JANUARY. 



25 



" On the lawn, too, wherever a space large enough to accommodate a 

 tree can be found there is one stuck in, regardless alike of its ultimate 

 development or its relation to its fellows. Thus are the breadth of lawn 

 and general repose of the garden scenery alike destroyed, and that which 

 is falsely supposed to be variety is really nothing more than the veriest 

 monotony — variety, in fact, defeating itself." 



Now I do not seek to claim any originality for the remedy I propose 

 to offer to this state of things. Often, by various writers, has the 

 same been urged ; for which see all gardening periodicals, from the 

 " Gardeners' Magazine" downwards to this paper passim. But it is 

 only fair that I should offer the remedy in my own words, which I 

 herewith proceed to do. In the first place, then — " If you please, sir 

 to-morrow is Christmas-day and the ' Florist ' must be in type 

 to-night ; it is now nine o'clock, and we shall be glad of the remainder 

 of the copy." Thus speaks the printer's devil. The remedy proposed 

 must therefore be given in my next. L. 



(To be continued.) 



% 

 HINTS ON BEDDING PLANTS. 



Having paid a visit to some of our most celebrated gardens this 

 autumn, and looked over the different flower beds and ribbon borders, 

 &c, I find there is much to be learned yet as regards arrangement ot 

 colours, in order to give them a soft and pleasing appearance. I am 

 inclined to think that there is nothing that can interest a flower gardener 

 more than a few hints on the arrangement of bedding plants ; I there- 

 fore beg your permission for a small space to illustrate a few of the best 

 arranged flower-beds I have seen this season. I wish in the first place 

 to impress on the minds of those who have the management of flower- 

 gardens, whether small or great, that the chief object to be kept in 

 view in ' mixing colours should be to make them harmonise one with 

 the other ; for if they are nicely arranged and softened down with the 

 more delicate colours, it will add much to their general appearance 

 and the beauty of the garden. 



The first thing I shall take in hand is the Verbena venosa, a plant 

 I am more than ever in favour of, having used it in so many ways and 

 found it to stand all sorts of weather, rain, and sunshine without injury. 

 The easy way in which it is managed makes it invaluable. I will 

 here describe my method of propagating it. I take up all my old 

 plants and pit them like Potatoes, and in the month of March they are 

 taken out, the long Mint-like roots cut into lengths and planted in 

 the beds where they are to flower during the summer. They soon 

 make their appearance above ground, and if too thick they can easily 

 be pulled up and planted elsewhere. 



I will now give you a list of a few beds which have been very 

 beautiful this summer, planted as follows : A large bed of Lord Raglan 

 Verbena and Verbena venosa mixed with a broad band of Golden Chain 

 Geranium round the outside. Another bed of Brilliant Geranium and 

 Verbena venosa mixed, with a broad band of Golden Chain Geranium 



