128 THE GARDENER. [March 



GARDEN RECORDS. 



NO. III. 



MESSRS SALTER & SON, VERSAILLES NURSERY, HAMMERSMITH, 

 LONDON, W. 



The annual display of Chrysanthemums made by Messrs Salter & Son has now 

 become an established floral institution of the metropolis, for it is a show of no 

 mean order. Year by year it becomes more extensive, and at the same time more 

 varied in its details. No description we can give will do due justice to this ad- 

 mirable winter -garden, when seen about the second week in November, just 

 as autumn is merging into winter ; and when 



" The flush of the landscape is o'er, 

 The brown leaves are shed on the way." 



It is an annual custom of the proprietors of the Versailles Nurseries to arrange this 

 show in two long narrow houses, connected together, and forming a continuous walk. 

 In the first of these two houses there was to be seen, ranged along the back of it, a 

 wondrous bank of Chrysanthemums of unusual fulness of beauty, and of varied 

 hues. This bank was so arranged as to present an undulating margin, and along 

 the front of this was carried a neatly-gravelled narrow path, slightly winding, the 

 which at intervals opened out and embraced a small circular bed ; while along the 

 front of the house was another bank of Chrysanthemums and other plants. The 

 second house had at the back of it a further bank of Chrysanthemums, mainly of 

 the new Japanese varieties. So much for a general description of the outline of 

 the arrangement. 



It is always interesting to note how nicely many things are used so as to secure 

 pretty bits of work within the houses. For instance, Messrs Salter & Son are 

 particularly strong in that class of useful ornamental plants that comprises Eche- 

 verias, Sedums, Sempervivums, and many others allied, or nearly allied, to them. 

 Especially are these used to construct charming pieces by which to give points of 

 contrast to the numberless blooms of the Chrysanthemums, at the same time 

 showing their special adaptability to serve such purposes. Immediately on enter- 

 ing the first house, the view of the Chrysanthemums was seen to be to some ex- 

 tent obstructed by a raised bank carpeted with patches of various of the dwarf- 

 growing Sedums and Saxifrages, surmounted by a fringe of silvery-foliaged and 

 other plants, while about on this bank were grouped examples of Echeveria metal - 

 lica, E. secunda, E. secunda glauca, E. sanguinea, the curious alabaster-like Pacby- 

 phiton bracteosum, one of the most curious and effective of the ornamental 

 succulents, and others of equal value. On the left hand was a very pretty piece 

 of mosaic work, formed of similar agents, and giving a raised bank in the form 

 of a triangle. In the bed of this triangle, which was raised about 9 inches from 

 the ground, were three small circular designs, a larger one, and two of smaller 

 size, one on either side. The diameter of the largest design was from 3 to 

 4 feet. In the centre of this one was a good plant of Echeveria metallica, 

 round this a ring of six plants of E. rubra or sanguinea ; and then a ring of Pachy- 

 phiton bracteosum. The surface beneath these succulents was carpeted with 

 Saxifraga hypnoides minor. Round this central design was a circle of Semper- 

 vivum tectorum ; then a band of the silvery grey Sedum glaucum ; then another 

 circle formed of Sempervivum hirtum ; then a band of the curious dwarf Mentha 

 Corsica ; and lastly, an outer circle of Echeveria secunda glauca. The two smaller 



