THE GARDENING WORLD 643 
THE SUBURBAN 
SKETCH FROM 
FRONT GARDEN. 
- - - ACTUAL GARDEN. 
August 12, 1905. 
A Showy Corn Salad (Valerianella con- 
gesta). 
In many gardens wliat is known as Lamb’s 
Lettuce is a British species of Valerianella, 
with small and inconspicuous dowers. The 
plant we illustrate is a native of North-west 
America, and is quite showy by comparison 
with any other of this genus which we have 
seen. The dowers are produced in one or 
two dense heads on the top of the stems, and 
are rosy-pink. Owing to their enormous 
numbers a clump of this plant is quite effec¬ 
tive during the month of June. That shown 
was dowered on the rockery at Kew under 
oidinary conditions -as to soil, in a sunny 
position. Like the rest of its relatives, it is 
an annual, easily raised from seeds sown in 
the open in April. It looks most at home on 
the rookery. 
Two Fine Exhibition Gooseberries 
(See Supplement.) 
This being tire season of small fruits, we 
give a supplementary illustration of two very 
dne varieties of Gooseberry suitable for ex¬ 
hibition purposes—a red and a white. 
Crown Bob is an old Lancashire Gooseberry 
of large size naturally, and, under the system 
of cultivation pursued by the growers there, 
can be grown of sufficient size to take the 
prize in the big Gooseberry competitions. 
The fruit is roundish-oblong, very dark red, 
and very roughly hairy on the surface. It is 
not merely an exhibition Gooseberry, how¬ 
ever, as it has quite a thin skin when per¬ 
fectly ripe, and for this reason the owners 
of private gardens who are rather fond of 
big Gooseberries for dessert purposes often 
use this one on -account of its appearance on 
the table, as well as its excellent davour. 
It is therefore a show or dessert Gooseberry, 
and is also largely sold in the public markets. 
It ripens somewhat late, but is very prolidc, 
and is worthy of a place in the garden. 
Snowdrift is somewhat smaller than Crown 
Bob, white and suitable for exhibition pur¬ 
poses when grown and thinned in good time 
for that purpose. It may not be large enough 
to take the premier prize for a big Goose¬ 
berry in the Lancashire competitions, but it 
is sufficiently large to be effective as a dish 
in a collection of fruit at any exhibition. It 
is also a more recent introduction to culti¬ 
vation than the better-known Crown Bob. 
this not being the season of planting or 
pruning, we shall defer further notes on this 
oocasion. 
The Amethyst Eryngium. 
(Eryngium Amethystinum ) 
Very frequently the above name is applied 
to the wrong plant. The species under notice 
usually grows about 18 in. high, and has 
very much divided, light, green leaves. The 
bracts surrounding the blue dower heads are 
narrow and very nearly without teeth, 
although sharply pointed. They are of a dne 
steel-blue colour, which is so striking a 
feature of most species of Eryngium. ° It 
blooms in July and August. Tire terminal 
head is about 1-J,- in. to 2 in. long, and the 
others are somewhat similar. 
A Giant Carrot. —At Nindeld, Sussex, a 
Carrot 3 ft. 6 in. in length has been grown. 
It is perfectly straight, and about 3 in. in 
circumference, 
There is no lack of variety with which to 
furnish a front garden in the suburbs, and I 
am afraid that in “ Max’s ” neighbourhood they 
are done on the same pattern by one man who 
gets an order to plant the front garden and is 
left to the discretion of his own sweet will as to 
what he may put in it. 
I will give a short and racy sketch of what 
is grown in a garden here at Kingston. I refer 
to a front garden with a low wall and railing 
against the public highway. A grass plot 
occupies most of the garden in front of the 
house, and the entrance to the latter being at 
one end, the walk is situated at one end like¬ 
wise, curving gracefully round to the end door 
of the villa. 
Zonal pelargoniums are planted on the two 
sides of this walk with a line of golden tri¬ 
colour Pelargoniums for an edging. Standard 
Roses are planted between the two lines of 
A brief account of a visit paid recently to 
these fine “ old-world ” gardens, the seat of 
Nicholas J. Synnott, Esq., B.L., may prove of 
interest to the readers of The Gardening 
World. 
After a courteous and hospitable welcome 
from Mr. Wilson, the head gardener, who, I 
may remark, en passant, is a well-known and 
successful exhibitor, we arrive at the garden 
-gate, from which a fine vista is at once ob¬ 
tained of the beauties which we were after¬ 
wards to more particularly admire. 
"Wliat struck us at once on entering was the 
refreshing absence of a too-conspicuous “ arti¬ 
ficiality,” or “straining after effect.” Nature 
had been so tastefully manipulated that it 
was hard to discern where man’s hand had 
been employed to soften her rugged outlines. 
Feign would we have lingered at the thres¬ 
hold to drink in the charms of the scene, but, 
alas! time is inexorable, and we had much to 
examine in detail. 
We must single out at this initial stage a 
very beautiful bed of Canterbury Bells, which 
made a really charming show, with its taste¬ 
fully-arranged contrasts of blue, white and 
pink. 
Not far from this we are arrested by a mag¬ 
nificent collection of double Anemones, of such 
superb proportions as to closely resemble large 
incurved Chrysanthemums. These flowers 
are a speciality of Mr. Wilson’s, and are 
raised from seedlings of his own. Passing into 
one of the houses, our attention is drawn to 
the Tomatos—a beautiful crop—grown from 
Leinster seedlings, by the head gardener, and 
signally reflecting the great skill and care 
employed in their raising. 
We must not leave the houses without a 
word in praise of the Vines, which show a 
splendid crop of fine promise. 
As we pass once more into the open air, and 
cross the beautifully kept grass slopes, Mr. 
Wilson points out the Strawberry beds, one 
of the finest crops we have seen this year, and, 
mirabile dictu! growing along a north border. 
This fact should, we think, effectually dis¬ 
pel the mistaken prejudice held by so many 
gardeners—professional and amateur—in 
Pelargoniums, thus there is variety and quality" 
On the grass is an oval bed of tuberous 
Begonias, dotted with C'annas and the snow- 
white leaved Centaurea. At the opposite end 
of the garden is a border of Fuchsias, with 
Roses on the wall. The narrow border in 
front of the windows is planted with bronze 
Pelargoniums alternating with neat plants of 
the golden Japan Euonymus and spotted 
Aucubas. 
The front of the house itself is covered with 
Ampelopsis Veitchi, with here and there a 
white Clematis appearing against the rich 
green leaves. Some baskets of ivy-leaved 
Pelargoniums are suspended from the top of 
the windows outside. On the warm dry sills 
are plants of the variegated American Aloe, 
and in the more shady windows the common 
Hydrangea has been dowering for some time. 
Q. O. R. 
favour of the south as being the only favour 
able aspect for the growth of this fruit. 
Passing through another gate- we come to 
what is, perhaps, the piece de resistance, the 
Sweet Peas. In such a magnificent show it is 
very difficult to particularise; but we would 
single out for special mention Prince of V/ales, 
Hon. Mrs. Kenyon, Countess C’adogan, 
America (a charming variety), Blanche 
Burpee, Othello, and Salopian. 
When we are informed that this splendid 
strain came from the world-renowned firm of 
Sir Jas. Mackey and Co., Dublin, our wonder 
is decreased, but our admiration is not dimi¬ 
nished. 
We are now introduced to the vegetable 
garden, and are shown a wonderful crop of 
Onions (Ailsa Craig), also a bed of Lettuce 
(Webb’s Wonderful) which is most appro¬ 
priately named. 
Space will only enable us to mention casually 
the Potatos, a very fine crop ; amongst which 
are twenty varieties of seedlings, of Mr. Wil¬ 
son’s own raising, as yet unnamed. 
Indeed, we understand that the head gar¬ 
dener has never yet been beaten in open com¬ 
petition in this class. 
We must not omit mention of a magnifi¬ 
cent crop of Peas (Stratagem), a strain of 
Mackey’s, upon which Mr. Wilson pins his 
faith. 
In conclusion, we may add that all the 
vegetables looked beautiful and promising, 
which is more noticeable as our visit was 
timed near the close of a very severe drought. 
This fact must reflect the more credit on the 
perseverance and untiring care necessary to 
obtain such a pleasing result under trying cir¬ 
cumstances. J. C. A. 
The “Horticultural Directory.” —The 
editor of the “Horticultural Directory,” 12, 
Mitre Court Chambers, Fleet Street. Lon¬ 
don. would esteem it a favour on the part of 
all head gardeners who have changed their 
addresses since October last if they will send 
him a notice of their new addresses. 
Nurserymen, seedsmen, and florists who have 
changed either their address or title are like¬ 
wise kindly requested to notify the editor, 
The Gardens. Furness Abbey, 
CO. KILDARE. 
