502 THE GARDENER. [Nov. 



Geraniums and other semi-tender bedders the first week of June, in 

 weather which, for its intense heat, had not been reached for many 

 years previously; and on the 10th of that month had frost which cut 

 down Tropreolums and damaged dwarf 'Ageratums ; and from then 

 till now, we cannot report having experienced any summer weather. 

 The behaviour of Coleus, Alternantheras, Zeas, and other tender plants, 

 put out at end of June, might very properly be characterised as a 

 continual state of uncertainty whether they should brave it out or 

 succumb at once. Coleus have had to be twice planted, and finally 

 to be replaced by a hardier substitute. Up till the memorable 

 week of the Edinburgh Review, the beds and borders were, notwith- 

 standing the cold weather, as satisfactory as could be desired : Cal- 

 ceolarias had been a mass of bloom for three months. Geraniums and 

 others effective for two, beds of mixed Geraniums and Violas from the 

 day the former had been planted out. Since that time no tender- 

 flowering plant has been effective, with the exception of dwarf Agera- 

 tum, which only gives in to frost. Calceolarias have been, perhaps, 

 quite gay enough, and the Geraniums we use for flowering alone (only 

 seven beds) have been about half this latter time without flower ; but 

 when kept clean, and the withered trusses removed, it is wonderful 

 how two or three days of dry weather brightens them up again. The 

 beds and borders planted with leaf-plants are quite as effective now as 

 they have been throughout the summer, and these alone would be a 

 good foil to the slight enforcement of greenery we have been obliged 

 to put up with. For hardy flowering plants this has been a good 

 autumn : in addition to the regular autumn bloomers, quantities of 

 those whose usual flowering season is early summer again coming into 

 flower now. Such very effective plants as Pentstemons and Phloxes 

 have continued without cessation, and are still throwing up fresh 

 flowering shoots. Double Pyrethrums, too, are flowering more freely 

 than I have ever before had them do the second time. Dahlias are 

 quite a host in themselves. Carnations and Picotees have continued 

 to throw up successions of flowers. Tritomas are just now in their 

 most flaming dress, early-flowering Chrysanthemums at their best, 

 and the pretty pink Sedum spectabile in its finest colour. We have 

 two 9-foot borders surrounded with grass, planted down the centre 

 with Tritomas, round which is run a band of white and red Dahlias, 

 planted alternately. A 2-foot band of Sedum spectabile comes next 

 the Dahlias, and an edging of variegated Dactyllis next the grass. 

 Looked at fifty or one hundred yards off, I don't know that it would be 

 easy to match this border at this season. Rougher in outline, but also 

 telling, is a border backed by a terrace wall. The plants here are 

 mixed, and consist of Tritomas, Single Dahlias, mostly all white. 

 Salvia fulgens and patens, with the reversion of Phloxes and Del- 

 phiniums, which had their duty to perform earlier in the season as the 

 main back plants ; and in front of these, patches, closely together, of 



