242 THE ALPINE FLORA 



understood and accepted the English style, that is, the 

 art of embosoming groups of hardy plants among greenery 

 and lawns of using them to create one or more pictures 

 suggested by natural scenery. Mosaic carpetbedding, a 

 monstrous invention of some unnameable evil genius, false 

 in taste and false in art has had its day or, at least, is 

 taking itself off to the limbo of memories belonging to 

 the formal garden of topiary yews and scissored shrubs. 



William Robinson, the great English master, writes 

 in the preface to his work on Alpine Flowers 1 : "Much 

 improvement, both in design and cultivation of rock- 

 gardens and rock-plants, has taken place within the past 

 twenty years or so, and some effects on these rock-gar- 

 dens are now seen that were impossible on the old form 

 of "rock-work", with its dust-dry pockets and hope- 

 less ugliness. At the Friar Park, Henley on Thames, 

 South Lodge, Leonardslee, Warley Place, Batsford, and 

 many other places, we may see not only the rarest alpine 

 plants admirably grown, but effects and colour not un- 

 worthy of the alpine fields. Even the public gardens 

 where the most grotesque arrangements were common 

 have changed much for the better". 



All these gardens which Robinson here speaks of as 

 models are familiar to me. Leonardslee, the home of 

 Sir Edward Loder, is among the happiest of artificial 

 rockeries. It were hard to find anything more natural, 

 more majestic, or better planted. At the time of my visit 

 this magnificent garden was gay with every kind of al- 

 pine, brought from the four corners of the world. One 

 charming picture I remember, Atragene falling down in 

 cascades of pure white blossoms 2 . 



1 W\ Robinson : Alpine "Flower Gardens; 3 rd edition (1903). 



2 Since 1 wrote these lines I have again visited Leonardslee and 

 given a short account of my impressions in the Gardener's Chronicle, 

 July 16 1910, p. 34. 



