726 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
September 16, 1905. 
FIRST PRIZE ESSAY. ^ ^ u 
II I I I I I I I II I I I I I H TT' TTi II ITT I I I II | II | | | | | | | | W 
W HAT I WOULD DO WIT H A VILLA GARDEN 
IN THE PRODUCTION OF FLOWERS, FRUITS & VEGETABLES. 
By Herbert H. Morris. 
winter are past, for by loosening the soil 
about the roots at this season the frosts have 
much easier access to the mutilated roots, 
and, in consequence, many of the finer speci¬ 
mens will die out. 
The same applies to the perennial ques¬ 
tion of the removal of evergreens and coni¬ 
fers. This, like most gardening operations, 
does not—cannot—admit of hard and fast 
rules, and ought to be based upon circum¬ 
stances. Gardening is beginning to be ac¬ 
knowledged by all classes to be an art based 
upon general principles, and not a tissue of 
dogma, as too often it has been interpreted. 
Glasgow. D- C. 
THE SUBURBAN . . . 
FRONT GARDEN. 
Flowers and Shrubs. 
In looking over the villa gardens to be met 
with in the western suburbs of London, it is 
evident that more variety is to be met with 
and more taste displayed in the cultivation 
of the plants, than was indicated by “ Max ” at 
Ilford. On this occasion I will discuss a gar¬ 
den where shrubs are used with very fine 
effect as well as flowers. The jiiece of lawn is 
edged on: the side towards the house with a 
’ long narrow bed of Verbenas, having a line of 
standard Boses planted along the middle 
of them. The object of the Boses is to furnish 
variety, and at the same time break the mono¬ 
tony of a flat bed. Bronze Pelargoniums 
have been used as an edging. 
Along the front of the house is a narrow 
border planted at intervals with the oval- 
leaved golden Privet. These bushes are left 
uncut during the summer months, and con¬ 
sequently display all the beauty of the re¬ 
cently made summer foliage. This plan of 
leaving the shrubs untrimmed has very much 
to recommend it, because while preserving 
the beauty of the foliage, the shrubs have a 
more free and natural appearance. 
With regard to the size of the bushes, this 
can easily be regulated by pruning at the end 
of March. The bushes may simply be cut 
back to any extent, and into any shape desired. 
The growth made is then allowed to develop 
naturally during the summer months. This 
narrow border is edged with Pelargoniums 
and Echeverias. 
Along the front next to the street is a low 
wall surmounted by an iron railing. Inside 
this is a golden Privet hedge kept trim with 
the shears. The flatness of this hedge is re¬ 
lieved, however, by having at intervals in it 
other trees — standards — with beautiful 
foliage, such as some of the dwarfer growing 
Bobinias or False Acacias, purple Beeches, 
and the variegated Box Elder (Negundo). 
The house front is too highly ornamented in 
this particular case to be covered with clim¬ 
bers. Q. 0. B. 
Tomato Sunrise 
On page 637 reference is made to a new 
Tomato, named Carter’s Surprise. Is not 
this an -error? [Yes, a printer’s error. 
- En.J So far as I am aware, it is Car¬ 
ter’s Sunrise that is or has been tested at 
Wisley, and it was Sunrise that Carter’s ex¬ 
hibited at the Sweet Pea Show when it had 
its award. Sunrise may rank as the finest 
Tomato extant. Its enormous cropping 
powers, its fine colour, even medium size, 
and fine flavour, stamp it as an elite in 
Tomatodom. With me it is cropping finely 
out of doors. A big nurseryman, who has 
seen it at Wisley, is advising all his friends 
to grow Sunrise only. Cal. 
In writing under the above heading, I must 
first select a garden, one of a reasonable shape 
and containing approximately 3,000 square 
feet. 
The accompanying plan shows the one 
chosen, a very familiar type, parallelogram in 
form, 33ft. frontage and. 120ft. long. The 
forecourt is 33ft. by 14ft., or 462 sq. ft. The 
back garden portion is 82ft. by 33ft., or 2,706 
sq. ft. For the villa ground plan and side 
passage the measurements are 24ft. by 33ft., 
or 792 sq. ft. This garden I consider very 
appropriate to illustrate my “ ideas ” and 
“ ambitions.” 
The plan contains reference letters and 
numbers for the names of the principal trees, 
shrubs, plants, etc. 
Supposing the front wall of forecourt brick 
2^ft. high, with an additional 18in. of iron¬ 
work above, I should propiose planting some 
standard Limes close to' the wall and about 
5ft, apart; eight trees would be required. 
These would be trained to form a screen and 
shade for the house front and forecourt 
generally. 
Border A, section 1, receiving shade from 
Limes, would be most suitable for bedding 
Begonias and Calceolarias, with riders of 
Fuchsias, Cannas, and Nicctiana affinis. 
Spring bedding in this border would consist 
of Wallflowers, Myosotis, and yellow Violas. 
Border B, section 1, would be of a per¬ 
manent character, a centre tree of Bay, and 
small plants of Laurustinus', Kalmia'latifolia 
(Calico-bush), Berberis, variegated Box, and 
Euonymus. 
Border C, section 1, would be a rough 
rockery or rootery planted with St. John’s 
Wort, and gold and silver Periwinkle, Solo¬ 
mon’s Seal, and Kerrya japonica at the back. 
The side walls of the forecourt would be 
clothed as per plan. Magnolias, Pyrus 
japonica, Myrtles, and Wistarias would find a 
home against the front wall of the house. A 
pair of good-sized tazzas at the front door 
for Pelargoniums, Lobelia, Isolepis, and 
Tradescantia, in the summer and Wallflowers 
and Myosotis in spring. 
Proceeding to section 2, the conservatory I 
should prefer to be adjoining the residence, 
tills having many advantages over an isolated 
one. It can be kept much warmer in winter, 
and is accessible in all weathers, being con¬ 
nected with one of the rooms by a large door- 
window. Little need be said about the 
pleasures of having floral brightness and per¬ 
fume in such close proximity to the dwelling ; 
if never experienced, it can be easfly 
imagined. 
In this section we have the main “ pleasure 
grounds, lawn, flower beds, tazzas, and the 
favourite “lawn tree,” the Mulberry. The 
summer-house is situated in a diagonal line 
with the conservatory, giving a maximum 
stretch of lawn between about 40ft. 
Border D, section 2, would be planted with 
red and yellow Wallflowers (Harbinger and 
Cloth of Gold), with front of Silene for spring, 
replaced until Zinnias, Asters, and Phlox 
Hrummondii in the summer. 
Bed E, section 2, would have a centre of 
Polyantnus edged with red and white double 
Daisies for spring ; a centre of Henry Jacoby 
Pelargonium edged with Dandy in the 
summer. 
Bed F, section 2, would be planted with red, 
white, and blue Hyacinths for spring, and a 
mixed centre of Heliotrope and pink Ivy-leaf 
I elargonium edged with Lobelia in summer. 
Bed G, section 2, would have scarlet, yel- 
low, and white Tulips in spring ; in summer 
I hi ox Hrummondii edged with Pyrethrum. 
Border I, section 2, would mainly consist 
of herbaceous plants, arranged to furnish a 
succession of brightness to the border, with 
patches of annuals sown towards the front. 
I lie screen dividing this section from sec¬ 
tion 3 would be a rustic wooden fence about 
4ft. high, to be covered with Boses, arches 
being made for the same with hazel rods, as 
used by thatchers. The usefulness and effec¬ 
tiveness of such an arrangement, covered with 
Boses, can be better imagined than described. 
Nothing could be more beautiful or desirable. 
As seen in plan, a wall, border, and “ places 
on the lawn,” are also given over to Boses, 
the old Moss and Sweet Brier not bein< r over¬ 
looked. 
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1 LAN OF Forecourt of Villa Garden. 
