344 Mr Philip Sewell on the Use of Sphagmim Moss 



sudden changes of vista from among the gracefully-festooned 

 pillars on the seaward side ; from it the eye may wander 

 over masses of verdure from rare trees and shrubs to the 

 waters of the Mediterranean. 



But the "pergola" has an especial interest from the border- 

 ing wealth of flowers, grown more or less in the cool shade 

 of the climbers in curiously constructed beds of Sphagnum 

 Moss. Inasmuch as the presence of these bordering flower- 

 beds gives a finished effect to this portion of the garden 

 which it did not possess a few years ago, it is well to 

 describe with some detail the nature of the difficulties, and 

 the steps which have been taken to overcome them by the 

 use of beds of Sphagnum. 



From the requirements of the design that shade should be 

 afforded by numerous climbers, it appeared at first im- 

 possible to have other than a very formal and ordinary 

 edging to the gravel walk, which is bounded on the one side 

 by a generally low retaining-wall, above which, as on the 

 other side, are steeply sloping beds. The climbers appeared 

 to usurp all the nutriment placed about the roots of any 

 plants which it was attempted to grow on either side of this 

 walk. There was also at times a destructive splashing 

 produced by the drip from branches and woodwork 

 overhead. 



The beds, as I shall explain later, have been so con- 

 structed that the roots of the climbers and of the surround- 

 ing trees cannot have access to the rich stores of nutritious 

 compost of pure Sphagnum, or of Sphagnum and pressed 

 root-fibres which have passed through the stables. The 

 moss binds together with a firm surface ; it retains moisture 

 admirably, the only difficulty in connection with its use 

 being that the blackbirds on every occasion are ready to 

 peck at it and strew it about the adjoining walks in their 

 search for food. 



The main result of the introduction of these distinct beds 

 has been that not only have plants grown well in such 

 positions of disadvantage as we have indicated, but it has 

 been possible, in a tidy manner, to grow plants in places 

 about the garden walls of the Palazzo Orengo, where other- 

 wise they could not have survived. Moreover, several 

 interesting species, which it had not before been possible to 



