Powerscourt

The estate of Powerscourt lies some miles south of Dublin where the Wicklow mountains begin. Powerscourt has remained private, or corporate, adding a 5 star hotel, a golf course (can Lion Country Safari be in the future?), turning the great house itself into an Irish shopping mall (how many Avoca Mills stores are there?) and restaurant with a view. All a vast difference for us from the National Trust homes and gardens of April and May. The Powerscourt garden is still there, thankfully, and open for a modest entry fee. It comes with high recommendations; signage everywhere reminds you Powerscourt is #3 on the National Geographic's list of top ten gardens in the world.

The entire complex is rather smaller than one might imagine

The main view from the House; gigantic, largely unplanted
terraces, looking down to the pond and fountain; very formal,
Italian; no attempt to bring the mountains into the landscape
(the Japanese concept of "borrowing")

Thus

The pond, quite large

Looking back to the House

On the Rhododendron path

Very nice specimen trees all around; one of the
things we liked about Powerscourt was the great
variety of plants

The pet cemetery

Interesting specimen

Rhodos and azaleas past prime

Nice color, but rather less of it than most of the British gardens
we've seen

Flowers in the walled garden; only 1/3 of which is planted

Rose garden, up by the greenhouses

Back side of the House; the ha ha has been converted into a
golf cart path

Still effective, however, keeping golfers out of the House and
garden

Other side of house, more color

Other side the garden

Specimen trees everywhere

Artsy shot by Vicki

Atop the seeming folly

More great trees

A few more rhodos

Looking over the Japanese garden; a staggering number of Asian
plants (plus innumerable trips to Pier One)

Unlike any Japanese garden I've seen...