September 5th, 1885, from the JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER.
SINGLETON ABBEY
Singleton, the residence of Mrs. J. H. Vivian, is situated on a finely wooded eminence overlooking Swansea Bay towards the south, and is some two miles to the west of the town. The house, which is built in the Elizabethan style, is of moderate dimensions. It is closely surrounded with flower gardens, roseries, archery grounds, and noble trees and shrubs of luxuriant growth. To give an idea of the climate, it may be stated that Camellias planted outside grow to the size of large Portugal Laurels, and produce thousands of flowers in the spring and early summer months. The south side of the house is covered with a choice collection of climbers, amongst which are large plants of the white and yellow Banksian Roses attaining a height of 40 feet. These were clothed with hundreds of blooms at the time of my visit. Clianthus punicens and other plants were also flowering in great profusion. Attached to the house on the west side is a span-roofed conservatory with Tree Ferns planted out in the centre, and large Camellias and other plants in pots placed round the sides. The roof was draped with different varieties of climbers banging down in long festoons.
Singleton is famed for its fine collection of arboreal and hybrid Rhododendrons, and for its fine specimens of rare Coniferie and other trees and shrubs. There are few places in this country where one sees the tenderer varieties of Rhododendrons growing so freely as they do here, except perhaps in a few favoured localities in Cornwall. Though the climate is mild the soil in many places is poor, and much of the success attending the growth of the trees and shrubs is due to the care and attention of Mr. Harris, Mrs. Vivian’s gardener, who has spared no trouble in draining the ground and improving the soil where the finer and more delicate kinds are planted. Towering up from amongst the Rhododendrons in the American ground are giant Oaks and Elms and large trees of Araucaria Cunninghami, Wellingtonia gigantea, Taxodium sempervirens, Cryptomeria japonica, and many others from 80 to 90 feet high, affording shade and shelter to some of the finest varieties of Rhododendrons in cultivation. Many of these have attained a height of 30 feet, and have in themselves a true arboreal appearance. I was fortunate in seeing some of the best of them in flower at the time of my visit, and also in having Mr. Harris for a guide, who knows the history of almost every plant on the place, the date of planting, and when last shifted. He has raised many seedlings from the best species of the Himalayan section during the time he has been at Singleton, which in most cases keep true to character.
Most of the Rhododendrons and many of the finer kinds of Coniferas are labelled in large print, so that the visitor interested in either has no difficulty whatever in obtaining their names.
The kitchen garden and forcing and plant houses are situated at the north side of the park, and at a convenient distance from the house. The garden is enclosed with high walls, which are covered with well-trained trees. It would be difficult to find a better lot of Peach trees in the country than those at Singleton. The Peach wall forms part of a circle. It is 15 feet high and 90 yards long. The trees are planted at the distance of 20 feet apart, and the wall is regularly covered from top to bottom with healthy young trees in the best bearing condition possible. They bear heavy crops annually, which in ordinary seasons ripen well. There is a good collection of Peaches, comprising both early and late varieties.
Amongst these are Walburton Admirable, Alexander, Salwey, Sea Eagle, Early Louise, Early Beatrice — the earliest of all — Hale’s Early, and Dr. Hogg. The latter is a second early and a great favourite at Singleton. To show how well Peaches do here I may mention that a three-year-old tree of Sea Eagle produced no less than eighty-three fine fruits, a dish of which took the first prize at the Healtheries Exhibition last year in a class where there was no fewer than thirty competitors. The Peach border was all made by Mr. Harris, and I do not hesitate to say that I never saw healthier or better trained trees anywhere, or trees carrying better crops throughout.
After leaving the Peach wall I was shown through the houses, which are mostly old and have not the same appliances as modern erections. Notwithstanding this Mr. Harris grows both fruit and plants successfully. The first we entered was a half-span Peach-house 80 feet long by 18 feet wide and 9 feet high, running east and west, with a division in the centre.
Some of the trees in this house are planted near the centre of the inside border and have a clean stem of 4 feet before reaching the trellis. They are trained on both sides of the house, and it is surprising to see the difference there is in the time of the fruit ripening on the same tree when a portion is trained on the south side of the roof and the other on the north side. The portion trained on the south side ripens fully two weeks earlier than that on the north side. This system would be a great advantage to amateurs and others where the glass houses are limited in prolonging the succession from the same tree. The south side of the first division is planted with Hale’s Early and Royal George, and the north side with Elruge Nectarine. The second division is planted with Early Louise and Bellegarde Peaches. Though some of the trees are old and not so good as those on the wall, the most of them were swelling off good crops in both divisions. In passing I might mention a vagary of a Royal George Peach tree in this house. One branch of it is conspicuous for its precocity. It is growing precisely under the same conditions as the rest of the tree, and yet the fruit on it ripens about two weeks earlier than any other portion of the tree. It was carrying three fine highly coloured fruits, which were nearly ripe when I saw it, while the remainder of the crop had scarcely done stoning. Mr. Harris has been observing the precocity of this branch for the last few years and cannot account for it. He is, however, of opinion that its early quality is fixed, and he purposes propagating sufficient of it to plant one-half of the house.
The next house contained a good collection of greenhouse plants, amongst which were several sweet-scented Camellias, a quality rarely found in this plant. Mr. Harris is working up a stock of them, as they are highly esteemed by his employer, and no doubt when they become better known they will be general favourites. The collection of Indian Azaleas and Rhododendrons is made up of the best varieties. Azalea Fielder’s White is the favourite for early forcing. It is had in flower from Christmas on till the other varieties come into bloom of their own accord. Pauline Mardener is the best coloured variety for forcing, and is very extensively grown along with Fielder’s White. A plant of Rhododendron Edgworthi in this house produced no less than 100 trusses of its pure white cup-shaped flowers in April. A fine plant of R. Sesterianum, a companion to Edgworthii, flowers profusely. Part of the roof is covered with a large plant of Marechal Neil Rose, which keeps up a supply of blooms for cutting, and it does not interfere much with the plants growing beneath.
The next house is filled with a healthy collection of Orchids, amongst which were some fine specimens of Aerides odoratum, A. virens Dayanum, and a particularly fine plant of A. Fieldingi, which had a spike more than 2 feet in length. A variety of Vanda suavis had six spikes and nine flowers on each, and a plant of V. gigantea bears three spikes annually on the main shoot, with from seventeen to eighteen flowers on each. There were also some fine plants of Saccolabium praamoisum, S. guttatum, and S. Blumei Dayi. Besides these, there were choice assortments of Cypripediumg, Dendrobiums, Odontoglossums, Oncidiums, Lailias, Cattleyas, etc. In passing to the succession Pine stoves I could not help admiring a large bush of Camellia Donkelaari growing outside close to the door. It produces hundreds of flowers during the season.
The succession Pine stove is a mixed house. The bed in the centre was filled with a healthy clean stock of Ripley Queens. The front and back stages were occupied with large batches of Calanthes, Gardenias, Pancratium fragrans, and other plants. Melons and Cucumbers were growing in pots, and the vines trained thinly at a proper distance from the roof. Both Melons and Cucumbers were bearing good crops, and seemed to luxuriate in the same atmospheric treatment. Part of the roof at one end was covered with a large Stephanotis, which was flowering freely.
Mr. Harris is a successful Pine-grower, and has won many first prizes at the London and other large shows in classes where there is strong competition. The plants in the fruiting stove were in the best of health, dwarf and stocky, and all of them swelling off large well-balanced fruits, which any grower might be proud of. Melons and Figs in pots are grown in this house too, and fruit well. The variety of Melon grown generally here is Highcross Hybrid — a dark green-flesh of great depth and of excellent flavour, and the Fig is the Singleton variety. The latter is a perpetual bearer. It is small, but finely flavoured, and much appreciated by the family. The plants are taken outside for a few months to rest, and then brought inside again. Part of this house was covered with Stephanotis and other climbers.
Next to this is a cool Orchid pit containing some good plants of Epidendrum vitellinum majus, Odontoglossum Alexandras, O. Pescatorei, O. Rossii majus, and many others in fine condition.
Vines, like Pine Apples, are extensively grown here. The early house is filled with Black Hamburghs. The Vines are planted in the outside border, and in Mr. Harris’s experience they do much better when planted outside than they do in inside borders. They were bearing a good crop of medium-sized bunches, which were ripe and highly coloured. Shelves are fitted up in all the vineries for forcing Strawberries. A great quantity of Strawberries are forced annually, the varieties being principally President, Sir C. Napier, and Keens’ Seedling.
The second vinery is planted with Muscat of Alexandria, Cannon Hall Muscat, and Alnwick Seedling, and the third is filled with Black Hamburgh. The latter was partly occupied with Peach trees in pots, which were being grown for trial. They consisted of such varieties as Royal George, Early Beatrice, Stirling Castle, and others. Besides these were a number of Tomatoes growing in 10-inch pots, and a large Brown Turkey Fig tree in a box which completely filled one end of the house.
The fourth vinery is all of Muscats. The Vines were carrying a, heavy crop of well-set fruit, which were ready for thinning. Mr. Harris uses no artificial means to set the fruit, and it never fails to set well.
The fifth house is planted with Lady Downe’s Seedling. The house is used in the early part of the season for growing Tea Roses, Fuchsias, and other plants before the Vines have made much progress. The Vines in all the houses were clean and healthy, and bearing good crops in different stages of growth.
I have had pleasure in describing many fine places in South Wales and elsewhere, but few of my peregrinations have afforded me more satisfaction than that which led me to Singleton, and afforded me the opportunity of inspecting its interesting collections under the guidance of its genial and intelligent custodian, Mr. Harris.
A. Pettigrew, Castle Gardens , Cardiff.
[Andrew Alexander Pettigrew was born in Cardiff, 1875, youngest son of Andrew Pettigrew. He worked at Cardiff Castle under his father 1895-1898, then trained at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew from 1899. He was Head Gardener at Hewell Grange from 1900 to 1915, and was responsible, along with brother Hugh, for the the following features:
Grass terraces and turf steps (1900-1903); Rose garden (1903-4); Maze (1902); Paved garden and kitchen gardens (1906).
He then took up the the post of Chief Parks Officer for Cardiff vacated by his brother William Wallace Pettigrew in 1915 and remained there until his death in 1936 – Link]