854 



THE GARDENERS MONTHLY 



[^December, 



be made of tree pruninp:s nnd other waste 

 materials. Many of our books on garden embel- 

 lishments are full of tliese, and we give several 

 herewith but rustic work, generally, is best when 



original, and not made after copy, but the de- 

 sign should rather be suited to the material on 

 hand. 



GOMMUNICA TIONS. 



HOW BEDDING PLANTS MIGHT BE ARRANGED. 



BY C. G. BJORKLUND, NATIONAL SOLDIEKS' HOME, 

 NORFOLK, VA. 



Great attention is at present devoted to grow- 

 ing and arranging bedding plants, due not only 

 to the times, but partly, I believe, to some rival- 

 ism between cultivators since public parks were 

 established in several of the large cities, where 

 one rightly endeavors to excel another in tasteful 

 arrangements, etc. 



Not pretending to know better than all, but 

 having devoted much of my time to this branch 

 of Horticulture, and studied the dilTerent and 

 popular modes of arrangements in several of the 

 European countries, at the acknowledged best 

 places, I wish, as taking a great interest in the 

 matter myself, to give an account of my experi- 

 ences regarding arrangement of bedding plants. 



SPRING BEDS. 



The practice of planting certain beds in the 

 Autumn with bulbs, such as Tazettes, Tulips, 

 Hyacinths, Narcissus, and Crocus, to produce 

 flowers in early Spring, is so general and well 

 known, that of this there is hardly anything to 

 say; but there arejmany other plants suitable 



for the same purpose, such as Aubriclia pur- 

 purea, and several other species; Myosotis dissiti- 

 flora, Hepatica triloba, Convallaria majalis (Lily 

 of the valley). Campanula pumila, Bcllis aucubse- 

 folia. Primulas, WiiUiiowers, etc. These will 

 do well mixed with the bulbs for decorating beds 

 intended for tender plants that cannot be put 

 out until considerably later. In regard to the 

 cultivation of said plants, it may differ in 

 different localities. Some of them could certain- 

 ly be planted in the beds m the Fall, and covered 

 there ; but it will be found safest to keep them in 

 pots in a cold frame during Winter, and early in 

 the Spring to induce growth, and plunge in the 

 beds. 



ROCKAVORK. 



Alpine plants may appear insignificant to the 

 ignorant and uninterested, but have attractions 

 indeed. They are often used for rockwork, or 

 rather rockwork for them. This should be con- 

 structed wheresoever there is a chance. They 

 not only grow better there, but appear to more 

 advantage, and a rockwork is a good contrast to 

 flower-beds and shrubberies. But to erect a 

 regular pyramid, as we sometimes see on a level 

 lawn, is not good taste. As the landscape gar- 

 dener in most cases places a group of shrubs or 

 trees at the bending of a walk, to make an ap- 

 parent reason for the bending, so even here 

 everything should be done to make it look as 

 natural as possible. The top and sides of a cave 

 is a gf)od spot. If there is no hilly spot on the 

 ground to improve for the purpose, it might be 

 put up against a stone wall in lieu of a better 

 situation. 



Of Alpine plants, we have in the first place the 

 Saxifragas, of which there are about one hundred 

 and seventy-five varieties in cultivation. The 

 following are very striking: affinis, Aizoon 

 minor, Aizoides, circinata, crustata, cochlearis, 

 geranioides, incrustata, intacta, longifolia, l.mar- 

 ginata, notata, pectinata, sarmentosa, flaves- 

 cens, and umbrosa fol. variegata. Next in or- 

 der comes the Sedums and Sempervivums. 

 The best varieties of the latter are arachnoi- 

 deum, arenarium, Brauni, calcaratum, cornutum, 

 Delassiaji, globiferum, hirtum, hispidulum, La- 

 mottei, Pamelli, and tectorum. But there are 

 hundreds of others that will do well on rock- 

 work; any low-growing herbaceous plant that 

 will stand a dry situation will also do. 



Those having had the opportunity of seeing 

 the rockwork in the Botanical Garden of Edin- 

 burgh, Scotland, will never forget the sight there 



