IRISH GARDENING 



IS 



many others too numerous In name here went to 

 make up a very gay pictui. 



A sheet of water of rectangular formation flanked 

 by Beech trees running away trom tlie llowcr lawn 

 gave a novel avenue-like eftcit,, as indeed did the 

 prevailing method of the planter of those days, 

 in treating all liis trees in avenue formation; 

 wherever one looked the planting was in avenue 

 or parallel lines. 



A time-table permits no <lwelling unduly, and 

 leaving the jjleasant side of Hampton Court, with 

 a peep through the exquisiti- wrought iron gates 

 on to the beautiful reach of the Thames, gay with 

 dainty white painted flower-bedecked "house- 

 boats, wo passed on to Bushy I'ark, there to take 

 a view of the famous Clicstunt Avenue, so well 

 known to sightseers when in bloom. To pass from 

 Hampton Court to Kichmoml Park, a few miles 

 apart, gives one as great a contrast as it is possible 

 to obtain; both fidi of liistdi i<al associations — the 

 former, trim, formal and gay, with floral attrac- 

 tions, stands like a severe conventional guardian 

 of some of the nation's trea.sures on the banks 

 of the Thames, at a point admittedly charming 

 by rea.son of its landscape l)fauty; the latter at a 

 high altitude, wild and waste-like, with its liracken- 

 eovered surface and its overtowering giant oaks, 

 showing centuries of age on their gnarled truuk.s, 

 i.s a fit place for the young and vigorous, as we 

 learned before we reached the Superintendent's 

 liouse on this hot autumn day. The welcome re- 

 ceived from BIr. a.ad Mrs. Wells was cordiality 

 itself, and in a short time we were being piloted 

 round the Park by Mr. 'Wells, who pointed out, 

 as we drove along, features of interest .both in the 

 Park itself and the surroiuuling country. 



Richmond Park is the most extensive of all the 

 Royal Parks in England, but it has little of 

 horticultural interest; its arboricultural beauty 

 lies in its ancient o.iks, .and lu're and there yovmger 

 plantations are growing into line timber, many 

 of the "giace and favour" residences here 

 contain nice collections of shrubs, and it was pain- 

 ful to look on the ravages of the protracted drought 

 in the shape of scorched shrubs, principally 

 Rhododendrons, which in many cases were com- 

 pletely killed ; the gras3 land was one brown 

 carpet; at one point an area of many acres was 

 found to be on fire, a usiuil occurrence, as Mr. 

 Wells informed us. 



The roads travel sing Richmond Park were, up 

 to recent years, of the ordinary macadamised 

 surface, but that form is rapidly giving way to 

 the tar-treated surface, providing a boon to cyclists 

 and motorists alike. The di'cr in Richmond are 

 quite different in character to those of the Phoenix 

 Park, seeming to lack the healthy vigour so ad- 

 mired in that animal, Mr. 'V\'ells informed us 

 that a change of blood was now being effected. 



After a thorough general inspection of the Park, 

 and an interchange of views, Mr. 'Wells drove us 

 to one of the outer gates where we reluctantly 

 said good-bye, with profound thanks for his 

 generous entertainment. 



On the folljowing day, in the same glorious 

 weather conditions, we undertook the journey to 

 Kew, there to see the wonderful Botanic Garden 

 of that name. 



To those who have not visited Kew it might 

 be described as an Encyclopajdia of Horticulture, 

 dating (as a botanic garden) to" 1759-60, it covers 

 an area of 288 acres, and at present contains 24,000 

 living species and varieties of plants, drawn from 

 every quarter of the globe ; from this vast assem- 

 blage any student has unlimited means for re- 



ference, and the dried specimens in the Herbarium 

 comprise over 2,000,()(H). The greatest collection 

 in existence. 



It will be readily understood that only outstand- 

 ing featia-es could be inspected in the short time 

 allowed by our i"'ogr;:mme, and we ac'cordingly 

 confined our attention for the most part to outdoor 

 subjects. 



The drought had played havoc here as elsewlnrrc, 

 and most of th> plants compared unfavoural>ly 

 with similar ones at (ilasnevin; indeed the latter, 

 while not comparable in extent, were voted in 

 every case superior to those seen at Kew. 



The lake at Kew covers an area of several acres, 

 and is instructive and beautiful by reason of its 

 marginal treatment and its collection of water 

 birds. It.5 water supply is derived from the 

 Thames by a culvert system. 



The bamboo garden contains many fine speci- 

 mens of Cliinese and .Japanese varieties. 



The Rhododendron and Azalea dells contain flue 

 vigorous representatives, and are always a fine 

 feature in their flowering seasons. 



The rock garden is always interesting, but at 

 the time of our visit was sorely parched. 



Belladonna Lilies were in full flower, and re- 

 velling in the arid atmosphere prevailing. 



Many interesting historic trees were seen and 

 mentally noted; the interesting specimen of 

 Wistaria trained over an iron cage is quaint, and 

 has a pretty history. 



The hardy fernery is another interesting spot 

 demanding hours, not minutes, for inspection. 



The wild garden is a most interesting place, 

 especially in spring time, when the Daffodils and 

 other bulbs are in bloom. 



The water lily pond was gay with many of the 

 beautiful hybrids which time did not permit re- 

 cording. 



The different collections of forest tree-- are far 

 too extensive to mention here, and indeed would 

 require long days of careful inspection. 



Every visitor to Kew sees the new flag staff — a 

 trunk of Douglas Fir grown in British Columbia, 

 and presented by that Government to Kew in 

 1919; it measures 214 feet in height and from its 

 point of erection on 'Victory Hill is an imposing 

 feature. 



The casual and hurried inspection was hastened 

 by our need to call on Mr. Bedford, the Head 

 Gardener at Gunnersbury House, one of the seats 

 of Mr. Rothschild. Here we received a hearty 

 welcome from Mr. Bedford, who is a son of the 

 late gardener at .Straffan House, Co. Kildarc. 



Gunnersbury has lost much of its pre-war glory, 

 but it contains a collection of seedlings, raised 

 from the seeds collected by many well-known 

 Chinese and Thibetan collectors of recent years. 

 Most of these seedlings are destined to be planted in 

 the recently acquired property of Mr. Rothschild 

 in Hampshire, where the soil and climate are 

 admirably suited for the growth of these rare 

 shrubs, particularly the Rhododendron family, 

 thousands of which are in evidence in the houses 

 and frames here. We were very much struck by 

 tlie nature of the soil, and wondered how 

 plants could grow and thrive in what appeared t(> 

 be a veritable collection of flints, luit when Mr. 

 Bedford informed us that the wonderful specimens 

 of fruit trees, etc., so well grown and .shown in the 

 past, were grown without the assistance of farm- 

 yard manure, we were almost dumbfounded. 



With the exchange of notes, and the varied ex- 

 periences revealed, it is quite certain that the 

 future of horticulture is safe in the hands of such 



