298 THE FLORIST. 



THE REV. MR. WOOD'S GARDEN, SHOPWYKE, SUSSEX- 



This garden is favourably situated for the growth of many plants whiclv 

 will not withstand the climate of the neighbourhood of London. It is 

 located close to the main road leading from Portsmouth to Brighton, 

 about two miles from Chichester, and one from His Grace the Duke of 

 Richmond's estate, in West Sussex. In the kitchen garden are five 

 houses, two of which are Vineries, one a Peach house, one a Cucumber 

 house, &c. Grapes and Peaches are grown in perfection here, and of 

 Melons a good stock is provided. On wall trees, which are exceedingly 

 well managed, there is abundance of fruit ; in short, the whole of the 

 kitchen garden department is arranged and conducted in a way highly 

 creditable to the gardener (Mr. Cover). 



The flower-garden is also very tastefully laid out. It consists of 

 1|- acre, containing splendid groups and arbours of Roses, of the most 

 choice varieties, which are purchased at any cost, if thought necessary to 

 complete the collection. Among other objects of interest, I observed 

 a robust plant of the Potato-tree (Solanum crispum), one mass of bloom, 

 and when seen in this condition it has a very striking appearance. 

 This noble-looking species of Solanum withstood, without any protection 

 whatever, the last severe winter, while plants of it about London, under 

 the protection of a south wall, completely perished. 



The conservatory, an ornamental span-roofed house, is about 100 feet 

 in length, and separated into two compartments — one hot, the other with 

 an intermediate climate. In the warm end were some very good 

 specimens of stove plants, including Orchids, among which were Den- 

 drobiums, Cattleyas, Maxillarias, Stanhopeas, and others, many of 

 which were in bloom. The cool part was occupied with greenhouse 

 plants, such as Polygala grandiflora, of which there was a very fine 

 specimen, and Luculia gratissima. The Polygala, I should say, was 

 the finest plant of the kind in the country ; it was 20 feet in height, 

 and was grown in the form of a pyramid. The Luculia was some 14 

 or 16 feet high, and in good condition. Another plant worthy of men- 

 tioning was a Datura sanguinea, which was, when I saw it, in one mass 

 of flower. Among creepers of different sorts, which were well trained 

 and clean, the most remarkable was Bignonia capreolata, a native of" 

 North America ; this was very peculiarly trained along a chain in the 

 top part of the house ; the main shoot only was attached to the chain, 

 from which the laterals fell nearly to the floor, and, being well flowered, 

 the plant had a very pretty effect. In this house was also a most 

 luxuriant plant of Fuchsia Dominiana. 



The pleasure-grounds, which measure fifteen acres, are very tastefully 

 planted with rare trees and shrubs. Here were bushes of Savin which 

 might defy all others to equal them in size ; and among flowering 

 plants were clumps of Rhododendrons and Azaleas, with borders of 

 herbaceous plants, which, af.er their beauty is over, are succeeded by 

 summer bedding plants, thus keeping the grounds always gay in 

 appearance. 



Among Coniferae which without any protection withstood the severe 



