An American's Glimpses of European Horticulture 



By Mrs. B. H 



As for nature's flower show in England, it began as 

 soon as we landed on the Devonshire coast. From Ply- 

 mouth to London, the crimson clover gave us our first 

 real idea of Crimson Clover. A deep rich crimson, with 

 no mauve tinting, the flowers smaller and longer than 

 our red clover. In this locality, the terra cotta soil, bril- 

 liant in the sun, and the rocks of even redder sand-stone 

 were most unusual. Here would be a field all fresh 

 green, with some spring crop, and perhaps next to it, one 

 of these red fields ready for planting and the effect 

 against a background of towering red rocks, with the 

 blue sea in the distance, was indeed beautiful. These 

 fields showed a most remarkable preparation, so thor- 

 oughly worked as to look as if they had been hand rakeil. 



Fields and plots upon the downs, or rolling hills, as 

 we would call them, were laid out as if by landscape 

 architects, in plain geometrical figures, outlined by hedge- 

 rows. This was brought about by the division of prop- 

 erty, in cases of large families, or many families in one 

 location, and each has a little plot here, there and every- 

 where. One learns in England to appreciate the hedge- 

 rows. Every landowner, large or small, is so very proud 

 of them, and they are cared for religiously, far more 

 so than are the stone walls on estates in this country. 

 There are hedgerows of Hawthorn, hedges of .Spirea 

 and of a low-growing shrub, which no one seemed able 

 to name, but the branches intertwined themselves until 

 it was quite impassable. 



Nature is kind in England, for ivy covers everything. 

 Trailing over unsightly tree trunks, over fence posts 

 and carpeting the bare ground. It made one envious to 

 see it growing so lavishly when we have to struggle so 

 hard to have it in our homes. 



English landscapes are beautiful, but I cannot truth- 

 fully say that nothing so fine can be found in America. 

 To be sure, England is older in the art of landscape archi- 

 tecture, and years and years ago, when her trees were 

 planted, they were planted with a thought for the effect 

 they were to produce. We wondered, too, why trees, al- 

 most without exception, were so symmetrical. This is 

 due in a measure to the absence of sweeping winds and 

 severe winters. So many of the plantings of trees, just 

 out in the pastures and fields, were planted in round or 

 oblong clumps. These clumps, with each tree a specimen, 

 made a wonderful effect, as you looked over the downs, 

 from some rise of ground. On investigation, we learned 

 that these were planted in this manner for the effect 

 they would produce. Government ownership of all 

 wooded land must have great influence upon the preser- 

 vation of these trees, and the natural beauties of Eng- 

 land. All estates are bought separate from the timber. 

 After a sale is made, the trees are appraised, and the 

 buyer must then pay the government for the trees. Even 

 shade trees above a certain size are liable to appraisal, 

 and no tree may be cut down without a deal of red tape, 

 in gaining permission to do so. 



An afternoon spent at Ascot House, one of the estates 

 of Leopld de Rothschild, was of unusual interest. It is 

 to be expected that the horses will hold first interest, but 

 next to the horses, I believe the natural beauties have 

 second place in the hearts of the owner, who spends 

 much time there. The estate at Gunnersbury is noted 

 for the magnificent greenhouses, but at Ascot House, 

 nature is supreme. 



The color effects of the trees in the wooded parts of 

 this private park and around the lawns of the house were 

 especially noticeable. The golden conifers, the white 

 and red maples, nearby the white barked birch, trees of 



ammond Tracy. 



holly, the dark glossy green leaves next those of the 

 variegated-leaved variety, planted among darker foliaged 

 trees, made an effect which we cannot attain in America 

 because of our climate and our winters. Many of these 

 trees will not live here, though the varying colors might 

 be produced with shrubs. 



As we came near to the house, a by-path led to a cross- 

 ing of two paths. At the intersection of the flag stones, 

 or rather in one corner of the intersecting paths, stood 

 an immense weeping birch, ages old. Trained branches 

 formed arches over the four paths and the long trailing 

 stems gave a tropical effect. One of the paths led to the 

 winter tennis court, surrounded on four sides by a tower- 

 ing hedge of Box. Another led to the sun dial lawn. 



Perhaps with the aid of keen imagination, a description 

 may give a slight idea of this lawn. A plot of ground 

 about 150 feet square, the hedge of the lawn tennis court 

 for one background, and a lower box hedge on two other 

 sides, the remaining side open to the main lawn and ter- 

 races stretching away in front of Ascot House. In the 

 center of the Sun-dial 4awn, the numerical figures of 

 the clock were planted in box, each figure about one and 

 one half feet high and five feet long — living, growing 

 hours, and around this living clock, w^as the motto, also 

 of Bo.x, "Light and shade by turn, but Love always." 



No one of our party seemed inclined to talk, as we 

 looked at this truly beautiful bit of topiary work. It 

 was an aljsolutely perfect spring day — the birds and 

 every living thing seemed attuned, and these lines came 

 to me. 



"The kiss of the suji for pardon. 



The song of the birds for mirth. 

 One is nearer God's heart in a garden. 

 Thau any plaee else on earth." 



l.A.-l li.l;u.\u:, WINDSOR LWSTLK. LOXUOX, ENGL.\XD. 



All visitors to England are privile.ged to visit certain 

 portions of the grounds about Windsor Castle, but we 

 were especially favored as we had for our guide, the 

 King's gardener, and his formidable lookin.g bunch of 

 keys, opened many doors closed to visitors. The green- 

 houses were regal in more than name. Those for the 

 finer flowers were built in the most modern and 

 magnificent style. The floors were laid in mosaics and 

 every inch of space was immaculate. Two houses will 

 long be remembered. The croton house was a marvel 

 of coloring, every sort and color of croton, grown in the 

 finest way, but the intense heat made it impossible to 

 stay long. The other was arranged in a color scheme 

 one does not often see in a greenhouse. All in shades 

 of rose and purple, from the dainty schizanthus. the 

 coral begonia, bouganvilleas against the side glass and 



