Normally, when I am sent photographs of a garden visit by society members I post a small selection on the “Latest News” section of our website  with a short comment to report on the occasion, generally no more than a few sentences as this is what fits best in that location. However, Maeve Bell, Chairperson of the Northern Region of the IGPS, has sent a particularly nice selection of photographs from a recent visit to the garden of Victor and Roz Henry in Belfast. Victor and Roz are IGPS members and also contribute as committee members in the North so I feel I can do more justice to Maeve’s work and to Victor’s and Roz’s garden by showing the material here.

This is Meave’s note to me following the visit:

Hi Paddy, 

We had a very enjoyable visit to Victor and Roz Henry’s garden in Newtownards yesterday despite the most unseasonable weather – heavy downpours, gusts of wind which caused the gazebo for the plant sale to lift off, and a temperature of about 12*C. But IGPS members and their friends are a hardy lot and made the most of the fleeting sunny periods to explore a garden packed with plants, both well known and exotic, and well-chosen interesting detail. Some highlights were the pergola festooned with Rosa ‘Francis E. Lester’, a fabulous cardiocrinum with blooms soaring to about three metres, and a stand of mouth-watering delphiniums in glorious shades of blue. There was a seriously well-stocked plant stall which included a decent selection of Irish cultivars including Dahlia ‘Matt Armour’, Cytissus ‘Donard Gem’, and Primula ‘Rowallane Rose’. And a final touch was the beautiful music played by their ten year old grand-daughter Josie on her harp.

Maeve’s photographs and captions will tell the story far more eloquently than I ever could so, read on and enjoy – and many thanks and a most sincere “Well done!” to Victor and Roz and a big “Thank You” to Maeve, our Roving Reporter in the North!

Victor Roz Henry July 2016  (15)
Victor Henry greeting the visitors as all admire the wonderful delphiniums before the downpour arrived
Victor Roz Henry July 2016  (12)
Adrian Walsh and Carol Dobson ready to check visitors in
Victor Roz Henry July 2016  (2)
IGPS Chairperson, Billy McCone, putting the final touches to a display of Irish plants
Victor Roz Henry July 2016  (5)
Lots of seats on which to pause and enjoy the day
Victor Roz Henry July 2016  (11)
A view from the entrance towards the pool and the summer house. Unfortunately, the parasol was needed more to shelter from the rain than the sun!
Victor Roz Henry July 2016  (16)
Star of the show on the day was this Cardiocrinum giganteum 
Victor Roz Henry July 2016  (8)
The afternoon was enhanced by the lovely harp music played by the Henry’s grand daughter.
Victor Roz Henry July 2016  (6)
Lush plating around the pool, including Zantedeschia aethopica 
Victor Roz Henry July 2016  (7)
This sums up why we all go out whatever the weather to visit interesting gardens.
Victor Roz Henry July 2016  (1)
The mask, representing The Green Man, was a recent introduction to the garden.
Victor Roz Henry July 2016  (4)
At times, the bigger the umbrella the better!
Victor Roz Henry July 2016  (13)
Some visitors: Adrian Walsh from the Northern Committee, Ali Rochford-O’Connor, the newly elected Hon. Sec. with her son,  and Billy McCone, the newly elected Chairperon of the IGPS.
Victor Roz Henry July 2016  (14)
Rosa ‘Francis E. Lester’ in full bloom on the pergola
Victor Roz Henry July 2016  (9)
Exotic planting: A tree fern with a lush under-planting of hostas and Myosotidium hortensia, the Chatham Island Forget-Me-Not.

Many thanks to Victor and Roz for inviting IGPS members to their garden and many thanks to Maeve for her excellent report on the event.

Paddy Tobin

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