October 11, 1877. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



201 



known old-world types it is most like Allium roseum in the 

 flowers, but its underground structure is quite unique in this 

 very large genus so far as known, the bulbs being developed 

 some distance from one another, and conneoted by a thread- 

 like rhizome, like that of Lilium canadense. It flowered with 

 Messrs. Backhouse & Son at Holgate near York in July, 1873." 

 — (Ibid., t. 6320.) 



VILLA GARDENING— SHAFTESBURY PABK. 



Next in importance to the means presented by the parks of 

 London as affording wholesome exercise and sweet fresh air to 

 the closely packed thousands of the colossal City is the ex- 

 amples they have provided of effective garden decoration, and 

 the stimulus they have given to the cultivation of flowers by 

 the artisan and industrial classes. The London parks as at 

 present managed are great educational establishments, teach- 

 ing — and this teaching is extensively followed — lessons whioh 

 make homes more pleasant and their inmates more happy. 



The spare hours of the industrial classes — the brain and 

 muscle-working population — represent a great, an unrepre- 

 sentable great power for good or evil. The time spent in 

 those thousands — even millions — of resting hours cannot but 

 exert a momentous influence on the lives and habits of the 

 numerically greatest class in the community. The difference 

 between those hours being spent worthily and unworthily is 

 immense, incalculable. Too often time is wasted, and worse 

 than wasted, not because what may be termed the abuse of 

 life is indulged in from choice, but because of a lack of means 

 for the time being employed in a more wholesome and salutary 

 manner. 



Villa gardening, however small the scale may be on which 

 it is carried out, is an exercise which is commendable because 

 it is at once pleasurable and beneficial. A garden of only a 

 few square yards in extent affords the means for investing 

 spare time profitably, and for exeroising such good taste as is 

 not uncommonly enveloped by fustian and corduroy. 



If there are any who labour under the delusion that a con- 

 siderable extent of ground is necessary, and untainted country 

 air is indispensable for a garden to be worthy of the name, let 

 them visit the locality contiguous to any of the London parks, 

 and mayhap a useful lesson may be learnt on " economy," 

 which is a popular term just now — economy in the arrange- 

 ment of tiny plots, and an utilisation of the simplicities of the 

 floral kingdom which are capable of contributing so effectively 

 to home adornments. 



One of the many examples of successful villa gardening 

 carried out on a very small scale by a very great number is 

 afforded by one of the suburban districts, the name of which 

 is not unfamiliar to the great newspaper-reading public — 

 namely, Shaftesbury Park. No more laudable undertaking 

 was perhaps ever organised than that for the erection of 

 small, complete, well-ventilated, and artistic " homes for the 

 working classes." More than a thousand of such homes are 

 occupied on this estate, and every home has a garden. Per- 

 haps many of the little front plots do not exceed 12 feet by 6, 

 and some are narrower than that, and the walled back gar- 

 dens may not exceed 15 feet by 20, although several are larger; 

 yet nearly all afford scope for the exercise of considerable 

 taste, for many a little " back" contains its summer-house or 

 greenhouse, while not a few of the frontages are ornamented 

 in a most creditable manner. These floral decorations testify 

 how much the gardens are appreciated and how greatly the 

 homes are enjoyed by the occupants. In order to foster a 

 taste for such salutary pursuits as gardening affords, encourage- 

 ment has been wisely given by the liberal distribution of 

 prizes for such examples of window and garden decoration 

 as were considered worthy of recognition. These awards 

 when carefully made by competent adjudicators afford a great 

 stimulus to further efforts being made in the good work which 

 they are intended to promote ; and although for the present 

 the excellent system may be in abeyance, it is to be hoped that 

 it will eventually be resumed. 



In the awarding of prizes of the nature referred to it is 

 important that the capacities of each plot should be consi- 

 dered ; also, as far as possible, attention Ehonld be paid to 

 the matter of the raising and preserving of plants. Purchas- 

 ing plants is easy to some, and little labour is needed to make 

 a fine display for an occasion ; but the credit attaching to such 

 is certainly not greater thau to those who have individually 

 propagated and preserved the flowers, although the effect pro- 

 duced may not be quite so imposing. Not less important is it 



that the backs as well as the fronts should be considered. A 

 grand outside show, if at the expense of cleanliness and neat- 

 ness behind the scenes, ought not to be unduly estimated. 

 Tidiness and good order are as important as Calceolarias and 

 Geraniums. 



As may be expected in such a large community of miniature 

 amateur gardens various styles of decoration are adopted. 

 Some prefer the mixed style, and fill their garden with any 

 plants they can obtain ; others are partial to sweet-scented 

 flowers, and indulge in Carnations, Stocks, Sweet Peas, and 

 Mignonette. Some, again, have a fancy for evergreen shrubs, 

 of which the most satisfactory for small town enclosures are 

 Rhododendrons, Aucubas, and Euonymuses. Veronica Blue 

 Gem appears to be a hardy shrub in the sheltered gardens of 

 Shaftesbury Park, for several fine bushes have passed through 

 at least one winter uninjured, and are now extremely attrac- 

 tive by their glossy foliage and profuse spikes of bright blue 

 flowers. This Veronica should be grown in all gardens where 

 cut flowers are cherished. It only requires planting out in 

 spring, potting in autumn, and protecting in frames or green- 

 houses in districts where the frost is too severe for it to con- 

 tinue in the open ground. A few aspire to Conifers, which, 

 however, do not thrive well in town gardens, yet Thnjas, 

 Thujopses, Junipers, and even Retinosporas are growing fairly 

 well. Some little gardens are nearly filled with such shrubs 

 as those mentioned, and are further carpeted with Ivy. Others 

 contain no Bhrubs, but only flowers. Some of the residents 

 "go in" for spring decoration, and " come out " strong with 

 bulbs, PansieB, and that eaeily-grown and cheerful annual Vir- 

 ginian Stock. Others prefer summer flowers, and produce an 

 "effect" with Geraniums, Calceolarias, Golden Feather, and 

 Lobelias. Others again prefer plants of more elegant growth, 

 and plant Fuchsias freely, and attractive they are in rather 

 shaded positions. A few of advanced decorative proclivities 

 adopt carpet bedding, having taken lessons, no doubt, in the 

 adjoining park at Battersea. Golden Feather is, of course, the 

 Btaple plant, but Alternantheras have come from somewhere; 

 also Leucophytons, Echeverias, and even the now popular 

 Mentha Pulegium gibraltarica maybe seen. Some "go in" 

 for autumn flowers, and in a space of 12 feet by 6, or less, 

 devote their energies to Chrysanthemums. Others again have 

 a weakness, or perhaps strongness, for Roses, but few are strong 

 enough to make them succeed. Roses are not town plants. 

 The best of all for a town garden is perhaps Gloire de Dijon. 



Wall plants and climbers are in great favour. The most 

 free grower of all is the Virginian Creeper, which forms fes- 

 toons, and is permitted in some instances almost to cover the 

 windows and darken the rooms, such is the love of " greenery." 

 The smaller and closer-growing Ampelopsis Veitchii is finding 

 its way np many a cottage wall, clinging to brickwork and 

 even to metal spouting with determined tenacity ; but it is 

 only on sunny aspects and in rather dry soil that it assumes 

 its brilliant autumnal garb. Here on a sunny wall is a Cea- 

 nothus, there a Vine growing freely and bearing well. Even 

 Fig trees are not unknown, while Passifloras are luxuriant and 

 beautiful. Tropaaolums and Convolvuluses are, as may be 

 expected, very popular, and are only exceeded in numbers by 

 one twiner, the common yet bright and useful Scarlet Runner; 

 and Clematises, such as C. Jackmanii, are steadily finding their- 

 way into cottage gardens, and even such varieties as Rubella and 

 Star of India are flowering freely in this floral suburb. 



Window-box and sill decoration is one of the features of the 

 "estate." In several instances it is done " to rights," if not 

 to wrongs ; for it is even whispered that cases are not wanting 

 where inside comforts, even necessities, are Eacrificed for out- 

 side show. Let us hope these are the whisperings of envy, 

 and emanate from those whose fronts are not so attractive as 

 they might be. Some of the window boxes, home-made of 

 course, are artistically wrought, and afford evidence of skill, 

 patience, and good taste on the part of the " manufacturers." 

 Hanging baskets, too, and brackets for plants have their share 

 in the domeBtic adornments. 



Some of the miniature gardens are "laid out" chastely, 

 others elaborately, and a few amusingly. Minton tiles, Bhells, 

 white plaster, and black clinkers are all utilised. Several of 

 the arrangements command admiration, a few provoking a 

 smile, such as the erection of a " castle " — a miniature strong- 

 hold, correctly finished even to the cannon and ammunition, 

 the whole being almost sufficient to fill a costermonger's 

 barrow, or as a real Londoner proud of his vernacular would 

 say, "barrer;" but such a mode of decoration is commendable, 

 for it tells of the love of home. 



