1873.] WINTER BEDDING. 489 



occupy the same positions throughout the ensuing winter without 

 removal. Of this nature are many of the Saxifrages, and the coloured 

 hardy Sedums, such as Corsicum, glaucum, lucidum, rupestris, and 

 others; then there is Golden Feather pyrethrum, Festuca glauca, 

 Golden Thyme, Sempervivums of various sorts, Violas of sorts, Anten- 

 naria tomentosa. The larger and denser green Saxifrages are very 

 useful in this way for summer and winter, for edging and dividing 

 lines. When the tender things have all been either killed out or 

 removed, it will then be seen what is wanted to fill up, as regards 

 height and colour, and in doing so the effect in spring should be taken 

 into account as well as the covering of the ground in winter. For 

 pure winter bedding there is nothing to be compared to dwarf shrubs, 

 of which there is an abundance, and new varieties still make their 

 appearance. 



The common Laurel is one of the best plants for making up masses 

 in the middle of large beds ; when dwarf bushy plants are used it 

 makes a bright -green carpet, and moves like a weed ; it has the further 

 advantage of being easily bought, or propagated at home. The round 

 leaved (so called) variety, rotundifolia, is even more handsome and 

 robust, resembling a Magnolia in general appearance. The Portugal 

 Laurel contrasts well with the above with its bronzy-green colour ; it 

 is not, however, so accommodating to removal. 



The Retinosporas in their young state are particularly graceful and 

 appropriate for winter bedding. They are cheap, easily moved about, 

 — that is, stand frequent removal perfectly, and are easily propagated 

 by cuttings, layers, or in some instances by offsets. 



E. pisifera is a bright green, and exceedingly graceful in a young 

 and healthy state. R. pisifera aurea is a model plant for winter bed- 

 ding : it is dwarf and spreading, and of a bright yellow colour all over 

 the tips of the branchlets. Thuja semperaurescens promises to be even 

 a better plant in the same way in some parts of the country. Retin- 

 ospora leptoclada is a favourite plant ; is also cheap and very neat in 

 habit, of a bronzy-green above and glaucous-green in the shade. R. 

 ericoides is indispensable for winter bedding, is very easily propagated 

 by cuttings or branches stripped off the sides : small plants are admir- 

 ably suited, from its squat habit, for edging, and plants 12 to 24 inches 

 are cheap enough, and fine for the centres of clumps ; indeed it looks 

 its best at about 15 inches high. 



Euonymus japonicus, either the green or variegated, are very desira- 

 ble, the latter especially so; its foliage a fine dark showy green, and the 

 variegated either yellow or white makes it always look showy; it is a 

 clean-looking plant. It is easily propagated by cuttings in a shady 

 place under hand-lights in the autumn. Euonymus radicans varie- 



