New-York tribune., 1904-08-07
FINE FLORAL DISPLAY.
That Made at Hotel Champlain Not
Surpassed at Summer Resorts.
MRS JOSEPH

Hotel Champla!n. y. =. Aug S (speciaD Prob
ably al other summer resort IS so much atten-
t!on paid 10 the floral display at the Hotel
ChampIain. which IS famed for the lavish display
Of vercIure and blossoms.
Situated a high wooded bluff. commanding a
superb view OF Lake Champlain. the Green Noun
taiEs, the White Mountains and the nearby Adj
roudaCks. the hotel is built in large natural park
Of pr!meval forest. covering i've hundred acres
The late Charles Miller. the landscape architect
who laid out Fairmount Park Philadelphia
planned the present beauties OF the Champlain
Park Utilizing all the natural advantages. Mr
Miller achieved in these grounds the crowning work
OF his career For the last seven years the work
OF maintenance and development has been in
charge Of A. II. SIilard This aesthetic side to
prosaic commercial enterprise occupies the entire
time Of twenty-five men and several teams of
horses. Three greenhouses are maintained where
twenty-five thousand plants raised for beddns-
and decorating. Fine macadarn roads penetrate
the park all directions. but rhe CHIEF one is the
Turf Drive. two miles in length which circles
through the forest. The turf is firm and close
cropped. and the horses hoofs fall nolseIessIv as
they swing along at sharp trot. Shady walks
thickly carpeted with soft pine needles wind
through the most picturesque parts while rustic
10 rest and contemplate the beauties OF the wood
land
In front OF the hotel a large circular lawn is
bordered on two sides by kidney shaped beds dlied
peTeEuialS
effects being obtained by massing the colors in
clumps- A highly ornamental bed is a crescent
shaped filed with bright red General Grant
geraniums, with a double border Of Madame SaIero!
geranium. the latter having variegated leaf but
no blossom. There are eleven hundred plants in
this bed. A striking bit OF color is the bed Of
baby blue petunias bordered with sweet alvssrrl
The name baby blue would appear 10 be mis-
nomer. as the flower is very nearly purple
Tho wide flight OF steps leading 10 the from
emf r9u-a Of rEa b1ra fe
trades which are topped by great boxes filed with
masses OF variegated flowers and hanging vines
Against the balustrades and. on The steps them
selves are smaller boxes Of flowers. the whole
making a striking display.
II is the Grotto. however, that prasents the o,,1
mnation of artistic ingenuity Situated on the
lake side about three feet below the lawn level
the entire space beneath the wide veranda extend
ing the whole length Of the building has been
transformed into veritable fairyiand
The sides OF the building and all other AxnosaI
woodwork are covered with Spanish cork bark
Che rough. gray surface OF which forms an ad-
mtrable background The i1tersuces and Joints ara
filed with moss ana uchsrs. which are kept alive
by daily sprinklirs The pillars are formed Of
white birch trees 10 which are attached NE vari-
GUS fungi found in their natural state The z-ort7
IS laid out in 1900 occupied about one-tnir of us
present space and has been enlarged annual,y
Dividing the grotto ir TWO IS a lon broad avs,
completely covered with cork bark
On al sides are cedar trees in tubs ro..ed
palms and towering plants The brick pu.a-s OF
Sle veranda are covered with Virginia creer--
forming vtneclad window openings zach centre ~
which IS occupied BY hanging rustic basket rho
lower edge Of these openings is dlied win boxe7
containing the finest selected varieties Of csrani-
uns In little nook formed BY the DIVIDING arch
already referred 20 there is a rockerv filled m
with gnarled stunps. baby pines ana 'edars
MOSES and a number OF the beautiful Abutilon
savtzh. whose variegated, straw c6ored leaf close
Is resembles the maple.
The windows OF the cafe. which overlook the
grotto. are dled with window boxes in which he
gonias grow luxurianty. Beneath these window
boxes the woodwork is completely hidden bv cedar
bark to which pine cones and fungi are attached
promiscuousy. From these window boxes depend
fra Kenilworth ivy. with its cnauefo leaf reseul-