Mount Stewart is a 19th-century house and garden located in County Down, Northern Ireland, on the east shore of Strangford Lough. It was the Irish seat of the Stewart family, Marquesses of Londonderry, and is now owned by the National Trust, preserving this remarkable estate for future generations. The estate was purchased in 1744 by Alexander Stewart, a linen merchant, and later expanded by his descendants. The current house was primarily constructed between 1820 and 1839 under the direction of the 3rd Marquess of Londonderry, Charles Vane. Architects George Dance and William Vitruvius Morrison contributed to its design. The gardens at Mount Stewart are renowned for their design and plant collections. In the 1920s, Edith Vane-Tempest-Stewart, the 7th Marchioness of Londonderry, transformed the gardens, creating a series of distinctive themed spaces that reflected her personal interests and the unique microclimate of the area, influenced by the North Atlantic Drift which allows tender tropical plants to thrive. The Shamrock Garden features meticulously sculpted topiary depicting creatures from Irish mythology and characters from children's stories. The Sunken Garden, designed to offer unique views of Mount Stewart House, is based on a 1922 sketch from Lady Edith's garden notebooks. The Italian Garden showcases statues representing figures from Greek mythology, including depictions of Circe and transformed sailors from Homer's 'Odyssey.' The Spanish Garden, inspired by the early 16th-century Garden of Generalife near Granada, features tall cypress hedges and a color palette of blues and greens. The Dodo Terrace includes sculptures representing members of Lady Edith's 'Ark Club,' a social gathering during World War I where attendees adopted animal pseudonyms. The Mairi Garden, named after Lady Edith's youngest daughter, is adorned with blue and white flowers reflecting the emblem of the Women's Legion, a voluntary organization founded by Lady Edith during World War I. Lady Edith collaborated with botanists like Frank Kingdon-Ward to introduce exotic plants. In 1977, Lady Mairi Bury, daughter of the 7th Marquess, donated the house and most of its contents to the National Trust. The Trust has since undertaken extensive restoration projects, including an �8 million refurbishment completed in 2015. Today, Mount Stewart remains one of Northern Ireland's most significant horticultural and heritage sites.