6 



useful spring flowering plants which do not lend themselves 

 readily to this system of spring bedding, chiefly owing to the 

 bulbous or tuberous nature of their roots, and the fact of 

 starting into growth too early in the autumn to allow 

 planting in the beds after the summer plants are removed ; 

 these include Crocus imperati and Anemone fulgens with 

 many others, and as any book on spring flowers would be 

 incomplete if it did not mention them, I propose to treat of 

 them in a separate chapter. 



As will be seen by the notes on the general character of 

 these gardens see page 66 they are eminently fitted for 

 producing early flowers, their height above the surrounding 

 country gives a drier air during winter and spring ; early frosts 

 in autumn and late frosts in spring are not felt severely, owing 

 to the elevation ; the screens of tall forest trees with ever- 

 greens underneath which surround the gardens break the keen 

 cutting winds of March (these are often more dangerous to 

 vegetation than a quiet frost of much greater intensity), and 

 the undulations of the surface give a greater charm, and far 

 greater effect from a picturesque point of view than could 

 possibly be obtained on any level surface. 



It is impossible to make a garden artificially which would 

 give such a wide range of elevation and surface as is obtained 

 here, but very much may be accomplished by judicious 

 excavating, combined with plantations of quick growing trees ; 

 the latter soon give quite a large amount of shelter if skilfully 

 planted and also break up the ground into irregular shaped 

 portions, which eventually become separate gardens, and thus 

 secure one of the greatest charms a garden can possess a 



