22 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
May 1, 1909 
Rhododendrons in Bloom at St. Vigeans, Mount Lofty. 
. 
ST. VIGHANS. 
The residence of Dr, Stirling, F.R.S., 
is so“named in pious memory of his _ 
father, whose schoolboy days were spent 
in the ancient parish of St. Vigeans, 
which closely adjoins the town of 
Arbroath, in Scotland. St. Vigean’s 
Church, indeed, is one of the most 
ancient in Scotland, parts of it dating 
from the thirteenth century, and its 
history is closely interwoven with that of 
the Abbey of Aberbrothock, which lies 
within Arbroath itself. 
The grounds of the garden are between 
four and five acres in extent, laid out on 
the slope of a somewhat steep hill, and 
the approach is from a district road 
which runs alongside the property. The 
road first claims attention because of the 
fine avenue of Oriental planes, which, the 
doctor naively remarked, the District 
Council allowed him to plant. This 
condescension on the part of the Coun- 
cillors showed an attribute of wisdom in 
having an exceedingly pretty country 
Jane added to the original beauty of 
Mount Lofty, in the district of Stirling 
West, so named after) the father of the 
owner of Saint Vigeans. 
: good : as possible. 
The house was 
one of the first of the many country 
residences which now beautify the 
surroundings of Mount Lofty It over- 
_ looks a valley through which the railway 
runs, the station being within a few 
minutes’ walk of the house. Nearly on 
the crest of the hill excavations had to be 
made, anda large area of level ground 
filled up to take the drive, the house, and 
the terrace around it, 
The picture presented above is from a 
a photograph taken while the bed of 
Rhododendrons (from rhodon, ‘a rose,’ 
and dendron, ‘ a tree’), was in full bloom, 
and gives an idea of what a mass of 
beauty is exhibited there. To realise 
it better all the white blooms in the 
picture must be turned into a variety of 
deep rich colorings, and lovely tints, from 
white throueh the various shades of red, 
from the palest rose to dark plum color, 
set in a beautiful green foliage, inter- 
- mingling just enough to enhance the 
beauty, of the scene. 
Dr. Stirling has for years taken great. 
trouble, and spared no expense to get his 
show of Rhododendrons as complite and 
this collection, and the doctor in his 
. 
Visitors from far and 
near travel yearly to St. Vigeans to see 
4 
visits to England has made fast friends 
in Rhododendrons with the Waterer 
family, who are probably the most noted 
growers of these floral beauties in the 
world. 
The second view represents the pond— 
a nice sheet of water about two chains 
long by half a chain wide. This part of 
the garden has some claim to picture- 
esqueness, and our artist has succeeded 
Here the 
Nympheeas spread their broad leaves 
lazily floating on the still water, and the 
wax-like blooms hold their pretty heads 
up to the sunlight. The evaporation 
from a sheet of water like this is con- 
siderable, and to regulate the immersion 
of the plants they are placed in pots 
suspended cn wires, which can be lowered 
to the required depth, and otherwise 
receive attention. While the water 
lilies lie undisturbed upon the surface 
the grasses grow high above them and 
waive their nodding heads to the breez@ 
that rustles the foliage of the stately 
bamboos and the stiffly growing New 
Zealand flax. Here, too, the Irises 
(Kaempferi and Aurea), with a luxuriant 
in catching a nice view of it, 
_ growth, dip their leaves in the refreshing 
pool, while the Cannas luxuriate in theit 
