 The Robinsons bought Earlscliffe House and gardens at the Baily, Howth, just outside Dublin, in 1969.Robinson's garden there, maintained with minimal outside help, has been designated one of Ireland's National Plant Heritage Gardens and was awarded the highest accolade (two stars) in the 1999 Good Gardens Guide (Ebury Press).It benefits from a sheltered location with a warm microclimate, and plants growing there include bananas, tree ferns, South African Erica and a range of palms, all flourishing outside without any winter protection.