530 



GA RDE NEKS' MA GA ZINE. 



winkle, as the English rendering of the original name has it, popular from its long 

 duration of blossom, and the trailing beauty of its foliage m contrast with the 

 blossoms. So it is now with all who love the old ways in gardening and abhor 

 the mere " bedding out " of a blaze of colour for a brief period of the year. To 

 such as desire a feast for the eye most dear is the place where the 



M periwinkle's bloom 



Like carpet of Damascus loom, 



Pranks with bright blue the tissue wove 



Of verdant foliage." 



The deep green of the leaves is one of the most^ refreshing sights to the eye in 

 contrast with the deep blue of the blossoms— this being now the commonest 

 variety, though as already mentioned showirg popularity in the Tudor day with 

 the white and lighter blue. Perhaps this flower, so neglected by the mere imita- 

 tive fashionable gardener to-day, is so valued by those who can appreciate it from 

 the fact of its being among the few blossoms which, in the days we describe as in 

 the present ones, cheer the bleak aspect of the garden in November. 



Of the flowering of trees our Tudor predecessors had a warm appreciation, 

 and reckoned such blossoms as among the indispensable adjuncts of a garden. 

 Nor were they wrong. In one of his letters to a correspondent, Lord Beaconsfield 

 remarked that woodland scenery was that which unlike mountains and lakes 

 never tired the observer. So of trees. No one who has any tincture of imagina- 

 tion in him can ever grow weary of watching the continual delights of a tree, 

 even a solitary one in a London back garden. Some, of course, there are who, 

 like the Lord Carnarvon of Pepys's time, think that trees " are only excrescences 

 of Nature provided for the purpose of paying debts." But such are in the 

 minority. 



The favourite trees which added to the delights of a Tudor garden were 

 varied. The pear trees in blossom were chief among them. And what lovelier 

 sight does spring offer than apple, pear, and plum trees in bloom ? The two 

 former present to the eye 



One boundless blush, one white- em purpled shower 

 Of mingled blossoms. 1 ' 



As for the plum, its snow-white bloom stands alone. But for this tint and 

 amplest luxuriance the flowers which robe 



Of virgin whiteness, like the snow, 

 The clustered cherry, 



are most opulent, because the cherry is so laden in every branch with its white 

 blossom that not a leaf or stem is visible except where three or four leaves appear 

 at the extremity of each branch. Well, then, instead of regarding the blossoms 

 of these trees as mere preliminaries to fruit, as do our moderns, the Tudor garden 

 lovers believed in those things of beauty, and ranked them among the most prized 

 spring blossoms. 



By the way, it would seem that the cherry-tree, though introduced into 

 England in the Roman days, was first in fashion and excellence in Henry VIII.'s 

 time. I lis fruiterer, Richard Haines, who seems to have been one of the fortunate 

 members of his humbler entourage who preserved his favour — the loftier ones 

 mostly found their way ultimately to Tower Hill — introduced new sorts from 

 Flanders, and these were planted in Kent, whence grew the fame of Kentish 

 cherries still flourishing. There is an account of a cherry-orchard in Kent in 1540 

 of thirty-two acres which produced fruit that sold in those early days for ^1,000, 

 an enormous sum, as land at that time let at a shilling per acre. 



The blossoms of the mezereon with glossy green leaves and red but deadly 

 berries, of the almond tree in crowded pinkness, of the "cornelian," of the haw- 

 thorn, the mayblossom always prized — though with that quaint country superstition 

 (defied by London excursionists in the spring who load themselves with boughs) 

 that "bringing it into house means death n — were also ornaments of the garden. 

 •There were other indispensable adjuncts— the rosemary and the lavender bushes, 

 rivals in popular affection with the sweetbriar. 



As fox the evergreens, a glance at Bacon's essay shows us how our ancestors 



" says he, 



_ r and ^^^^^ 



bayes, juniper, cipresse-trees, eugh, pineapple-trees, firre- trees'." The mournful 

 associations^ of modern life with yew and cypress seem unknown to the 



healthier mind of an era when there were no nerve M problems " or introspective 

 novels. 



Grass made a leading feature. Ample areas of well-mowed evergreen grass 

 which should delight the eye. Not the scrimpy "lawn,"' with its limited space 

 cut up into octagonal and other beds of verbenas and calceolarias. But space 

 and verge enough to feast the eye and afford room for a bowling-green. The 

 game was as popular then as golf is now. Whether the splendid imperturbability 

 of Drake in finishing his game when the Spanish Armada was in sight would find 

 its parallel now in any modern general or admiral playing golf when the enemy's 

 battleships' smoke was clear on the horizon we will not say. 



Of all the Tudor gardens the most thorough perhaps, and probably not nearly 

 so delightful to its occupants as many humbler ones, were those of Kenilworth. 

 The magnificent favourite whose memory is darkened with the mysterious and 

 tragic story of poor Amy Robsart was successful in making his garden as himself 

 —conspicuous among his contemporaries. Laneham has left a full description, 

 albeit he seems, like a modern reporter, to have been obliged to observe it 

 surreptitiously. To the north of the castle it lay a terrace ten feet high and twelve 

 feet in breadth, even under foot, and fresh with evenly-mown greenest grass 

 running parallel with the castle wall ; obelisks and spheres were its ornaments, 

 interspersed with stone eftigies of the heraldic cognisance of Leicester, the white 

 bear "on goodly bases." At each end stood a fine arbour redolent with trees, 

 sweet of blossom, and various flowers. " Fair alleys of turf 3 ' marked the paths ; 

 others were paved in contrast with smoothest sea sand. The garden itself was 

 divided into four even quarters. In the middle of each stood on a base two feet 

 square a porphyry square pilaster with a pyramidical pinnacle fifteen feet high, 

 pierced and hollowed and surmounted by an orb. All around these were the 

 most fragrant flowers and herbs— showing the combination of the utile and duke 

 peculiar to the aee— and mingled with these were fruit trees of all kinds. In the 

 midst of the garden— an assimilation to more modern tastes— there was erected 

 a square aviary twenty feet high, thirteen long, and fourteen broad, with large 

 Tmtr^ te l D V n 5° nl ' tW ° at d *er end and each five feet wide. These 

 The ^nf ?K ar d |C * M 5 toj b y "at pilasters, which supported a cornice. 



wr^«^ Vlar ? 1 2 ^ e . of wire-net, the meshes an inch wide. The 

 cornice * as gilded and punted in i milation of ' ious stones . 



as are greene 



loved the winter beauties of the garden. M Such things, 



all winter n (speaking of November, December, and January), 11 holly, ivy 



With due atten- 



Uon to the habits of buds, eaves in the WaU ^ added tQ the aviary> for sheker 



lk]ln g. At eith. 



sir"" «■ -*naS45 



- — w, v^O Ail I 



IhTbZrS Tn d At either end stood « fair holly trees » for 



perch m ' These comprised English. French, and Spanish ones, 



August i 3 , t8g8 



canaries 



literally from the Canary 



In the middle of the garden wax . fc^L* 1 • . ^ 1 v • • • r 



t» ucii was a tountam with an cct?gonal basin rising four 



back to back 



carp 



thru 



cam* 



was displayed, while, with the usual taste for allegory which then nil • !5 h< ** 

 side Neptune drove his sea-horses with his trident, on the other stood Jh' 0 ^ 



her dolphins. 



that love of practical joking which could and did exist simuluneouslv^f^ 

 and extensive classic learning and love of euphuism, and which some of the hiS 

 personages occasionally indulged in there was a tap, by the turning of whidhS 

 unwary spectator could be drenched at the pleasure of anyone known* itseffm/ 

 and who admired that sort of humorous performance. • 

 Glancing at the humbler contents— the vegetables—of the Tudor gar en 1 

 do not find at the earlier part of the era such variety as in flowers indeed 

 according to Hume, there were not till the termination of Henry VIII.'s ■ 

 either salads, carrots, turnips, or other edible roots produced in England. Me 

 adds that such of these vegetables -a small proportion, and only by the wealthy- 

 as were used were imported from Holland and Flanders, and that Queen Catherine 

 when she wanted a salad, could only get one by despatching a messenger thither 

 on purpose. Hops were first introduced from Flanders in this reign, and ako 

 artichokes. Apples and pears, ^ however, though indifferent in quality up to this 

 era, had for centuries been acclimatised, and strawberries and gooseberries plead, 

 ful. As to salads, however, Hume's remark must be construed with some modifc 

 cation, for in a homely sense salads had always been procurable in England. 

 Winter and watercresses abounded ; the people had also " common alexander 5 ' 

 eaten as celery is ; rampion, rocket, borage, and goose foot, or " Good Henry," 

 are mentioned among herbs, \vhile sprout kales served for greens, which, indeed, 

 must have been much in request, seeing the quantity of salt meat eaten perennially. 

 On the whole, however, until in Henry VIII.'s reign the Flanders gardeners ex- 

 ported their vegetables, the kitchen garden in England — save in the case of the 

 monasteries — was very limited. The reign of the second Tudor saw 

 many novelties, acd so the art of gardening and variety of tlowcn 

 and vegetables improved and increased, till culminating in the long 

 reign of Elizabeth. Pippins seem to ha^e been introduced in 15:5, 

 and the damask rose in 1522 had been brought to England by Linacre, tin 

 King's physician. Currants were brought from Zante and planted in England it 

 1533 5 and in the same year Cromwell, Earl of Essex, introduced the musk roc 

 and several sorts of plums from Italy, while apricots are contemporaneous with 

 cherries in 1540. So that by the time Bacon wrote his famous essay, both the 

 Tudor flower and kitchen garden were well stocked with beauties and dainties 

 Undoubtedly the first general improvement in gardening is due to Holland abo* 

 1509, and the Dutch experts found apt pupils enough in garden-loving Englishmen 

 of various ranks. 



The main characteristic of the elaborated Tudor garden would seem to be its 

 stately, simple, and ample scope and verge, within which it was the aim of the 

 owner to cherish a succession of trees and flowers, so that from the begmmngto 

 the end of the year there might be always something to delight the eye. • • 

 might give a hint to some very ambitious modern gardens, which for a longer 01 

 shorter period look desolate, indeed, after having for a space blazed out into 

 a brilliant array of colours. Some of the trees and flowers of the ancient wr» 

 are neglected now by modern taste, but to the mind which can a PP recut * 

 beauty of the idea there is a perennial charm in such a garden as Bacon skeiCBB, 

 *ut^ -^ying degree and aspect was and would be now from January 



" a thing of beauty " and a H joy for ever." 



F G. Walters, in the Gentleman s ifcdum. 



skill, 



reign 



December 



Watering Vegetables. — A very erroneous idea prevails that, if 

 is commenced, it must be carried out often, and many will not w » tcr C £P S ' j 0 £ 

 they have not the time to continue. If necessity ciimpels waterwg, kik 

 than sacrifice the crop, and after a thorough watering has been tnec \"£; e 



thick mulch. There is no doubt some truth in the saying of ^ 

 can be kept up, because when watering is done it must be done too ou^ , ^ . 

 at all, or else the roots are enticed to the surface or, any how, , ra . ^ ^ 

 direction, and, unless mulching is effected, watering must be ~?" n "~j BCli- J 

 very dry weather both mulching and watering are necessary tor ine v ^ 

 high-class vegetables, which should always be fresh and ten °{- r '£ f iwJ « 

 percentage of water the vegetable contains, the more water w ^ - ^ 



comparison. It is very surprising what a good soaking ot water , — ^ # 

 and in a little time. For instance, put a hose on to an onion Deo i ^ ^ 

 two, and you will see the difference to an inch where the wate mm tg ^ wfffi(< 

 it has not. Take another instance of a bed of lettuce. Those : tn «i » 

 with water will be nice and crisp, and will break to pieces in yo ^ 

 the one without water will be more like leather. Teas vri soon l ^ 

 watered in very dry weather, whereas those that are plenttWUf supp 

 will continue in i^ood condition weeks longer.— W. A. cook. d ykft 



During the past month I ^i^^fgg 



mtltt 



ps in Surrey.— during me H« l *";": from forty to 1 

 cottage gardens and allotments, sometimes tro 



areas in all parts of the countyo aod 



.ents, because cultivated by the ^tcoUje 



in each district, very admirable cultivation and cropping is 1 u .7 ^ metef* 

 indeed, we see culture and crops that will excel tnose 1 ^ w pre - 



tentious gardens. In every direction, on clay, sand,^ » ^ ^ cJtff0t cjp» 



less that <*JJ 

 he fol** f 3 



been 



such 



varieties or intermediate varieties in July for wm c y ^ . .. 



would have escaped harm. Parsnips (are g^^^S are COM^fJJjJS 



The* 



tjurly 8*7 



little harm after all. . Beets are good, but too nw/ -special] v 

 for garden culture. Onions are generally very g°°f' F J7 m . ' 

 Tripoli's. But the finest I saw was on an allotment at '^ tat0J „ B 

 mistakably Ailsa Craig, and grand bulbs they were, too. )aint r , dm** 



but on shallow soils earlies are ripening off fast , no r PeaS ha ve w 

 Cabbages plentiful, but both white and reds far too coar ^ ^ dwarfs 

 though late ones have been rather blighted. Kujine ce. ^ AB^J 

 good now : and broad beans have been "cellent » ► Ue * 

 there is good prospect of being able to record a gouu 



X)» 



