Man of Many Hobbies

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 40, 17 February 1937, Page 4

Man of Many Hobbies

Cn?Y GARDENER’S WONDERFUL BEGONIA DISPLAY Chat to Mr. F. Shearman, of Broadway avenue, about cricket and you will find lie has tho inborn love of the Australian for the game. Discuss bands and the playiug of band instruments and you may discover he has a pretty talent in that direction and can produce as sweet a tone as any on a eornet. But mention begonias and he will show you the face of the enthusiast. Tho cultivation of begonias, he will admit, has been one of his hobbies for years, but he can also grow chrysanthemums and narcissi with the best of them. At his new home, "Austral Lodge," Mr. Shearmau has erected a fine greenhouse which is filled with magnificent begonias in every variety and hue. A “Times" representative wq.s privileged to view the blooms this week and stood spellbound, with the perfection of their shapo whethor single, double, fringed, frilled or crested, and dazzled with the array of colour. There were exquisite specimens in pure white, delicate pink, rose, flame, apricot, and yellow to men tion a few, one of the most artistic bearing tho name of “Bryan Lang don" and measuring ovjic seven inches across. Air. {shearman is somewhat apologetic of his achievement as mtil recently tho plants had been grown out of doors and last year's heavy storm put them back months in their develop ment or they might have attaiued from eight to nine inches. Any one bloom a bride might have been proud to carry as a bridal posy, but this perfection has not been attained without effort as daily attention is necessary to these delicate plants of whose cultivation little was known 100 years ago. Overhead in Air. Shearman's greenhouse hang the most decorative basket begonias falling in golden, bridal or pink showers. One specimen called "Una Eliott" which is a deep apricot, only two other enthusiasts in the Dominion can claim to possess. The reporter went home a little wiser and viewed with a littre distaste ! the wilting specimen reposing on his kitchen windowsill.'