The Herms in the Italian Garden illustrate the Odysseus legend with human faces, pigs' trotters, and orangutans holding pots planted with agavesOur October gathering enjoyed an enthusiastic and informative talk by Mr Neil Porteous, Head Gardener at Mount Stewart. He spoke about the acquisition of the estate by Alexander Stewart in 1744, the development of the grounds from pasture land to an exquisite fairytale garden by Edith, Lady Londonderry, and brought us right up to date with his plans for a "stumpery" to enable rhododendrons to grow parasitic wise on old tree stumps.

Like all gardeners, Lady Edith gardened for herself and had a willing assistant in her Head Gardener, Thomas Bolas. Not averse to seeking and sometimes rejecting advice from various horticultural experts and zoologists (she experimented with monitor lizards, tree frogs, Stanley Cranes and Flamingos), she had her own definite ideas about what a garden should be. An initial impression of the estate "...the dampest, darkest, saddest place", changed when she discovered the favourable micro climate that Mount Stewart enjoys. Later she wrote to her husband, "Why do we ever live anywhere else?", describing her series of alfresco rooms as a "Land of Heart's Delight".

Edith gardened with humour, weaving family heraldry, Classic and Celtic myth and legend into the furnishings, with stories of Circe the Sorceress, sailors turned into swine, and creatures in the Ark Club like Charlie the Cheetah and Alastair the Alligator. Her inspiration was gleaned from Dunrobin, her Scottish childhood home, as well as more exotic locations in Italy and Spain resulting in her idiosyncratic style. But above all the garden was to be a pleasure ground, somewhere to be enjoyed, even if visitors hoping for a relaxing stay at a country house were pressed into service with trowels and wheelbarrows.

Neil explained the importance of the various shelter belts around the 97 acres of garden and lake, noting that soon, these being mainly beechwood, would have to be replaced. Planting has already started, thus proving the adage that a garden is a thing of beauty and a job forever. His slides took us from the early days of the family's tenure of the estate, through the extension of the lake, formerly a gravel pit, the enlargement of the house, the early unsuccessful cultivation of roses (always scented), and looking forward to the refurbishment of the walled garden, vinery, rose garden and the old dairy building.

Lady Edith's colourful diaries are full of lists of plants, their situation and how they fared. She sponsored plant expeditions to the Himalayas, Burma and China and obtained rare species of azaleas, rhododendrons, and lilies, all of which grow well in our mild County Down climate. Eucalyptus, redwoods, specimens from Chile and the beautiful New Zealand Christmas Tree thrive too. A leisurely walk around these wonderful grounds ensures a lift for the spirits and a true delight for the heart.

Photograph: The Herms in the Italian Garden illustrate the Odysseus legend with human faces, pigs' trotters, and orangutans holding pots planted with agaves (© Ellen Elder).