nature is made better by no man but nature makes that man;
so over that art which you say adds to nature,
is an art that nature makes. . .
. . .the art itself is nature
.
SHAKESPEARE: A Winter's Tale
.

"From its conception back in the 1860s, Mount Usher has pursued a naturalistic approach to planting and landscaping, a style which is often referred to as 'Robinsonian', after Irishman William Robinson (1838 - 1935).

"'This is an art which does mend nature, change it rather: but The art itself is nature.' Robinson used this line from Shakespeare as a motto and as a guiding principle in his work. One of horticulture's great writers and innovators, he revolutionized the way we think about gardens. As a reaction against showy Victorian formality, instead Robinson advocated using permanent planting rather than bedding plants and believed in achieving an apparently informal garden experience by mixing native and exotic plants."

4 comments:

Mel said...

Oh, what a lovely garden. It's like walking the park without leaving the couch. Well, without the mosquitos.....and without the birdie noises....

k..not like walking the park. LOL But I like the no mosquito jazz!
And I like the garden.

english inukshuk said...

it's quite beautiful, eh

(-:

(I envy you those birdie noises, but not the mosquitos - suppose you can't have one without the other tho)

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous garden. I'd love to go there.

english inukshuk said...

me too! I love Ireland