A Gardener in California 
By E. O. Orpet. 
SITTING before the open fireplace, on a birthday 
night, in peace and contentment, reading over again 
the request of our editor for a few impressions 
gathered by the way of things seen here, the magnitude 
of the task grows and one does not rush to it as at first 
impelled. 
After fighting frost for forty years, in all its many 
phases and seasons, it is hard to describe the feeling that 
the sight of the first big Palm stirred up when seen froiu 
the train at one of the stations just after passing for a 
day and a night over dreary snow swept Utah and 
Nevada, this was the advance guard of the verdure to 
come, and after crossing the summit, the Olives and 
Oranges appeared. The native trees seemed to be all 
burdened with Mistletoe, and this carried me back ten 
thousand miles, and, seemingly, as many years to the old 
Hampshire days of early gardening experience. 
It is not intended to give more than a few first impres- 
sions of things seen, and one of the first was a curious 
one, that the native Sycamores looked out of place be- 
cause these were deciduous and losing their foliage at 
this time. The live oaks are glorious, and it is now 
forbidden in many communities to cut them down — we saw 
a broad highway widened so that traffic might pass a live 
Oak on each side. Apart from the live oak most trees in- 
troduced are evergreen. The Eucalxptus is planted 
everywhere and, strange to say, stands frost with impun- 
ity. We have had the cold here 18 degrees below freezing 
four times this winter, and these great evergreen 
Eucalyptus seem not to mind it. To the writer, at least, 
the huge Ficus and Magnolias are the best of the broad 
leaved evergreens, the latter especially being of tropical 
look, though it is the best of all native liroad-leaved ever- 
green trees, almost always in flower, and the fruits very 
ornamental. Araucarias, Grevilleas, Jacarandas, Cam- 
phor trees and a number of other exotics are used as 
street and avenue trees, with the ubiquitous Pepper tree 
and Palm. These two last-named have been overdone, 
the Schinus is becoming hard to keep clean of scale, and 
the Palms if not kept trimmed up when tall cease to be 
beautiful by comparison with their surroundings. 
Speaking of Palms, one is reminded of an afternoon 
that will live on to the ceasing of memory, spent with a 
grand old gardener among the plantings all done by him, 
and like most of us he was pleased to talk of his treasures 
gathered together during the best years of his life. There 
v.'ere over 200 species and varieties of Palms and Cycads 
seen there, and near a terrace with a grand outlook, just 
on a level with the balustrade, was a pair of tall Sea- 
forthias laden with clusters of brilliantly colored fruit, 
that one can never forget. 
There are real enthusiasts here on the coast who are 
collectors of all that is good and likely to succeed. When 
visiting one man, he told of taking an inventory of things 
growing there, and there were over 1,200, exclusive of 
Palms and Cactus, and all seemingly as contented as if 
at home. The Cactus family never appealed to the writer 
as seen in the so-called succulent houses at Botanic 
Gardens, but as managed here in various collections, one 
of which contained 1,300 kinds, beautifully grouped and 
arranged on a sandy side hill with winding paths about 
them, there is a great fascination, especially when look- 
ing at the masses of Dasylirions, Yuccas, Agaves and 
similar really decorative plants grouped among their hor- 
ribly armed, weird and fantastic congeners. Someone 
once said, "Oh, that mine enemy had written a book" — 
there are some who, if led to the middle of a Cactus plant- 
91 
ing on a dark night, would ha\'e their thoughts diverted 
from the hereafter. 
Most of us have seen Japanese Gardens in miniature 
and with varying degrees of pretentiousness, but, oh ! that 
all could wander for a day following the sinuous little 
stream, over its many quaint bridges, its pools with real 
aquatic birds, and plants trained with the skill brought to 
bear only with the patience of the Japs. The distortion 
does not appear as when cramped in at the root, but 
lends a flavor and environment that is all pervading, so 
nuich so that the Wistarias do not need even to have 
foliage on, or the ]\Iaples to have color for the effect to 
be felt. In a secluded corner is a miniature Jap cemetery, 
above it the temple, a tea house, and later we found 
masked cleverly with Bamboos a set of little houses where 
the men live who lend their skill and talk most interest- 
ingly of each detail as they understand it and keep all 
spotlessly clean. Here and there are the presiding Deities 
placed in suitable angles, and it seemed that no item or 
detail was left out of the scheme which has been the work 
of years, in an admirable location, one could but wish to 
spend the whole day there and restfully drink in the sun- 
shine while studying the plants old and new that were a 
surprise at every turn. 
A word more should be said of the Bamboos, Arundin- 
arias and Phyllostachys as seen here, some growing 30' 
feet high in a season and, as often seen, used with great 
effect. Kandina domestica, too, which resembles a bam- 
boo somewhat, is often found in large clumps with 
panicles of holly-red fruits that remain all winter. 
Most planting is planned for the winter season, and we 
were led to believe that good lawns were a rarity, but 
in some of the best residential sections lawn grass is seen 
just as fine as in any other part of the country, it was in 
fact almost painful to see the trimness and amount of 
pains taken to keep each place in order, and the conclu- 
sion was arrived at that Gardeners are the same every- 
where, putting in a great many hours labor for the love 
of their art itself as witnessed in the growing of the pot 
specimens and blooms of Chrysanthemums entirely with- 
out glass covering, and these of real exhibition qualitv in 
some of the small gardens. 
( llass houses are not as necessary here as elsewhere, 
Inn the lath house is featured to the extent of acres in 
at least two places seen, here are the Palms that do not 
stand the sun or are too small to set out permanently, 
also the ferns and other shade loving subjects, all planted 
for effect with winding paths that are a veritable maze, 
and as watering is done by the Skinner system, the labor 
of upkeep is minimized. \'ines climb up to the roof and 
out into the glorious sunshine, flowering as never seen 
under glass, here we see the tender Jasmines, Bougain- 
villeas, Bignonias, Actinidias and even the Dipladenia 
was seen and bearing fruit. The Actinidia chinensis seen 
also proves to be an acquisition as an edible fruit, and 
most delicious in November, when the two sexes are 
available to planters with certainty it will be much 
valued. The fruiting form is readilv grafted on the other 
and is now to he seen thus worked to ensure fruitfuhiess. 
One could write at great length of the many plants 
seen, by this time, however, the editor will call a halt on 
space. In future travels more may be found room for; 
it seems even now that something should be said of the 
fruit and the many kinds found doing so well here, but of 
this we will tell in another chapter. One thing is certain 
— that on coming to California one sees so much to enjoy 
it is a pleasurable feeling to know that one is a gardener. 
