254 
The Garden Magazine, June, 1920 
Books have been only a part of Mr. 
Robinson’s work and of his writings, 
however, though they may be regarded 
as the essential beacon lights which have 
illumined and made clear the way, and 
their teachings and examples have been 
of immeasurable value all over the world. 
“Home Landscapes” was printed and 
ready for publication when the war 
broke out, but the publisher considered 
it useless to offer so expensive a book 
for sale during the war, so it was 
stocked up on his shelves to wait a 
more auspicious time. It is the last 
word in fine printing and binding, and 
contains thirty-three superb full page 
illustrations of scenes in the Gravetye 
estate and gardens, with explanatory 
text. 
It is not generally remembered per- 
haps that Mr. Robinson visited America 
in 1871. In the course of his travels 
here he of course observed the native 
flora closely and in some of his early 
writings he refers to having seen the 
Cardinal-flower (Lobelia cardinalis) in 
great beauty, also Lilium superbum. Even at that early 
date too he recognized the promise of artistic development 
in the American cemetery, and was so much impressed there- 
by that shortly afterward he wrote a little book entitled, 
“God’s Acre Beautiful, or The Cemeteries of the Future.” 
Other minor incidents of his American trip that he has 
mentioned to me at one time and another would indicate that 
he saw a good deal of the country. And personally I shall 
always regret that he has not again visited here, for he would 
see so much now to admire and commend — much that is indeed 
in a large degree an expression of the ideas and teachings he has 
persistently put forth for nearly half a century. 
In 1872 Mr. Robinson founded The Garden as a weekly jour- 
nal. This he carried on for a period of about 30 years, when it 
passed into 
other hands. 
From its incep- 
tion he set a 
high standard 
for this paper, 
and maintained 
it throughout 
the entire pe- 
riod of his own- 
ership. Its 
pages were filled 
with matter of 
the greatest in- 
terest, pertain- 
ing to every 
branch and de- 
tail of garden- 
ing. Its illus- 
trations were 
most artistic 
and the colored 
plates (one ap- 
pearing in each 
issue) were 
flower and 
plant pictures 
in every sense 
of the word, 
drawn by ar- 
tists who be- 
came famous; and they were reproduced 
with truth and fidelity. The first work 
that Alfred Parsons ever did for exam- 
ple, was for Mr. Robinson, and another 
(whose fame was posthumous) was Her- 
bert G. Moon, unquestionably the great- 
est painter of flowers that ever lived. 
Those of us who are fortunate enough 
to possess bound volumes of The Garden 
covering a long series of years, treasure 
them indeed as priceless, since they are 
not only a most dependable source of 
information and unfailing means of plant 
reference, but beautiful as well. And 
everything that grows out of doors, and 
much besides, has been at some time or 
another treated in its pages. 
Mr. Robinson’s next journalistic ad- 
venture was Gardening Illustrated, and 
with this he was a pioneer, for it was 
the first popular penny weekly journal 
and there were many who were sure it 
could not succeed. It can now however 
in all truth be asserted that Gardening 
Illustrated has made more amateur gar- 
deners than any other publication in the 
world; and, in addition to this, it has created a vast number of 
small dealers who cater almost wholly or even entirely to the 
needs of its readers. Another of his weekly papers, Farm and 
Home, had a wide circulation for many years, and Flora and Sylva, 
a high class monthly journal, was carried on for a few years solely 
from a desire to portray and discourse upon hardy tree and shrub 
and flower for the general good. By example as well as by pre- 
cept too Mr. Robinson has demonstrated the fundamental sound- 
ness of his teachings, and at his English home has had for thirty 
years a garden that has never known a flowerless month. The 
story of the year is told continuously in flowers, commencing with 
Snowdrops (Galanthus) in January and ending with Christmas 
Roses (Helleborus) in December. 
When it comes to considering the broader field of the 
near or distant 
landscape, es- 
pecially with re- 
gard to 'proper 
choice and the 
rightful ways of 
planting trees 
and shrubs, who 
can tell, at this 
late day, how 
much we have 
been influenced 
by Mr. Robin- 
son? The bold, 
free, unconven- 
tional groupings 
of trees, ever- 
greens, and 
graceful flower- 
ingshrubswhich 
we make to-day 
are undoubtedly 
very largely a 
result of his 
teachings, for it 
was he who first 
decried the once 
prevalent prac- 
tice of clipping 
mass plantings 
into hard, mean- 
THE GARDENER’S HOUSE BEYOND THE LAKE 
Colonies of Daffodils bring early 
spring to this little pastoral valley 
MEADOWLAND SWEEPS TO THE VERY DOORS OF THE DWELLING 
It is characteristic of Mr. Robinson that only a small portion of actual lawn is 
maintained, the Park generally having its grass uncut until it has grown to hay 
