Early morning reflections on Strangford Lough
Distant views of The Mountains of Moyne
Weather signs look promising
Strangford Lough
For many years I have wanted to visit the neo-classical house and especially the gardens of Mount Stewart. The garden reflects a rich tapestry of design and great planting artistry that was the hallmark of Edith, Lady Londonderry. The area has its own micro climate created by Strangford Lough - Britain's largest sea inlet and one of Europe's key wildlife habitats. It is rich in marine animals, plants, and birds of international importance such as Brent Geese, Knot, Bar-tailed Godwit and terns.
Mount Stewart - no interior shots, members of the family still live here.
Kniphofia - torch lily, red-hot poker
How does your garden grow?
Hallo Rosemary!How lucky that the weather was beautiful! I have no words for the unique pictures you took! The garden,with exquisite and rare plants, the architecture of the house, the beautiful countryside, All your photos shows how you enjoyed this trip to beautiful Ireland!Have a nice Sunday!
ReplyDeleteDimi..
Hello Dimi - it is true that we were very fortunate to have such a lovely day to visit Mount Stewart. The garden has a Mediterranean feel to us, and thus requires that it should be seen in sunshine with blue skies - we were lucky on the day of our visit.
DeleteMount Stewart House and gardens look wonderful. It's good to see both are still well maintained.
ReplyDeleteDear Karen - it certainly requires a lot of attention and maintenance to keep a place like this in good order. They have recently discovered some large cracks in the house which are going to be rectified next year at an enormous cost of money.
DeleteBeautiful pictures again, and seeing the sky in your first and last pictures, it was a wonderful day to visit. What a glorious garden!
ReplyDeleteBye,
Marian
The weather was very kind to us that day Marian, it would have been so disappointing if it had rained. This is the same week that many parts of England were flooded so we were indeed fortunate.
DeleteIt is a lovely garden to explore and wander around.
Oh, Oh !! It looks like you have visited the Gardens of Heaven !
ReplyDeleteThe weather was wonderful and the flowers are so healthy !
I notice in the pictures that at the house has Ionic rhythm columns.
Your photos as always amazing !
Olympia
You are right Olympia the house does have ionic columns at the front of the house with a classical pediment. It is a very strong, bold, masculine looking house, surrounded by a very feminine garden.
DeleteWhat a fabulous place to visit! It looks like you had perfect weather for it... and your photos are just beautiful :-)
ReplyDeleteSomewhere I have wished to visit for ages, and yes, we were so lucky that the weather gods were smiling down on us.
DeleteWonderful. Glorious buildings and great gardens. Beautifully put together by you.
ReplyDeleteOh! that is so kind, thank you. It was a memorable day that we spent there.
DeleteGreat collage. Super garden.
ReplyDeleteGreetings,
Filip
Thanks Filip - hope you are soon feeling better.
DeleteDear Rosemary - I can see by your collages that you must have been in gardener's heaven. I am charmed by the topiary harp and intrigued by the last photograph. The columns look as though they've been transplanted from Persepolis.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more about the columns Mark. They certainly made a dramatic statement in the garden, though I do understand that much of the statuary was actually imported from Italy.
DeleteWe were so fortunate that it was a lovely day and that we were able to enjoy all that it had to offer, including many exotic flowers.
Such a beautiful post Rosemary. The great thing about blogging is that it takes you all over the world while sitting comfortably in your chair :-) Northern Ireland is unfamiliar to us, but it looks worthwhile visiting. The garden certainly looks interesting!
ReplyDeleteHappy new week,
Madelief x
It was our first time in Northern Ireland, and we were really pleased with our visit - it far exceeded our expectations. Lots of interest, beautiful gardens, houses, and coast, and the charming hospitality of the Irish people.
DeleteHello Rosemary
ReplyDeleteHow fortunate you are to have visited Mount Stewart House and gardens and that the sun co-operated. The plantings, scale and architecture of the garden is most harmonious. I love the elements of surprise and the topiary in the shape of a harp is unique. We both speak of harps this week.
Thanks for this informative post and I look forward to visiting Mount Stewart gardens one day soon
Helenxx
Dear Helen - I do hope that you have the opportunity to visit, and that the sun does for you what it did for us. Yes, when I saw your harps, I thought what a coincidence. Is my harp facing the right way? I suppose that this harp can face either way depending on where you stand to photograph it. We thoroughly enjoyed our sojourn in Northern Ireland, a memorable stay.
DeleteDear Rosemary,
ReplyDeleteI remember reading about the gardens at Mount Stewart when I was about ten. The black and white pictures made it seem a very magical place and I thought I should like to visit. Now I am seeing them in colour through the medium of your lovely photographs! I guess the next step is to actually go and see them for myself!
I do like that statue of a Dodo I can see in one of the photos.
It seems to me that you had a very nice holiday!
Kirk
It must have made a big impression on you to remember images from when you were a young boy. In black and white or colour it is a magical place, and we were so fortunate with the weather. It is a Dodo, and there also a Noah's Ark in that same area.
DeleteI love the views over the water and the gardens of Mount Stewart are outstanding. Why is there so many wonderful places to go and not enough holidays or money to be able to visit. At least your lovely blog allows me to visit them with you as our guide.
ReplyDeleteSarah x
It is a lovely spot, and it is also a good thing for Northern Ireland that it is beginning to become a holiday destination which it really deserves.
Deletefantastic pictures and impressions! thanks for your visist+comments! wishing you a lovely new week from tulipland!
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed the pictures - does this mean that you are now back home again from your travels?
DeleteA beautifully post Rosemary,
ReplyDeleteHere again a wonderful impressive home Mount Stewart.
What history lies within its walls! What a magnificent home.
Its grounds are stunning and the greek columns and statues around the tailored topiary garden.
I am pleased that you enjoyed your visit to Northern Ireland and Mount Stewart, after wanting to go for some time.
Thank you for sharing your visit . As always I enjoy travelling with you Rosemary.
great collages.
val
Dear Val - we were so fortunate that the day dawned with beautiful sunshine that continued throughout the day. The garden and house lived up to my expectations, and was in a lovely setting beside the beautiful Strangford Lough.
DeleteA picturesque place that I would love to visit one day. I love the whimsical 'Mary contrary' fountain.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your visit. I do hope that you get the opportunity to visit one day, it is a delight to wander around the gardens and the house. Unfortunately the water was not playing in the Mary fountain, that would have made it more fun.
DeleteRosemary - you do take us to some wonderful places - thank you!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI am pleased that you enjoyed seeing it Susan. One doesn't normally expect to discover a Mediterranean garden in northern Ireland.
DeleteRosemary, Mount Stewart is an absolutely incredible place. What a garden and what a beautiful house. You took some fantastic shots! Thanks for sharing it here on your blog! It really brought joy to my heart seeing this amazing gem.
ReplyDeleteChristina
Dear Christina - so glad that you enjoyed seeing Mount Stewart house and gardens. The wonderful variety of flowers they can grown is surprising for an island stuck out in the Irish Sea - and all a result of the Gulf Stream passing through that area.
DeleteAmazing pictures, truly beautiful!! What a garden they have!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt is a magical place to visit.
DeleteI like the way you have framed your first picture as though we are looking through a window.....a lovely scene.
ReplyDeleteYou must have enjoyed wandering through those beautiful gardens of Mount Stewart. So many gorgeous and interesting plants.
It was only last week Betty, and the garden still resembles the summer. The Autumn colours are late arriving this year.
DeleteWhat an amazing garden, Rosemary! I thoroughly enjoyed learning about it and seeing all your wonderful photos of a place I most likely won't ever get to visit. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteGeorgianna
I never thought I would visit Georgianna - but as they say never say never. It was worth the journey.
DeleteI loved looking through your photos, such a beautiful place with so much to see and you even had blue skies :-)
ReplyDeleteHello Paula - we could not believe our luck - this was at the same time as York was flooded. However, my heart went out to those poor people.
DeleteI love the colour palette of sky, water, clouds in your second shot, made even more perfect with the addition of sailboat masts in the next picture. Your photos of the grounds leave me dreaming of stonework for my garden. Wonderful pictures, Rosemary :)
ReplyDeleteDear Rosemary - I could happily give a home to some of those wonderful columns, they really succeed in adding an extra dimension to the garden.
DeleteBeautiful buildings and gardens.
ReplyDeleteLove to see them, Rosemary.
It was a beautiful house and gardens, and we were so fortunate to be blessed with perfect weather.
DeleteA super post, Rosemary. Who needs words with photos like those?
ReplyDeleteIt is a very special place, so pleased your broadband allowed you to see the photos without crashing. We were so fortunate with the blue skies and sunshine on that day.
Delete