November  22,  1900. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
469 
number  of  hardy  plants.  Creeping  plants  are  prized  by  Mr.  Hamilton, 
and  both  sides  of  the  garden  walls  are  covered  with  a  great  variety  of 
climbers  and  shrubs  which  thrive  best  with  the  protection  of  a  wall. 
Magnolias,  Ceanothuses,  Roses,  Solanums,  Clematises,  Wistarias,  and  a 
number  of  others  clothe  these  walls  with  beauty.  The  walled  garden 
is  divided  and  sheltered  by  fine  Beech  hedges,  about  100  years  old  > 
and  in  their  shelter  thrive  many  plants  reputedly  tender.  There  was  a 
nice  Chamaerops  in  fruit  and  many  of  the  best  Magnolias  ornament 
the  borders.  Some  of  these  are  standards,  and  one  observed  among 
them  M.  Lenne,  M.  Watsoni,  M.  conspicaa,  M.  parvifiora,  and  others. 
Shrubs  do  much  to  make  the  garden  effective,  and  among  them  we 
see  masses  of  Gaultheria  Shallon,  Kalmias,  Azaleas,  Calycanthus 
grandiflorus,  tree  Paeonias,  Cornus  rubra,  Hamamelis,  Azara  micro- 
phylla,  Choisya  ternata,  Clerodendron  trichotomum,  and  many  other 
with  scarlet  Gladioli  makes  a  fine  bed ;  Crown  Imperials  are  in 
the  same  bed  for  spring  bloom,  the  whole  being  edged  with  Erica 
vagans.  The  fragrant  Mignonette  is  well  grown,  the  beds  annually 
receiving  at  least  an  inch  of  fresh  soil.  A  remarkable  feature  is 
a  fine  hedge  of  Ruscus  racemosus,  rarely,  if  ever,  seen  so  fine  as  at 
Hamwood. 
A  look  into  the  houses  shows  us  that  the  indoor  work  receives 
due  attention.  A  splendid  house  of  Muscats  was  worth  seeing,  and 
one  was  surprised  to  learn  that  it  had  been  started  without  heat. 
A  grand  collection  of  Gloxinias  was  also  observed,  with  the  other 
inhabitants  of  the  houses,  in  perfect  health.  A  charming  fernery, 
filled  with  Ferns  and  foliage  Begonias,  and  cool  and  pleasant  to  the 
eye,  was  also  entered. 
At  the  back  of  the  mansion  there  are  beds  of  shrubs  in  the  grass, 
THE  PLEASURE  GROUNDS,  HAMWOOD. 
good  things,  not  the  least  noteworthy  being  trellises  covered  with  the 
best  varieties  of  Cydonias.  On  trellises  and  over  arches  and  in  little 
Rose  gardens,  each  with  its  sheltering  hedge,  are  Roses,  both  old  and 
new,  from  the  old  Apothecaries’  and  old  Monthlies  to  the  newest 
hybrids;  they  give  multitudes  of  flowers. 
Herbaceous  plants  are  also  grown  in  great  quantity.  The  clumps 
of  Punkias  are  the  finest  I  have  ever  seen.  Anemone  japonioa  is 
grown  in  extensive  numbers  and  in  considerable  variety.  Montbretia 
rosea — a  plant  far  too  little  known — is  appreciated  ;  and  Asters, 
Hemerocallises,  Montbretias,  Lilies,  Helenium  autumnale,  German 
Irises,  Iris  reticulata.  Crown  Imperials,  and  other  good  flowers  are  not 
only  to  be  found  in  the  borders,  but  also  in  beds  in  the  reserve  garden 
for  cutting.  The  blue  Salvia  patens  is  hardy  at  Hamwood,  and 
the  latter  being  full  of  Anemone  appennina,  which  is  a  lovely  sight  in 
spring.  There  are  Daffodils  in  tens  of  thousands  all  about,  and  one  can 
only  guess  how  beautiful  they  will  appear  in  their  season.  There  are 
new  Lilacs  throughout  the  grounds,  a  Weigela  walk,  and  several  other 
charming  features,  while  one  had  almost  omitted  to  name  the  Nut  walk 
in  the  flower  garden. 
A  new  orchard  and  vegetable  garden,  enclosed  and  planted  a  few 
years  ago,  were  also  visited.  There  has  been  a  capital  fruit  crop. 
Apples  being  particularly  plentiful.  Strawberries  were  also  a  large 
crop.  One  cannot  hope  in  these  notes  to  exhaust  the  treasures  of 
Hamwood.  They  will,  however,  one  hopes,  give  an  idea  of  what  can 
be  done  with  a  lovely  place  in  the  hands  of  an  owner  of  taste,  who  is 
also  a  lover  of  plants. — S.  Aknotp. 
