supplement to THE GARDENERS' ^ MA 



In tERN^t I ONylL 



H0Kf[CULfLlR4L EXHIBlf ION 



1912 



the GROUNDS of the ROYAL HOSPITAL, CHELSEA, May 22nd to May 30th, 1912 



AN ILLUSTRATED AND DESCRIPTIVE ACCOUNT. 



The groat exhibition to which we have all 

 been looking forward for so many years, an 

 exhibition to demonstrate our high position 

 in the realm of horticulture and to mark 

 our progress in the art, science, 

 and practice of the most ancient 

 of professions, has at last come 

 into being. The first questions 

 asked are, " Is it a success?" 

 "Does it demonstrate all we de- 

 sire it to?" "Are we satisfied 

 with the whole affair?" To the 

 first question the answer is an 

 emphatic yes, judged purely from 

 an horticultural standpoint; the 

 financial question must remain 

 unanswered for a few days. To 

 the second and third questions 

 the affirmative answer is not so 

 emphatic, for, after all, there is 

 nothing with which we can com- 

 pare this monster display, and 

 any disappointments felt serve 

 the useful purpose of subduing 

 our insular pride and pointing to 

 the possibility of higher achieve- 

 ments. Some of the exhibits were 

 quite commonplace, but the great 

 majority gave ample evidence of 

 months, and even vears, of fore- 

 thought. To all who have done 

 anything towards the success of 

 tills great undertaking we tender 

 our heartiest congratulations; 

 mistakes almost always occur. 

 w»eu great things are attempted, 

 f^a in this instance they have 

 t^fti chiefly those that result from 

 9 f n ^'-'^Perience and a want of 

 I lull appreciation of the great- 

 n^s of the undertaking. In. 

 otuer words, we must not wait for 



plL-^t"* hold another 



g'ant horticultural exhibition, 

 ifte immensity of the exhibi- 



h^^l r ^^"'i^ that quickly 



fe^, itself upon the mind and 



the left a delightful garden of gay annuals, 

 backed by graceful treillage. in the centre, 

 round the Chilianwallah Moiiuineiit, a glori- 

 ous hill of colour, created hv cinerarias. 



bod 

 tl 



every spectator during 



Even our Con- 



hrvrfi!"^ ^""^^ «f the show. We 



upon thZ ' ^""^ lavished unstinted praise 

 the woEHpt^i^ '■"'^^ ^^ter gardens, 

 house Iter^^ development among^ green- 



'ation of P^^^' the skilful culti- 



t*^ graifn^L''''^* ^""^ '^^^ Plants, 

 K^ouKS^^ »f ^ of «ur ferns, and^ the gor- 



*L . ot our nT'i^Vi^^r. TUT- 1 



THE KING'S CUP 



For til. nio^^t meritorious contribution to 



Exhibition. 



Won bv Sir GEORGE HOLFORD. K.C.V.O.. 



the 

 C.T.K 



the 

 it 



praise 



our orchids. We ^^^^^ 



and in our heart of hearts felt 



Fn?er''''" ^^^^rved. 



^^kmeit^at' r-^^^' ^ 

 ^^^t so fine 



at Chelsea, tlie immediate effect 



as It might have been. To 



begonias, etc.; and in the distance a long 

 arrav of brilliant groups of annuals and the 

 brightest of greenhouse plants, marked where 

 Messrs. Carter, Sutton, and Webb had re- 

 spectively staked out their claims. Imme- 

 diately to the left the end of a wonderful 

 bank of ferns came into view, and then the 

 ey© travelled along the rather sombre 

 greenery of huge specimens of scented pelar- 

 goniums from Gunnersbury House, above 

 which one caught glimpses of oranges and 

 peaches, ripe and glowing on the trees. 

 Turning to the left the wonderful pergola of 

 fruiting vines, with flanking orchards of 



peaches, nectarines, figs, cherries, and othei- 

 luscious fruits, from Mr. Leopold de Koth- 

 schild's Gunnersbury House Garden, arrested 

 attention. Pa^ssing on through this, higli 



banks ot graceful terns camo into 

 view, with LaxtonV strawberry 

 garden hard l. \ . ai d tempting 

 one to stay. roses in ex- 



quisite grace and ln'inity iatht'i- 

 a fi e 1 d , but we pass * j n w a !■ d s to 

 where the Messrs. Veitch, of Chel- 

 sea, have set out an arrav of 

 plants newly inticduced from 

 China; but evru tliis does not ar- 

 rest attention like tlie magnifi- 

 cent 2,(K)(*ft. group ot superiily- 

 grown ornamental stove plants 

 set out in bold and striking 

 fashion by the same Chelsea firm. 

 Ijcaving 1 liis wouderfnl array of 

 form and colour in leafage, we 

 proceed at once to the mollis and 

 Ghent azaleas, a riot -©f oriental 

 colouring, arranged Viy the 

 Messrs. Cuthljert, of Southgate, 

 and then turn to tli? softer hues 

 of the huge rhododendron garden, 

 in the making of which many 

 tirms liave contributed of their 

 be^t. More ro&es appear, with 

 here and there a little garden of 

 well-cropped fruit trees, that 

 bring us to the end of the great 

 tent. 



Now we turn about, but first 

 we notice Messrs. Barr's long 

 herbaceous border along the 

 northern end, this joining on to 

 the roses from Messrs. I'rank 

 Cant and Co. Now we traverse 

 the longest side cf the great 

 lent. ])a>sing between large 

 ijanks of roses and carnatic ns 

 from the Messra. Cutbu.vU. pass- 

 ing a wealth of clematis irom 

 Woking, and a brilliant bed of 

 crotons troni Sheffield. Awav t ) 

 the left banks of zonal pelargo- 

 niums from Lewisham, etc., bhize 

 out quite fiercely, and it eases 

 one's eyes to turn from their 

 brilliance to the central fountain where the 

 falling water produces a delightfully cooling 

 effect. 



Onward again, and we- are in a great gar- 

 den of roses, where the I'aul's and the Cant*s 

 and Hobbies and otluM s have surpa--sed 

 themselves and ])rovid;'d a seeiie of sweet 

 beauty and fragrance. Around the- roses, 

 carnations have l>een grouped by noted 



Then we come to the splendid sta- 

 tuary group that personifies the beauty and 

 lavishnc^s of Gardening — and all the fgure«s 

 are of feminine beauty, and the grace of 

 childhood — the artist had evidently cast out 



growers. 



