Our National Gardens 



are clothed with flowers. It was made in 1881, 

 chiefly in consequence of a memorial to the Board 

 of Works from many lovers of gardens, and after 

 some difficulty a grant was made, and, though it 

 was a wretchedly small grant, it has certainly 

 enabled Kew to grow and show to advantage a 

 large number of plants which were grown before 

 with difficulty and were not well shown. Of 

 course, it does not please everybody ; objection 

 is taken to the wide and very conspicuous path, 

 to the uniformity in height of the sides, and to 

 the presence of conspicuous labels, which destroy 

 any attempt at an appearance of wildness ; but 

 such objectors should remember the peculiar diffi- 

 culties of such a work in a public garden, and the 

 small amount of money spent upon it. Another 

 excellent addition that has lately been made to 

 the hardy garden is the new Bamboo Garden. It 

 is placed near one of the prettiest parts of the 

 garden, near the dell full of rhododendrons, and 

 very near the river ; this, too, though still young, 

 is a great success, and it has already given good 

 object-lessons to the many who now grow bamboos. 

 Not only does it show the complete hardiness and 

 easy cultivation of many species, but it has pointed 

 out a way of cultivation of which many growers 

 were ignorant. It has been quite a lesson to 

 many of us not only that bamboos delight in a 

 large supply of water, but that they are gross 

 feeders, and should have a supply of manure to 

 which there seems to be almost no limit. This 



