The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1882-12-01
A Chinese Garden.

a Onl0eSe udfutu'
A correspondent of Vicks Magazine,
writing from China, says: | wish to
tell you something of the beauties OF
this land. There are those who think
there can be no beauty here, yet the
people themselves call their country
the Flowery Kingdom. Could your
readers take q climb over the hills here
at any time of the year, If they are
lovers of flowers and ferns, their eyes
would be feasted and their hearts made
happy. What can be more lovely
than, in early spring, to see these
hills covered with the lovely azaleas
Mr. Fortune, traveller in China
and collector OF botanical specimens,
says: "Most people have seen and ad-
mired the beautiful azaleas which are
brought TO the Chiswick fetes, and
which, as individual specimens, surpass
in most instances those which grow
and bloom on their native hills; but
few can form any idea of the gorgeous
and striking beauty Of these azalea-
clad mountains, where, on every side,
as far as our vision extends, the eye
rests on masses of flowers Of dazzling
brightness and surprising beauty
Then, too, there are the honeysuckles
wild ones) cematis and the fragrant
glycine; these all climbing among the
hedges and on trees, hanging their
pretty flowers over the mountain paths
and fillirg the air with fragrance
There, too, are the many ivies, so
kindly overgrowing and covering up
all unsightly objects, making them in
stead objects of beauty. Tucked away
in among the rocks are the pretty
ferns, so beautiful, so cool-looking; not
the least attractive among these is the
climbing fern. o'. 'h'a't"lW
/ do not want you to think this list
contains the names of all the pretty
flowers to be found here among the
hills There are many others for
which, not being botanist, | have no
name. There are many, too, that l
have not seen, for there are other
plants here which require most of my
time, native plants, too, not as attract
i've looking, perhaps, but more precious
in the eyes of their Heavenly Father
These require our time; the other nice
flowers are only for our recreation
hours. There are still other flowers
we can enjoy at all times, having them
in our own yard. OF these will write
at another time. l send you photo
graph of portion of a Chinese flower
garden, where, as may be perceived,
water is made very important fea-
ture.
Though their gardens are not ar
ranged according to our Western plan,
yet they are places of beauty, and it
is surprising how much beauty and
variety they can have in so small a
space. There is no smoothly-shaven
lawn, no babbling brook, no fountains,
but most of the space is taken up in
buildings, tea houses fitted up with
pretty Chinese pictures, colored glass
windows, mirrors and screens, and a
few foreign, curious singing birds and
fragrant flowers. Here in the pleas
ATTEST weather the Chinese men and a
few women sit and enjoy their tea and
little dishes of fancy desserts, and a
good long chat with their friends,
their eyes being feasted by the beauties
, outside of running vines and pretty
flowers that fill the air with their fra
GRANGE.
/ Outside of these tea houses, which
are connected together by curiously
winding passages, ornamented here and
{ there with quaint carvings and odd
a figures, is what accords more with our
{ ideas of garden, and it is place OF
r beauty; still think a Western gardener
, could improve it much. Here is pond
e crossed by zigzag bridges, a large stag
$ nant pool, thing of beauty wher
covered with the large, cool lotus
" leaves, with its large bright pink and
= its pure white flowers; but before
y these appear there is no beauty there
q for the water is so murky that it il
only occasionly that one can catch {
> glimpse of the little gold fish will
y which it is filed The sides, though
f are covered with pretty overhangins
q vines and ferns and bushes.
J. The rockeries are old aud pretty
They are not merely piles of stone, bu
20 display ingenious masonry, represent
# ing cave, with many winding passag
~ ~ ways. If one starts in he is surprise,
q O at its many windings, which, of course
. make it appear much longer than i
% really is, and wonders if he will neve
3 reach the other end, or find himsel
- again at the place of starting, for a
a. one time he is led by his guide to tn
+ top, getting glimpse of light, the
i down, and still deeper down in tn
~ dark, in and out, back and through
49, zigzag, and every conceivable way, a
3 ways new path, and never retraver
=" ing those already passed, until at las
p he has passed through all. Vine
g grow so readily here that walls an
=, u stones are soon covered with greer
u and are transformed to objects {
"a beauty, The roses and honeysuckle
le the camellias and azaleas, the peonit
ie Ii and many Other flowers all add to tt
" , beauty of the place. This is Chine:
Paradise.
n |