134 THE FLORIST. 



A SUGGESTION ON THE IMODE OF EXHIBITING 

 FLORISTS' FLOWERS IN POTS. 



Among the alterations which might be made in the arrangements of 

 flower shows, and which would have to be classed as a decided improve- 

 ment, would be the total disuse of the unpleasantly formal staging now 

 so common — in so far, at least, as concerns the display of all subjects 

 growing in pots. ]\Iy mind's eye instinctively reverts to the long banks 

 of Pelargoniums to be seen at these floral gatherings, — gorgeous displays, 

 indeed, of rich and varied colouring, but, oh ! how formal ! The same, 

 in some degi'ee, may be said of many other richly coloured abundant- 

 flowered gi'oups, of which considerable numbers are staged, though in 

 some of these cases, as in the instances of Roses and Indian Azaleas, 

 the fohage does very often afford anything of rehef to the eye. 



I believe the best way of arranging these matters would be to abandon 

 stages altogether for all growing plants, to intermix the different kinds 

 of plants, retaining smaller groups of striking subjects, and introducing, 

 much more than at present, the element of varied and picturesque foliage. 

 This mode of arrangement would entail some amount of trouble, and is 

 on that account, perhaps, not very likely to be adopted. 



In the cases, however, of Pelargoniums, Pansies, Calceolarias, Roses, 

 Fuchsias, Azaleas, Ericas, &c., it would be a decided improvement on 

 the present practice to arrange the plants on a level surface beneath the 

 eye, exactly in the manner of a nicely laid out geometrical flower garden, 

 the outer series of pots being concealed by any readily available material. 

 How much more natural-looking, and how much less expensive, too, than 

 the huge ungainly timber platforms, ill- concealed by equally unsightly 

 drugget, and too often displaying the potter's vessel rather than the 

 horticultural talent which it contains — the burnt clay rather than the 

 perfected plant ! 



I have instanced Pelargoniums and such-hke plants for this mode of 

 arrangement, because, fi'om their habit of groA\i;h and mode of flowering, 

 they would in fact produce a parterre on the modern grouping system ; 

 but there is no reason why other kinds of plants should not be similarly 

 arranged, and except in the case of very dwarf subjects, such as Alpines, 

 which, by the way, are of little moment at a floral exhibition, the effect 

 would at least be better than that of the present plan of elevating the 

 plants above the level of the eye. M. 



ELVASTON CASTLE, DERBYSHIRE. 



Having recently paid a visit to this celebrated place, I send you a 

 few notes of it, for insertion in the Florist ; and as information respect- 

 ing the fate of novelties, during the last winter, is much inquired after, 

 may help to show what of them have suffered in the ]\Iidland 

 Counties. 



The grounds at Elvaston are without question unrivalled as a winter 

 garden, and there is no place so well furnished with evergreen trees 



