A VISIT TO AN ENGLISH 
FLOWER FARM. 
E were fortunate in having selected a beautiful day for our visit to what is known as “ The Home 
of Flowers ” — the flower-farm belonging to Messrs. H. Cannell & Sons, the eminent horticul- 
turists, of Swanley, in Kent. 
The station— unite an important little station by the way— seemed overwhelmed with business. 
The platform ami approaches were crowded with boxes, and on every box was impressed the name of 
“ Messrs. Cannell, Horticulturists ’’—undoubted proof these gentlemen were doing a very large business 
indeed, a fact corroborated later on when we found that the firm consigned plants and seeds to every 
part of Great Britain and the Continent, and to every crowned head in Europe. Indeed, we saw a 
cheque that had that day arrived from the Sultan of Turkey in payment for plants and seeds supplied. 
Guided partly by the odour of sweet-scented flowers, we found ourselves at the establishment of the 
firm, and a very beautiful place it is. Imagine some 17 acres of plants of every description, in various 
stages of growth and flowering, with no less than 37 glass houses, none less than 100 feet in length and 
14 feet in width, and some as long as 180 feet and a width of 25 feet, and bear in mind that this is but 
a portion of an enterprise which has a large branch at Eynsford. 
It is almost impossible in the space at our command to enumerate the names of the various plants. 
It is sufficient to say that there were magnificent collections of Zonal Pelargoniums, of which the firm 
have a good show all the year round— of Ivy-leaved Geraniums, and of true Pelargoniums, including 
all the best-known varieties. There was a marvellous display of these, and a finer collection could not 
be got together. There wore Venus Pelargoniums, a kind which can be had in flower either at Easter 
or Christmas, and some fine Primulas and Cyclamens usually in good condition at the end of the year. 
There were in one house 100,000 seedling Begonias, suitable for bedding purposes, for exhibition, or for 
greenhouses. There was a fine show of tuberous varieties, of the double species with shades of colour 
resembling Tea-Roses. Then we came upon a house for Palms and Forns, of which there were 
innumerable varieties in fine display, and auother house filled with very choice Caladiums. A splendid 
show of herbaceous Calceolarias for seeding purposes was in another, and yet another was filled with 
Balsams. Then t here were two set apart tor Carnations of the tree varieties, suitable for greenhouses and 
conservatories, and amongst these we noticed the new dark Uriah Pike, a large crimson, with a clove 
scent, 
After a dance at the Fuchsia House we were shown the new Carnation, Princess of Wales, a flower 
after the Malmaison type, a large free-flowerer of a deep pink with silver shading, suitable for either 
open air or conservatory. Another plant that we saw, Strcptocarpus Kcwensis , is coming rapidly into 
fashion, and it could, we are told, be grown in a cool greenhouse ; it is a free floweret-, a pretty plum 
colour with white. The next house we visited was that devoted to Cannas, commonly called Indian 
Shot, a plant somewhat resembling in flower the Gladiolus. One of the finest of this class is Queen 
Charlotte, which is a good five years in advance of existing variolies. We remember speaking highly of 
those when they were on show recently at the Temple. After a glance at the Coleus class (a species of 
the stinging-nettle family), we saw some fine Cockscombs set apart for seeding purposes. The firm last 
year showed over a dozen distinct colours. 
We next visited the finest show of Gloxinias we ever saw, for which, when exhibited at the Temple, 
the firm carried off the Silver-gilt Flora Medal. The rarest one is H.Il.H. the Prince of Wales, a rich 
scarlet with a crimson shade ; but a very fine one is Miss Tudor, a creamy white with pink spots. 
Then there were IV. Marshall, Petunia, Princess of Wales, a claret crimson with distinct white edging, 
very dwarf and free ; Mirabilc, with a plum-purple shade ; Byblis, a pure white, very large and fine ; and 
Miss Mary Pearson, a spotted variety. After a glance at the potting houses we saw what is called the 
curiosity house, where there is the finest collection of Cacti in the trade. Then there was an Orchid 
house to be seen replete with numerous varieties and species, and many other houses which want of 
space forbids our mentioning. 
In the grounds sonie thousands of frames are used for protecting plants, such as Dahlias, etc., in 
which the firm does a large business. We saw 1,400 sorts of Chrysanthemums ; 6,000 of the different 
kinds in large pots are grown here every year. Then a short distance off there were thousands upon 
thousands of border Picotees and Carnations in pots. A large number of Roses were also here, but 
nothing like the number at Eynsford, two miles further on, where Messrs. Cannell have 300 acres for 
seed growing, fruit and other trees. Of hardy herbaceous plants, including new introductions, of 
glaring Poppies, Pa>onies, Aquilegias, Forget-me-nots, Iceland Poppies, Grape Vines, Symphytum 
variegatum, and of Phloxes, to say nothing of 100 varieties of Dahlias— the grounds are full. A more 
perfect flower farm than this of Messrs. Cannell & Sons cannot be imagined, and all those of our readers 
who love their gardens should accept the general invite issued by the firm, “Come and See.” — The 
Gentleman’ s Journal, Jply 1st, 1895. 
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