Madeira gardens
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The Palheiro gardens are situated at about 500 meters above sea level. The original owner, the Conde de Carvalhal, planted many trees on the estate and laid the foundation to the Camellia collection; some of his early plantings can still be seen today. Since 1885 when the Quinta passed into the hands of the Blandy family, successive generations have given much work and devotion to the gardens.
The garden is a Mecca for Camellia lovers, the main flowering season being from November to April. Visitors may be surprised to see trees such as Oak, Beech, Chestnut and Cedar growing alongside Eucalyptus and Araucaria pines, but such is the diversity of this unique garden. Special mention must also be given to the various members of the Proteaceae family that do well here as they are generally considered difficult to grow outside their native lands. Outstanding are the Silver trees (Leucodendron argenteum) and the Waratah (Telopia speciosissima). http://www.palheiroestate.com/palheiro_gardens_welcome.html
By the gatehouse, take the main drive, lined with Plane trees and huge Camellias. On the left is a mass of Mimosa – Acacia – flowering in the early spring. The ground is carpeted with Agapanthus, Arum lilies and Belladonna lilies in their season.
By the parking place looking left there are some Eucalyptus Ficifolia, Paulownia tomentosa from China and various Magnolias. There is a huge Metrosideros on your right. Around the house (which is not open to visitors, nor is that part of the garden) are several Araucarias, Palms, Magnolia Grandiflora and a fine old “Tulip tree”, Liriodendron Tulipifera from N. America, which gives yellow tinted autumn foliage. Next to it you will see a huge Sequoia sempervirens, the Redwood from California. Go down a narrow path in between box hedges and a good plantation of Cryptomaria Japonica, turn right over the bridge and you are in the main garden.
To the left of the centre walk is the sunken garden, which is home to a host of brightly coloured flowers, especially Gazanias and Lampranthus, while Freesias, Ixias, Nerines and Tritonias seed themselves freely. On the surrounding rockeries you will find Agaves, Aloes, Dieramas, Aristeas and many bulbous plants. Look out for the “Grass Trees” which hail from Australia and develop thick, fire- resistant trunks and are reputed to survive hundreds of years, their generic name is Xanthorrhoea. Below the Magnolias and at the bottom of the garden are a number of different Banksias, the Australian cousins to the Proteas, which are typified by their barrel-like clusters of flowers, a rich source of nectar to the Honey Eaters in the wild. Also in this area are fine examples of the rare Camellia, C. Granthamiana from Hong Kong. In the centre lawn to the right of the main path is an Atlas cedar of grand proportions, its silvery blue needles defining it as Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca’. In a nearby border is the very rare Sauraja Subspinosa, a Burmese tree with delightful foliage and interesting pale pink flowers marked with red within and followed by a crop of handsome berries.
Leaving this area and heading across the sweeping lawns one comes to the little chapel of St John, built by the Conde de Carvalhal. It is in typical baroque style with a simple but pleasing interior. Before going down the long border leading to the Jardim da Senhora, head back up just north of the Chapel to see a group of Proteas and allies in this group is the beautiful Waratah, Telopea speciosissima, the exotic floral emblem of New South Wales, Australia.
Returning to the long border past more Camellias you will come to what looks like a typical herbaceous border containing Delphiniums and Day Lilies, but also Daturas with their huge white, orange, yellow or amber trumpets. Blood lilies (Sprekelia) and the lovely Alberta Magna from South Africa. The Jardim da Senhora or the Lady’s Garden is set out in a more formal pattern with neat box-edged beds, though it is impossible to be too formal in this climate where growth is so rapid. Look out for the Cantua Buxifolia, Lagerstroemias and Clianthus, Banksias and what surely must be the monarch of the garden, a splendid specimen of Araucaria Angustifolia, the Candelabra tree from Brazil. Also worth mentioning is Hymenosporum Flavum, the Australian Jasmine tree.
After enjoying this most pleasing part of the garden, you will see the old house built in 1804 by the Count and called the Casa Velha. Here a formal pond surrounded by ornate railings provides a home for frogs, which in turn attract herons – visitors from West Africa and Southern Portugal. There are several fine conifers, Eucalyptus and Magnolias in the vicinity of the old house, but during early summer this area is dominated by the huge specimen Metrosideros covered in blood red pin cushion like flowers in June which in turn attract swarms of bees. These beautiful trees come from New Zealand.
The old house has now been restored and converted into a 5-star Country House Hotel, the Estalagem Casa Velha do Palheiro. http://www.casa-velha.com/
Head back past the Count’s house up across lawns or along the various paths towards the lower part of the top garden. Here you will find a path leading to the “Ribeira do Inferno”. This takes you past a terraced planting of Camellias to an area dank and dark but home to the lovely Tree Ferns (Dicksonia and Cyathea spp) which have an air of majesty and coolness. Be warned, the path leading up to the top garden is only for the sure footed and it is better to retreat if in doubt, especially if it has rained recently. Leaving by the Camellia avenue you will find, below the house, another group of Proteas, Leucodendrons and Leucospermums, including Protea Cynaroides, the King Protea, looking like a giant pink artichoke.
Many plants are rare, not only in gardens but in the wild, and thus the gardens at Palheiro are playing a key role in the conservation of plants so that future generations may continue to enjoy them.
