42
THE GARDENS OF WARLEY PLACE.
sandy spots. Each plant goes through its cycle of development
in its own season, and much attention is necessary in mapping
out a garden, otherwise we should have large bare and uninter-
esting spaces during a great part of the year.
Miss Willmott has succeeded in satisfying the demands of her
thousands of plants, which are successfully tended in the
Warley Gardens, and she has succeeded beyond most of her
contemporaries in arranging her plants so that they give pleasure
to the most critical artists throughout the year. So cleverly
has she organized the landscape portions of her gardens that any
suspicion of artifice is absent from the delightful views meeting
one at every turn. There are few botanical gardens in which
such a wealth of plant-life can be seen throughout the year, and
few, if any, which afford so much material for study.
These gardens extend over several acres, but the plants spread
over the park and meadow land adjoining, which in spring are
gay with early spring bulbs, crocuses, snowdrops, daffodils, and
snowflakes. It has been stated by no mean authority that it
would be impossible to find anywhere a similar space so closely
planted with the choicest and most beautiful plants, yet at
Warley there is no sacrifice of broad effects to small details.
Miss Willmott's constant aim seems to be natural gar-
dening, for one comes upon some rare plant growing apparently as
freely, luxuriantly, and sporadically as a wild primrose, yet its
place has been selected after careful consideration, and perhaps
the same plant will have been tried in several successive positions
before one has been found to suit its requirements.
To fully describe a garden of this character within the limits
of an article would be impossible. The writer can therefore
only attempt to descant upon some leading features; the reader
must endeavour to complete the picture.
Miss Willmott's interest in plant life is so many-sided that
almost any plant would find some hospitable corner in her
gardens ready to receive it. Her name is, however, especially
associated with the Daffodils, with the Rose genus, and with her
remarkable success with the hardy plants.
When visiting Warley during February this year I found
the lawns and park already bright with early spring bulbs,
snowdrops, early daffodils, snowflakes, and crocus. Amongst
them were seen the beautiful Pyrenean Narcissi, pallidus,