780 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



October 12, 1912 



the island of Jersey. Mr. Philip Le Cornu, 

 The Jersey Nurseries, Jersey, who is dis- 

 tributing this new rose, tells 'us that the 

 flowers last pai'ticularly well when cut, and 

 that if cut when just expanding the yellow 

 glow deepens as the blooms open out. 

 Duchess of Normandy was well shown at 

 Southampton on June 26 last, at the ex- 

 hibition of the National Rose Society held 

 on the Pier, and it was then granted a 

 Card of Commendation. 



BEAUTIFUL FLOWER BEDS 

 AT BOURNEMOUTH. 



In contrast to last summer very little 

 watering iias bee a necessary this year, 

 Those who have been responsible for the 

 tiding of flower be<ls will hare had varie<l 

 experiences. In sonu^ gardens plants have 

 made too much growth, and flowers have 

 been scarce. In others the plants have 

 grown unevenly. There lare many in- 

 stan<*(\s where zonal pelargoniums have been 



ba<llv (lise^'i^ed 



Wliilo the result of the year's labours 

 are before us^ it is well to take close note 

 of it for future guidance. A wise man will 

 always learn much from his mistakes. 



In the Bournemouth Public Gardens the 

 flower herds have been very gay all through 

 the summer; they are so at the present 

 time (the end of September), and look 

 like retaining their brightnes^s until very 

 lat« in the season. No doubt many readers 

 of the Gardeners' Magazine will appre- 

 ciate a few notes on these beds, which Mr. 

 St(n'eiison, the able superintendent, has 

 alter chI «om e w h a t d u r i ng the pa s t f e w 

 years. I will not go into detail with re- 

 ference to the occupants of the various 

 be<ls, but simply give the names of the 



plants used. 



I nijiy say here that the principal beds 

 arc cut in the grass on both sides of a 

 line, broad path leading from the square 

 —the centre of the town— to the sea front, 

 at the pier entrance. Alternate beds are 

 round, the others being square, and, as 

 they are all large and boldly filled, the 

 general effect is really very cliarming and 

 in goo<l keeping with the surroundings. 



Tlie contonts of the principal beds are 

 double white marguerite Mrs. Sander, 

 with acacias as dot plants. DA\'arf Alvssum 

 maritimum as a groundwork, with scarlet 

 tuiberous begonias, and koehias as mixed 

 dot plants; the dou])le edging being com- 

 posed of blue lobelia and golden pyrethrum. 

 These bcnls (they are mostly in ])airs) were 

 very striking. Fuohsins and yellow arum 

 IiIk^s as dot plants in a grouiuhvork of 

 niimulus, w<t«^ also nnirpu^ and charminc*. 

 Zonal pelargonium (iolrlrn Harrv Hit'ovt^^-, 

 with Mue lofx'lia as a ground plant, and 

 an rdcriuir^.f uliitr al\-»nni, <•(^J]l [)loted an- 

 olfirr b.-autiful pair <^f ht^ls. Scariot sal- 

 vias, abutilons and aca<'ias as dot plants, 

 with a row of singlo wliito asters, and an 

 outer oru^ of blue agoratuni, were used in 

 aiu)ther bed. 



Beds of heliotrope with dot plants of 

 fuchsias looked <harming, while the beds 

 fille<l with cannas and cd^red with sino-lo 

 astors. with an outside rinc; of Gazania 



This 



WARGRAVE PLANT FARM, 



LIMITED. 



The announcement of a new nursery is 

 in these days of ever-increasing activity in 

 the horticultural world by no means a rare 

 occurrence. Some of the new ventures are 

 certainly short lived, and it has frequently 

 been remarked that the Trade is over- 

 crowded. We have always held the opinion 

 to which we still adhere, that there is yet 

 rooni for really good nurseries, the essential 

 qualifications being that they must be 

 founded on a combination of business apti- 

 tude and capital, and that a definite line 

 must be struck in some particular branch 

 of horticulture. It may at once be said that 

 the subject of these notes, the Wargrave 

 Plant Farm, Limited, fulfil these conditions 

 and, despite the fact that less than twelve 

 months have elapsed ^ince the business was 

 started, evidence is abundant th^it the firm 

 is on the track that makes for success. It 

 need only ]ye said that the head of the firm 

 IS Mr. Bernard Crisp, whose father Sir 

 Frank Crisp, of Friar Park, has long been 

 a prominent patron of horticultura, to show 

 that it IS in capable hands, while Mr 

 Richardson, the head foreman of the nur- 

 sery, is a man of wide and sound experience 

 and a plantsman to his finger tips. 



The line in which this new nursery is spe- 

 cialising is hardy perennials and alpine 

 plants, the growing popularity of which is so 

 marked a feature of present-day gardening 

 As a matter of fact it was an admirably- 

 prepared and up-to-date catalogue of hardy 

 border and rock plants Avhich the firm has 

 published that claimed our interest and 

 induced us to visit the nursery, and see for 

 ourselves the collection that has been formed 

 Larger catalogues than this one exist, but 

 tew are so entirely devoted to really the 

 bcNt of the hardy flowers. Indeed many 

 extroinely rare subjects are offered both for 

 the herbaceous border and the rock garden 

 As our readers may obtain copies of the 



Passing from the borders to the alpine ..a 

 rock plants one realises in a moment that !! 

 the Wargrave Plant Farm there i^ no o J 

 nary collection^ for the choicest and rarest of 

 alpines are keen in the plunge beds whirl 

 occupy a very large area in front 'of iC 

 packing sheds and offices. Let it be aubnV 

 tias or saxifragas, primulas or linarias tht 

 varieties seen were the very best of their 

 respective kinds. Thei-e is apparently n<^ 

 room 'for the common or indifferent but one 

 could not name many really choice forms 

 that were not to be seen, and the whole col 

 lection evidenced skilful cultivation and 

 watchful care. Wahlenbergia serphyllifoHa 

 nmjor, carrying its rich purple flowers, which 

 pre of remarkable size for so tiny a plant 

 was a subject that we greatly admired and 

 we also appreciated the charms of the dainty 

 httle Lmaria origanifolia, Gypsophila diibia 

 with its slender red stems and glaucous 

 foliage, and the- remarkably free-fiowerin? 

 Polygonum vaccinifolium. Margyricarpus 

 setosus is a plant of quite unique aspect and 

 great beauty. Its closely-set, awl-shaped 

 foliage, its quaint green flowers, and pretty 

 little white berries havs- an individuality 

 about them, and make this plant highly de- 

 sirable where the aim is to possess a really 

 choice collection. 



An old favourite, but somewhat scarce 

 plant Chat was both growing and flowering 

 freely is Ceratostigma plumbaginioides. 

 Flowers of a real pure blue colour are at any 

 time valuable in the garden, and during Sep- 

 tennber and October, when this may be had 

 m bloom either in the border or on ths rock- 

 ery, its rich colour is unsurpassable. Hardy 

 primulas are largely grown at Wargrave', 

 tho newer Chinese introductions being in- 

 cluded in a good coiJection. Primula capi- 

 tata was flowering beautifully, tha plants 

 being less than a twelvemonth old. This is 

 a delightful primula, other good forms being 

 P. Cockburniana, P. Littoniana, and P. Bul- 

 leyana, all of which are numbered among the 

 Wargrave collection. Arabis Sturi is a little 



catalogue for the asking, if is unnecessary ■ 

 to occupy space reviewing it. We prefer 

 to deal with the plants themselves a^ seen 



gates a brilliant display of colour presents 



to view. Fine borders of hardy flowers 

 backed with row« of first-rate dahlias, htva 

 been arranged on either side the drive which 

 runs from the gates across the nursery. Our 

 visit was paid on Octol>er 4, a bright, cheer- 

 ful day but Jack Frost had laid^hi; finger 

 I fn^ fi^^^7fB of dahlia blossoms the ni|ht 

 thZ ' - ^^ft his mark ufon 



sp]t'n<l('ii-< wore very striking. , 



gazania is not used in flower gardens "as 

 much as it ch-^^vcs to be. A elninp of 

 oentaiirea in the foiitre, tlion a baiul of 



pink fi!)r(',iK-ni()tc,l Iw^nni:!-, ;ui<l a boiTlor- ■ 

 nig of \vhito aly.ssiini Miitni)lv filled other 1 

 b<>(ls. Two large l,v:U wt ic v<'rv attractive ; 

 Mow.T of Spi-itrj; i)rlaiu-(>niuiti was planted 

 ii'^ M -r()uti,l,vork : intMn,iixe<l with tho'^c. 



w.Mo TresiMc T.iu.l.Mii and Lobolia eardi- 

 ii-'li.'. witli fuclisias an.l an o(ltiiii<r <,f Qn] 

 <hMi Harry Hirovcr pelargonium. 



Geo. Garxer. 



It ^v^is still evident, however, that 

 all the varieties grown were of the best, and 

 tiorn a distance the show of colour was still 

 )nght and plea.sing. Among the perennials 

 i.i the borders many plants engaged our 

 a lent ion. The^e were good phloxef stilUn 

 bloom and pentstemons carryin^r an abund- 

 j-nce of l,ri{liant flowers. Helen i urns were 

 Hovv^-ring profusely, H. autunuiale Eiverton 

 Otm standing out conspicuously a.s one of the 

 tii.^vt antuniu-Houviing plants we have It 

 i> an luiiiicnM' mipiovenient on H. erandi- 



u-'vf'p,,dl"T''''r.-'r^ beautifufin 



«ay hiidheckia neil)stouni, with broad 

 pelai .d t <>^ver of a clear cana;y-y.Xw w?tt 

 th.nil,le-like green-tinted cones^ There were 

 ^^l.chaeimas daisies, emhiacin. theTesrof 

 tho.se in cultivation, on. that showed up re 

 n.arkab y wel being Aster Nova. BeW ■ . 

 cr.uut Garnault, a compact-growing varietv 



nowem. Gypsophilas of sorts still carried 



u da.^h of colour was provided by Dian- 

 ^luis cruentus st 11 in bWtr, T'l, 

 I'vbnVl V^.^K„ pioom. ihe newer 



aftent ol ? Wargrave the 



P' m vv.r 7 ' '"^ «P"ng-propagated 



c uts were flowering splendidly. Poly<ro 



nis, veronicas, the crimson flowers of kt 

 ^ liMs oapensis, and several sidalceas added 

 ^*'<;>r r,u„ta. to this interesting display of 

 a> tmtin flowers and when it is remem'liered 

 tlKit many of these have lieen in bloom for 

 v eeks or months it is small wonder that the 

 cultivation of herbaceous plants has made 

 wonderful strides in British gardens! 



— — ■ k4,J^-M.u f^*^m.A j.^ %M 4,ii^m.i*j 



gem that has quite a distinct character, its 

 compact rosettes of deep green foliage more 

 closely tesembling an androeace or a ^axi- 

 fraga than most of the other members of its 

 own family. Its white flow-ars are very at- 

 tractive, being large in proportion to the 

 Size of the herbage. 



There are excellent propagating houses on 

 the nursery, and in them young stock is still 

 being produced, mch plants as Lithospermiim 

 prostratum^ Fremontia californica, Eomneya 

 Coulteri, and other choice subjects being 

 worked up for spring d-emand. A very use- 

 ful 8Uibjectis Santolina incana nana, it being 

 much dwarfer and more compact than the 

 07dinary type. Cistus and helianthemums, 

 shrubby pot-entillas, white lavender, and the 

 ever-useful Nepeta Mussini are all to be seen 

 growing away in perfect vigour, and through- 

 out the place there seems to be nothing but 

 highly desirable plants, for which a ready 

 sale should l>e found with the greatest of 

 case. Twyford Station, on the Great Wes- 

 tern main line is about one and a-half miles 

 from the nurseries, and it is w^orth the whik 

 for any hardy plant enthusiast to run down 

 and se<' Ihits newly-formed, but extremely 

 interesting collection. The firm s head office 

 and shop is in The Arcade, Liverpool Street, 

 London, and here a .seed and bulb trade is 

 conducted, and a seasonable display of cut 

 bloom maintained, as well as collections of 

 alpines for the benefit of those who are un- 

 able to visit the nursery. 



Clerodendron nutans. — The 



clerodendrons are indeed a variable race, and 

 they differ in so many and strongly marked 

 features one from the other. Clerodendron 

 nutans is an old plant, which forms rather 

 a loose-growing shrub clothed with dark 

 green, ovate-lanceolate leaves. The flowers, 

 borne in drooping racemes, are about an in^^ 

 across, and pure white; while, as in many 

 other members of the genus-, the calyx is 

 large, and l^eing of a reddish tint, it forms 

 a conspicuous feature. This species is ^ 

 native of the East Indies, and requires a 

 stove for its successful culture.— S. W. 



