136 



Februaey 17, 1912. 



WENNINGTON HALL. 



Wt-nnington Hall, the seat of Colonel 

 Saunders, is prettily situated near the pic- 

 turesque village of Wennington, on the rail- 

 way between Carnforth and Hellifiekl. The 

 mansion itself is a fine one, and is sur- 

 rounded by noble trees and spacious 

 grounds. From the house to the garden 

 entrance there stretches a long^ broad bor- 

 der of hardy flowers of great variety and 

 excellently grown. Backed by a wail 

 covered with good climbers this border looks 

 extremely well, especially as it is planted 

 with due regard to a succession of bloom, 

 from early spring until late autumn. The 

 best genera and species, together with ex- 

 ceUent varieties, in the most valuable 

 classes of herbacernis flowers, are here re- 

 presented^ althougli Mrs. Saunders, who 



ventional way of cultivating alpines. This 

 is neither by growing them on natural- 

 looking or formal rock gardens, although 

 there is one small rockery, where, by the 

 way, are a number of the easiest subjects 

 doing as Avell as they can be seen any- 

 where, but by a method intended to secure 

 that the flowers will have their require- 

 ments fully met. It may at once be said 

 that this is done in a manner far surpass- 

 ing the writer^s anticipations^ although his 

 companion— a keea grower and experi- 

 enced cultivator of alpines — had held out 

 high expectations. These were more than 

 fulfilled^ for there are few peaces where 

 one c-an see these flowers «o well grown, 

 looking healthy, happy, and flowering with 

 freedom. 



The arrangement for the cultivation of 

 the alpines at Wennington is by means 



with the condition of the plants, many of 

 which were in better condition than they 

 can be seen at home in the Alps. 



Ijooking through these flowers one T\-as i 

 struck -svith the fine representation of the 

 charming gentians, some of which are sel- 

 dom seen, and those which are seen are 

 seldom in as good condition. Thus we saw 

 Gentiana brachyphylla doing well, G. 

 verna, a pattern for other growers, G. 

 acaulis, G. acaulis var. dinarica, G. cru- 

 ciata, G. cihata, G. Allioni, and several 

 others. Androsaces are also wonderfully 



V 



grown, among those obserA'^ed being A. 

 «>:Iacialis, A. carnea, A. foliosa, verv finelv 

 grown; A. arachnoidea, A. Clnunbyi. A. 

 lanuginosa, and a good representation of 

 other species. The hardy primulas are 

 excellently, and some superbly grown. For 

 example, P. marginata was simply wonder- 



ENTRANCE GATEWAY, WENNINGTON HALL. 



is the presiding spirit of the garden, does 

 not lay claim to owning any special col- 

 lection of border flowers. 



It is mainly to alpine flowers that Mrs. 

 Saunders is devoted, and when we enter 

 the garden we are at once confronted by 

 evidences of Jher taste and skill in tlie 

 direction of these charming subjects. Mrs. 

 Saiimlers spends a good deal of time in 

 the Alps, and, whi!e staying at Pontresina 

 and other placBS;^ has been an ^earnest 

 student and collector of the best of the 

 plants to be found there. She has selected 

 her finds with keen critical taste, with the 

 result that there is hardly a poor form, 



and there 



are many of special 

 among the alpines brought home to Wen- 

 nington. Not only, however, are the 

 plants well chosen, but they are cultivated 

 in a manner, wdiich, possibly too artificial 

 for many, yet hy its results fully ju.stifies 

 Mrs. Saunders' departure from the con- 



beauty 



of a series of raised beds, built up with 

 low, dry stone walls^ about two feet high 

 in some, but in others a little more lofty, 

 and raised higher at the back than in the 

 front, so that the compost slopes gradu- 

 ally. The crevices of these w^alls are left 

 open and nnplastered, so that there is the 

 freest possible drainage. The space is 

 then filled so far up with drainage; then 

 rough material, such as stones, g''^^^ and 

 sand, and the whole finished off with a 

 good layer of free soil, such as loam, 

 peat, or leaf-soil, sand, grit, and small 

 stones, with a surfacing of an inch or two 

 of small stones, the general idea being bo 

 form wliat might he called a moraine on 

 artificial lines, the leading consideration 

 being the welfare of the plants. Tliese are 

 kept well supplied with water, and the 

 treatment pro<luces the happiest possible 

 results. Tno garden was visited a year 

 ago by M. II ( orrevon, who was delighted excisa. 



ful, making enormous rosettes of its hand- 

 some leaves for this species, and a picture 

 of beauty in itself. Primula farinosa alba 

 is a special plant here, as it may well bo, 

 for this white variety of our native BirtU 

 Eye primrose was originally found by Mrs. 

 Saunders in a meadow on Colonel 

 ders' own estate of Wennington. 1"^^ 

 pretty form was just over, but it is 

 excellent one. Of course, the typical I- 

 farinosa is also grown, and we observe 

 among others P. Clusiana, P. graveolens, 

 and a wide selection of the best of tli*> 

 E^nropean and other species. It >vas 

 pleasure to see the campanulas so 

 done with this treatuicnt. and a wondertui 

 feature was tlie manner in which the lo^^ -^^ 

 little C. exci>a is growing in the artiticia^ 

 moraines here. It is spreading freely, ii^i 

 is very beautiful with its little blue bel>, 

 deeply cut so as to be appropriately 



C. G. F. AVilson, C. pumda m 



