AT THE GARDENS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3757, 16 March 1926, Page 11

AT THE GARDENS.

MANY FLOWERS IN BLOOM. WONDERFUL DISPLAY OF BEGONIAS. Visitors to the City Botanic Gardens just now will find a great variety of flowers in bloom about the beds and in the Winter Gardens. The dominating feature of the present display is the wonderful show of begonias out of doors as well as under glass. The freedom with which they flourish here in the open is a source of surprise to northern visitors, who are usually under the impression that the Dunedin climate does not permit them to grow outside at all. To demonstrate how baseless such an idea is the begonias are just now filling many beds in the vicinity of the Winter Gardens with a blaze of the richest and most exquisite colouring (hat an artist could imagine. They are sharing their beds in many cases with standard fuchsias. The greenhouse just now is devoted to begonias with fuchsias hanging from the glass roof. Here the very choicest of the begonias have been set out. and in their varied forms of single, double, crinkled, and plain, and then endless variety of indescribable art shades, they form a gorgeous picture to satisfy the eye and hpart.. Thousands of those beautiful flowers have been lent to the Exhibition this season, and next year the superintendent of reserves. Mr D. Tannock, plans to have twice as many displayed as there are this year. They have all been raised from seed.

In the orchid house the work of repotting is being completed. Part of the orchid house is devoted at present to a very fine display of gloxinias. Tastefully separated by maidenhair ferns and other greenery their strong colours are seen to the best advantage against the background of green. The fernery is a lorn»»d with a choice of basket begonias. Plans are on foot to secure for the Gardens after the Exh!bition the fernery that is at present there, and also the aquarium. The new fernery would enable a much larger and better display to be made, and would allow of the present fernery being used as a second greenhouse for floral displays.

Colour is lent to the central pnlmhouse by a display of streptocarpus, blue, white, and pink. The dahlia is a familiar and popular (lower that, is at present undergoing striking new developments at the hands of gardening experts, and some of these developments may be studied in the beds alongside the Winter Gardens. In addition to numbers of decorative and collarette dahlias there are many bedding dahlias of new type. These are both single and cactus, hut are all dwarfs. „ One of the Coltness hybrids raised from seed has a neat little scarlet flower, and is •much uspd at Home now in place of the scarlet geranium. The flowers of this newly developed type of dahlia stand up well instead of drooping. These dahlia beds are shared in most cases with antirrhinums, which are still making a brilliant display.

Gladiolas have been very good this season, and though they are nearly over now there are still some fine specimens in bloom or to come. Asters are making a good show in a bed near the Castle street entrance, and as they pass the chrysanthemums are there ready to take up the task of gladdening the eye with colour.

The mixed Old English flower border is, as always, full of interest, and contains at present a great variety of flowers, both well known and little known, in bloom. Sweet peas have lasted well, and still make a pretty sight between the Old English horder and the roses.

The second crop of roses is a most satisfactory one, and in many cases the blooms seem to be just as fine as they were in tho early summer. Michaelmas daisies are coming out now, and soon will be presenting n mass of colour in their long curving border. Beside them a circular bed of hydrangea panicm lata cannot fail to attract attention. They are all in full bloom and make a very strike ing show.

The massive new iron gates have lately been put in place at the main entrance from the North-East Valley and make a handsome and imposing entrance to the grounds. The Iron gates that used to be there have been re-ereCted at the King street entrance.