April 21, 1894. 
533 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
SPRING GARDENING. 
Garden pursuits, at all times interesting and full of 
promise, become at this period of the year so 
fascinating that even the professional gardener 
himself may and does sometimes proclaim himself 
delighted with the result of his forethought and 
labour. The return of spring being synonymous 
with the renewal of vegetable life and myriads of 
floral births, what wonder if man likewise becomes 
more or less affected with the spirit of activity which 
everywhere prevails ? All lovers of gardening—and 
many professional men may here be included— 
receive such a stimulus at this season, either by 
present prospects or future rewards, that all, in 
some degree, regard Nature now with more favour 
than at any other time in the cycle of events. The 
fruit garden itself, clothed as it is in a glorious 
garment of pink and white, is a perfect emblem of 
the ephemeral nature of things, for, alas ! ere long 
the glory will be gone, and the picture but a fading 
apparent that Primroses grown under such conditions 
are likely to suffer in such seasons as this. Never-- 
theless, they make a fine effect, because they are 
stocky, floriferous, effective, and contain almost 
every shade of colour except blue, which is coming 
—see Gardening World, p. 520. 
Mr. Wright uses these plants in masses, and as a 
“carpet” to bulbous plants. Thus by this latter 
arrangement the season of flowering is prolonged, or 
otherwise rendered unique. It was curious to watch 
the alacrity of the bee in probing the flowers—his 
proboscis was continually in and out of the floral 
tubes ; so much so, that it would be an interesting 
problem to solve as to what part the bee has played 
in helping Mr. Dean to produce such a very fine 
strain of hybrid Primroses. Spring gardening is 
carried out here with a good deal of system, for Mr. 
Wright does not believe in bare beds at any time of 
the year; so, in accordance with this principle, he 
employs a host of evergreen plants, such as White 
Arabis, Myosotis, Silene, Wallflowers, etc., to fur- 
with so much vigour are, in my opinion, positive 
proofs that the right man is in the right place, and 
that, should the present rate of progress continue, 
Falkland Park will become in a few years a veri¬ 
table El Dorado of attractions.—C. B. G., Acton, W. 
-- 
FLOWER GARDENING IN AMERICA.* 
The endeavour which is being made by Messrs. Atlee 
Burpee & Co., to encourage and popularise garden¬ 
ing in America, is a very laudable one. For some 
time past they have been issuing cheap books written 
in a popular style, and evidently intended to meet 
the requirements of the amateur rather that the pro¬ 
fessional. The illustrations are fairly numerous, and 
in some cases suggestive, but they are very simple, 
with exception of half-a-dozen, which are repro¬ 
ductions of photographs. Ihe printing is in large 
type and well executed. We notice, however, that 
most of the illustrations are let into the type in a 
peculiar and irregular way which is seldom attempted 
in this country, where our books of the kind are 
Coelogyne cristata as grown at Broom Hill. 
vision, cherished only in the minds ot those whose 
memories serve them well. Still, the present reality 
is as beautiful as it is unique, and the freedom with 
which the trees are blossoming is some compensa¬ 
tion, even if we get no adequate results. 
“ All nature stirs : slugs leave their lair ; 
The bees are stirring ; birds are on the wing ; 
And winter slumbering in the open air- 
Wears on his smiling kce a dream of spring.” 
These lines are approximately true, for the animal 
kingdom, as regards activity, runs much on the same 
lines as the vegetable world. The bees and the 
birds by day, and the slugs by night, are each 
eager and active after their own particular methods, 
and are working unconsciously either for or against 
the gardeners’ schemes. 
The bees are visibly eager for floral sweets ; for, 
on the occasion of my visit to Falkland Park, the 
heal was such as the bees love—the sun poured down 
with unwonted vigour, while the thermometer stood 
over 70° in the shade. 
The poor Primroses—which Mr. A. Wright makes 
quite a speciality of—were evidently in distress ; for 
add to the extreme aridity of the season the 
elevation of this grand establishment, and it will be 
nish the beds during the winter ; and with these he 
blends all the popular bulbous subjects, so that, at 
this season, the garden is delightful, and exhibits 
varying degrees of harmony and intelligent design. 
Mr. Wright is also an advocate for a more natural 
style of gardening, hence bulbs innumerable have 
been planted in the shrubberies and the grass. The 
effect is very fine, and as a variety of subjects is 
available for this purpose, a series of floral pictures 
must issue. 
The artist can colour his canvas as he wills, why 
should not the gardener use the powers Nature has 
given him to produce the same result ? 
In a paper on this subject, read before the Ealing 
Gardeners’ Society, Mr. Wright said, “Where banks 
of natural streams or ornamental water can be had for 
this kind of work, no formal flower garden ever laid 
down will rival the grand effects produced by the 
judicious arrangement of bulbs in such a position.” 
The wonderful transformation which has been 
brought about here since he took over the charge, 
rather more than two years ago, admirably aided by 
his superior, J. McMeekin, Esq., is, I think, the best 
testimony to his forethought and ability. The vari¬ 
ous phases of gardening which are prosecuted here 
more intended for utility than ornament. Cloth 
covers would have been more durable than the 
paper ones, and in our opinion would have added 
much to the value and durability of the book. 
The contents are divided into twenty chapters, the 
arrangement of which seems to us more arbitrary 
than natural. For instance, one short chapter deals 
with the subject of Roses, Lilies, Carnations, Chry¬ 
santhemums, and Orchids, while various annuals are 
scattered through seven chapters. That is giving 
them much more importance, seemingly, than they 
deserve, unless the cultivation of annuals is corres¬ 
pondingly extensive in America. On the contrary, 
the subjects mentioned in the first of the above 
quoted chapters are all amateur’s plants in this 
country, and one or more kinds of them are fre¬ 
quently the principal features of many gardens to a 
large extent tended by the owners themselves. Of 
course. Orchids generally require someone perma¬ 
nently in charge, but it is otherwise with the rest. 
Annuals are more easily managed by the masses at 
large. There are few, if any, of the plants mentioned 
which are not cultivated in this country. The 
* “The Beautiful Flower Garden,” by F. Schuyler Mathews 
Publishsd by W. Atlee Burpae & Co,, Philadelphia. 
