Second instalment for gardeners

I had two gardens on my Irish wish list. Powerscourt, because of its National Geographic ranking, and Mount Usher Garden which has its fans too. The two gardens are utterly different. Mount Usher is a renowned Robinsonian garden - a garden designer who turned away from the formal controlled garden to a more naturalistic style. It was also a move from expensive and labour-intensive use of annuals to gardening around the use of perennials. The garden contains hundreds of rare and exotic trees and shrubs. You "feel" you are in a garden in this one, wandering through 22 acres of paths which meander alongside the Vartry river. There are clear numbers at the base of the champion specimens and a guide with name and description. My favourite was the Caucasian wingnut....

Colour is only just beginning to start. Many of the trees are described as having brilliant and stunning fall colour but they were still a dark green with no hint of the glory to follow.

Chilean Myrtle, one of the oldest surviving plantings in the garden - 1890. It is covered with tiny white blossoms.

Numbers found at base of 87 different species of trees

One of many different species of Gum trees - this one, the Urn Gum, is notable for its beautifully patterned bark. It is over 100 years old, planted in 1911.