A strong Georgian landscape style influenced the early estate gardens, replacing the initial utilitarian gardening theme, with a "gardenesque" approach. Typically, the gardens were developed in concert with the magnificent sandstone homes. They boasted sweeping tree lined carriageways, ornamental shrubberies amid green lawns and walled kitchen gardens and orchards.
By the 1830's landscapers, such as Repton and Loudon promoted a more naturalistic landscape, which soon became the fashion amongst the new English gentry migrants. Northern estates such as "Malahide", "Killymoon" and "Quorn Hall" reflected the fashions of the day with their romantic parklike landscapes.
In these landscapes, it was fashionable to introduce collections of new European, New Zealand, South American and South African plants. Most of these species such as the "Monkey Puzzle Tree" Araucaria araucania, "Silver Fir" Abies sp., "Buddleia" Buddleia globosa, drifts of "Love in the Mist" Nigella damascens, hellebores and various arrays of different mints and salvias proved to be non invasive.
However, some of these newly collected plants eg "Holly" Ilex aquifolia, "Mirror Bush" Coprosma repens, "Spanish Genista" Genista hispanica, "Spanish Heath" Erica lusitanica, "Pittosporum" Pittosporum undulatum, "Tree of Heaven" Ailanthes altissima, "Cherry Laurel" Prunus laurocerasus, "Myrtle leaved Milkwort" Polygala myrtlifolia, "Arum Lily" Zantedeschia aethiopica and "Watsonia" Watsonia meriana provided the seed and/or propagule source, for the future, rural weed infestations of today.
The east coast estate "Kelvedon" owned by Francis Cotton was reported in Louisa Meredith's diaries, in 1830s, as being the first to succeed in naturalising many plants of weed potential including Solanum nigra, "Castor Oil Plant", Ricinus communis, and "Convolulus" Ipomea pendula.
The owners of these country estates, made conspicuous attempts to change the face of Van Diemen's Land, by replacing the native pasture species such as "Kangaroo" and "Tussock" grasses. They cropped the land and sowed pasture with English grasses and clover. Joseph Dalton Hooker referred to the consequences of this importation and use of English grasses after observing how they had "overrun the countryside with incredible ease". He reported the influx of the many troublesome exotic grasses and herbaceous weeds, "which intruded over the land assisted by the human invaders". Most originated as contaminants in the imported bags of English pasture and crop seed. Examples of these weeds that persist today include cocksfoot, fescue, ryes, clovers, dandelion, docks, thistles and vetches.
By the 1830's landscapers, such as Repton and Loudon promoted a more naturalistic landscape, which soon became the fashion amongst the new English gentry migrants. Northern estates such as "Malahide", "Killymoon" and "Quorn Hall" reflected the fashions of the day with their romantic parklike landscapes.
In these landscapes, it was fashionable to introduce collections of new European, New Zealand, South American and South African plants. Most of these species such as the "Monkey Puzzle Tree" Araucaria araucania, "Silver Fir" Abies sp., "Buddleia" Buddleia globosa, drifts of "Love in the Mist" Nigella damascens, hellebores and various arrays of different mints and salvias proved to be non invasive.
However, some of these newly collected plants eg "Holly" Ilex aquifolia, "Mirror Bush" Coprosma repens, "Spanish Genista" Genista hispanica, "Spanish Heath" Erica lusitanica, "Pittosporum" Pittosporum undulatum, "Tree of Heaven" Ailanthes altissima, "Cherry Laurel" Prunus laurocerasus, "Myrtle leaved Milkwort" Polygala myrtlifolia, "Arum Lily" Zantedeschia aethiopica and "Watsonia" Watsonia meriana provided the seed and/or propagule source, for the future, rural weed infestations of today.
The east coast estate "Kelvedon" owned by Francis Cotton was reported in Louisa Meredith's diaries, in 1830s, as being the first to succeed in naturalising many plants of weed potential including Solanum nigra, "Castor Oil Plant", Ricinus communis, and "Convolulus" Ipomea pendula.
The owners of these country estates, made conspicuous attempts to change the face of Van Diemen's Land, by replacing the native pasture species such as "Kangaroo" and "Tussock" grasses. They cropped the land and sowed pasture with English grasses and clover. Joseph Dalton Hooker referred to the consequences of this importation and use of English grasses after observing how they had "overrun the countryside with incredible ease". He reported the influx of the many troublesome exotic grasses and herbaceous weeds, "which intruded over the land assisted by the human invaders". Most originated as contaminants in the imported bags of English pasture and crop seed. Examples of these weeds that persist today include cocksfoot, fescue, ryes, clovers, dandelion, docks, thistles and vetches.
Killymoon house and landscape
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