512 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



Jl'LT 6, 1912. 



GREAT 



EXHIBITION 



AT 



HOLLAND PARK. 



After a year's absence, the Iloyal Horticul- 

 tural Society was able once more to hold its 

 summer exhibition at Holland House, Ken- 

 sington. This year the exhibition was ar- 

 ranged for three days instead of the usual 

 two. The site is an excellent one, as it is 

 surrounded by fine trees and the old and his- 

 torically interesting Holland House forms a 



Th e gardens i m me- 

 the house afiford ample 

 in gardening which the 



stately background, 

 diately surrounding 

 evidence of the taste 



owner, Mary, Countess of Ilchester, posw 



^ and their upkeep reflects great credit 

 upon the veteran gardener, Mr C. Dixon. 

 Tl lese grounds were once more open to visi- 

 tors at a small charge, the proceeds being 

 devoted to charities. 



It was, perhaps, because there was no 



JULY 2 to 4. 



gardens, and flower borders, all of good 

 design and well furnished with suitable 

 plants and flowers, formed no mean feature 

 of this fine show. Topiary work and srarden 

 furniture were prct^ented in some quantity. 

 Roses ware largely shown, white i^wcet pea^. 

 occup'ed an unusually promirent p a e 

 throughout the shows. Carnations weie of 

 outstanding merit, and begonias provided a 

 grand display of glorioiLs colour. 



In one or two of the tents the bare bi k- 



r 



ing of some of the d'splays was unsightly; 

 exhibits having a high background ot wood 

 and baize; etc., might well have been p aced 

 back to back, and no doubt this would hay? 

 been done had the exhibitors notified their 

 intention of erecting such high stands. We 

 remember something similar '^t the Festival 



armainvilliersense xanthotes, a lovely Odon- 

 tioda Bradshawiae, Laelio-cattleya Sunrise 

 L.-c. Phoebe, Cattleya Eex, good forms of 

 Odontoglossum crispum, and the wonderful 

 Bulbophyllum grandiflorum, and Cirrhopeta- 

 lum pulchrum. Notable flanking specimens 

 were of Miltonia vexillaria radiata, Odon- 

 tioda papJiio Gattonense, Angraecum Eickleri- 

 anum, Brassia Lawrenceana, and Anguloa 

 uniflori. 



Mr. Harry Dixon Spencer Park Nursery, 

 "Wandsworth, presented a small group of 

 orchids wherein Odontoglossum Fascinator, 0. 

 Jasper, and the bright Laelio-cattleya Cowani 

 were leading features. From Mrs. W. J. 

 Briggs, Enfield, came a fine flower of Cattleya 

 Mossise W^agneri, some good examples of C. 

 gigas, Odontioda Diana, etc. Mr. E. H. 



i 



4 



^4 



I 



4. 



V 



CATTLEYA GIGAS, LOUIS VAE. 

 A finely-flowered specimen exhibited by Sir George Holford at Holland Park 



Temple Show this year that this Holland 

 House Show was the largest yet held, no 

 fewer than ten large tents being required to 

 accommodate the exhibits; while, in addi- 

 tion the outdoor displays far exceeded any- 

 thing hitherto arranged at this summer 

 function. Tlie light canvas used and the ven- 

 tilation of the tents were items tending to 

 make matters better, both for exhibitors and 



visitors. 



Orchids and horticultural sundries, usually 

 such important sections of this show, were 

 by no means largely represented; it was sug- 

 gested that the International Exhibi- 

 tion had proved a great tax upon the orchid 

 exhibitors, and it was whispered that high 

 charges for space kept many sundriesmen 

 away. Stove and greenhouse plants and 

 terns were splendidly arranged, and there 

 were enough pot fruit trees, well cropped, to 

 fill a good-sized orchard. Naturally, hardy 

 flowers were much in evidence, but their ar- 

 rangement was such as to prove that, given 

 a fair space, the old method of setting up 

 bunches, rank above rank, is practically over. 

 Water and rock gardens, terrace and Japane^s 



of Empire Eose Show last year, and, to say 

 the least of it, the result is not pretty. 



We tender our congratulations to all the 

 society's officers, whose hard Avork and cour- 

 tesy make such a big show a pleasing suc- 

 cess. We learn with pleasure that for a 

 period of five years the society's summer show 

 will be held at Holland House, the society 

 and the Countess of Ilchester having come to 

 an arrangement in this matter. 



The weather might have teen kinder. 

 Heavy rains on Monday and Tuesday did no*- 

 add to the comfort of exhibitors, especially 

 those with outdoor exhibits. On the open- 

 ing day the council, as usual, entertamea 

 the members of its standing committees at 



lunch. 



ORCHIDS. 



Mr J Collier, gardener to Sir Jeremiah 

 Colman, Bart., Gatton Park, Eeigate filled a 

 considerable space with choice orchids, and 

 eave his plants a setting of ferns, asparagus, 

 and nepenthes. Sobralia^s, Oncidium xnacran- 

 thum, odontiodas, and Odontoglossum Phoebe 

 were used as a background and m the centre 

 were good examples of Odontoglossum 



Davidson, Borlases. Twyford, put up a pleas- 

 ing display of orchids set prettily in maiden- 

 hair ferns; Cattleya Mossiae Wagneri, 

 Mendeli, the handsome C. Thurgoodiana, ^. 

 Gaskelliana, and Odontioda CharleswortHi, 



were especially good, _ , i 



Messrs. Sander and Sons, St. Albans, had 

 a few fine and rare plants in Miltonia vexil- 

 laria Lambeauiaut, with four sp/kes 

 lovelv white flowers, Dendrobium Eegium, tne 

 splendid Odontioda Bradshawise var Kuoy, 

 with large, orange^carlet flowers; t^at^^'^^^ 

 tenebrosum, BoUea Lalindei, and the beai 

 tiful Laelio-cattleya Ceres var. Emblem. 



From W^estonbirt Mr. Alexander grower to 

 Lieut.-Colonel Sir George Holford, ^roug^ 

 up Cattleya gigas Lpuis var., with six spKes, 

 and a total of twenty-two flowers; ^•J'^l^ 

 scewiczi Frau Melanie Beyrodt, with twu 

 white-petalled blooms; the lovely orange-cen- 

 tred Cattleya Artemis, and C. Warscewiczi 

 var. Othello. Mr. Jules Hye brought o^e^ 

 Miltonia Hyeana var. La C^nquerant, trou 

 Ghent. Mr' Shill, gardener to Baron Br^^^^ 

 Schroder The Deli; Egham, showed Cattie^^ 

 Dupreana with three enormous purpi 



