June 13, 1903 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
507 
Round the Nurseries. 
Coombe Wood Nursery. 
Most trees and shrubs flower during May and June, and a 
few at intervals later on, though some may be made to bloom 
late by special treatment. Recently we passed through the 
nursery of Messrs. James Veitch and Sons, Limited, at Coombe 
wood, Kingston Hill, which has been an emporium for trees 
and shrubs*'for a great many years. At present there are 1,200 
or 1 300 specimens of new things on trial, the larger pi op or - 
tion’of which have not yet bloomed. On former occasions we 
have mentioned the fact that Mr. E. 
H Wilson was out collecting tor 
Messrs. Veitch in China. Mr. Wilson 
was home for a time, but has gone 
back again to pursue bis collecting 
in the P rich country of China for 
new plants. 
The finest tree of Acer palmatum we 
have seen is in this nursery. It is a 
broad-headed tree some 30 ft. high, and 
as far through, and, though it cannot 
he described as graceful, it is certainly 
a very handsome and leafy specimen, 
which would be an ornament to any 
park or pleasure-grounds. Near by it an 
evergreen Oak, Quercus acuta, stand' 
25 ft. high, and is well furnished witn 
dark green oblong leaves. The new 
Jasmin um primulinum has already 
stood 18 deg. of frost, and we hope will 
prove perfectly hardy in this country. 
An uncommon plant is Citrus trifoliata, 
spoken of as the hardy Orange, but 
more correctly named Aegle sepiaria, 
but which has many other names. It 
flowered well here during May. 
Amongst Viburnums, V. Mariesii was 
in bloom, the flowers resembling those 
of our native Guelder Rose, though the 
leaves are different. Clematis mon- 
tana rubens is a new variety from 
China, with soft, rosy-red flowers, and 
will be valuable for planting with the 
ordinary form, which has white flowers, 
for the sake of contrast. A large speci¬ 
men of Cornus florida. pendula was 
already in bloom, and notable for the 
four to five white bracts which sur¬ 
rounded the miniature flowers, and are 
really very showy. Carpentaria, cali- 
fornica stood the winter without suffer¬ 
ing any injury whatever. Usually Fre- 
montia californica is regarded as 
tender, hut there is a fine pyramidal 
tree of it here, 15 ft. high, and which 
must he handsome when in bloom. 
Very often this tree is grown in green¬ 
houses. Polygonum floribundum is a 
very little known species. A specimen of it her e is trained on a 
pole 30 ft. high, and will reach the top during the season. 
Buddleia Colvillei is 6 ft. high, and making fine growth. 
Another rare tree, seldom seen so far north as London, is Ben- 
thamia fragifera, the Strawberry Dogwood. Buddleia albiflora 
and B. variabilis veitchiana are other choice and little known 
species that do well here. The last named attained a height of 
8 ft. last year, and produced racemes of bloom 18 in. to 24 in. 
long. It was a perfect picture. 
We are constrained to mention Corydalis cheilanthifolia, 
which, although not a shrub, is planted with them. A large 
specimen in the open is in full bloom, the flowers being yellow, 
while the leaves strongly resemble those of a Fern. Spiraea 
Henryi and S. Veitchi are new shrubs from China which have 
not yet flowered. The Penzance Sweet Briars were grown on 
poles 6 ft. to 8 ft. high, and demonstrated how suitable they 
are for this particular purpose. 
The nurseries occupy part of the slopes of Coombe Wood, 
and also a deep valley. In the bottom of the latter a Lily 
pond and Bamboo garden are situated. The collection of 
Bamboos consists of. thirty species. Bog plants occupy the 
margin of the pond. In this 'hollow are various ornamental 
trees, including Maples, Planes, Sycamores, Birches, Limes, 
Poplars, Rhododendrons, etc. 
A fine specimen of Adenocarpus decorticans, about 3 ft, high. 
had trusses of golden-yellow flowers in the open. It is a native 
of Spain, and supposed to be somewhat tender. Another very 
uncommon shrub is Trocliodendron aralioides, recently sepa¬ 
rated from the Magnolia family, and forming part of a new 
order of plants. The flowers are very singular in structure. 
The rose-flowered Rub us spectabilis was already in bloom. The 
old plant Eucryphia pinnatifolia is now 12 ft. high, and has 
not been in the least injured by frost. We are surprised that 
this beautiful shrub has not become one of the most common 
in gardens and pleasure-grounds, for it produces masses of pure 
white flowers, resembling those of a single Rose or St. John’s 
Wort, and is very handsome when in bloom. Pavia macro- 
stachya forms a tree about 10 ft. high, and the same in width. 
SCHIZANTHUS WISETONENSIS. 
