534 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER 
[ June 25, 1883. 
added. The Committee is a very strong one, including a large portion of 
the City Fathers, with Mr. Alderman Terry at their head, a courteous and 
greatly esteemed Chairman, and with the Lord Mayor as President of the 
(Society. All work with a will and in thorough harmony, and they have 
valued help in their Secretary from the beginning, Mr. John Wilson. 
PiEONIES AND SPANISH IRISES. 
Messrs. Ant. Roozen & Sons, Overveen, Haarlem, have sent us two 
beautiful collections of Paoonies and Spanish Irises, comprising a large 
number of varieties differing greatly in their colours. The Pseonies are 
remarkably handsome, huge globular flowers like enormous Roses, and 
some, too, possess in a marked degree a Rose-like fragrance. All are 
beautiful, and it is not surprising that they are gradually becoming such 
general favourites in gardens. For the border they are invaluable, and at 
this time of year furnish abundance of their imposing flowers, and fill the 
air with their powerful odours. 
Some of the best of the varieties were the following :— 
SELECT PiEONIES. 
Artemise. —Very full, warm rosy crimson, exceedingly fragrant, and 
strangely suggestive of the old Cabbage Rose. 
Virginie. — Extremely full, delicate pale pink, fragrant. 
Grandiflora mperba. —Outer petals crimson, inner petals smaller, 
pale pink, and white. 
Madame Jacquin. —Delicate blush white, full and pretty. 
Eugene Verdier. —Full handsome flower, petals broad, handsome, 
pink and white, powerfully fragrant. 
Charles Verdier. —Broad white outer petals, inner one? narrow, 
sulphur yellow, styles red. 
Fideline. —Rich crimson, somewhat like Artemise, and similarly 
fragrant. * 
Madame d' Hair. —Pink and white, petals broad, very full. 
Madame Vilmorin. —Crimson pink, broad petals, full. 
Henri Demay. —Delicate blush and white, very large, full, and hand¬ 
some, fragrant. 
Dr. Caillot. —Intensely rich crimson, one of the brightest-coloured 
varieties, solid globular flower, very handsome. 
Lucrece. —Broad outer petals, inner very narrow, white, fragrant. 
Madame Calot. —White with a slight pink tinge, very dense and 
globular, fragrant. 
Comtesse de Bresson. —Outer petals pink, broad, inner narrow, very 
dense, white, fragrant. 
L' Illustration. —Similar to Artemise, rather more rosy in colour. 
Georges Cuvier. —Outer petals broad, inner narrow, dense, rose pink. 
Princess Galetsin. —Blush white, broad outer petals, inner narrow and 
white. 
Papaveriflora. —Broad outer petals, whits, slight red streaks in the 
centre. 
SPANISH IRISES. 
These also possess a surprising number of tints, and are powerfully 
fragrant. Several of the blue and yellow seifs are perhaps the most 
pleasing, the others containing more or less of a bronzy tint. The following 
are select varieties :— 
La Hautesse. —Pale yellow falls, blush yellow standards. 
Gladieuse. —Rich orange self, very fine. 
L' Admiration. —Purple, gold, and bronze, a beautiful combination of 
colours. 
Ludicrans. —Clear yellow and orange. 
Incomparable. —Lilac blue, with orange blotch on the falls. 
Vulcan. —Rich purple blue, bronze and orange falls. 
Dorotti. —Blue standards, bronze and orange falls. 
Bazaine. —Purple with orange blotches. 
Dr. Schaepman. —Clear pale yellow, beautiful. 
Fenelon. —Blue, with orange blotches. 
Olympia. —Pale yellow falls, pale blue and white standards. 
Prince d' Asturie. —Rich blue, bronze, and orange. 
Diana. —Uniform clear bright yellow, very handsome. 
L' Unique. —Lilac blue, orange ridge on falls. 
Venus. —Purple, bronze, and orange. 
L' Ornement. —Very distinct, of a peculiar purplish bronze tinged 
with an orange blotch in the falls. 
Henrietta. —Blue and yellow. 
Paul Grey. —Orange falls, white standard, beautiful. 
La Dame Blanche. —White with an orange ridge in broad falls, very 
beautiful. 
Desdemona. —Rich blue standards, bronze falls with an orange 
blotch. 
British Queen. —Similar to La Dame Blanche, rather purer white, 
large flower, but not such grand falls. 
LLANDAFF HOUSE, 
The residence of the late W. C. Luard, Esq., stands on the summit 
of a rising ground adjoining the small but ancient city of Llandaff, and 
within a short distance of the Cathedral, which stands at a much lower 
level on the banks of the river Taff. Llandaff, though it bears the 
name of “ city ” is little more than a country village in size, yet it is of 
great antiquity, and travellers come from far and near to see the Cathedral, 
which was restored some few years since. The situation of Llandaff 
House is one of great beauty, and commands an extensive view for miles 
on all sides. The grounds are finely furnished with magnifioent old trees 
hat have stood the storms of more than a hundred winters. Mr. Luard 
was extremely fond of gardening, and spared no expense in beautifying 
the grounds with the choicest kinds of trees, shrubs, and flowering plants 
that could be had, and in stocking the conservatory and plant houses with 
the best and newest kinds in cultivation. We have seen few gardens of 
its size laid out with the skill that is displayed on the grounds there. 
The dwelling house, stables, coach houses, &c., stand close to the turn¬ 
pike passing through the city; and the pleasure grounds, forcing and plant 
houses, and the principal gardens lie behind the house, and are secluded 
from another public road that passes at right angles by large trees and 
shrubberies. The orchard, which contains a large collection of the best 
varieties of Apple and Pear trees in cultivation, and a good-sized kitchen 
garden for the stronger-growing kinds of vegetables, Gooseberry and 
Currant bushes, Strawberries, &c., is on the opposite side of the road. 
The orchard trees, which were planted only a few years since, have grown 
vigorously and are well set with fruit. The Gooseberry and Currant 
bushes are loaded to the ground with heavy crops. The birds, which 
have done so much mischief to Gooseberry bushes in many places this 
season by picking off the buds, have done them no harm here, while in 
some places not more than two miles distant the bushes have been com¬ 
pletely ruined, and whole plantations of them had to be dug up and 
burned. A good conservatory, both for growing and showing off plants 
to advantage while in flower, is attached to the house, and is entered by a 
door from the library. The back wall of the conservatory is covered with 
Selaginellas, Ferns, and other plants growing in virgin cork ; and the 
centre and side stages contain a general collection of stove and greenhouse 
plants, amongst which are good specimens of Palms, Tree Ferns, Fuchsias, 
Phormiums, Pelargoniums, Cinerarias, Calceolarias, &c. The roof is 
partly shaded with Clematis indivisa lobata, which flowers freely, and at 
the same time affords a partial shade to the plants beneath. 
On the grass lawn, in front of the conservatory adjoining the house, 
is a neat geometrical design for bedding plants. It was filled with spring¬ 
flowering plants at the time of our visit, which will be removed in due 
time for the usual summer bedding plants. Clumps of hybrid Rhodo¬ 
dendrons, Ghent Azaleas, hardy Heaths, and other flowering shrubs, are 
planted at different points with good effect, while single specimens of the 
finer kinds of Conifera are growing in suitable places here and there. 
Amongst those are large plants of Thu j a L )bbii,Thuiopsis dolabrata variegata, 
and T. borealis; Cupressus Lawsoniana in great variety, Wellingtonia 
gigantea, Araucaria imbricata, Retinospora pisifera, R. plumosa, R. obtusa 
aurea, and the curious-growing R. filifera. Conspicuous amongst the 
deciduous trees are large Copper Beeches, Walnuts, variegated Sycamore, 
and the lovely Tree of Heaven (Ailantus glandulosa), which resembles a 
gigantic Stag’s horn Sumach, with its large pinnate leaves more than 
2 feet long. It is one of the best of ornamental trees for park or lawn, 
and should be planted more extensively in this country than it is. The 
Judas Tree (Cercis Siliquastrum) there is the largest we have seen anywhere. 
It produces great quantities of purple pea flowers from little sprigs which 
come out of the hard trunk and branches of the tree. It is a beautiful 
tree when in flower, and we wonder why it is not oftener met with in 
our gardens and pleasure grounds. There are also some large Ilex Oaks, 
and a particularly fine Strawberry Tree (Arbutus Unedo). The branches 
of the latter grow close down to the ground, and it measures about 
150 feet in circumference. It is a beautiful sight when covered with its 
red ripe fruit resembling Strawberries, which afford abundant food for 
birds during the time the fruit lasts. 
A large shrubbery with herbaceous border in front serves to screen 
the kitchen garden from the house and pleasure grounds. The kitchen 
garden is laid out in quarters, and the gravel walk edged with boxwood. 
The fruit trees, Peas, Plums, and Cherries on the walls, and the standard 
Cherry trees in the quarters, pyramid Apple and Pear trees in the borders, 
scarcely ever fail to carry good c-rops of fruit. All the quarters were 
well cropped with the different kinds of vegetables, and were in good 
order. 
The plant and forcing houses lie to the left of the lawn away from the 
view of the house, and between them and it there is a high Teach wall 
covered with healthy trees bearing a good crop of fruit. The grounds 
adjacent to the forcing houses are laid out in beds, which are planted with 
fine varieties of shrubs, herbaceous and bedding plants, and a good collec¬ 
tion of single Pmonias. The first range of glass consists of a large 
lean-to intermediate plant house and plant Btove. Vines bearing a good 
crop were trained thinly up the rafters of the former, and a good collection 
of plants were growing on shelves and stages beneath, including some fine 
Adiantums, and Gloxinias, and Tuberous Begonias, finely flowered. The 
majority of the plants here could scarcely be surpassed for health and 
vigour. The stove contained large specimen Crotons, Cibotium regale, 
Aralia elegantissima, besides a good collection of smaller plants for table 
and conservatory decoration. In an alcove at the end of the stove there 
is a beautiful fountain and rockery. The fountain plays from the centre 
of a clear pool of water. The back wall is covered with Ficus repens, 
and Ferns and Mosses cover the rockery. 
The next range, which is half-span, consists of a Muscat house, Melon 
house, Pine stove, Fern house, late v'nery, and Cucumber house. The 
Vines in the Muscat house are confined entirely to the inside border, 
which is heated by means of hot water in pipes. The heat is thoroughly 
under command, and can be regulated by valve3 to any degree required. 
The Vines were ripening a good crop of excellent fruit. Mr. Woodward, 
the gardener, informed us that the Grapes coloured better and were richer 
in flavour than those grown in unheated borders. M^si of the houses in 
this range have flat stages at the back for growing plants, and the stage 
in the Muscat house was filled with a collection of tie best kinds of 
