1 873-] BEDDING PLANTS IN WESTERN ISLES. 567 



BEDDING PLANTS IN THE WESTERN ISLES. 



Few plants in general use for the decoration of the flower-garden, in wet 

 stormy climates especially, will, I venture to assert, maintain their reputation 

 so creditably as the bedding varieties of the Pansy. My experience with them, 

 at least in this, one of the most distinguished of the British Isles in the above 

 respect, leads me to such a conclusion. Taking into consideration the facility 

 of increasing the stalk, which is in fact next to no trouble at all here, as the 

 young shoots root over the ground in all directions, so that it is only necessary 

 to lift and winter them in boxes or other convenient means ; on this, and also 

 on account of the long period they continue in bloom, few plants are more 

 worthy of space in the flower-border, particularly where the means of keeping 

 half-hardy stufi" is limited. Imperial Blue is, beyond all doubt, a superb 

 variety, and should have a place in every garden in which Pansies succeed 

 moderately well. Planted early in April it soon after that began to flower, and up 

 to this date, 25th October, it has bloomed without intermission. Cliveden Blue 

 is still flowering profusely, but has not kept up a continuous display, as has 

 Imperial Blue. Viola cornuta Perfection is another grand addition to the 

 list of Violas for a stormy place. It also has done famously this season, but 

 appears now to have exhausted itself. Viola lutea, cl. ]\Iassifis, has not come up 

 to the blue varieties, having grown more ^ossly. Plants that are used for 

 their foliage are not the least satisfactory in such a place as this. The follow- 

 ing, though rather common, are at once storm-proof and efiective when arranged 

 with their complementary colours — viz., Cerastium tomentosum. Dell's Beet, 

 and Cineraria maritima. The latter appears to be quite a hardy plant here, 

 and survives the winter in the open border. The same, by the way, may be 

 said of certain varieties of the Fuchsia, and of Hydrangeas. About the begin- 

 ning of November 1872, I counted over 40 trusses of fully- expanded flowers, if 

 I remember rightly, on a huge plant of a Hydrangea in a neighbouring garden 

 here, and even up till Christmas there were a goodly number of trusses on the 

 same plant. To the foliaged plants used Geraniums remain to be added, the 

 varieties of which were Sophia Dumaresque, Perilla, Mrs Pollock, and Louisa 

 Smith. These, I am glad to say, all did their part much more satisfactorily than 

 the flowering varieties ; but I should have mentioned in a former paper that 

 Vesuvius formed a slight exception, as it threw its few trusses well above the 

 dense foliage. Hoses succeed admirably, and are worthy of being extensively 

 grown for general decoration. Conspicuous as free flowerers in the Hybrid 

 perpetual class are, Senateur Vaisse, Geant de Batailles, Baroness Rithschild. 

 Among others, in an additional lot planted last spring, was Marquis de Castel- 

 lane, which apparently yields fine full flowers. Souvenir de la ^lalmaison, and 

 Gloire de Dijon, are indispensable in the Bourbon and Tea section. There are 

 two or three annuals we think worthy of being mentioned, and Nemophila 

 insignis is one in particular. I can endorse all that was said in behalf of this 

 favourite annual in the ' Gardener ' of December 1872 : I used it this year as a 

 substitute for Lobelia speciosa, and must in justice give it the preference for 

 free flowering. With the view of securing a display of bloom from August on- 

 ward, I did not sow tiU the beginning of June ; it has been in fine bloom since 

 the middle of August, and should we be favoured with moderate weather, will 

 be effective a few weeks longer. Tagetes signata pumila is well worthy of a 

 place ; it, however, to our disappointment, outgrew Perilla Nankinensis, 

 planted amongst it. It does not suffer so much from the storms as do Calceo- 

 larias; but, on the other hand, from the rank character of its growth here, it is 



