Plants from Seed may have helped Truby King with his garden development at Melrose. King spent huge amounts of money importing seeds, seedlings, and plants from all over the world, especially from Belgium and French nurseries. His ‘dell’ had some 400 rhododendrons and was regarded as one of the best in the country. Thousands of bricks were used to build walls and garden features and King’s love of strawberries was evident in the fact that he had over 350 plants in several varieties. Sadly Bella died in January 1927 so she was not able to enjoy the gardens at their best. In 1932, after increased ill-health, King donated the entire property to the Plunket Society. He moved to one of his rental properties nearby.]]> A. J. Macself]]> Books]]> The Great Glory (1919) evokes a picture of happiness that matches the simple home-town values depicted within. On 29th May 1928, Pelley had a ‘Damascus-like’ experience that altered his life; he became committed to the wellness of the Aryan race. As an extremist, his political ideologies covered every conceivable ‘ism’: anti-Communism, anti-Semitism, racism, extreme patriotism, isolationism, British Israelism - and pyramidology. In 1942 he was charged with high treason, sedition, and called ‘Un-American’. King was in New York about August 1928 and may have purchased Pelley’s book then, delaying his later signing and dating: ‘Karitane Hospital, Melrose, 9. [19]28’.]]> William Dudley Pelley]]> Books]]> From the Pen, along with Rita Snowden’s retrospective on King’s life and work, and Helen Deem’s overview on ‘infant loss in New Zealand’. The frontispiece depicts King and a youngster at Melrose House, Wellington.]]> ___]]> Books]]> Mary King]]> Books]]>