8 THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



Januaky 6, 1912. 



and orchard, all of which features are of 

 much interest. 



One of the chief features of interest to 

 horticulturists, and indeed to visitors 

 generally, is the winter garden, which is 

 light and elegant in design, and while in 

 complete harmony with the architecture of 

 the mansion, is admirably adapted to the 

 various forms of plant life thbtt find a 

 home within its portals. In adaptability 

 to plant growth it differs so appreciably 

 from many of the architectural structures 

 built in the early part of the la^t century 

 as to give it added interest. The roof is 

 formed with a series of curved ridsres and 

 a central dome which rises to a consider- 

 able height, and adds much to the appear- 

 ance of the structure when seen from the 

 pleasure grounds. Immediately under the 



come under notice. Huge camellias now 

 bristling with flower buds, but soon to be 

 bright with colour, are plentiful, and 

 prove to demonstration that, although not 

 regarded with the favour once shown 

 them, they have no equals among 

 con s e r va to i* y sh r u bs f o r beautifying cool 

 houses during the earlier months of the 

 year. There is no occaision to give the 

 names of varieties, for all the finest 

 are represented, and there appeared 

 to be no great difference in their vigour 

 of growth or freedom of flowering. As- 

 sociated with the camellias are spC'Cimen 

 acacias, variegated forms of the New Zea- 

 land flax and tree ferns. Climbing the 

 pillars and spreading freely over the roof 

 trellis are many plants of scandent habit, 

 of interest for their comparative rarity or 



elegant of white-flowered climbers suitable 

 for the conservatory, does well in the winter 

 garden, and is appreciated accordingly. The 

 wall on the east side of the winter garden 

 is more or less shaded, and this is clothed 

 with Woodwarclia radicans, aspleniums, 

 and Asparagus deflexus, all of which make 

 a vigorous gro^\i:h^ although the layer of 

 peat in which they are gro\ving has a 

 thickness of only three inches. 



Plants in great variety arre also grown 

 in pots for beautifying this structure, and 

 prominent among these, when we were at 

 Somerleyton a few weeks since, were the 

 bush chrysanthemums, which made a rich 

 display of colour. Prominent among the 

 varieties was the white Felton's Favourite, 

 which is a favourite also at Somerleyton. 



Adjoining the winter garden is a 



FORMAL FLOWER GARDEN AS SEEN FROM ABOVE, SOMERLEYTON HALL 



dome is a handsome marble fountain and 

 surrounding the base of the central figure 

 and within the basin is a specimen of the 

 graceful Woodwarclia radicans that is pro- 

 bably unequalled. The specimen his a 

 diameter of twenty-one feet, and is per- 

 fect in everv w;;v. The I'oot^ h-iVi^ the 

 run of a bank formed with ])iec<\s (if turf 

 and raised above tlio surface of the water, 

 and the fronds enjoy a shower hath from 

 the Ffiontain wlien ])]aying. In the has'n 

 is LirowiiiL:; a sch ; tion of tlu^ chcr<'*'st of 

 I ho »iyni|)h;»'as. The ^rnrral etf*>. t in 

 the cent *if the struct i ire is further 

 enhanced hy sj)lemli'rv (lev* 'loped !)■ sk(^t 

 f^pecimens of the eh uant Nepltroh'])is exal- 

 tata suspended f roiu the rt if * f at i ii t er \"a Is 

 over the basin of the fount-un. 



From the fountain walks radi-ite in all 

 directions, and in passing ah)n^j; the e 

 nir.ny are the noteworthy objects that 



except'onal development. Passion flowers^ 

 tacsonias, and tecomas are especially well 

 represented. Fuchsias in variety are used 

 with good effect, and some of them have 

 occupied their present positions for so 

 long a time a^ to have main stems of so 

 large a size as to surprise those who have 

 but few, if any, opportunities for seeing 

 the-e flowers growing otherwise than 

 uiifh r er<!ijiai-v condition^;. It was inter- 

 esting to find that Maria me C*orne:llson. 

 u h i: h has hvvn in cull i \ at ion for nuire 

 th:ni half a centiii'v, still one of the mosc 

 liiuhiy appieciated of the fuchsias with a 

 white < ;)r<illu. K>]>eciaMy noteworthy also 

 for its deveU>pment is Bignonia chore, 

 which has a main stem with a diameter of 

 twelve iiu-h(^s. spread<> over a large area of 

 the roof trellis, and in its season produces 

 a wealtli of its bright orange-red flowers. 

 Solanum jasminiflorum, one of the most 



palm house that was provided for species 

 requiring the temperature of the plant 

 stove. The house is fully furnished witli 

 a representative collection in the best pos- 

 sible condition^ and it is a point of some 

 interest that a lower temperature is main- 

 tained than is usually considered advisable 

 for palms from tropica! regions. Palms 

 are in constant request for the adornmerit 

 of the mansion, and Mr. Hanson finds 

 that by growing them in a comparativ<^ly 

 h)w tcm])eratnre they sufi'er but little from 

 adverse conditions when removed from the 

 ])alm house. Connecting the two structure-^ 

 is a s])acious corridor that was filled with 

 J paticM' < li rysa ri themuins that had been 

 grown uufhu' the i-onditions most favour- 

 able to the ]>roduction of specimen blooni'^. 

 The rich colour effect at once attracted at- 

 tent io»i, and the finely developed biennis 



were of interest a« showing that while Mr 



