arches span the short and narrow pathways. It is somewhat Cottage 
of a puzzle that Scarlet Tropzolum never seems so happy, or Gardens 
as much at home, in England as in Scotland. One reason for 
this, given by an observant gardener, is that in the South it is 
not cut down in winter by frost, and so does not come up again 
with renewed strength. Or perhaps it misses the cool damp 
soil beloved by many plants, in which the homely Pansy 
luxuriates beyond all others. To quote that well-known writer 
E. V. B., who has gardened in both parts of Great Britain, 
“Everything that does well in England grows even better in 
Scotland, and where the soil and position are favourable they 
will attain to greater stature with more than equal luxuriance.” 
Is it favouritism to assert that August, September, and October, 
in a well-ordered and well-situated Scottish garden, are worth the 
whole year in an English one? The glory of the colours, and 
the profusion of the harvest of our flowers, make us bold to boast 
of our autumnal display. For this we are indebted to the cooler 
soil, which retains the moisture and is seldom burnt up to the 
same extent as gardens in the sunny South. 
No article on national gardens would be complete without 
a tribute to the shrewd intelligence and skill of the Scotch 
gardener, whose worth is acknowledged all over the world, and 
that not only in the present day, but from the earliest History 
of Horticulture. 
F. GRAHAM STIRLING. 
