September 12, 1891. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
21 
A FLOWER GARDEN AT 
KESTON. 
There is the well-known Alpine garden of Mr. 
Lubbock, at the Rookery, that of Lady Lubbock, at 
High Elms, as well as those of my friends the 
Rector and the Vicar, all within easy walk of Keston, 
but to none of these am I now referring, but to a 
secluded cottage garden of modest pretensions that 
lies half hidden in the leafy shade of Elms and 
Limes in the village of Keston, and in which now 
and then I have the greatest pleasure in spending 
my spare half hours. Natural beauty from the 
curious surroundings is unfortunately all but want¬ 
ing, but instead we have a rich collection of rare and 
curious plants all tended with the best of care and 
evidently quite at home in the rich and deep soil of 
this little known garden. Only yesterday I noticed 
a big mass of the Prophet flower (Arnebia echoides) 
with dozens of fully-expanded blooms, and foliage of 
the most luxuriant green growing within a foot of 
the lovely little Dianthus Lewisii it likewise 
smothered in flowers and evidently revelling in the 
niche of sandstone where it had years ago been 
crammed. 
Hardly a yard from this the English Slipper 
Orchid (Cypripedium Calceolus), with the finest of 
flowers, was established in plenty, while near to us 
was another native Orchid gem in the pigmy Orchis 
ustulata, a curious but inviting plant with dark 
purple hooded flowers. The stately Onosma 
taurica next took my attention, for unless in Mr. 
Jackson’s garden at Bangor I never before saw so 
fine plants of this wonderful floriferous perennial. 
Gentiana verna, G. asclepeidea, G. gelida, and 
G. Pneumonanthe were all flourishing to perfection, 
no dying out pieces nor whitened foliage nor stunted 
stems being visible, but all of the healthiest green, 
the former alone, as also G. acaulis, being fully in 
flower. 
Iris cristata is curiously capricious in its nature, 
flourishing like our native fragrant Orchis (O. 
conopsea) with equal vigour on the loamy mound or 
by the stream bank amongst peat and leaf soil. Pri¬ 
mula rosea and P. purpurea must have been grand 
if one might judge by the decaying flower heads on 
the dozens of each that were scattered here and 
there over the garden. P. viscosa nivalis was still 
in flower, and also P. Sieboldii (Miss Ware), the neat 
but prostrate and rather shy-flowering P. minima 
and P. Churchilli. The Italian Arum (A. crinitum), 
with its curiously mottled leaves and equally curious 
spadix, was just bursting into flower, if flower, for 
the time, I may be allowed to call it. 
How little known a plant is the dwarf Birch 
(Betula nana), a tree of it here being thirty years old 
and 30|ins. in height. It is, however, a plant of much 
interest, not only as being a native but for the neat 
dentated leaves and unusually dwarf habit which is 
constantly retained even under the best cultivation. 
Good sized mosses of the purple Polygala (P. 
Chamaebuxus purpurea) have just now a most striking 
appearance, and can be picked out at quite a distance 
away so bright and distinct are the freely-produced 
flowers. It is a far preferable plant to the better 
known P. Chamasbuxus, and should be included in 
every good garden of showy flowers. 
Linnea borealis, whether in flower or out of flower, 
is a charming Alpine of the neatest growth, and 
being a native plant should still more add to its 
value. Never before had I the pleasure of seeing 
it in flower, but in this Keston garden the pink of 
blooms were produced with the utmost freedom. It 
seemed to be growing in leaf mould and decayed and 
decaying twigs and leaves. 
The great, fat, woolly buds of the Mocassin flower 
(Cypripedium spectabile) betoken a wealth of bloom 
later on, while not one wit behind these were the 
deep green-leaved Orchis foliosa, both these thriving 
side by side, and run through with the straggling 
marsh Helleborine (Epipactis palustris). The 
latter is a showy wildling of easy growth, but 
unfortunately a stranger to most gardens. 
A very rarely seen shrub was growing under 
exactly similar conditions with the Cypripediums and 
Helleborines. This was the Umbrella Pine of 
Japan (Sciadopitys verticellata), with neat shoots of 
shining leaves and a conifer that must have dampish 
peat to doit at all well. Three other Alpine conifers 
attracted my notice much, the first, Abies excelsa 
clanbrasiliana, and the others pygmea and an 
Unnamed form of the dwarfesf and neatest growth. 
Acer pygmea, an old tree but hardly a foot high, 
seemed a good thing for rock gardening, what might 
also be said of several species of Willow that came 
under my notice including the showy and rare Salix 
reticulata and S. Sadleri. Such pigmy trees, coni¬ 
fers and shrubs seem to me peculiarly suitable for 
planting on the rock work, they being something 
apart from the ordinary style of Alpine gardening. 
The cold yellow of the mountain Wallflower con¬ 
trasts strangely with the brighter bits of Silenes and 
Phlox of which the borders were very replete. 
Jamesonia Americana is worthy of attention, while 
the Mexican bridal flower (Choisya ternata) should 
not be a day absent from any garden. It is a won¬ 
derfully floriferous shrub, and as seen here growing 
in a cosy nook and carpeted with one of Mr. Neill 
Fraser’s seedling Musks is apt to make one turn 
more than once for a parting look at so happy a 
combination. 
To the rock garden at Rockville, in Edinburgh, 
this Kentish medley of plants is indebted for much, 
as I could easily see on perusing the labels, for the 
name of the donor occurred on not a few seedlings or 
crosses particularly. Veronicas fared bad during 
the prolonged biting winter to which we in “ the 
Garden of England," particularly, were subjected. 
Out of a batch of seventeen from Mr. Neill Fraser, 
only two—V. buxifolia and V. Armstrongii—have 
survived, and most likely the deep coating of snow 
had much to do with this survival of the fittest. 
Conspicuous occupants of a deep peaty bed were 
the various species of Andromeda, but undoubtedly 
the best of all were A. cosseriafolia and A. pulveru- 
lenta, the former in particular one of the handsomest 
shrubs that is in cultivation in this country. 
Side by side with these was a clump of fully a hun¬ 
dred American Wood-lilies (Trillium grandiflorum), 
some, the majority indeed, 18 in. high, and with the 
biggest flowers of its kind I can remember seeing 
all due to the mild climate, and peculiarly rich, sandy, 
peat, or leaf soil of the district. Strange to say] 
Narcissi do well here, as a month ago I had the 
privilege of beholding, when nearly a hundred 
distinct kinds were in bloom and bud. Liliums, too 
are here quite at home, L. auratum having become 
quite established for years past, while the great 
stems and borts of L. giganteum speak for themselves. 
My friend, however, speaks highly of a form of L. 
canadense picked up in the woods at Rochester, by 
Mr. Ellwanger. 
The purple and crested Laburnums, yellow-fruited 
Hawthorn, Genistas procumbens, prascox, and Sibe- 
rica, the June berry, orange-berried Vaccinium. 
Shepherdia argentea, and many other uncommon 
shrubs are occupants of one of its borders. Ledum 
palustre and L. Lyonii as seen here are plants of 
merit, if only for their great wealth of flowers, and 
the neat-habited Rhododendron Wilsoni, although 
ashy bloomer, is a happy shrub for associating with 
rockwork. Of a very floriferous nature is Genista 
hispanica, which bears cutting back with freedom, 
while the various species of desirable Barberries in¬ 
cluding Hooker’s (Berberis Hookeriana) and the orna¬ 
mental flowered and particularly graceful B. 
stenophylla. Growing in a sunny corner, Nuttalia 
cerasiformis and the Chamaecerasus fragrantissima 
bloom with freedom,the latter a desirable shrub with 
light pea-green leaves, and lots of sweet-smelling, 
pinky-tinged flowers. Trailing over a big mass of 
the Tunbridge sandstone is the now fairly common 
garland flower (Daphne cneorum), a plant of the 
greatest beauty and interest. 
Hypolepis anthriscifolia has become quite estab¬ 
lished and survived the last winter, which is more 
than might have been expected. Hardy Ferns are, 
however, largely grown in this secluded garden, and 
I noticed several of my old favourite Blechnums— 
B. lineare, B. serratum, B. trinervium coronans, B. 
anomolum and a host of others. Of the forms of the 
Lady Fern-Athyriumfelix-fcemina acrocladon is well 
grown, as also is A. f. f. pulcherrimum, some of the 
rarer Shield Ferns (Polystichums) Scolopendriums, 
and almost every other branch of the family. 
A visit paid to the same garden a couple of months 
ago was of the greatest interest from the large 
numbers of Snowdrops that were then in flower. 
Galanthus Shorlocki pleased me much, and G. 
virescens was equally distinct, while the uncommon 
G. poculiformis and several new forms were all of 
special interest. 
Altogether this out-of-the way garden in the coun¬ 
try is (o me a sottrce of special interest, my 
commission being to visit it when I like, but I fear 
that my notes are far from complete, and certainly do 
small justice to so varied and interesting a collection 
of flowering plants. — A. D. Webster. 
_ - ♦ - _ 
♦ 
SCOTTISH NOTES. 
Scottish Horticultural Association. — The 
monthly meeting of this Association took place on 
the ist inst., Mr. James Grieve, president, in the 
chair. Mr. M. King, Bonnington, read a paper on 
poisonous plants, in which he dealt with different 
varieties which come under the gardener’s notice, 
and touched upon their properties. The paper 
gave rise to a good deal of discussion. Mr. J. H. 
Wilson, D.Sc., gave a communication on the subject 
of the fertilization of flowers. He spoke of the 
different methods of fertilization. He showed how 
pollination by water is accomplished in the case of 
such a plant as Vallisneria. He touched upon ferti¬ 
lization by wind, taking as examples the Nettle, the 
Willow, and the Pine. For the most part, how¬ 
ever, he confined himself to the subject of pollination 
by animals, chiefly insects, and he specially dealt 
with two Cape plants, Wachendorfia and Albuca, 
which had been subjects of recent investigation by 
himself. In the case of one plant, the Aspidistra, 
he claimed for the slug that it was an agency in 
promoting its fertilization. Dr. Wilson urged how 
important it was for practical gardeners to pay atten¬ 
tion to the subject of fertilization of flowers, and he 
pointed out how a knowledge of it was of practical 
utility. Some discussion arose upon the subject, 
and one member claimed more for atmospheric 
conditions in promoting fertilization than for insect 
agency. Dr. Paterson, Bridge of Allan, sent for 
exhibition a specimen of the Liquorice plant in 
flower. In a note accompanying it he stated that 
the plant had been known to flower in Scotland 
three or four times only during the past sixty years. 
Stirling Flower Show.— This annual flower 
show was held in the Public Hall, Albert Place, on 
the 4th and 5th inst. The entries were not quite so 
numerous as on former occasions, but Sir Alan 
Seton Steuart, Bart., of Touch, who opened the 
show, said in his opening address that the society 
was a very old one, the exhibition had always been 
one of great excellence, and this year’s show, in his 
opinion, was quite up to the standard of past shows 
in spite of the weather. The number of prizes 
offered was very large, and the competition in the 
division for pot plants was very close throughout—- 
both amateurs and professional growers being well 
represented. .Cut flowers were well shown, and the 
entries in some of the classes were numerous. 
Hardy fruits and Grapes were considered creditable. 
Mr. H. Watson, who took several first prizes for 
Grapes, also carried off the gold medal offered by 
Mr. Campbell Bannerman in that section. 
Dundee Flower Show. — The twenty-seventh 
annual exhibition of the Dundee Horticultural 
Society was opened on the 3rd inst., by the Earl of 
Camperdown, in presence of a large and’ fashionable 
assemblage. The show, as usual, took place on an 
enclosed portion of Magdalen Green, immediately to 
the west of the Esplanade Station. There were 
three main marquees, in which ample space was 
provided for the display of the many exhibits in all 
departments which were sent in. There were other 
smaller marquees for the display of goods, etc., and 
in the centre of this enclosure was the bandstand, 
which was gaily decorated with evergreens. For the 
purpose of illuminating the grounds after nightfall a 
number of Bray lamps were erected on uprights. At 
each post a Fir was planted, which almost hid the 
uprights, and gave to the enclosure the appearance 
of a neatly laid out lawn. The other appointments 
were in keeping with the surroundings, giving to the 
show a most compact and pleasing appearance. The 
weather fortunately turned out to be fine, although 
some days previously the storms of wind and 
rain made it doubtful whether it would be possible 
to erect the show tents. The principal 
marquee was occupied by pot plants. Two rows 
of plants were arranged along the centre, 
and along each side were platforms on which 
table decorative plants, Ferns, succulents, and other 
subjects were staged. Stove and greenhouse plants 
were arranged for effect at the east end of the central 
rows, on tables 14 ft. by 7ft. Orchids were poorly 
represented, but Coniferse were shown in fine con¬ 
dition. Caladiums were noticeable for the size of 
their leaves. Tall and dwarf British Ferns were 
also a well-marked feature. Alpines are generally 
an interesting feature of the Dundee flower show, 
and on this occasion the exhibits had been well 
grown, but many of them were out of season and 
were deficient in flowers. 
