September 2, 190S. 
THE HARDENING WORLD 
699 
AN" . 
THE SUBURBAN 
Two Contiguous 
FRONT GARDEN. c ” i ™- 
In continuation of my notes on front gardens, 
I purpose giving a sketch of two gardens be¬ 
longing to different people, and both situated 
at corners facing two' streets in a western 
suburb of London. If one gardener had the 
keeping of both of these gardens, and if 
actuated by the same spirit as the gardeners 
of twenty or thirty years ago, he would cer¬ 
tainly have laid them out exactly on the same 
lilan, the one to countermatch the other, not 
only as a whole, but in minute particulars. 
Both villas stand well back from the side 
pavement, so that there is a good-sized front 
garden, as front gardens go in main thorough¬ 
fares at the present day. There is a door in 
front of each house, and another round one 
end. Evidently, for this reason, both gardens 
have been laid out in triangular form, the 
lawn occupying this triangular and large area 
of the garden. A walk connects both doors of 
the house, and towards one side a pathway 
leads to the exit on to the street. 
It is a very common custom amongst these 
villas to edge the grass next the house with a 
narrow bed, usually consisting of flowers. In 
one of the gardens under notice the flowers 
consist of scarlet Pelargoniums, edged with 
Lobelias, and having a line of Rose bushes 
along the centre. On the grass is one circular 
bed of Sweet Alyssum and purple-leaved 
Begonia of the fibrous-rooted type, named 
Begonia semperflorens Vernon. The contrast 
of the white Alyssum and the red-leaved 
Begonia is very striking, though the former, 
being a rapid grower, has now almost over¬ 
powered the Begonias. 
THE . . . 
SWEET PEA. 
“ To-night the Sweet Pea is supreme. I 
noticed there was no paper down in your 
syllabus for this meeting, and thought I 
could not do better than offer you a few re¬ 
marks on this flower—not so much that I am 
an authority on the subject, as to help to 
while away a pleasant evening and encourage 
discussion. I am not exhibiting, as at pre¬ 
sent I have only a small backyard garden, 
but I hope to be able to grow and show here 
at some future time. 
“ The Sweet Pea (Latliyrusl odoratus) came 
from Sicily in 1700, but it was not until about 
fifty years ago that new varieties were added 
to those first introduced. Lip to 1880 scarcely 
more than a dozen forms were in cultivation. 
Mr. Henry Eckford, however, was then at 
work cross-fertilising such varieties as he 
could procure, and it is chiefly through him, 
that the improvement of the Sweet Pea to the 
perfection of colour, form, and size which we 
see in the blooms before us .to-night has been 
brought about. Since 1882 I believe a number 
of novelties, have been sent out by him each 
succeeding year, and Mr. Eckford, in a recent 
interview, stated that there was no evidence 
that the Sweet Pea had reached its limit of 
improvement. 
“ The intending grower should know what he 
requires, and I have no doubt he will be able 
to select something that suits his taste from 
At the opposite end of the garden is a great 
bank of golden, bronze and silver-leaved Pelar¬ 
goniums, arranged in panels at either end of a 
central mass of the rich brown-leaved Coleus 
Verschaffelti. This is quite in the style of the 
old time summer bedding, and it is edged with 
variegated Cock’s-foot Grass. 
Tire narrow borders next to the streets, on 
two sides of the garden, consist of hardy 
herbaceous p 1 ants. In front of the house a 
narrow border is adorned with Ivy-leaved 
Pelargoniums and Fuchsias. At the south 
side of the house are masses of tuberous 
•Begonias on both sides of the walk. Standing 
in the pathway is a line of the South African 
Lily (Agapanthus), now, of course, out of 
bloom. The front of the house itself is draped 
with white Jasmine. 
The corresponding garden on the opposite 
corner has a narrow bed bounding the lawn 
consisting of Pelargoniums, edged with Golden 
Feather and Lobelia, with Roses along the 
centre. 
A wider distinction is, however, found in a 
large oval bed upon the grass, consisting of 
bush Roses on a groundwork of tuberous 
Begonias, these being edged with golden¬ 
leaved Pelargoniums and Lobelias. 
The outside borders next the streets here 
again consist of herbaceous plants, such as 
Japanese Anemones, Phloxes, Lupins, Golden- 
rods, Chrysanthemum latifolium, etc., all late 
flowering, as will be observed. Amongst these 
are isolated shrubs, such as Sweet Laurel, 
Aucubas, and other subjects. Q. 0. R. 
Paper on the “Sweet Pea,” read- before 
the Doncaster and District Gardeners’ and 
Amateur Gardene rs’ Mutual Improvement 
Society on July 20th, 1905, by Mr. 
C. Leeson. 
the varieties here to-night. I am not going to 
give you a long list, but Dorothy Eckford 
(white), King Edward VII. (crimson), Miss 
Willmott (orange), and Lady Grizel Hamil¬ 
ton (lavender) are varieties that even the 
smallest growers should have. The seed 
should be obtained from a reliable source, 
it being very disappointing if the blooms are 
not true to colour at blooming time. I would, 
however, say that my experience is that some 
varieties are liable to sport more than others, 
and the seedsman is not always to blame. 
“ In regard to soils, for choice I would have 
a rich yellow loam, inclining to clay, but 
light soil can be improved by the addition of 
clay and old cow manure, and heavy soil by 
old stable manure. The finest Sweet Peas 
I have had were grown on yellow clayey loam 
which had been old meadow land, broken up 
the previous autumn, left rough during the 
winter, and a shallow trench made in the 
spring. In this trench were planted, towards 
the middle of April, the seedling Peas raised 
in flower-pots (five or six in a 5-in. pot), which 
had been sown early in March and grown in 
a rough-made cold frame. The trench was 
not quite filled up ; it therefore formed a 
protection for the young plants from the cold 
winds, and when water was required later, 
in the hot, dry weather, it did not run away 
from the plants, as would have been the case 
if the ground had boon level. The seedlings 
vvoio planted thinly, 3 in. to 6 in. apart. 
After this the soil around them was given a 
dressing of lime, and a few flays later a dress¬ 
ing of soot, and this was repeated, the soot 
being scattered when the weather was still 
ami showery. The plants were staked before 
they began to fall over with twiggy sticks 
one side of the row sloping in one direction 
an ',, r , ot h e r side in the opposite direction. 
When approaching the blooming stage they 
were watered with liquid manure made as 
follows oz. kainit, £ oz. superphosphate, 
! ° m n rate s ° da > and s oz. iron sulphate to 
two gaHons of water. The chemicals used 
weie mixed with a small quantity of hot 
water before adding to the two gallons cold 
wa ei, as the iron sulphate does not dissolve 
amf 7 ' AS the plants 8h o w ed bloom 
and fine flowers were required, the growing 
points were pinched out. All old flowers were 
q tkly removed, or, rather, they were not 
a lowed to get old, as if deeds'had been 
allowed to form the blooming period would 
not have lasted very long. As I required a 
small quantity of seed the following year I 
allowed about a couple of pods on each plant 
to matuie, all other seed-pods being removed 
consequently I obtained finer seed. ’ 
1 ou may not all have even a frame to raise 
the plants. The Sweet Pea is quite hardy 
and may be sown in open ground middle of 
March to middle of April, about 2 in deep 
remembering that it usually takes about 
twelve weeks from spring sowing to bloomim? 
difference^ Weather > however > make s some 
October, about 3 in. deep, and fine early 
bloom is thus obtained. This, I believe, is 
the practice at Wem. The Sweet Pea is 
admirably adapted for the decoration of the 
GypiipMa.™ W<!l1 "‘ h ' ight » 
“ It is best to use only two or three varieties 
the colours of which harmonise. White will 
agree with any colour. Flowers are best cut 
m early morning, and kept in a dark, cool 
place, with stems m water, for a few hours 
pieiious to exhibiting. In my opinion, these 
flowers should not be wired when shown at 
exhibitions, but each bloom should be as cut 
from the plant. 
Lew varieties are obtained by saving seeds 
from plants which throw blooms of different 
colour, etc., to the stock. If considered an 
improvement in any way in shape and colour, 
the seed should be tried a couple of seasons 
at least before it is claimed as a new variety. 
Cross-fertilisation is rather a delicate matter, 
as self-fertilisation takes 2 dace so early in 
the Pea family. I do not believe that the 
Pea is fertilised by insects to anything like 
the extent that is generally supposed.” 0 
^ Mr. Leeson then gave the points of the 
Sweet Pea as recognised by the National 
Sweet Tea Society, and remarked that 
although Scarlet Gem does not come up 
to the standard as regards three flowers on 
a stem, it was certificated on account of its 
brilliant colour. I thank you for your kind 
attention. I am afraid I have bored you. but 
will try and do better should I be asked to 
give you a paper on some future occasion.” 
The W oeld’s Roses are estimated by Mr. 
J. G. Baker, F.R.S., to include 69 primary 
species. Of these, 29 grow native in Europe, 
26 in Northern Asia, 18 in Western Asia, 9 in 
India, 10 in Western North America, 6 in 
Eastern North America. 
