Mat 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE 



[supplement] 



9 



edelweiss was al«o a pleasing fe^ 



^""S^srs, G. Bunyard and Co., Maidstone 

 converted a high bank into a simple rock 

 harden and planted it freely with flowering 

 fhrubs 'and alpines. Saxifrages were a very 

 prominent feature, and were very graceful. 

 At the foot of the rock garden a little bridge^ 

 spanned pool served to show off aquatics, 

 while the water margin was freely planted 

 with choice hardv ferns. Iris Kaempfen, I. 

 sibirica, astilbes (pink and white), trolliuse®, 

 lUiums,' funkias, and bamboos 



In the competition section Mr. E. Tucker, 

 of Oxford, contributed a pleasing rock gar- 

 den with a winding path ascending from the 

 lowest level on either side of a bold central 

 portion. A wide range of subjects was in- 

 troduced, and a few especially bright ones 

 were Rrododendron Ping Pearl, Phlox Lap- 

 hami, Primula japonica, Onosma taurica, as- 

 phodels, and camassias, saxifragas, helian- 

 theniums, and Aster alpinus. 



A large corner site was occupied by Messrs. 

 Wm. Cutbush and Son, Highgate, with a rock 

 and water garden exhibit of considerable ex- 

 tent. Bold planting was the order, and 

 among the subjects that made a brave show 

 on the rocky banks there were Edraianthus 

 serpyllifolius, Saxifraga pyramidalis, S. 

 calabrica (very fine and graceful), Conandron 

 ramondioides. Anemone sulphurea, Dianthus 

 Napoleon III., Ononis rotundifolia, and the 

 golden low-growing CEnothera ovata. Liliums 

 were represented by L. Grayi, the rare L. 

 Kellogi, L. Humboldi magnificum, L. Browni, 

 L. Parryi with yellow blooms, L. martimum, 

 L. giganteuQi, L. Martagon album, L. Mar- 

 hau Miss Willmott, and with these were as- 

 sociated a fine lot of Watsonia Ardernei and 

 eremurusis. Around the w^ater pool were 

 colonies of Primula sikkimensis, P. Cock- 

 burniana, pink astilbes, Meconopsis sinuata, 

 gunneras, bamboos, sarracenias, a fine batch 

 of Cypripedium spectabile, funkias, and 

 hardy ferns, the latter dipping their fronds 

 in the nymphsea-studded water. 



ITie Misses Hopkins, Shepperton, presented 

 a neat little rock garden at a point where 



some old box ti-ees gave them a good back- 

 ground. Little alpine pathw^ays w^ere con- 

 structed up the slope, and a lower pathway 

 gave visitors a fine opportunity of inspecting 

 the bold plantings of such charming plants 

 as Phlox canadensis. Ajuga Brockbanki, In- 

 carvillea Delavayi, Lithospermum Heavenly 

 Blue, Viola gracilis, golden helianthemums, 

 Welsh poppies. Aster alpinus, Meconopsis 

 ^^allichi, various saxifragas, and edelweiss. 



An extensive low rock garden, constructed 

 and planted by Messrs. G. Jackman and Son^ 

 ^\oking, served very well to show that an 

 exceptionally elaborate arrangement is by no 

 means necessary. Dwarf alpine shrubs were 

 utilised to great advantage, while helianthe- 

 inums, cytisus, saxifragas, veronicas, and 

 lithospermums vrere freely planted in 

 colonies. Viburnums and the graceful Bud- 

 dleia variabilis Veitchi ^ere capital in the 

 l^ackground. 



^o many of the positions in the Banelagh 

 hardens seemed especially designed for the 

 accommodation of rock gardens. One of 

 these "eligible sites" was occupied by 

 '^essrs. J. Backhouse and Son of York, a 

 nm long famous for its alpine gardens. In 

 a capital setting of trees they filled the end 

 a valley with a rock garden, that had the 

 special merit of being designed so that every 

 part of it could be comfortably inspected. 

 ^«e pathways were not obtrusive, hut they 

 ^ere amply sufficient for their 



\x)ld piece of terraced rock gardening where 

 saxifragiis and sedums in endless variety, 

 combined with Viola gracilis of deepest pur- 

 ple, alpine phloxes, gay double Welsh 

 poppies, incarvilleas, and a whole host of 

 dainty and rare alpines, the names of which 

 would easily till a column of print. 



JAPANESE AND TUDOR GARDENS. 



A prominent and attractive exhibit in the 

 Ranelagh grounds was the very extensive 

 Japanese garden laid out in the lower end of 

 the Ranelagh Gardens by Messrs. Jas. Carter 

 and Co., Raynes Park. Surrounded by a 

 bamboo fence, backed by the tall trees 

 already in position, and with a very undulat- 

 ing site, an elaborate design was carried out. 

 The several entrance gates had thatched 

 porch-like coverings with handsome bronze 

 or stone lanterns guarding the way. Devious 

 pathways and little rough stone tracks led 

 over pretty pools or up the low pine-clad hill 

 sides. Over the streams depended weeping 



rhodode 



purpose 

 ' azaleas 

 pi 



of wistarias in Japanese va^. Small low 

 rock gardens, with a full complement ol. 

 flowering plants occupied special and suit- 

 able positions while weeping willows, stan- 

 dard prunuses, and viburnums relieved the- 

 whole from the least suggestion of flatness, 

 and gave the garden the effect of some age. 

 A complete Japanese garden about 4ft. by 

 3ft. in the tea-house over the little lake, 

 provided one of those curious scenes for 

 which the Japanese are famous. Much 

 monev, time labour, and skill went to the 

 making of this remarkable exhibit, which 

 Her Majesty Queen Alexandra so greatly ad- 

 mired during her private view of the exhibi- 

 tion on the Monday afternoon prior to the 

 opening of the show. 



As one stood in front of the 



»n the banks, while tlirougli tlie middle of 

 e site was the rock garden proper, ending 

 in a bold design at the end, well filled with 

 ramondias, phloxes, saxifragas, Japanese 

 T lif*" hardy ferns in the shady corner, 

 om, SP^^^' primulas were splendidly 



'"Ongregated, and a fair batch of Cvpripedinm 



inT was a prominent feature. In the 

 anT* foreground the firm had a bog 



snir ^ garden, and here the elegant 

 piraeas, trolliuses, funkias, and bamboos 

 ^ treely and skilfully planted, the bam- 

 »s and Japanese maples serving to mask a 



exhibit sent 

 Crawley, it 

 was but an 



by Messrs. J. Cheal and Sons, 

 wa« difficult to realise that it 

 exhibit and temporary, as it all looked so 

 natural, real, and permanent. It is doubtful 

 whether anyone ha.s ever presented a Tudor 



VIEW IN JAPANESE GARDEN. 



Designed and formed by Messrs. James Carter and Co 



cherries and birches, with a setting of bam- 

 boos and elegant Japanese maples. Rhodo- 

 dendrons were grouped along the banks and 

 around tine examples of Sciadopytis verticil- 

 lata and of weeping deodars, while here and 

 there wonderfully carved bronze eagles and 

 eiant bowls of' rare workmanship, held 

 dwarfed trees and cycads. By the M^ater 

 margins, hydrangeas, various irises, UUum 

 auratum, L. longiflorum, and L. ^P«^iof""i 

 were, tastefullv grouped with dwarf bamboos 

 and more maples. From a rocky eminence 

 water poured down, forming a pretty cas- 

 cade ; falling into a pool below it passed 

 under several quaint little bridges to the 

 large lower pool, over which a Japanese tea- 

 house was pleasantly and coolly situated. In 

 the background a tea-house of bamboo-work 

 lent realism to the scene, while around it 

 were rhododendrons, viburnums, and a cool 

 bank oi hardy ferns. At special point« ot 

 vantage there were some rare old examples 



garden at an horticultural exhibition before, 

 and though Messrs. Cheal were ambitious to 

 att<^mpt it, there is no question about then 

 .iK. ceding, and no feature in the whole show 

 elicited more expressions of approbation than 

 this Leaving the lime avenue, on the oppo- 

 site side of which were the tents, you passed 

 up a few stone steps, which had an ornamen- 

 tal peacock in cut yew on either side, into a 

 paved courtyard, with grass and more cut 

 yews. Two fountains threw up jets of water, 

 which returned to an ornamental pool in 

 the centre, and at the back another streain 

 of water burst out from a lion's mouth, set 

 in the stone terrace wall, into a basin pre- 

 pared for its reception. The l^rrac-e walls 

 and steps looked as if they had been there 

 for years, dainty plants grew in the cre%'ice6 

 between the stones, and even the f icshly-laid 

 turf looked almost as if it had grown there. 

 Looking over the terra.o wall from the foun- 

 tain ba-in, the eye ie>tod <m an ornametal 



