THE COMING OF SPRING.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 October 1920, Page 5

THE COMING OF SPRING .

"BROOKLANDS" AND "MARANUI," OPEN TO-MORROW. ;■ . New Plymouth is famed, not only for its public gardens in Pukekura ,Park,; but for tiie exceptional beauty of &ome of the private gardens near the town. " A wonderful variety of color, added to the charm of native shrubs and trees ; and ferns, give to many New Plymouth I homes a picturesque touch which » ■ unique, and two striking examples ot . this are provided at Brooklands (the i t home of Mr. Newton King) and Mara* • nui (that of Mr. X. C. List). These gardens will be open to the public- tomorrow afternoon, and if the weather conditions. are favorable they will prove a source of delight and interest to lovers of flowers and plants, wHils those of a deeper botanical sense than the mere appreciation of effective colorings, will find in these gardens a wide range of shrubs, trees and plants, native and imported, providing a fund of interest. On a recent afternoon Before ure rains came, and when there was _ A breath of spring in the air, a Daily News representative saw these gardens, and a stroll through them provided an afternoon of cheer and pleasure. The spring has been fickle in some ways—the farmer has complained of its lateness, the kitchen gardener has declared it erratic—but to the horticulturist it has brought a wealth of rain «nd sunshine intermingled to give what he tells you iB "great growing weather," and this, added to the industry of the lover of flowers, has brought a rich harvest of beautiful blooms. Both Brooklands and Maranui demonstrate the remarkable possibilities which exist id New Plymouth to cultivate flowers of ia high standard.

On entering Brooklands, the flrst tilings which strike the vision are the great rhododedrons and azalias, clustered in masses of bloom, making up a gorgeous picture. Then the big leaved puka (MerytaSinclairii) from the Three Kings stands majestically in all_ its vivid greenness, and nestling alongside is the magnificent Japanese weeping cherry. Passing these the visitor cemes to a large rewarewa (New Zealand honeysuckle), a very ancient tree and ns good a specimen of its kind to be seen ahjfwhere. Here a view is gained of a tree of peculiar interest, always of great interest to visitors, the great Spanish chestnut tree, 1<35 feet from tip to tip of its umbrageous branches, in tne shade of which 300 to 400 people could be seated. Carpeting the ground under, this fine old tree a touch of beauty is given, quite in the old English style, by a beautiful bed of hyancinths. Crossing the lawn, which is in rare order, one sees evidence of great improvements, the shrubbery to the west of the residence having been altered, trees taken away and lawns put down, with beds of exquisite flowers. Looking around one sees Japanese cherry trees out in all their glory, and with maples springing into leaf, and copper beaches reflecting various shades,, the whole presents a fine sight. "Over to the right one sees the stately rimu, and behind it the paritiwhitu (horseshoe) fern, probably the best specimen of its species known, kind to be found anywhere. Behind, in the hush, which has greatly improved of late, paths being put through, can be seen the giant purins, and further into the bush a Karafca tree of abnormal size.

A GREAT PURIRI. But tlie piece de resistance i» the magnificent allowing of calcelftriu) and yinerarias, which fill the glMlSwis# with a wonderful picture. BroofcUndft has provided some fine shows of tiese beautiful flowers in the past, but theT« is a rare charm about the present display which makes the exhibition the best yet seen. Gorgeous colore, with their delicacy of markings, make up a feast of beauty rarely seen, and a. liner collection would not be found anywhere else in the Dominion. The taste displajed in their arrangement adds to the effectiveness of the display. The grounds show all the results of extreme care and artistic development, and are a credit to Mr. T. Bolton, the head gardener, and his staff. After this feast of color the path through the wealth of native bush is refreshing in its coolness, and the riotous intermingling of native plants in great variety, is very beautiful in itself. Here one sees a giant puriri with a barrel 18Jft in circumference, the largest of its kind known, and very like a kauri in its formation. Then, a» one emerges from the bush, one enters another world of beauty in Miranui. From the gully, u path leads through terraces filled with lemon and fruit trees, and wreathed in all the distinctive beauty of treo ferns, while running up the . gully, on the other side, a blaze of - color is provided by masses of flowing azaleas, rhododendrons, etc. Color and variety arc afforded by beds of flowers, artistically set here and there, and providing relief to the green bush and ferns. At every turn, as one wends a way through these pleasant surroundings, there is a new vista of nature's handiwork, masses of green of a hundred tints breaking through flowers in their rich colorings. At the top the beauty of flower-beds, set in well-kept lawns, is again emphasised, , and there is a fine show of nomesia, riinunculas, anemones, etc, with winding borders of seasonable flowers. Flowering shrubs, set here and there, add their touches of beauty, the alalia mollis being a particularly pretty sight. Hero one of the finest views of the mountain can ho obtained—Egmont, in all his majestic beauty, standing out from the panoranja of bush which seems to extend to the foot of the mountain. Breaking through this scene_, one gets a view of ft wealth of tree ferns, probably as fine as can be seen anywhere in New Zealand, though just now these fine fern palms show the effects of the four degrees of frtist experienced in New Plymouth last winter. A feature of the grounds are the lawns —their condition the fruit of much industry—and the artistic way ini which beds of -flowers dotted amongst the carpets of green reflect the taste n!id skill of the gardener (Mr. H. Rampton). Various improvements to the grounds ho<Ve been made during the winter, so '.hat tor those who will see them for the first time have a treat in store, whilst those who have seen Marfcnui before will discover new beauties. Given fine weather the hours of tomorrow afternoon should he fllle3 with pleasure for all who visit Brookkndi a&i Martmui.