74 THE GARDENER. [Feb. 



NEW PLANTS OF THE PAST MONTH. 



But a scanty record completes the list up to the close of 18G0. Cold 

 inclement weather, with nipping winds and attendant frost and im- 

 pending snow, is scarcely favourable to the production of new plants, 

 even were it not a season of the year when they are invariably scarce. 

 Messrs Veitch & Sons have exhibited, and obtained a first-class certi- 

 ficate for, a fine new Hippeastrum named Leopoldi, a grand companion 

 to the novel H. pardinum they exhibited some time ago. The one 

 now exhibited was so named in honour of the King of the Belgians, 

 who was struck with its beauty, and gave his permission for it to be 

 named after him. It is a bold showy flower, with a claret- crimson 

 centre and a broad edging of greenish white, which Mr H. J. Veitch 

 stated would come quite white as the flower aged. Messrs Veitch & 

 Sons also had a new Cypripedium, named pardinum, but in the way 

 of C. venustum, and as shown not exhibiting any marked excellence ; 

 also Lcelia anceps Dawsoni, with white flowers, having a rich purple 

 lip, and a pale rose-coloured form of their new hybrid Phaius irroratus, 

 named roseus, raised from Phaius Wallichiana crossed with Calanthe 

 vestita. Messrs E. G. Henderson & Son contributed a very interest- 

 ing group of variegated Ivies, to one of which — Hedera rhomboidea 

 obovata — a first-class certificate was awarded. Though the plant and 

 leaves were both very small, it appeared to have much distinctness 

 of character, the leaves being of a bronzy-purple tint. A good fine- 

 leaved form was H. Algeriensis, the leaves large and bold, and it had a 

 robust look about it, but was said to be somewhat tender. The attention 

 bestowed on these Ivies by Mr Shirley Hibberd, Dr Seemann, and others, 

 appears to be bringing them to the fore, and they certainly deserve 

 the attention aroused. The following was also good : H. Algeriensis 

 arborescens, with fine bold dark-green leaves. In some of the varie- 

 gated kinds the differences appeared to be very slight indeed. 



In the way of hardy ornamental plants, a notice of the gold and 

 silver Spruce Firs exhibited by Messrs J. & C. Lee must not be omitted, 

 especially the golden variety, which has an elegant and attractive ap- 

 pearance at this season of the year. R. D. 



AMATEUR CULTIVATION OP THE HOLLYHOCK. 



And now, by way of supplementing the remarks I have previously 

 made on the cultivation of the Hollyhock, I have to speak of it as a 

 valuable floral agent in the decoration of shrubbery-borders. Let me 

 describe how I myself use it as a decorative plant. I have a shrub- 



