Pot-pourri from a Surrey garden

1869. ' The Parks, Promenades, and Gardens of Paris,' by W. Eobinson. This is the earliest of many most interesting books that I possess by Mr. Eobinson ; a book full of information, branching into many directions. The third, and I believe last, edition, with the illustrations much improved, was published in 1883. Next comes, in 1871, his ' Sub-tropical Garden, or Beauty of Form in the Flower Garden.' This second title refers to that which, to my mind, is the great value and interest of the book, and to be attained almost entirely aa well by hardy plants as by sub-tropical ones. In 1871, however, the idea was new, and is even now but most indifferently carried out or understood in nine out of ten gardens that one sees, in spite of all Mr. Eobinson's invaluable teaching both in this and many other of his books. ' Alpine Flowers for English Gardens.' Mine is the third edition. The illustrations are popular, and inferior to those in most of Mr. Eobinson's books. How much joy do the Alps recall to thousands of people ! Even for those who do not enjoy mountain scenery, there are always the lakes and the flora. Avec leurs grands sommets, leurs glaces eternelles Par un soleil d'6t6 que les Alpes sont belles ! Some of Mr. Euskin's happiest lines, I think, are in the ' Mont Blanc revisited ' : 0 mount beloved, my eyes again Behold the twilight's sanguine stain Along thy peaks expire ; 0 mount beloved, thy frontier waste 1 seek with a religious haste And reverent desire. 232 POT-POURRI FROM A SURREY GARDEN And who can ever think of Switzerland apart from Matthew Arnold's two wonderful Obermann poems ? Do not some spirits still exist who slip ' their chain ' with Matthew Arnold ? And to thy mountain chalet come, And lie beside its door, And hear the wild bees' Alpine hum, And thy sad, tranquil lore. Again I feel the words inspire Their mournful calm — serene, Yet tinged with infinite desire For all that might have been. De Senancour ! how these poems ' To Obermann ' have carried your melancholy eloquence from the early years of the century to its very end ! The first edition of the ' Wild Garden ' was published in 1881, and of all modern illustrated flower-books it is the only one I know that makes me feel really enthu- siastic. The drawings in it, by Mr. Alfred Parsons, are exquisite and quite original. At the time of its publica- tion the method was new, and, to my mind, it has not yet been surpassed. I have also the fourth edition, which came out in 1894, with much new matter and several new illustrations, especially landscapes ; but I prefer the first edition — perhaps because we get fond of the particular edition that originally gave pleasure. I am afraid that the hopeful instructions on 'wild gardening' so cheerfully laid down by Mr. Eobinson must be taken with a great many grains of salt when it comes to putting them into practice, especially in dry soils. With care, labour, knowledge, and space, exquisite gardens may be laid out, suitable to the various soils of England ; but, in my experience, even the best planting goes off without renewal of the soil. This shows itself with the happy possessors of these so-called 'wild gardens ' NOVEMBER 233