THE CHRISTCHURCH GARDENS.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15108, 26 October 1914, Page 5

THE CHRISTCHURCH GARDENS.

AX EXPERT'S VIEWS

A FEEX-BANKED AVON

Mr J. R. L. Freeman, F.L.5., F.R.H.S., r, well-known Australian landscape gardener and hybridist, who has of lato been residing at Palmerston j North, is paying a brief visit- to Christchurch, and as it was his first visit, he was desirous of seeing tho work of -Mr Young in the Christchurch Gardens, of which he had heard much. Mr Freeman sp-nt a good rart of Saturday morning going through tho Gardens" with Mr Young, and to our representative last evening he expressed himself as delighted with them. Ho himself graduated at Kew, and is familiar with tho world's most famous gardens, and he was greatly impressed with tho skill and originality shown bj the Christchurch Curator and the manner in which the Gardens are ueveloping under his inspiration. I'he visitor takes a particular interest in conifer;;, and ho describes some of the specimens shown him i>y „_r Young as the finest he has ever seen, particularly so with the Cedru*, Atlantica, and Auracaria bidwillie. and also specially mentions a remarliablv fine lime. Oi ono example of Auracaria Bidwiliie (tlio familiar "Monkey Puzzle*'), Mr Freeman says it is the finest ho has ever seen, and he does not think tlio world possesses a finer. The tree, too, lta.s been handled with loving care. Though "an elephant among trees,*' it is so sensitive tocutting, that even in taking away aead wood, great discretion must be shown, for tho'monster will perish with any injudicious cutting. In another tree, an Armstrongn, the Canterbury Gardens possess the parent treo of all its variety now spread from it throughout the -world, and which growers aro usually under the impres-s-on hails from the South of Franco, whence large quaiiitios aro r-ront out.

As an Australian, the visiting expert j was pleasurably surprised with the hr.a ; cultural condition of Australian flora, and was much struck with a specimen of Eriostemoiij a white, starlike Australian heath, on tho long path from the Museum. lie has handled great quantities of this in Australia, and seen it in indoor culture at Holland House, but he considers that tho Christ-church specimen, now in full flower, is probal>ly the finest that exists in or out of its native habitat. Severn! other Australians show the result of skilled cultural treatment, and ho was glad to Jiear from Mr Young that a special section of Australian flora is to bo established. Mr Freeman has done, much orchid collecting in various parts of tho tropical world, and ho speaks here, also, well of the cultural understanding shown with the orchids. Of Dondrobium Nobile, tho favounto flotvev of tho Burmese maidens, tho delicate Dendrobium Pierardii, and Cypripedium. Barbatuin Nigrum, thero are excellent examples in flower' and other valuable specimens aro developing well. Mr Freeman regards tho fruiting of Nausa Cavendishii, one of tho sugar bananas, in Christchurch, which may now be seen, as an accomplishment of great interest. Of Mr Young's now introductions, especially tho very remarkable beauty of the new Jiiacs flowering hero, for the first time in New Zealand, the visitor has much to say. Mr Freeman has had some remarkable personal tnumps in the treatment of ferns especially tree ferns, both in Australia and New Zealand, one of tho latest being the conversion in a few months of a clump of pinus insignis, growing on a shingle bed, into an exquisite piece of Xew Zealand fern scenery, with luxuriating tree and small ferns in wonderful variety. Happening to know this, our representative asked him whether there was any reason why the banks of the Avon could not be made rich in fern growth in suitable parts, and especially in tree ferns. The <.>xr>ert said that from what he had seen, bo had no hesitation m saying that, with the right treatment, it could, and should.