386 



THE GARDENS OF N EM' PORT. 



a hundred specimens were planted closely together 

 for mutual protection. But as will be seen, even 

 such adverse conditions have been successfully met, 

 and there are now few gardens in America, if any, 

 possessed of superior attractions. 



This favorable outcome of Miss Wolf's purpose 

 is largely due to the skill and perseverance of James 

 H. Bowditch, the landscape artist, who, if he had 

 done no other work in this line, would be entitled 

 to high rank in his profession. It was certainly a 

 bold experiment, when he decided to introduce, on 

 a large scale, the rich and rare evergreens of this 

 and other countries in so great abundance as to give 

 them prominence over all others. It was deter- 

 mined from the first to place reliance chiefly upon 

 hardy trees and shrubs, and especially on the so- 

 called foliage plants for the desired effects. Mr. 

 Bowditch had made use of some of these on the 

 adjoining estate, now owned by Cornelius Van- 

 derbilt, of which I may write hereafter, and had 

 been successful where many others had prophesied 

 failure. He now proceeded to greatly enlarge the 

 list, especially of foreign varieties, and in doing so, 

 has tested their capabilities and adaptations to the 

 fullest extent. The result is, therefore, of especial 

 value to horticulturists as affording assistance in 

 determining the hardiness of the several species, 

 some of which are not popularly supposed to be 

 adapted to the New England and other northern 

 climates. 



The illustration of the gate house or gardener's 

 residence brings out a group of these evergreens 

 standing by the roadside near the principal entrance 

 to the estate. The cottage is situated a few feet 

 from the street line, and the hedge which borders 

 the highway affords a curve inward to the building. 

 This leaves a small space, such as in most cases 

 might be left unimproved, but is here made beauti- 

 ful. The illustration cannot bring out the shades 

 of color, wherein lies much of the effectiveness of 

 the combination. The plants are arranged with a 

 •low border of dark green, back of which each row 

 rises above its predecessor to the last, which is also 

 solid green. The darker plants at the right are 

 mostly silver-tipped retinosporas, while those of 

 lighter shade are chiefly of the variety known as 

 plumosa aurea. A few of the larger golden plants, 

 however, are biotas ; and the arrangement is such 

 as to constitute a solid bank or wall of golden foli- 

 age, the combination from every point of observa- 

 tion being exceedingly harmonious and effective. 

 Among the plants with green foliage as shown by 

 the darker shades on the left, are a number of 

 junipers, yews. Arbor vitse, pyramidalis and retinos- 



poras obtusa and plumosa. The whole number in 

 the group is igo, though only a part of them is 

 shown in the picture. 



As the retinosporas occupy so important a place 

 in Newport gardens, a brief description of the 

 species and varieties may help to a better under- 

 standing of the subject in hand. As is well known, 

 they are conifers and natives of Japan ; but though 

 introduced to America more than a quarter of a 

 century ago, and becoming known to many who 

 have loved and prized them, they are by no means 

 yet common in garden culture. Botanically, they 

 belong to the cypress family, and should have been 

 recognized as a sub-genus, but Siebold, who sug- 

 gested the present name, thought he observed a 

 sufficient distinction in the resinous coating of the 

 seed to classify them separately. He therefore 

 combined the two Greek words, signifying resin and 

 seed, in their present name. But it is now pretty 

 generally agreed that there is no sufficiently marked 

 distinction to justify such a classification. The 

 present name, therefore, besides being inconveni- 

 ent to many, is in reality misapplied. But as it 

 is always difficult to get rid of a bad name when 

 once acquired, so here the awkward word, retinos- 

 pora, or as some have it, retinispora, is scarcely 

 likely to be superseded by a better. 



It is said that in their native country some of 

 the species grow to the height of a hundred feet : 

 and that they are among the most magnificent of 

 trees ; an estimate which may be the more readily 

 accepted in view of their well-known characteristics 

 as here revealed. But in this country they do not 

 appear to have anywhere assumed such striking 

 proportions. In most cases even the larger species 

 grow as shrubs or quite small trees. As employed 

 in ornamental gardening, they are seldom found 

 more than six or ten feet high, while some of the 

 varieties are among the veriest dwarfs of vege- 

 tation. 



The R. obiusa, in its native habitat, is said to be a tall, 

 slender tree, often rising to a great height with wide 

 spreading branches. Its leaves are scale-like, ovate, 

 rounded and closely crowded along the entire length of 

 the small branchlets. They are bright green, and hold 

 their color well at all seasons. As the lateral branches 

 are numerous, the tree has a dense, not to say magnifi- 

 cent head. It proves hardy here and is one of the best. 

 There are several varieties of this species that are also 

 valuable. One, R. aurea, has a portion of its foliage of 

 a golden color, which in combination with the glossy 

 green of the type, gives it an interesting appearance. 

 Though not much planted in Newport, the few speci- 

 mens observed afford evidence of hardiness sufficient to 

 withstand our winters. Another has white leaves inter- 



