Tag: gardens dublin

Robinia Pseudoacacia Frisia

Post author By Peter Donegan
Post date August 23, 2010
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I had an email in today reminding me that October was just around the corner…. And it is. With that comes tree planing season. That said, this photo was taken last week and there is great potential for me to end on an entirely different subject-ish 😉 My idea here is just to get you thinking of what is merely weeks away…. Plan now for when you will essentially be buying a twig, stick or dormant plant and you will reap the rewards.

Imagine if everyone in Ireland planted just one tree how beautiful this country would look….

This however is the Robinia pseudoacacia ‘frisia’.

Leguminosae/ papilionaceae. The Robinia’s are a genus of about 20 deciduous species and grow pretty well in Ireland. ‘The books’ note that it may upset your tummy if you eat any part of the tree. On one hand, who eats trees anyway. On the other, better safe than sorry and I tell you in advance.

To it’s name; Psuedo meaning false, and acacia being an entirely different tree, this is often commonly known as the false acacia or the black locust. It’s attractiveness comes down to its foliage which is almost like the sweet pea or pea’s that I have grown in my garden – but then it is Leguminosae [legume] which is essentially the pea family.

This variety of Robinia can grow up to 50 feet tall. It’s golden foliage turns to a more green in summer and to a more orange in autumn. I love it also for its perfumed [although I can’t smell diddly] white flowers than grow in little hanging clusters or racemes* in summer time.

They also remind me slightly of these Gleditsia – funnily enough, they are commonly referred to as the honey locust. Well, you learn something new every day. Go. Buy. Enjoy. Let me know how you get on.

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*raceme: [def] a cluster of flowers along a central stem

Tags beautiful, donegan landscaping, gardens dublin, irish, landscaping dublin, People, Business, plant, Robinia Pseudoacacia Frisia, suggestions, tree, tree planting, trees

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Fireblight

Two of the photographs above are of a collection of Sorbus trees that I had in my garden. They are now nothing but a pile of ashes. The sorbus you see are members of the rosaceae or rose family – the most of which are susceptible to a disease known as fireblight.

The first thing I noticed was that the leaves were shrivelled, dead and still clinging to the plant. [These photographs were taken the last week in January btw]. The buds were also dead but still held to the plant. When I checked inside they too were gone. Necrosis had set in and the stems were dying from the top down.

The cause of this is the bacteria Erwinia amylovora spread generally by the wind blowing, insects and rain splash. It is that simple.

The recommended method of control used to be to burn the plant and that was the route I chose. I guess old habits die hard 😉 But some books recommend the pruning of the plant well below where the fireblight can be found. I simply prefer the better safe than sorry route and the chances of it affecting some of the many other Sorbus sp. that are planted in my garden.

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the media frenzy…

After receiving our second & third awards both as designer and contractor this year, RTE’s Capital d did a show including the much celebrated and historical Brackenstown House Gardens. It’s our second time on the show this year and I know I was asked to put this up some time ago. You can watch it here and I’m really sorry for the delay.

Brackenstown House also featured in Thursdays Irish Times last week but as usual it was sold out. If anyone has a copy that would be great. It always nice to know what was said.

Whilst the media does play a great role in my work, when I have appeared it’s been for my designs or my writing for publications, only. I think I’d prefer if media frenzies were kept relation to my ability to design gardens for the moment anyway. I don’t think I or the world is ready for my personal life on tv [or my sense of humour] just yet! The last capital d show apparently allows some insight into my mind, I’m told & disagree… but good luck getting lost in there! enjoy.