large amount of money on her gardens after the
war, one also would question the status of the Londonderry's finances. Lady Londonderry's
husband Charley and son Robin both passed away after the post-war Labor Government had
begun imposing hefty death taxes on the aristocracy. It would be helpful to determine to what
extent this circumstance affected the Londonderry's finances and how it correlates with Lady
Londonderry's decision to transfer the gardens to the National Trust.
81
8) Reviewing Lady Mairi's Cine Films. Anne Casement's inventory dates the vast majority of
Mount Stewart photographs to the years before WWII.
176
Thus, there is a large gap in visual
documentation of the gardens during and after the war when many key changes in design and
management occurred. Cine films created by Lady Mairi, however, do exist from this critical
period and may offer a basis for comparison. Anne Casement stated that the television room at
Mount Stewart contains "video transformations" of these cine films.
177
These films would have
served as primary resources for this report had they not been in an obsolete viewing format.
Should funding become available, it is important that the National Trust have these cine-films
updated in format for viewing and analysis.
9) Reconsidering the Role of Thomas Bolas. Throughout the course of this study, it became clear
that head gardener, Thomas Bolas, played a significant role in the success of the gardens at
Mount Stewart. Mr. Bolas may have maintained diaries or record books during his time at Mount
Stewart, as this was a common practice among gardeners of his stature. If such documents
existed, it is likely that Mr. Bolas would have taken them with him after he retired. The author
contacted descendants of Mr. Bolas, but at the time, they were unable to offer any information
regarding this possibility. It may prove worthwhile to determine whether such documents still
survive. If so, they would certainly yield crucial information about implementation and
management of the gardens from 1921 to 1947, and they may shed new light on Mr. Bolas’s
working relationship with Lady Londonderry.
176
Casement, "Mount Stewart Garden Archives and Historical Survey 1917-1969 Part 2," 255-58.
177
Ibid.
82
10) Placing Lady Londonderry in the Context of 20th Century Plant Expeditions. Lady
Londonderry subscribed to the expeditions of many British plant hunters, such as Frank
Kingdon-Ward and Clarence Elliot. For example, Lady Londonderry bought a ten-guinea share
of all the rhododendrons collected during Kingdon-Ward's 1938-9 expedition of North Burma.
178
Many of the species discovered on these journeys remain rare today. Other plants, however, have
since become widely available through nurseries and are prevalent in home gardens and public
landscapes. On a broader scale, it would be beneficial to understand Lady Londonderry's role in
these plant introductions.
178
National Trust, "Survey at Mount Stewart Expose Important Plants".
83
APPENDIX A: DESCRIPTIONS OF THE NATURE AND CHARACTER
OF EACH GARDEN BOOK
(1-2) "Mount Stewart Garden Book No. 1 1922-7" and "Mount Stewart Garden Book No. 2
1922-7:"
The "Mount Stewart Garden Book No. 1 1922-7" and "Mount Stewart Garden Book No.
2 1922-27" are predominantly record books but contain a few scrapbook elements, such as
photographs, article clippings, and letters. Since both books roughly cover the same time and
contain slightly different information, each tends to supplement the other. For example, "Mount
Stewart Garden Book No. 1 1922-7" emphasizes more documentation on garden architecture and
ornaments, whereas "Mount Stewart Garden Book No. 2 1922-27" focuses on plant acquisitions
with a few planting designs.
Lady Londonderry organized the content of these books with headings that reflected
garden spaces, such as "West Garden Terrace Border" or "Pergola." "Mount Stewart Garden
Book No. 1 1922-7" contains some ordered content, with bold headings at the top of most pages.
Beneath the headings in the first book, Lady Londonderry noted the annual development of the
gardens and referenced sources of ideas and inspirations for particular elements. Some of these
entries sway back and forth between years but often maintain the same handwriting and ink, thus
suggesting that she retrospectively recorded much of the content. To substantiate this claim
further, notes within the first garden book often refer to years that predate the "1922-7" period
printed in gold on the front cover.
Both of these early garden books contain many underlined subheadings that reflect (1)
the names of nurseries from which Lady Londonderry procured plants and (2) the seasons when
84
she placed the orders. These types of entries always contain lists of plants, sometimes
accompanied by specific numbers, particular varieties, basic growing instructions, and general
locations within the gardens. Because Lady Londonderry based her orders off descriptive text
(as opposed to today where one could rely on color photography to first see what a plant might
look like), she later inserted many commentaries about how specific plants performed and
whether they met or exceeded her expectations.
"Mount Stewart Garden Book No. 2 1922-7," on the other hand, contains many planting
instructions. Lady Londonderry often wrote these during the planning stage for the upcoming
season and recorded notes about performance from the previous year. Of all her garden books,
only this second one contains sketched planting plans; whereas the other books are limited to
written instructions regarding plant locations. In addition, the planting plans in the second book
are predominantly limited to the beds in the Italian Garden. The lack of cohesive planting plans
for all other areas of the gardens suggests that Lady Londonderry may have determined the exact
placements on site with her head gardener, Thomas Bolas. It is also likely that Lady
Londonderry gave her general planting instructions to Bolas and entrusted him to work out many
details on the ground on his own.
(3) "Mount Stewart Garden Book 1927-1936":
This garden book is a combination of a record book and scrapbook because it includes
the following elements: hand written plant orders and notes; some planting instructions for
particular areas; and a variety of photographs, article clippings, letters, and typed plant order
receipts, all of which Lady Londonderry attached to pages in the book. Some of this information
predates the 1927-1936 period printed in golden text on the cover. For example, the book
85
contains letters that range in date from 1921-1936 and plant receipts from 1925-1932. These
documents, however, rarely appear in chronological order (e.g. a letter dated 1936 might occur
several pages before one dated 1933).
The handwritten plant lists also appear out of chronological order. For example, page 84
contains lists of mixed plants for 1930 and 1931, while the list on page 92 refers to 1928. Some
lists, however, are organized by type (e.g. roses, tulips, annuals, shrubs, etc.) while others are
grouped according to plant nursery names and contain lists of mixed types. These plant lists most
often indicate quantities procured and performance, but only occasionally include notes
regarding their locations or uses within the gardens.
This garden book is thus highly disorganized, as Lady Londonderry mixed various types
of information (e.g., a plant order receipt may follow a typed personal letter). This garden book
is particularly challenging to comprehend because there is no correlation in the content of one
page to another (e.g. a typed letter on page 24 dated 1926 from Armytage Moore of Rowallane
has no obvious connection with page 25, which contains a 1927 lily order from GreenBrae
Gardens in Washington, USA). Lastly, the majority of writing in this particular book contains a
combination of black ink, red marks, and pencil, which suggests that Lady Londonderry added
notes at different times.
(4-5) "Garden 1935" and "Mount Stewart Gardens 1935:"
The books entitled "Garden 1935" and "Mount Stewart Gardens 1935" both fall under the
category of a record book. Each predominately contains Lady Londonderry's handwritten lists of
plants and instructions regarding work for staff to complete in the gardens, with letters and plant
order receipts occasionally inserted between pages. Lady Londonderry organized "Garden 1935"
86
more so than her other garden books because the right sides of the pages have labeled tabs that
indicate the content of each page. The information contained within the tabbed pages ranges in
date from 1931-1941. With regard to the "Mount Stewart Gardens 1935" book, it is interesting
to note that none of the content corresponds to the 1935 date imprinted on the cover in gold
letters. The content of this particular book is comparatively short and disjointed as it contains
some entries from 1936-1939, with the rest dated from 1950 to 1952.
(6) "Mount Stewart Gardens 1937:"
This garden book is the largest and most complex; it contains over three hundred bound
pages in addition to many loose ones. Lady Londonderry added a highly illegible index on the
two pages inside the front cover. Each page of the index includes three columns of alphabetized
subjects, indicating the vast amount of information contained within this particular book. The
front of the book contains supplementary index pages created on loose paper. Lady Londonderry
filled the written pages with plant lists and frequently included sources, order dates, quantities,
and varieties, with occasional instructions about planting or locations. Lady Londonderry did not
organize these records chronologically, and thus information on the pages alternates from year to
year.
Lady Londonderry also inserted a large number of articles from Gardening Illustrated
into this book. While the content of these articles is quite varied, presumably all are significant
given Lady Londonderry took the time to remove them from their original publications and save
them along with her own records. Lady Londonderry also saved a large amount of
correspondence from friends and nurserymen, as well as pamphlets for various gardening
products, and pasted the documents within this book. The documents in this book span three
87
decades, from the 1930s through the 1950s. This book thus falls under the category of a
scrapbook because of the varied types of documents that comprise it.
(7) "Article Cuttings, Letters, Notes 1955 and 1941"
This book has a reinforced leather spine and marbled cover with the faded text "Article
Cuttings, Letters, Notes 1955 and 1941 along the top edge. The book contains handwritten tabs
along the right side. While Lady Londonderry did not alphabetize the information indicated on
the tabs, they still add a layer of organization and help direct the reader to information on each
page. The topics vary from types of plants (e.g. heaths, blue plants, vegetables, etc.) to garden
spaces (e.g. seaside planting and walled garden). This book falls under the scrapbook category as
it contains many article clippings from Gardening Illustrated, letters, and notes. These
documents mostly range in date from the 1930s through the 1940s.
(8) "Gardens"
This large garden book has a brown marbled cover and reinforced spine. The handwritten
words "Gardens" appear along the top left of the front cover. As the title suggests, this garden
book falls under the category of a scrapbook. Lady Londonderry somewhat organized this book
as alphabetized tabs along the right sides of its pages often correspond to types of plants. The
book also contains six typed pages that comprise an inventory of rhododendron species in the
gardens at Mount Stewart. Additionally, the book includes numerous awards to Lady
Londonderry from the Royal Horticultural Society's Rhododendron shows during 1956. At the
back of the book, Lady Londonderry kept an envelope filled with various plant lists and
correspondence from nurseries.
88
(9) Untitled/Undated Garden Book
The small untitled and undated garden book has a characteristically pink floral fabric
cover. This book mostly contains sketches and design ideas for the gardens, which include:
paving and planting patterns inspired by Medieval Garden Volume II for the terrace on the
southern side of the house; plans for the Shamrock Garden and Tír na nÓg; plant lists for the
Italian Garden categorized by colors (blue, maroon, scarlet, orange, white, and red); planting
plans for the Italian Garden parterres and the borders along the Pergola Walk, among several
others.
89
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90
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