Mat 25, 1912. 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



[supplement] 



5 



presently pass, tuily convmcea mat u we me 

 a nation of shopkeepers, we are also a great 

 nation of garden lovers, and we can stand 

 comparison witli any of our neighbours on 

 the broad matter of horticulture. 



Such is a brief and very imperfect, gererai 

 impression of the show. Below we deal v»^ith 

 the various sections, and in our next is^ue 

 we propose to discuss the novelties and sun- 

 dries. We ask for the kindly consideration 

 of our friends^ because in such a gigantic 

 exhibition it is quite impossible to mention 

 every exhibit or every exhibitor, and quite 

 possible to inadvertently omit reference to 

 some good friend or fine exhibit. Anyhow, 

 we have done our best. 



The King and Queen visited the exhibition 

 between eleven and twelve o'clock in the 

 forenoon of the opening day. Tliey were 

 accompanied by a considerable party, includ- 

 ing their Royal Highnesses Princess Chris- 

 fian Prinees« Marv Louise, Princess Vic- 



achieved the popularity that now attends 

 them when the previous international show 

 was held. It is not too much to say that, as 

 a section of the show, this was the most 

 popular of all, chiefly because of the variety 

 of design, utter lack of sameness, excellence 

 of construction, and the wondrous grace, 

 beauty, and brightness of the plants utilised. 

 A natural or tasteful combination of rock and 

 water is always attractive, and when myriads 

 of plants add their charm to the scene, then 

 the art that doth mend nature is seen at 

 its be^it. 



Turning away from the south end of the 

 shady avenue of pollard limes, one saw a 

 stream of water tumbling down a cascade into 

 a miniature pool below in which were aquatic 

 plants of different kinds, looking as natural 

 as if they had been growing there for years. 

 This was the rock garden arranged by 

 Messrs. T. S. Ware, Lim., of Feltham, and 

 the effort was in every way creditable to 



to the effect of the scheme, and gave the 

 rockery an extremely natural look. Dwarf 

 shrubs were dotted about along with acers, 

 and the visitors were able to closely inspect 

 the aljiines growing in the crevices from the 

 winding paths that ran in and out amongst 

 the stones. Ill is garden was in no way over- 

 done^ and ot the least pleasing bit of it was 

 a quaint little crevice filled with hardy ferns. 



ITiere was something distinctly unique 

 about the formal garden arranged by Mr. 

 A. Hemsley, of Crawley. At the back was a 

 low terrace wall with teakwood seats behind, 

 and from tliis terrace two steps led down to 

 a plot of grass, in the centre of which was 

 a square water basin, furnislied with aqua- 

 tics, and a tiled pathway all round. Pedes- 

 tals with vases on the top added to the orna- 

 mentation, and the sundial was just in the 

 position where one would expect to find it 

 in such a garden. Near at liand the same 

 exhibitor had an arrangement of rockwork 



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Arranged by Messrs. R. Wallace and Co., Colchester. 



U>ria of Schleswig-Holstein, and the Duke 

 and Duchess of Somerset and the Right Hon. 



alter Runciman. TTieir Majesties were re- 

 ceived by the Duke of Portland, president ; 

 the Board of Directors, Sir T. Lawrence, 

 Ban., Lieut.-Col. Sir G. Holford, and at once 

 proceeded to make a tour through the exhibi- 

 ^i<^>n. Tliey, with the Royal party, spent a 

 considerable time in the exhibition in 

 t^xaniining the many objects of interest, and 

 ^n leaving His Majesty expressed his satis- 

 i action with the -scope and excellence of the 

 exhibition. 



ROCK AND WATER GARDENS. 



ri.'^f^^^^^ in no part of the great show at 

 Uielsea is the difference between 186^ and 

 iyi2 more marked than in the Ranelagh Gar- 

 <i^ns, where rock and water gardens are con- 

 structed on a scale that would -be in keeping 

 ^ ducal estate, on the one hand, or a 

 modest private garden on the other. Tliese 

 T>articular style^ of gardening had not 



the firm. 'Tliough the chief feature was the 

 waterfall, the arrangement of stone steps, 

 and winding paved ways was a happy one, 

 and the various plants of the alpine section 

 looked quite at home in the temporary cre- 

 vices prepared for them. 



The rock gardei- arranged by Messrs. 

 Baker s, of \Volverhampton, can best be de- 

 scril>ed as bold. Large rugged stones were 

 used to form the background, and the ferns 

 growing by the water that trickled down a 

 channel prepared for it, presented a cool and 

 extremely natural appearance. Round the 

 edges of an ornamental pool were growing 

 clumps of irises, primulas, and other plants, 

 while the patches of jJpine phloxes, ibenses, 

 brooms, etc., arranged amongst the stones 

 helped to complete what was an artistic idea 

 very well carried out. 



There was an old and weathered look about 

 the stones that were used in the formation 



essrs 



and Brydon7 Darlingto 



This rather added 



and water that was effective in point of 

 design, but the new >t()ne u^.'d looked some- 

 what gh,ring, and, if anything, there was 

 rather too much of it. Many interesting rock 

 plants filled the crevices, the bright ccours 

 of which were much admired. _ 



A quaint looking cavern, huilt with im- 

 mense stones, in tlio crevices ol winch grew 

 ferns and echeveria>, wa> the central feature 

 in a rockery arrangement set up by Messrs. 

 Piper Bay.swater. Under the roof of the 

 cavern, and in front of it was a rock sur- 

 rounded and very natural-looking pool, the 

 bottom of which was a bed of water-washed 

 pebbles. A b(>aiititu' wliite wi^tar:a drooped 

 over the water and in In^tween the stones 

 were (rolden-vellow lilies, sky-blue aquilegias, 

 and Aza\a "rosseflora. A bold promontory 

 above the cavern was charmingly furnishetl, 

 and the stone steps ascending this added 

 much to the effectiveness. 



Acers and evergreen 

 used in the rockery arranged by the Guildford 



