June 18, 1887. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
665 
Aphelandka chrysops. 
CHOICE HARDY PLANTS AT 
JOLDWYNDS. 
Whoever visits Sir William Bowman’s interest¬ 
ing place in Surrey cannot fail to be impressed 
with the wonderful amount of variety included in 
a small space. This has reference to the hardy 
flower garden only, and is accomplished not only 
by the selection and massing of the choicest members 
of the vegetable kingdom, but also by the nature of the 
ground and the skill with which it is laid out. The 
soil naturally is a red clay 
intermixed with sand, and 
that part made into a hardy 
flower garden about three 
years ago, occupies the sunny 
slope of a hill, where it is 
naturally very moist. In 
order to meet the require¬ 
ments of a vast number of 
plants collected from all 
parts of the world, and affect¬ 
ing various soils, situations, 
and adapted to different 
degrees of moisture, Sir 
William Bowman, the 
worthy proprietor, has laid 
out the ground in a series of 
mounds enjoying different 
aspects and elevations, and 
which are so abrupt in 
places as to require building 
with rough unhewn blocks 
of stone, over which Arenaria 
balearica, Linaria hepatica 
and many other creeping 
things grow and flourish, 
to the advantage of both 
plant and bank. Several 
terraces, steep declivities, a 
grotto of some size and 
several ponds on the 
broader part of the terraces, 
do much to ensure a rich¬ 
ness of variety which few 
gardens possess ; and Mr. 
Cornish, the courteous and 
obliging gardener, must find 
his time closely occupied 
in maintaining the collec¬ 
tion and keeping it so clean 
and free of weeds as when 
we saw it. 
A steep sloping bank abut¬ 
ting the grotto is now ablaze 
with masses of Phlox subu- 
lata in different colours, and 
the striking yellow-flowered, 
glaucous-leaved Othonna 
cheiranthoides. On the cooler 
and lower parts, the showy 
Polygala Chamaebuxus, 
with its purple - flowered 
variety, seemed quite at 
home. A broad patch of the 
rosy-flowered Rubus arcticus 
covered the ground in one 
place, and appeared very at¬ 
tractive. Close by, in moist 
soil, Tiarella cordifolia reared 
its racemes of pretty white 
flowers, above the brown 
marked foliage ; and on the 
other side of the path, Phlox 
subulata Nelsoni and P. s. 
alba vied with each other 
in the purity of their white 
flowers. The latter is Backhouse’s variety, and is very 
dwarf. Alchemilla conjuncta finds favour here, as in 
many other gardens, for the beauty of its finely-lobed 
silvery foliage. Bryanthus erectus is also an interesting 
Heath-like plant with pale purple flowers. 
Along and broad mass of Lithospermum prostratum, 
planted on each side of a walk between high stone-built 
banks, is now one sheet of the deepest blue, rivalling 
the Gentians. It is truly a rock plant, and thrives 
here admirably, as three years ago the plants were only 
cuttings. Other Borageworts, Onosma taurica, and 
Amebia echioides also do well. Dotted about in an 
interesting way we also find such things as Cheiranthus 
purple, and is perfectly hardy. The Edelweiss, Leon- 
topodium alpinum, always an interesting plant, is 
dotted about the rocks in various positions, and almost 
in flower. It thrives admirably, but does not seem to 
be a long-lived plant in our climate, probably owing to 
the latter being moist and very changeable as to 
temperature in winter. 
One of the leading features of this charming flower 
garden is an extensive collection of Primulas grown in 
various situations, generally on the cooler side of a 
bank, or other protection, 
but always in moist soil ; 
when fully exposed they are 
planted on the banks of 
ponds, or other wet places 
where their roots can dip into 
the water. In such places 
the moisture is continuous, 
and the plants require no 
shading whatever. Several 
forms of Primula rosea 
grown under the latter con¬ 
ditions flowered freely, and 
are now in fruit. P. Parryi, 
several coloured varieties of 
P. involucrata, and some 
others enjoy a similar situ¬ 
ation, but P. japonica alba 
is at present a conspicuous 
and very ornamental plant 
with white flowers and a 
yellow eye. In another 
moist sheltered place we 
noticed a broad mass of P. 
farinosa scotica planted 
thickly with here and there 
some individuals of the 
typical form of the species 
occurring. The flowers of 
both are very similar, but 
the shorter and broader 
leaves of P. f. scotica serve 
as its distinguishing feature. 
P. sikkimensis grows very 
vigorously the second year 
from the seed, but Mr. 
Cornish has the same ex¬ 
perience as most other cul¬ 
tivators, namely, that after 
this they degenerate in 
vigour. On the shady side 
of a high bank a fine bed 
of Auriculas, edged in front 
with P. Sieboldi, and which 
have stood the winter 
there unprotected, were 
flowering vigorously ; the 
former was noticeable for 
the number of flowers on a 
truss, and the variety of 
colours ; the latter was con¬ 
spicuous for dwarfness and 
size of bloom. 
Of special interest was a 
bed planted with low shrubs 
and carpeted with Cornus 
canadensis, no win full flower; 
and when the ripening 
berries assume their scarlet 
hue, one can imagine what 
a fine sight for lovers of 
hardy plants. Two Euro¬ 
pean Gesneracese, rare gems 
amongst rock plants, seemed 
quite happy and healthy; 
and, in remuneration for 
the protection of a small square of glass, Haberlea 
rhodopensis had produced a number of its pretty 
pale purple tubular flowers. In a wild state this 
is a rare plant inhabiting a valley in the Balkans 
of South-eastern Europe. Ramondia pyrenaica, which 
showed an abundance of flower-buds, was entirely 
unprotected. These two plants may be looked upon as 
remnants of the above-mentioned family in Europe, and 
will always be reckoned amongst the choicest of hardy 
plants. Hardly less interesting is Myosotis alpestris, 
one of the rarest and finest of British Forget-me-nots ; 
a tuft not exceeding 1£ ins. or 2 ins. in height, was 
covered with rich blue flowers. The large bracts of 
alpinus, Hyacinthus amethystinus, Muscari comosum, 
Androsace coronopifolia, and Potentillas. The deep 
blue of Veronica saxatilis makes a fine contrast to the 
grey rocks, while the pale, almost white flowers of V. 
repens stud the creeping stems that cover the moist 
stones as with a natural carpet. V. rupestris also grown 
in great quantity will be a mass of bloom presently. 
One can also note on the rocks numerous forms of 
Linaria anticaria, mostly yellow, and some with a deep 
brown palate. Great quantities of Dianthus deltoides, 
the Maiden Pink, will make the rocks gay in the course 
of a week or two with its pretty rose-coloured and 
white flowers. Sedum album turgidum, S. reflexum, 
and Wallflowers hold undisputed possession of the drier 
and steeper, sometimes almost perpendicular rocks, and 
the level tops of some other places rejoice in the 
presence of lively tufts of Saxifraga muscoides 
atropurpurea, Gypsophila cerastioides, Androsace sar- 
mentosa, A. lanuginosa, Polemonium reptans, Lychnis 
alpina, Iberis sempervirens superba, and the hardy 
mountaineer, Dryas octopetala, with oak-like leaves and 
large white flowers. Saxifraga calyciflora is a very 
choice rock plant with both calyx and corolla of a deep 
