27G 



THE FLORAL WOELD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



who remeniber their childish rambles with 

 any affection — the moors and woodsides 

 supply an immense nuaiber, not forget- 

 ting primroses and violets, which are uni- 

 rersal favourites not to be frowned down 

 by all the graud exotics that ever turned 

 a florist's braia. But the pretty vernal 

 squill ; why is that neglected, when on 

 a bank in good patches it makes such a 

 lovely show of blue blossoms in the spring, 

 and scarcely wants touching from the day 

 you plant it for half-a-dozen years after- 

 wards? Thougli the thing has never been 

 done, I do believe a splendid border and 

 rockery might be made up of contributions 

 from the woods and hedgerows alone — 

 the wild tulip, squills, primroses, snow- 

 drops, double furze, double marsh mari- 

 gold, germander speedwell, fumitory, cow- 

 slips, pasque flower, and oxalis and violets 

 for spring ; the noble caper spurge, wild 

 strawberry, woodruft', lily of the valley, 

 Solomon's seal, the delicate and snowy 

 stitchwort, periwinkle, borage, rest har- 

 row, bird's-foot trefoil, yellow aveus, 

 globe flower, large cjlandine, white and 

 yellow stouecrop, red campion, wild peony, ( 

 crimson vetch, and bugioss for summer; j 

 with the golden broom, the several native 

 heaths, native poppies, foxglove, wild 

 thyme, harebell, succory, willow herb, I 

 the magnificent lythrum, tlio rock rose, i 

 snapdragons, the delicate ivy-leaved toad- 

 flax (one of the loveliest of our native j 

 alpines), henbane, hawkweeds, cudweed, i 

 and meadow-sweet (the latter a most fra- i 

 grant and graceful thing), several native | 

 convolvuli, the golden-rod, and meadow j 

 safi'ron for autumn. The rockery would be | 



the place for the heaths, the wild juniper, 

 the curious and pretty orchises, and many 

 of the trailing plants, such as alpine toad- 

 flax, ragged robin, and a selection of 

 native ferns and grasses, and one general 

 compost of sharp sand, loam, peat, and leaf- 

 mould would grow them all to perfection, 

 except the orchises, which require a good 

 admixture of chalk to come to perfection. 

 Of course, marsh plants would require to 

 be favoured as to moisture, and the ferns 

 would need partial shade during summer ; 

 but such details need not here oe entered 

 on, because those who would care to set 

 about such a work will learn every lesson 

 in the culture of the plants by just noticing 

 in what positions aud in what kind of 

 soil they find their pets flourishing, and 

 then imitate that as nearly as possible. 

 Now, who will have the courage to at- 

 tempt a garden of this kind ? 1 tell you 

 that I wiU, if God spares me to another 

 summer. I will, at least, have an experi- 

 mental border for them, for it has been a 

 dream with me for years, and would have 

 been realized long ago if the abominable 

 bedding plants had not made me as crazy 

 as they do other folks — blinding one's 

 eyes to the beauties of one's native land, 

 and driving country out of one's head by 

 the temptations of colour, novelty, and 

 expensiveness. It is too bad; the " weeds" 

 shall be trodden under foot no more, but 

 shall be cherished as precious additions to 

 the Temple of Flora, who must many a 

 time weep bitterly to see her favourites 

 " wasting their sweetness on the desert 

 ail'." FiDO Fides. 



AMONG THE PEENS TO GATHER KNOWLEDGE. 



The cultivation of ferns possesses so much ' 

 interest for those who are admirers of the 

 graceful that, in these days, there is scarcely 

 any person who pretends to a love for j 

 plants who has not a few hardy ferns in j 

 some retired nook in the garden, however ' 

 small, or, wanting this, a few choice ones j 

 grouped in a Wardian ease, or under a glass \ 

 shade, forming one of the most interesting 

 adjuncts of the drawing-room. One of the ,' 

 advantages of this mode of culture (in ! 

 glass shades or Wardian cases ) is, that they 

 retain their beauty the whole of the year, 

 are equally interesting in winter and sum- j 

 mer, aud many of those which are decidu- ' 

 ous in their habit will retain their foliage i 

 in perfect beauty throughout the Minter i 



under this method of treatment. Our 

 hardy ferns have several kinds that retain 

 their freshness and beauty out of doors all 

 the winter, if not too much exposed, and 

 those which die off are regarded with equal 

 interest by the enthusiastic eye of the 

 amateur, because he knows his treasures 

 are but taking a rest, and will, with re- 

 turning spring, bursf into renewed beauty 

 and gracefulness. 



The present paper proposes to ofier 

 a few remarks upon the hybernation of 

 ferns ; but, before we offer any remarks 

 upon those under cultivation, let us walk 

 into the shady lanes and along the hedge- 

 rows of the country, and observe how it is 

 M'ith them in their natural habitats. 



