ABBOTSBURY 55 



golds (single and double), Yellow Auricula, Calceo- 

 laria, and Aubretia bloom all the winter through, 

 and the early kind of Polyanthus Narcissi can 

 generally be picked here before Christmas, and 

 from February onwards they flower profusely. 

 The Garden at Abbotsbury was begun a few years 

 after the castle was built, and is a quarter of a mile 

 away from it ; great improvements were made in it 

 by William, fourth Earl of Ilchester, who was a 

 well-known botanist in his day. Being in the 

 diplomatic service for many years, and living 

 abroad, he was able to collect plants from all 

 parts of the world. 



The fifth (and late) Lord Ilchester was equally as 

 devoted to the care of this Garden as his ancestors 

 were, and he and Lady Ilchester (the present owner) 

 have enlarged it to over treble its original size, and 

 it is now one of the finest collections in England. 

 In 1899 a catalogue was printed by Lady Ilchester 

 of all the different plants growing in the Garden, 

 and the number amounted to over 5,000, and the 

 list is always being added to. 



Adjoining the house a large Winter Garden 

 has just been built, which is used chiefly for 

 plants which flower during the winter ; the walls 

 are covered with climbing plants, and also the 

 greater part of the roof; the Kennedyas, for 

 instance, are represented by nearly a dozen species, 

 the best being Rubicunda and Violaca. Tacsonias 



