MAY GARLANDS 71 



Red Seraph did his ten miles in five minutes 

 over the hour ; and as we descended the long 

 hill from the "Jolly Farmer" where the Ports- 

 mouth and Southampton roads branch, sheets 

 of colour on our right, backed by pleasant 

 woods, showed that we were nearing our goal. 

 These were the younger plants in the main 

 nurseries. But it was not until from the 

 north window of a cool drawing-room we 

 overlooked the " Home Ground," the original 

 nurseries on the other side of the road, that 

 the full splendour of Rhododendron-land burst 

 upon us. 



Never was spot more wisely chosen than 

 this, by the wise founder of the famous firm 

 well-nigh a hundred years ago. And the 

 charmingly broken ground, sloping sharply 

 away north and west from the house and then 

 rising gradually towards the Church and Bag- 

 shot Park beyond, is peculiarly well suited to 

 show off the full glory of colour as one looks 

 down on it. A glory it certainly is at this 

 time of year : mountains and cliffs of pink, 

 white, crimson and purple under the bright 



