The Robinson Garden at Earlscliffe, Baily, Co. Dublin, Ireland

Articles in Books
Home Page History of the Garden History of the House Environmental data Plant Collections Garden tour with map Where is Earlscliffe? David Robinson News Site Map Contact Us

Early history of the Garden
Swinging sixties
Television visits
Articles in Books

 

Earlscliffe - articles in books

Over the past twenty -five years, the Robinson Garden at Earlscliffe has been featured in a number of books.

Large Gardens and Parks

in 1982 the Robinson Garden at Earlscliffe made its way into the book "Large Gardens and Parks" by Tom Wright alongside Versailles and some of the more celebrated English gardens.[1]. The gardens were discussed as one of a series of case studies.

Burke's Backyard Overseas

In 1995 the garden was filmed as part of Don Burke's Australian documentary programme "Burke's Backyard Overseas". Following the filming, Don Burke published an item on Earlscliffe (without prior permission) in his book ‘Burke’s Backyard Overseas – Travels with Don Burke’ published by CTC Productions 1997 [2]. In this book he lists "David Robinson’s garden" as one of eight places of interest to visit in Ireland.

Good Gardens Guide

the Robinson Garden at Earlscliffe was included in the Good Gardens Guide (Bloomsbury Publishing Plc) initially in 1997 and in subsequent years. [3] The entry in the 1999 Edition reads as follows: -

bullet‘Few gardens can match Earlscliffe for variety or advantage. Perched on the cliffs overlooking Dublin Bay (a view to rival the Bay of Naples) on the southern side of the Hill of Howth, a peninsula almost encircled by the sea, severe frosts are rare. There is an almost constant breeze, just what the most tender plants need. So the collection of plants is astonishing and is not easily summarised. A forest of Echium pininiana, the spire shaped, blue-blossomed bugloss from the Canary Islands is memorable; this species is naturalised at Earlscliffe (it is impolite to suggest that this four-and-a-half metre tall herb could be a weed, but frequently it is). An octopus-like weeping cedar groping a thicket of the Chatham Island daisy bushes (Olearia ‘Henry Travers’), a grove of bananas that flower and fruit, and waxy yellow blossomed heathers from South Africa, greet the visitor. These are hors-d’oeuvre, while Juania australis, Daphniphyllum macorpodum, Auraucaria bidwillii, Cordyline bauerii - one could go on and on - are veritable sights for sore eyes. Many Eucalyptus species thrive in this garden, not to mention Callitris rhomboidea or the giant Hebe ‘Lavender Queen’. Dr David Robinson’s gardening philosophy may disturb the ecologically-minded because, with impunity, he uses chemicals (principally simazine and glyphosate) to control weeds (Echium pininana is not one) in this six-acre plantsman’s paradise. You may not agree with him, but you will certainly leave astonished by his plants and his audacity. Anyway when did you last see a bunya-bunya pine growing outdoors at a latitude of 53 degrees North?’

Gardens of Ireland

In 2001 the Robinson Garden at Earlscliffe was included in a book detailing 100 of the best gardens of Ireland. [4] In it Terence Reeves-Smyth describes the variations in gardens, especially around Dublin. He discusses Earlscliffe, where the temperature never falls below -6° C (21° F) , and compares it to the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin (a few miles away) were it regularly falls to -10° C(14° F), with a low of -18.5° C (-1° F) in 1982. He states that Earlscliffe "boasts a range of plants that is unique in Ireland" [4]

Back to top

Read more about:

bulletEarly history of the Garden 1930 to 1969
bulletChanges in the swinging sixties, from formal garden to eclectic collection of exotic plants
bulletEarlscliffe as seen on television, and the controversy around one visit in particular

To learn more about the history of Earlscliffe House, read the following pages:

bulletResidents of Earlscliffe House and Gardens

Disclaimer. Parts of the data found in these history pages has been derived from sources currently available on the internet. In researching the previous owners of Earlscliffe, certain assumptions have been made as to the validity of this internet data. If you believe that some of this data is inaccurate, please use the contacts page to let us know.

References
bullet[1] Large Gardens and Parks. Maintenance, Management and Design, Tom Wright, Publisher: HarperCollins (July 22, 1982) ISBN: 0246114029
bullet[2] Burke's Backyard Overseas , Don Burke, 1997, Crows Nest, N.S.W. Titles Distributed by Gary Allen Pty Ltd, ISBN: 0646339796
bullet[3] Good Gardens Guide, Edited by Peter King, 1999, Publisher: Bloomsbury Pub Ltd; Pocket edition (November 1999), ISBN: 0747540098
bullet[4] Gardens of Ireland - A Touring Guide To Over 100 of The Best Gardens, Terence Reeves-Smyth, Publisher Mitchell Beazley (2001) ISBN: 1-84000-338-3

This page was last updated on 24-Feb-2008 .

[ Early history of the Garden ] [ Swinging sixties ] [ Television visits ] [ Articles in Books ]

© Muriel Robinson 2008

Web page design © 2008