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GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



(OF AMERICA) 

 Devoted to the Science of Floriculture and Horticulture 



I Vol. XXV 



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OCTOBER, 1921 



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No. 10 ■ 



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Things and Thoughts of the Garden JST^!!. 



MONTAGUE FREE 





MAXY of the large estates and former show places three thousand. It is scarcely possible, even allowing for 

 of England have greatly deteriorated from their 



pre-war excellence; but one at least, Aldenhani 

 House Gardens, seems to be fully up to standard and 

 exhibits examples of high class gardening throughout 

 the whole of its pleasure grounds of two hundred acres. 

 We were privileged to spend rather more than half a day 

 in the inspection of the treasures of these famous gardens 

 and at the close of our strenuous peregrinations — it was 

 a day of intense heat seldom equalled in England — we 

 fully agreed with our cicerone in his statement, that it 

 was necessary to devote at least a week to Aldenham to 

 obtain a proper conception of its manifold beauties and 

 the variety and extent of the collections. 



Aldenham House is the country home of the Hon. 

 Vicary Gibbs whose name is perhaps as well known in 

 this countr)' as it is in England in circles whose inter- 

 ests lie amongst rare trees and shrubs. He has done a 

 great deal towards bringing to the notice of the public 

 the value of many of E. H. Wilson's Chinese trees and 

 shrubs by growing them at Aldenham and exhibiting 

 them at the Royal Horticultural Society's shows. Much 

 of the beauty of these famous gardens is traceable to 

 Mr. Gibb's designs carried out under the direction of the 

 head gardener, Mr. Edwin Beckett, who is known 

 throughout the country for his skill, particularly when it 

 comes to the production of vegetables of superlative ex- 

 cellence. 



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Although practically all phases of gardening are repre- 

 sented at Aldenham one hears it spoken of chieHy in 

 connection with its. wonderful collection of woody ])lants 

 and its remarkable kitchen gardens. Our guide, in re- 

 sponse to a c|uestion anent the number of trees and 

 shrubs cultivated, stated that "Aldenham challenged 

 Kew in this respect," and that "the number of species and 

 varieties was around ten thousand." This latter state- 

 ment, we arc inclined to believe, needs a grain or two of 

 salt to make it palatable. Prof. .Sargent, writing in Rai- 

 lev's "Cyclopedia."' says that "At Kew is to be found prob- 

 ably the largest number of species of trees and shrubs 

 which has yet been gathered together, for in Englant 



the numerous new species of trees and shrubs introduced 

 l)y Wilson and others during the two past decades, that 

 the number of woody plants capable of cultivation out- 

 doors in England has been increased to the extent of six 

 or seven thousand. 



It is perfectly safe to say. however, that no other pri- 

 vate arboretum can boast of so large a collection, and 

 probably no arboretum, either public or private, lias a 

 collection so well cultivated and cared for. Every tree 

 and shrub on the estate is kept pruned so as to maintain 

 shapely specimens and, in the case of flowering subjects, 

 to promote floriferousness. Many perhaps, we amongst 

 the number, would contend that at Aldenham priming is 

 carried to excess — that there is more charm in most trees 

 and shrubs when to a large extent they are allowed to 

 grow untrammeled by knife, pruning shears, or saw. 

 Manicuring may be a good thing applied to the formal 

 beds of the parterre, bvu it does seem a little out of place 

 when applied universally throughout the whole of an 



estate. 



* * * 



It is seldom that one sees shrubs planted on the same 

 gigantic scale as they are at Aldenham. Here one may 

 see immense groups of such subjects as Spircca, For- 

 sytliia, and Exoclwrda containing hundreds of specimens, 

 but restricted to one species or variety. Some of these 

 groups are said to cover an acre or more. Although so 

 many plants are massed together, yet they are not neg- 

 lected, for each specimen is kept properly pruned and is 

 allowed room to develop. These enormous masses of 

 shrubbery, displayed in beds of irregular and graceful 

 outline, must be of surpassing beauty when in full bloon7. 



Xear the ornamental lake of ten or more acres special 

 efforts are made to ensure shrub plantings of such a na- 

 ture that there is something of l)eauty and interest at all 

 seasons of the year. Such plants as Cornus sanguhica.. 

 and the red and golden barked willows are used to prcn- 

 vide color in the Winter. These, of course, are pruned 

 severely before growth starts in the Spring, to promote 

 the formation of strong young shoots which are more 

 highlv colored than older wood. Tncidenlallv another 



more plants can be made to grow together than flourish plant that is here treated in this way, though not with 

 in any one country on the continent of Eurojie or in anv the same object in view, is Pauloii'^nw iiiipcrialis. or to- 

 one place in the United States." In the "Kew Hand List mcntosa. to use the approved though less familiar desig- 

 of Trees and Shrubs," published in 1902, the number of nation. This is cut back to encourage the production of 

 species of trees and shrubs cultivated there is given as those sucker-like shoots clothed with enormous leaves of 



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