JvLY 20, 1912. 



FHE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



561 



SUMMER BEDDING AT 

 HAMPTON COURT. 



The copious rains that we have experienced 

 of lat* have greatly assisted in the estab- 

 lishment of the various newly-planted sub- 

 ■ ects at Hampton Court, while the large 

 imes and yews, as well as the surrounding- 

 ^rass, are, from the same cause, decidedly 

 richer in colour than was the case last year. 

 Beautiful as the flower beds are, they owe 

 not a little to their surroundings, hence 

 the perfect condition of the trees and grass 

 combine to render the entire picture a 

 charming one. 



A visitor to Hampton Court during the 

 summer season may be sure of two things, 

 firstlv that he will see manv of the old-estab- 

 lished favourites at their A-ery best ; and, 

 secondly, some marked novelties, either in 

 the plants or their arrangements. The casual 

 observer, while admiring the floral display, 

 can have no idea of the deep thought and 

 study required to maintain the high reputa- 

 tion which Hampton Court Gardens already 

 possess, and, if possible^ to surpass it, for the 

 able superintendent, Mr. J. Marlow, is by no 

 means content to let well alone. 



A particularly striking feature this sea- 

 son is the somewhat free us6 of the various 

 coloured forms of astilbe^ in the production 

 of which the Chinese Astilbe Davidi has 

 played a part. One of the most success- 

 ful raisers of these beautiful plants is Mr. 

 George Arends, of Rondsdorf, (lermany. Of 

 his varieties represented at Hampton Court 

 T M^as most struck with Venus, a stately- 

 habited plant with lilac-pink flowers. It 

 plays a very important part in the composi- 

 tion of quite a unique and much admired 

 l>ed. This has a groundwork of the white 

 variegated Holcus mollis^and dwarf Nigella ; 

 above this are well-flowered examples of Ver- 

 bena Miss Willmott, while overtopping the 

 whole are the feathery plumes of Astilbe 

 Venus. An edg'ing of Echeveria secunda 

 ^iauca completes this remarkable bed. An- 

 other noteworthy for its delicate colouring 

 has quite a carpet of Koeniga maritima; over 

 this are dotted plants of the pretty double 

 pink Begonia Major Hope, with a few tall 

 plants of Leucophyta Browni. 



A showy bed is planted with Begonia 

 Triomphe de Lorraine, one of the semper- 

 florens section, with crimson leaves, and 

 double flowers of the same tint. The effect is 

 lightened by a free use of Fuchsia gracilis 

 variegata, Arundo donax variegata, Centau- 

 rea candidissima, variegated Pelargonium 

 White Pet, and Koeniga maritima. Particu- 

 larly pleasing, when viewed from above, is a 

 bed thickly planted with dwarf blue and 

 white lobelia, interspersed with compact 

 plants of a double white lobelia, and dotted 

 over with Centaurea candidissima, Eulalia 

 japonica variegata, flowering" examples of 

 Sutherlandia frutescens, and a few Kochia 

 scoparia. One more delightful bed of lowly 

 stature must be mentioned, though it can- 

 not be regarded as a gorgeous one. The 

 groundwork consists of dwarf plants of Leu- 

 cophyta Browni, overtopped by Major Hope 

 begonia, with a few taller specimens of Phlox 

 ^^omtesse de Jarnac, and erect plants of 

 Leucophyta Browni. Did space permit, this 

 list of pleasing and unique combinations 

 "light be indefinitely extended. 



Of course, many of the beds are filled with 

 larger subjects, such as Streptosolen Jarae- 

 soni. heliotropes, fuchsias, pelargoniums, 

 swainsonias, calceolarias, and others, all of 

 them being in good condition. The tall- 

 growing Humea elegans, which last year 

 formed such a notable feature of the display 

 in these gardens, is again well represented, 

 a number of stately plants springing from a 

 groundwork of the double marguerite Mrs. F. 

 J^ander, forming a much-admired feature. 

 Those to whom a blaze of colour appeals more 

 ;han anything else will see much to admire 

 the masses of zonal pelargoniums, which 

 Jjre still geraniums" to the average visitor, 

 l^he brilliant scarlet Paul Crampel is still the 

 niost prominent of its class, while the old 

 Queen of the Belgians is still one of the best 



of the white-flowered forms. The compara- 

 tively new variety, Maxime Kovalevsky, 

 arrests attention when in a mass, by reason 

 of its peculiar orange tint. 



Some of the beds are filled with hardy sub- 

 jects, among which the roses are, as every- 

 where else, particularly fine. In some in- 

 stances such varieties as La France and Eich- 



mond occupy an entire bed, with a carpeting 

 of dark and light coloured violas respectively. 

 Some large mixed beds are, however, much 

 admired. They are for the most part planted 

 with dwarf kinds, while weeping standards of 

 the rambler varieties, being full of flower, are 

 very striking, and, overtopping as they do 

 the dwarfer kinds, have a very pleasing 

 effect. Of the newer kinds there were at the 

 time of my visit particularly good flowers 

 of Juliet. Other hardy subjects that occupy 

 entire beds, and must be especially tiicu- 

 tioned, are the Canterburv Bells and del- 

 phiniums, these last being represented by 

 shafts of blue in a great variety of shades. 

 Beds of sweet peas are also there, a good 

 selection of varieties being represented. 



The choice collection of water lilies in the 

 round pond is eminently satisfactory, most 

 of them being flowering with great freedom ; 

 while the bright tints of some of them are 

 very striking. 



bord 



tends 



from the Palace to the river, and is for a con- 

 siderable distance backed up by the wall on 

 which many of the rambling roses are just 

 now in good condition, has already many fea- 

 tures of interest, though a greater display 

 mav be reasonablv anticipated later on. The 

 Dropmore variety of Anchusa itahca well 

 maintains the reputation it already possesses 

 of being almost indispensable in any collec- 

 tion of herbaceous plants, while another com- 

 paratively new plant, namely, Geuni ^Irs. 

 Bradshaw, gains many admirers. lU'si(h\s 

 thes-e other noteworthy herbaceous plants in 

 flower are antirrhinums, Gazania splendens. 

 Salvia pratensis. Salvia virgata, potentillas, 

 Helenium cupreum, campanulas, veronicas, 

 phlox, blue and white galegas, pentstemons, 

 etc. 



The corresponding border at the other side 

 of the Palace is, as usual, planted with 

 tender subjects, many good-sized specimens 

 among them, and all disposed in clumps or 

 asses made up of a sufficient number of 

 plants to show the prominent characteristics 

 of each. Especially noteworthy among the 

 different kinds are"^ fuchsias in considerable 

 variety, pelargoniums of many sorts, Cassia 

 corymbosa^ lantanas. Calceolarias amplexi- 

 caulis and Burbidgei, astilbes, Cuphea ignea, 

 Bougainvillea glabra, Salvia patens, Bouvar- 

 dia Humbaldti corymbiflora. Salvia Pride of 

 Zurich, Begonia ascotensis, Asclepias curas- 

 savica, verbenas, hydrangeas, etc. Annuals 

 of different kinds play such an important 

 part that they well merit a parag-raph to 

 themselves. An extensive use is made of 

 Lychnis Coeli-rosea, in it« several varieties, 

 which differ in colour from white, or nearly 

 so, to deep crimson. This, which is popu- 

 larly termed the Rose of Heaven, is more 

 frequently met with in catalogues as Vis- 

 caria oculata, while it is also known as 

 Agrostemma Coeli-rosea. Other annuals just 

 now conspicuous are chrysanthemums, core- 

 opsis, nemesias, schizanthus, salpiglossis, and 



sweet peas. 



While the above enumerate many of the 

 more striking features, tastes vary so much 

 that in the opinion of some, I may have 

 omitted several that should have l>een in- 

 cluded. Such being the case, the best advice 

 to all flower-lovers is to use a slightly modi- 

 fied version of a now well-known saying— 

 go and see. W. Trvelove. 



Rheum Alexandrae.— This, one of 



the many introductions that we have of late 

 vears received from China, is a decidedly or- 

 namental member of the Khubarb family, 

 and a very distinct one. Its mam featiu-e 

 is the large leaf4ike bracts with which the 

 flower stems are furnished. These bracts are 

 of a pale yellow colour, with a pinkish suffu- 

 sion. — S. W. 



GRAND ROSE AND 



SWEET PEA SHOW 



AT THE 



DEVON ROSERY, TORQUAY. 



JULY 31st and AUGUST 1st. 



AD.MJSSION FREE. 



£10 



FOE THE HKST 



BUNCH OF SWEET PEAS 



(opKN TO ALL KNr.LANi>) und numerous other Prizes. 



Schedules* free nii applicntion. 



DEVON ROSERY AND FRUIT FARM, 



LTD., TORQUAY. 



LEICESTER.-ABBEY PARK FLOWER 

 SHOW, 6th and 7th Auprust next. Open Claes, 



Group of Plant*, £2<), £15, £10, £6. Lilwral prizes 



for Co],l*<5+ions of Fruit, Displays of U^seB; Silver 

 Cup, Gold and Silver ModaU for non-competitive ex- 

 hibits. Schedules from JOSKPH BUKTON, Supt. 



ORTICULTURAL SHOW ADVERTISE- 



MB.NTS are inserted in this column at tjix- 

 l-enoe per line, the minimum chairK'e being two Shil- 

 iuifs and Sixpence. Officer, 148 and 149, Aldersgate 

 >treet, London, E.C. 



EXHIBITIONS AND 



MEETINGS. 



Royal Horticultural Society. 



In spite of the heat, tin* coiulitions pre- 

 vailing at the Royal Horticultural Hall, 

 Westminster, on Tuesday, July 16, were 

 quite pleasant. The electric fans were in 

 full use, and the doors of each aniu-xt' were 

 thrown wide open, consequently there \va,s a 

 pleasant movement in the air. ovt'ii tlntu^h 

 the thermometer kept steadily at ^7 dcgri't's. 

 The exhibition was a eoniparativt-ly sinail 

 one, hence there was ample space fin' 1 ho 

 somewhat few visitors to move about . It 

 seemed as though everyone who could had 

 gone for holiday, and most ot tlio.^e who could 

 not were at home using the \vatei -]i()t or the 

 hose. Hardy flowers were fairly well shown, 

 orchids were not numerous. Imt grecnliouse 

 plants and fruits were well displayed. 



FLORAL COMMITTEE. 



A display of hardy flowers from Messrs, 

 Barr and Sons had a central ma^s of the 

 purple Salvia virgata nemorosa, a very eftec- 

 tive plant, and masses of phloxes, Maiva 

 moschata alba, Lilium testaceum , Galega. 

 officinalis compacta. Inula helenium, Helen- 

 ium autumnaie puniilum, Sidalcoa Listeri,. 

 Iris Kaempferi, and some new heleniums ob- 

 tained from H. cupreum. Well-grown- 

 phioxes from Messrs. W. Wells and Co., 

 Merstham, were both fragrant and beauti-- 

 f ul ; we noticed fine heads of Belvedere, Der-. 

 viche, Dennis Peuch, Flora Horning, Fort 

 du France, Rose Queen, a new, large-flowered 

 seedling, and Tragedy, a rich crinisoii->carlet 

 variety of great beauty and effect ivcness. . 

 The same firm showed the rose-pink per-, 

 petual carnation, Dorothy Gordon. 



An interesting group of succulent plants 

 from Messrs. H. Cannell and Sons, Swanley,. 

 had a backing of tall spikes of Yucca recuryi- 

 folia. Opuntia paraguayensis. and the white 

 Ph^Tlocactus Pfersdorfi, were shown in- 

 bloom; and, in addition, there were capital 

 plants of Mamillaria Donati, Cereus candi-. 

 cans. Pilocereus senilis, Mamillaria Nichol-- 

 soni, Echinocactus Leconti, bristling with 

 spikes, E. Grus&oni (very tine). Gasteria ver-. 

 rucosa, and the curious Astrophytum myrio- 

 stigma. 



Handsome spikes of gladioli from Messrs. 

 Kelway and Son, Langport, were nicely 

 set up with sprays of common a^sparagus 

 among them, and the effect was quite g(x>d. 

 Ix>rd Curzon, the pink Earl Compton, King- 

 of Gladioli, the dark crimson Faust, Miletun, 

 and Hon. R. Guinness were varieties with 

 large flowers and good form. The bluish- 

 purple Lieutenant Hallswell and the Lang- 

 prim hybrids were also of special interest;. 



J 



