622 



GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



September 24. 1898. 



St. Fagans Castle. 



St. Fagan'S C as tle, the seat of Right Hon. Lord Windsor, in Glamorgan- 

 shire, is about four miles from Cardiff, and situated on the top of a brae, less 

 than five minutes' walk from St. Pagan's Railway Station. It is approached 

 on the east side by a short carriage drive, which is planted on both sides 

 with young trees of Robinia psuedo-acacia. On the lawn, which is kept 

 in splendid condition, are some old specimens of walnuts, cedars, and 

 limes. The east side of the castle is covered with creepers and other 

 plants, including the good old scented jasmine, Magnolia grandiflora, in 

 full flower at the time of my visit, a wtek or two ago ; and Ampelopsis 

 virginica. The west side was already beginning to have a charming 

 appearance with the autumn tint of the foliage of Ampelopsis Veitchi. 



The gardens are on the north side of the castle, and surrounded with 

 walls. Until Mr. Hugh Pettigrew succeeded to the charge of the 

 grounds they were devoted to the cultivation of both flowers and vege- 

 tables ; but, with good taste and a wise discrimination, he has decided, 

 with the sanction of Lord Windsor, to make the whole into a flower 

 garden, and to remove the kitchen garden to a more suitable place, quite 

 away from the castle. Great strides have been made already in this 

 direction, and further plans have been prepared for forwarding the work 

 during the present autumn and winter. Amongst other things, a walled- 



added to its beauty by planting British and other ornamental fhiu* ^ 

 flowering plants along its margins. Several bamboos had alreSv & ^ 

 established, and they will, no doubt, in a short time bcS^I^T 

 Gunnera manicata, Osmunda regalis, Ly thrum salicaria and S' 

 ulmaria were amongst other things which had found suitable hamJI** 

 rather had suitable homes found for them. Dotted about on the terrace! 

 are well-trimmed bushes .of Thuja aurea, and these, combined with tS 

 many vases filled with flowering plants, add greatly to the charm of the 

 place. The terraces are separated from the garden by a wall which run, 

 their entire length, and this is coveied with vines and figs At the base 

 of the wall on the terrace side is a border containing princinallv 

 herbaceous plants, though one of the most striking things in it is a row 

 of fine lavender bushes, running from end to end. Hollyhocks herba- 

 ceous phloxes, and Lilium tigrinum were amongst other plants which 

 were in flower at the time. At the upper or north end of the lakes a 

 rockery is to be constructed, and this, when finished, will be a great 

 feature in that part of the grounds. From the terraces a splendid view 

 of the pleasure grounds on the other side of the lakes may be obtained 

 White peacocks were strutting about amongst the trees, which 

 include Scotch firs, tulip trees, cedars, sequoias (sempervirens), mul- 

 berries, some fine specimens of Quercus ilex, and some errand old tree^ 

 of Robinia pseudo-acacia. 



off portion of the garden, at present given up to the growing of asparagus, In the gardens are some fine borders of herbaceous plants, and these 



FromJphotographSby Bedford, Lemere, and Co. 



ST, FAGAN'S CASTLE, THE SEAT OF THE) RIGHT HON. 



WINDSOR 



rhubarb, artichokes, &c*, is to be converted into a rose garden, for which furnish an abundance of cut bloom for indoor decoration. T ^ t ^ ei ^ m s, 

 purpose it seems admirably adapted. At the time of my visit the gardens were some of the things in flower : Phloxes, achilleas, c» r ys* jjdyma, 



~ v "eedingly gay with flowers of various sorts. There was one helianthuses (single and double), Lychnis chalcedonica, Mona . Rella . 



:eeamgiy gay witn flowers of various sorts. There was one 



large bed on a slope which was particularly striking, composed of clumps «.*v. *«w«w^v*c«. wuiaiuc ui mc vmw^ - hloom ui — 



of godetias, gaillardias, verbenas, African marigolds, gazanias, viscarias, donna was in flower. The rose garden was still gay Witt ?J own and 



antirrhinums, a dwarf crimson-flowered double dahlia, particularly good, hybrid perpetuals and teas. Chrysanthemums are large y' fc d i sp iay of 



and intermixed with such grasses as briza, hordeum, anthoxanthum, these were in the best of health, and promised well for a nn ^ , 



lagurus, and agrostis. The arrangement had been so tastefully made cut blooms and pot plants later on. There was a fine crop 01 ^ $ 



that the whole presented a charming appearance. There were many - ' - ■ - - Cannes, an v 



beds of the different kinds of annuals, among which I noticed scabious, 



SalDieloSSlS. Zinnia. Qtrw-lr ocfor :„ v _i : ~1 rontnnrAi r»V»lr»v 



cut blooms and pot plants later on. There was a nnc 

 There were many the apricots were exceptionally fine, and peaches, nectarine , 



11 »u_. -.. tJ K . I , Apples and pears were u« 



an 



ucus 01 me airterent kinds of annuals, among which I noticed scabious, were all that could be desired. n.ppi<^ ■ — r 



salpiglossis, zinnia, stock, aster, petunia, helichrysum, centaurea, phlox, average crop, and small on account of the drought 

 coreopsis, mignonette, larkspur, and Valeriana, besides beds of those — - 



previously mentioned. There were. «nm« \~.—U. u^A* «f nenstemnns. here 



The houses showed the s~ame good U*a*& ^J*& ^he I 

 ide. The vines carried munificent crops of well-finishea du field 



.- - ~. — , miivapui, »na Valeriana, Desiucs ucus ui muse 



mentlon ed. There were some lovely beds of penstemons, here s ide. The vines carried magnificent crops of well-tmisncu w " j*~' lresne ld 



lr ? an annUa1 ' a ^ d also a bed of CEnothera biennis. Sweet peas var i eties gr0wn being Bhck Hamburgh, Foster's Seedling, MadJ« 



23l^?! grOW "' I s they are so use ™ for cutting ; they were flowering Court, Lady Downes Gros Mar£, Gros Colmar, and M^l, ^ 



well and amongst them were some particularly good varieties. an dria. The lS !!?}L!£E££ were very large, well coloured, ^ 



with the £ g K r ? en ' W ' th its box ed ^ngs, clipped box and bay bushes, 

 S te&r^ rfM ^ showed that a great deal of time 

 Kre S some fiS££2S Upon « t0 ^ing it to such perfection. Near 



ftef^usTSSS o7?t Fa" VaSCS - A ° n the WCSt Sid f °! thC garde " 

 artificial l ikes in Jl.- t gan s ' At the bottom of these are several 



Beyond the lakes a Jna'n 1 nym P hasa s and other water plants abound, 

 y a i ak es a small stream runs, and Mr. Pettigrew has considerably 



andria. The bunches of Gros Maroc were very large, wei i [n the 



finished, and good enough, I should say, for any snow sp i en did 

 melon house was a fine crop of good, serviceable iron. t <he 



plant of Gloriosa superba was in flower in the sio ™>*"£? unA £ Crotoos, 

 roof, which was also partly covered with Stephanot.s ^flonbun d 

 dracaenas, acalyphas (including the new Sanden), f ^na^ C alanthe 

 the usual kind of stove plants were in the bes : o . he ^ wing like a 

 Veitchi, a large quantity of which is grown, was simply g 



