Mr. Robert Sydenham.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVII, Issue 13, 27 March 1912, Page 38

Mr. Robert Sydenham.

PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL SWEET PEA SOCIETY. Mr. Robert Sydenham occupies a prominent, and we had almost written unique, position in the world of horticulture. Few men are more widely known, and his genial personality has secured him large numbers of friends. By way of recreation he took up gardening very many years ago and found It a pleasant change from the conduct of a wholesale jeweller’s business. But his keen biusi-

ness instincts led him to look further than tlie side of gardening, and before long he commenced to sell bnlbs, and very soon developed a large business in them. From bulbs to seeds was an easy step. The business lias grown to be a very large one, and the premises at Tenbystreet, Birmingham, are taxed to their utmost at this season of the year, when orders for seeds come pouring in. Though one of the keenest of business men, air. Robert Sydenham is also one of the most generous, while his jollity is infectious, fie has travelled considerably in North America, Europe, the Mediterranean legion. and in South Africa, and is contemplating a visit to California. An early riser and a hard worker himself, Mr. Sydenham sets the pace in any society with which he is connected, never shirking the duties that fall to his share. He has been from the time it was established the life and soul of the Midland Daffodil Society, which has done so much to promote the cultivation md improvement of the narcissi, spending time and money freely to maintain its high nosi-

tion. He is a member of the Royal Horticultural Society’s Narcissus and Tulip Committee, and his knowledge of varieties is a wide one. Mr. Sydenham is a great believer in "taking notes.” and he is mostly found with a notebook in his hand.

for many years Mr. Sydenham grew carnations and picotees for exhibition purposes with wonderful .success, and was difficult to beat at the Midland shows, a fact of interest as showing that he has the florist’s instincts as well as a strong love for then" two classes of flowers. Latterly he has, as a cultiva-

tor, taken special interest in the cultivation of bulbous plants in fibre, in undrained pots; indeed, he may be regarded as the pioneer of this useful form of cultivation. As so well known to all who are in any way concerned with sweet peas, these charming flowers occupy a large part of his attention, and in his private garden he grows them freely and well, while he travels far and wide to see new varieties and inspect seed stocks. It is of interest to recall the faet that Mr. Sydenham was a member of the committee that carried through the celebration of the bi-cen-tenary of the introduction of the Sweet Pea, at the Crystal Palace in 1900, which had such an enormous influence on the extension of the cultivation of sweet peas and on the development of new forms. Since the formation of the National Sweet Pea Society he has always been a prominent and official member and so. in recognition of services rendered the members of this society unanimously elected him. at the recent annual meefing president for 1912. a position of which Mr. Svdenlinm is indiv

, , . , .1 pro and one which he will fill admirably Gar<l(»n<‘rs’ Magazine.”

|,|lue with blue grey wlngw, flowers much larger tbau shown in photograph. Introduced by Mr H. Uoltou.