532 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
June  29,  1899. 
CAMELLIAS  AT  ST.  LEONARD’S  HILL. 
As  one  sees  garden  after  garden  in  various  counties  one  realises  more 
and  more  how  vastly  they  differ  from  each  other  in  their  essential 
features.  This  may  be  characterised  by  its  magnificent  Rhododendrons, 
that  renowned  for  its  historical  associations,  a  third  celebrated  for  its 
f)rchids,  still  another  for  its  unique  arboricultural  treasures,  and  so  on. 
And  it  is  this  constant  change  that  maintains  the  interest  of  innumerable 
visits,  and  makes  one  ever  anxious  to  explore  “fresh  fields  and  pastures 
new.”  Fortunately  there  is  no  lack  of  beautiful  homes  and  gardens 
that  are  worthy  of  prominent  recognition  in  the  pages  of  the  Journal  of 
HortiGuHure.,  so  that  the  taste  for  such  travel  is  not  likely  to  be  soon 
quenclied.  That  the  popularitj  of  gardening  in  our  island  homo  is  ever 
increasing  cannot  be  doubted,  and  this  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the 
number  of  immense  estates  that  are  fully  maintained  is  smaller  than  was 
the  case  a  generation,  or  loss,  ago. 
In  the  particular  instance  row  under  observation  — St.  Leonard’s  Hill, 
Windsor,  the  residence  of  Bir  Francis  Tress  Barry,  Bart.,  the  member  of 
Parliament  for  the  royal  borough  — the  specialty  is  Camellias  out  of  doors. 
Not  that  these  noble  plants  form  the  sum  total  of  this  charming  estate. 
By  no  mean'',  but  they  are  of  such  super-excellence,  and  so  unique  a 
feature,  that  to  them  lull  prominence  must  be  accorded  in  these  notes, 
and  even  then  too  much  in  their  praise  will  not  be  said.  Probably 
visitors  to  the  spring  meetings  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  at  the 
Drill  Hall  will  remember  the  collection  of  cut  Camellia  flowers  that  was 
staged  from  St.  Leonard’s  Hill  by  the  gardener-in-chief,  Mr.  11.  Brown, 
when  forty-two  distinct  varieties  were  represented,  though  all  were  not 
Jiamed.  At  the  first  glance  there  was  nothing  remarkable  in  the  exhibit, 
but  closer  investigation  revealed  the  fact  that  every  one  was  from 
plants — or,  rather,  bushes — grown  out  of  doors.  The  expression  to  Mr. 
Brown  of  a  wish  to  see  them  at  home  was  no  sooner  hinted  than  a  hearty 
invitation  was  given,  and  prompt  arrangements  were  made,  which 
culminated  in  a  journey  to  Windsor  on  Thursday,  April  20th.  Happily 
the  day  was  fine  and  dry,  for  it  is  perfectly  certain  that  so  much 
pleasure  would  not  have  been  derived  had  the  weather  proved 
unpropitious. 
At  the  outset  it  may  be  stated  that  the  planting  of  Camellias  out 
of  doors  was  commenced  by  the  gardener  acting  under  the  express  wish 
of  Sir  Francis,  then  l\Ir.  Barry,  some  seventeen  years  ago,  and  the  two 
-original  plants  now  occupy  the  positions  in  which  they  were  first  placed, 
and  flower  year  by  year.  The  object  in  view  was  to  prove  the  con¬ 
stitution  ot  the  plants  to  be  sufliciently  hardy  to  withstand,  with  no 
semblance  of  protection,  the  extremes  ot  our  climate.  It  must  be  said 
that  these  were  planted  close  to  the  mansion  in  such  a  position  as  to  be 
wholly  protected  trom  the  north  by  the  structure,  and  largely  sheltered 
from  the  east  b}'  an  angle  of  the  building.  The  identical  spot  is  almost 
at  the  extreme  left-hand  corner  of  the  photographic  reproduction 
(fig.  119  .  No  attempt  was  made  to  plant  wholesale  at  this  period,  but  the 
much  wiser  course  of  “marching  slowly”  was  adopted,  and  ultimately 
wdth  gratifiing  results,  as  may  be  seen  by  every  visitor  at  any  time  of 
the  year.  The  initial  eflort  was  so  full  of  promise  that  successive  work 
was  soon  proceeding,  though  still  tentatively.  However,  as  years  rolled 
on,  and  ir  was  seen  that  the  severity  of  the  frost  made  no  appreciable 
difference  to  the  health  and  strength  of  the  stock  the  number  of 
plants  became  greater  and  greater  until  it  now  reaches  a  total  of  upwards 
of  150  specimens,  ranging  trom  youngsters  a  foot  in  height  to  those  that 
have  grown  old  in  faithful  service,  but  are  yet  young  in  the  vigour  of 
their  growth,  and  in  the  abundance  of  their  flowers. 
Probably  some  readr^rs  of  these  notes  who  are  accustomed  to 
seeing  Camellias  carefully  protected  under  glass  will  assume  that  St. 
Leonard’s  Hill  is  a  peculiarly  favoured  estate  as  regards  .shelter,  and  does 
not  suffer  from  severe  frosts  at  ail.  Such  a  supposition  would  be  entirely 
erroneous,  as  the  beautiful  mansion,  which  alone  is  w'orthy  of  a  detailed 
description,  is  wholly  exposed  to  the  north,  east,  and  west,  and  is  pro¬ 
tected  from  the  south  by  trees  only.  It  stands  on  high  ground  that 
permits  the  visitor,  when  on  the  terrree,  to  look  over  Old  Windsor  to 
the  Royal  Castle,  which  occupies  a  lower  eminence  some  two  or  three 
miles  away.  In  one  respect  it  is  more  than  likely  the  elevated  position 
favours  the  growth  of  the  Camellias,  as  it  is  well  known  that  frosts  of  equal 
severity,  so  far  as  the  actual  number  of  degrees  registered  is  concerned, 
are  followed  by  vastly  diflerent  effects  at  the  summit  of  a  hill  and 
at  its  base.  The  drier  air  of  the  higher  elevation  causes  ihe  frost  to  be 
much  less  disastrous.  But  if  we  grant  a  point  in  favour  of  the  situ¬ 
ation  from  this  aspect  of  the  case,  we  musr,  in  all  justice,  take  into 
consideration  the  frost-laden  winds  that  come  with  biting  keenness  from 
north  and  east  almost,  if  not  quite  every  year,  and  never  do  the  plants  the 
slightest  harm.  There  they  are  at  the  present  moment  planted  on  the 
north,  east,  and  west  aspects,  and  the  experience  of  nearly  twenty  years 
has  proved  them  to  be  equally  hardy  with  Rhododendrons  and  other 
shrubs  that  are  supposed  to  have  sufficient  natural  strength  to  stand  safely 
anywhere. 
It  will  have  been  observed  that  so  far  no  mention  has  been  made  of 
the  susceptibility  or  otherwise  of  the  flowers  themselves,  but  that  the 
remariis  have  been  strictly  applied  to  the  plants.  This  was  done  advisedlj-. 
The  blooms  and  buds  that  are  actually  beyond  the  cover  of  the  foliage 
turn  brown  on  the  visitation  of  frost,  and  are  useless.  But,  on  the  other 
hand,  each  bud  that  is  protected  b^’  the  leaves  remains  uninjured,  and 
when  we  consider  that  some  of  the  plants  produce  upwards  of  500, 
it  will  be  admitted  that  the  lose  of  a  score  or  so  does  not  necessarily 
mean  that  the  beauty  of  the  specimen  has  gone  for  a  season.  One  could 
hardly  realise  the  protection  that  the  leaves  provide  until  they  had  been 
examined.  This  shows  them  to  be  very  thick  and  ol  an  exceptionally  tough 
character.  The  amount  of  Irost  they  are  capable  of  resisting  must  be 
very  great,  though  we  are  not  prepared  to  assert  that  they  would  escape 
Frofessor  Dewar’s  421°.  In  colour  the  leaves  are  deep  green,  and  whereas 
when  Camellias  are  grown  under  glass  it  is  frequently  found  that  the 
leaves  are  turned  the  wrong  way  round,  on  these  outdoor  plants  an 
occurrence  of  this  nature  is  exceedingly  rare.  Then  someone  may  ask. 
Is  the  soil  of  such  a  character  as  to  be  extremely  favourable  ?  And  I 
should  be  inclined  to  reply  in  the  negative,  as  it  is  a  strong,  holding 
loam,  in  which  it  is  difficult  to  establish  any  plants,  bat  which  provides 
good  food  when  once  the  roots  have  a  firm  grip.  Mr.  Brown,  however, 
does  not  plant  in  this  direct,  but  employs  heavy  dressings  of  leaf  mould 
and  grit,  these  in  conjunction  favouring  rapid  root  action,  and  consequent 
quick  establishment  of  the  stock. 
Camellia  growers  under  glass,  too,  have  to  cope  with  one  very  con¬ 
siderable  source  ot  trouble,  and  that  is  bud-dropping.  We  have  all  read 
much  in  the  Journal  of  late  relative  to  Peaches  and  Nectarines  casting 
their  buds,  and  it  is  to  a  large  extent  the  same  with  Camellias,  though  in 
the  one  case  the  cultivator  strives  for  fruit  and  in  the  other  for  flowers 
only.  Unless  in  each  case  the  utmost  attention  is  constantly  given  to 
the  plants  the  buds  will  inevitably  fall,  and  it  cannot  be  doubted  that  it 
is  a  cause  of  much  worry  to  gardeners.  With  the  St.  Leonard’s  Hill 
Camellias  Mr.  Brown  has  no  trouble  on  this  head,  as  the  buds  never  drop 
except,  us  has  been  stated,  through  exposure  to  frost.  They  hold  on  with 
great  tenacity,  and  the  fully  developed  flowers  show  no  tendency  to  fall 
on  the  least  provocation,  as  is  the  case  with  tenderer  indoor  blooms. 
Indeed,  they  scarcely  call  for  the  use  of  wire,  though  no  doubt  this  is 
employed  to  make  certain  positive,  if  such  an  expression  will  be  permitted. 
Just  as  the  leaves  are  stout  and  tough,  so  are  the  petals,  of  which  the 
colours  are  excellent,  though  liable  to  be  marred,  if  not  spoiled,  by  rain 
drops. 
Another  point  worthy  of  consideration  is  the  dimensions  to  which  the 
plants  hive  attained  since  they  have  been  out  of  doors.  In  dealing  with 
mis  aspect  of  the  case  latitude  must  be  permitted  as  the  positions  occupied 
largely  govern  the  stature  and  diameter  of  the  bushes.  For  example, 
the  tallest  is  about  10  feet  high,  but  as  it  is  rather  cramped  for  space  in  a 
shrubbery,  it  loses  in  breadth  what  it  gains  in  height.  The  fairest  test 
then  will  oe  a  plant  in  the  open,  and  the  finest  is  probably  of  the  variety 
iinbricata  rubra,  which  is  6  leet  6  inches  high,  and  8  feet  in  diameter, 
and  carried  this  year  over  500  blooms  fully  expanded  at  one  time.  No 
one  surely  could  wish  to  see  a  grander  sight.  This  particular  bu>h  is 
fourteen  years  old,  and  would  be  from  a  foot  to  18  inches  high  at  planting. 
Ol  the  two  original  specimens  one  is  the  well  known  conspicua,  which  is  7  feet 
high  by  8  feet  in  diameter,  but  this  it  will  be  remembered  is  in  an  angle 
oi  the  mansion.  It  is  wholly  a  question  ot  position  and  not  of  variety,  as 
all  alike  of  the  half  hundred  sons  represented  flourish  satisfactorily.  All 
the  names  cannot  be  given,  indeed  such  a  course  would  be  impossible,  as 
many  have  never  been  so  distinguished  ;  but  in  addition  to  those  referred 
to,  imbricata  alba,  Morse’s  white,  very  fine  ;  alba  plena,  L’Insubria, 
Eclipse,  Countess  of  Orimey,  and  tricolor  may  be  enumeraioJ,  and  these 
must  suffice. 
From  the  plants  in  various  situations  in  the  grounds  flowers  are  cut 
from  February  to  June,  but  the  proiusioii  comes  uuring  March  and  April, 
and  111  May  commences  to  diiniuish,  until  in  the  midsummer  month  the 
blooms  become  very  scarce.  Sue  a,  too,  is  the  case  in  February,  when 
only  a  rare  flower  in  some  peculiarly  protected  position  can  be  secured. 
But  it  is  certain  that  for  upwards  of  two  months  no  plants  could  produce 
a  more  charming  display,  or  awaken  so  much  interest  as  do  the  Camellias 
out  of  doors  at  St.  Leonard’s  Hill.  Just  a  word  of  advice  to  those  who 
would  experiment  in  the  same  direction,  and  we  must  pass  on.  Let  the 
planting  oe  done  in  April,  the  stock  having  been  kept  in  a  cold  structure 
through  the  winter,  and  prior  to  any  growth  having  been  made,  so  that 
the  new  shoots  may  be  produced  entirely  out  ot  doors.  Tnese  will  be 
quite  hardy,  while  growths  made  before  planting  might  succumb.  The 
plants  for  a  time  look  rather  shabby,  as  many  of  the  leaves  turn  brown, 
but  they  soon  recuperate,  and  become  a  source  of  pleasure  to  everyone. 
Alter  establishment  an  annual  top-dressing  of  leal  mould  will  be  found 
beneficial. 
Of  the  vegetables  and  fruit,  both  out  of  doors  and  under  glass,  mention 
cannot  be  made  in  these  notes,  but  the  Coniferous  trees  are  so  excellent 
that  they  must  not  be  overlooked.  The  collection  is  comparatively 
extensive,  and  is  rich  in  variety,  some  ol  the  specimens  being  particularly 
handsome.  For  example,  the  not  too  often  seen  Stone  Fine  is  splendid, 
as  are  Ficeao  nobilis  and  pinsapo,  with  Abies  lasiocarpa,  Douglasi, 
Albertiana,  and  concolor.  'Then,  too,  there  are  beautitul  examples  of 
Cupressus  Lawsoniana  and  C.  L.  aurea,  as  well  as  Thuia  aurea  and 
Thuiopsis  dolabrata.  Araucaria  imbricata  is  grand,  and  a  beautiful 
Taxodium  distichuin  graces  the  pleasant  lawn.  Of  forest  trees,  Oaks  and 
Beech  stand  pre-eminent,  and  are  very  numerous.  Because  the  Rhodo¬ 
dendrons  and  the  Azaleas,  the  hardy  and  tender  flowers  and  the  utilitarian 
portion  of  the  estate,  are  not  particularised,  it  must  not  be  assumed 
that  they  are  unworthy.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  they  are  as  good  in  their 
way  as  the  Camellias,  for  Sir  Francis  Barry  is  too  genuine  a  horticulturist 
to  ueglect  the  garden  generally  simply  to  favour  one  particular  plant 
