August | 2014 | ellen hutchins and ardnagashel estate

Wednesday February 12th saw the worst storm for the past two decades. Mainly the Southwest of Ireland was affected by storm Darwin, an estimated of 7,5 million trees were felled by the gales with force up to 100 mph. The following weeks we were just able to clear a few of the main paths to minimize the imminent danger they posed to visitors, though there are still more than 50 fallen trees just lying all over the place. Some of the rare and tall rhododendrons and camellias were damaged but some of them might grow better next spring as there will be much more light for them.

What was left of the lovely park of Ardnagashel is now more doomed than ever. Only the weeds around the entrances of the holiday homes are looked after (i.e. sprayed with poison).

The huge Kousa dogwood tree (Cornus kousa) near one of the two remaining cork oaks was covered in its butterfly-like flowers for many weeks and so was the jasmine in the greenhouse which covered the (at times smelly) back yard with its perfume.

The tall Trochodendron aralioides was spared by the many surrounding fallen trees. It is hardly ever noticed by passers-by – it was in full flower in May. But the nearby graceful Pinus wallichiana (Pinus griffithii) with its delicate long needles tumbled with the whole of its root system now lying upside down.

Ardnagashel House or as it is known House No. 10 is up for sale now, we weren’t able to renew our contract. So our (third) season will soon be coming to an end and we cannot any longer be custodians for this lovely historical place.

It will be very sad to say bye bye in a few weeks time but we will treasure many happy memories. We had made up the bare house to a lovely and cozy home which our guests dearly appreciated.

So far the summer of 2014 has been wonderful and nobody really noticed that the yard doesn’t look as nice as it did before the incredible floodings we had in early spring.