June S, 1S92.] 



Garden and Forest. 



269 



Foreign Correspondence. 



The Experiment Ciardcn at Wlsley in England. 



ENGLAND is enriched witli several gardens of hardy 

 flowers, and among them is the garden formed a 

 few years ago by Mr. G. F. Wilson, F. R.S. , at ^^'isley, in 

 the charming county of Surrey. This delightful garden 

 was designed for the growth of hardy plants in general 

 and Lilies in particular It is called Oakwood, to dis- 

 tinguish it from the cottage garden and grounds that sur- 

 round ]\Ir. Wilson's principal residence, Heatherbank, on 

 Weybridge Heath. Alany enthusiasts in hardy flowers 

 travel to Wisley to see this garden in Primrose or Lily 

 time. Wisle}' is approached by a drive of six miles from 

 Weybridge Heath through characteristic scenery, now in its 

 freshest and most charming spring dress. Oakwood was 

 formed out of an Oak-copse ; the natural character of the 

 place has been preserved, and the result is a wild, pic- 

 turesque spot, brilliant with flowers from the season of 

 Primroses until the last Lily has opened its blossoms in 

 late October. Si.xteen acres of ground are covered with 

 plants, each kind grown in large patches, so that the indi- 

 vidual character and beauty are shown to advantage. In 

 this comparatively small area there are no great scenic 

 effects, but through the clearings in the trees appear brave 

 masses of color ; at this season stretches of ground are 

 blue with the lustrous flowers of Gentiana acaulis, that 

 grows here very freely. 



A visit to Wisley may be made at an)' season of the 

 year, save the dead of winter, in the certain hope that it 

 will prove profitable. At the entrance to the garden one 

 of the most conspicuous features is a hedge of the Japa- 

 nese Rose (Rosa rugosa) ; the plants were raised from 

 seed, and now form a splendid hedge with their spiny 

 and leafy growth. The crimson fruits make a show dur- 

 ing the summer and autumn, and from June until late in 

 the year a scattered succession of the varied colored fra- 

 grant flowers is maintained. This hedge is one of the 

 finest we have seen, and is useful as well as beautiful. 

 Changes are alwa3's being effected at Wisley, and the gar- 

 den is ever presenting some new feature. This will be a 

 year for the Ksempfer's Iris (Iris Kaempferi), the beautiful 

 species that the Japanese hold dear. Mr. Wilson has 

 planted no less than 3,000 examples in a field practically 

 outside the garden, and the finest forms will be selected 

 from these, as they flower, for the adornment of the margin 

 of the pond. I. Ka?mpferi grows exceedingly well here, 

 and in July it makes a delightful picture, large clumps being 

 planted around the sides of the water, where they make a 

 forest of luxuriant growth and bloom. It loves moisture, 

 and does not mind even contact with the water, although 

 it is often thought that this is fatal to the plant. The great 

 point is to select flowers of good colors, as pure white or 

 deep purple, many of the mottled and blotched flowers pro- 

 ducing a poor effect. The season for this Iris and the sev- 

 eral species and varieties of Lilium is perhaps the most 

 suitable time at which to see Oakwood, although those 

 who care for Primroses and Auriculas would choose the 

 spring months. The Lily finds here a splendid home, with 

 the best cultural treatment given to the bulbs ; the result 

 is superb growth, even of those kinds generally considered 

 most troublesome and uncertain. The garden is occupied 

 in part by Rhododendrons and other shrubs, and it is from 

 their leafy undergrowth that the tall stems of the Lilies 

 rise in profusion. On every hand there are Lilies, about 

 half an acre or more being devoted to L. auratum and its 

 varieties. The shrubs protect the shoots from frosts in 

 early spring, and the soil that suits the Rhododendron 

 agrees also with the Lily. Of course, many of the kinds 

 are comparatively common, but for the choicer types Mr. 

 Wilson has a series of bays, the sides of hurdles or furze 

 to protect the stems from winds. Here L. Browni forms 

 a magnificent clump and L. giganteum attains giant dimen- 

 sions, the stems rising to nine feet in height or even more, 



and carrying a large mass of flowers rising from the base 

 of rich green luxuriant leafage. L. Japonicum odorum 

 promises to bear a profusion of flowers this year. L. 

 Krameri, perhaps the most troublesome of all Lilies to 

 deal with, under these conditions gives a wealth of flowers 

 of a lovely rose shade differing in tone in Individuals. 

 Except for L. giganteum, no manure is given— a point of 

 im].iortance, as manure does harm to the general class of 

 Lilies rather than promotes vigor of growth and flower. 



Every turn reveals some treasure ; the sides of a ditch 

 were gay at the time of our visit with groups of Primula 

 capitata, the double King-cup or Caltha (C. palustris flora 

 pleno) kissing the water with its double golden-yellow 

 flowers. Christmas Roses seed about in the moist soil, 

 and form splendid clumps, while Primroses attain great 

 perfection of form. There are few English gardens in 

 which the common Primrose and its many varieties are 

 more flnely represented. The old double crimson, a very 

 rare form, was flowering freely, and at the entrance to 

 the garden the sides of the walk were gay with flowers 

 of the most delightful colors and superb form. They are 

 jilanted against cool gray stone for contrast, and this inten- 

 sifies greatly the orange and yellow shades. The varieties 

 here are ver)' different from the Primroses one sees in ordi- 

 nary gardens and too often at exhibitions. There are no 

 dead, dull colors, mauve or washed-out pink shades, but 

 the colors are deep and clear. This exemplifies the great 

 impn:)vement that may be effected by choosing only the 

 best forms and colors for seed. The crimson, pink, rose 

 and intermediate shades are of intense depth, and large 

 masses make a glorious picture of color. They are planted 

 by the ditch and under the shade of trees, where they ob- 

 tain moisture and are screened from the direct rays of the 

 sun. Possibly the blue Primrose attracts most attention, 

 as being a flower of unusual color. Mr. Wilson has been 

 several years in bringing to perfection the hardy blue 

 Primrose, and has succeeded in raising flowers that please 

 the artistic sense of color. This flower must not be placed 

 in the same category with the artificial green Carnation 

 that Londoners wear in their button-holes, for the reason, 

 we suppose, that it is something out of the common, but 

 which is essentially inartistic, jt is an outrage upon beau- 

 tiful Carnations to water the plants with dye to produce the 

 horrid metallic lustre. The blue Primrose, although blue 

 is never found in the varieties of P. vulgaris, and is foreign 

 to the flower, is of great beauty, as remarkably free as the 

 common wilding, and the clumps nestling against the cool 

 gray stones are certainly beautiful. It is scarcely correct 

 to call them blue ; they are not the same intense blue as 

 the Gentianella, but rather of a purplish violet tone, set off 

 with a small central eye of deep yellow. Mr. \\'ilson has 

 raised several varieties, of which Oakwood Blue is the best. 

 It is a lustrous cobalt color, intensified by the small yellow 

 eye, and from the first experiments until the advent of this 

 form we have a gradation of shades, each new one dis- 

 plaj'ing an improvement in color. We may, therefore, in 

 time expect a flower that will be a deeper blue even than 

 Oakwood Blue. But it will not be easy to eclipse this 

 famous type in form ; theflowers are full, broad and of excel- 

 lent shape. The remarks that we have made respecting the 

 Primrose apply to the self or alpine Auriculas. They are as 

 perfect as the art of man can make them, the colors strong and 

 deep, and the shape of the flowers as perfect as the ardent 

 florist can desire. The deep maroon shades are delightful, 

 but we get many tones from brilliant rose to almost black, 

 set off with body colors which provide a rich or suitable 

 contrast. It is only by rigid selection that such results are 

 attained, weeding out the pale sickly colors, and retaining 

 the best to raise seedlings from. In this way the strain, 

 as we call it in England, becomes freed from the miserable 

 weakly trussed varieties of poor washy colors that are ut- 

 terly useless for giving beauty to the garden, although, un- 

 fortunately, occasionally seen at exhibitions under distinc- 

 tive names. 



The most brilliant hardy plant in late spring and sum- 



