CLAREMONT iij 



carried out at Claremont. Behind the roses, again, as a 

 screen for the kitchen garden on both sides, there is a 

 continuous hedge of sweet peas. A very well-designed and 

 handsome Jacobean sundial on stone steps occupies the centre 

 of the walk, which is widened into a circular form to accom- 

 modate it. The further end of the path goes between two 

 large evergreen trees into the third part of the garden. 



Here are a palm-house, vineries, carnation-house and 

 other conservatories. Besides which it contains a lovely old 

 lawn, many extremely rare and beautiful specimen trees, and 

 the finest Pterocarya Caucasica, or Caucasian walnut tree, in 

 England. Except in the great herbaceous border, the general 

 practice at Claremont is to group huge quantities of the 

 same flower in separate beds. And certainly the effect of, 

 say, 2000 antirrhinums, or a similar number of East Lothian 

 stocks, chrysanthemums, asters, pentstemons or gladioli grown 

 and displayed in this manner is very splendid. 



It is quite impossible, in a limited space, to mention a 

 hundredth part of the beautiful things to be seen here. But, 

 in a general way, it may be said that the garden owes a 

 great part of its wonderful charm to the element of surprise ; 

 which is largely due to the sub-division of its various parts. 

 Its leading characteristic is an air of old-time courtly ele- 

 gance and refinement, to which the age and colour of its 

 surrounding walls, and the variety and beauty of the foliage 

 backgrounds, contribute a distinguished share. But if the 

 setting is ' old-fashioned,' neither the gems grown nor the 

 methods adopted for their cultivation are so by any means. 

 The present gardener gained his experience in one of the 

 most famous and historical gardens in Scotland. To his 

 knowledge, hard work and enthusiasm must be attributed 

 in a great measure the vast improvement made at Claremont 

 in the three or four years he has been there. The other 

 fac ''S which have helped to make the garden so truly 

 del itful are the great interest shown in any experimental 

 sugg stion for its improvement, and the way in which every 

 successful result is appreciated by its royal owner. 



p 



