34 



THE GARDENER'S MOXTIfLY 



[E'edruary, 



lltTo is an old tr«'o tiirnod into a rustic seat. 

 In tliis ease we woiiM strip the bark oil", as 



I 



:4M *;^!U 





well as open the soil about the collar of the tree, 

 and tar well to preserve it from rotting there. 



COMMUNICA TIONS. 



HOW BEDDINC-PLANTS MAY BE AR- 

 RANGED. 



BY C. G. BJORKLUND, NORFOLK, VA. 



Regular Flower-beds. — Figure 3 represents what 

 we may call "regular flower-beds." Should lie 

 3 to 5 feet from the walks, and there might 



(he lu'ds in about ibr .siiiu' coMNi-xcd shape as 

 the soil ol' tin' ImmI rcpr«'s<'nts wbfii raked; and 

 the same witli the .Vchyranlbiis. The tri-colored 

 (Jeraniuins. though beaiiliiul some of them are. 

 seem to defy our endeievon tio make any thing 

 8(did of them, from the fact that tijeir growtU 

 during the hot sejvoii Is so very feeble ; but let: 

 us modify this defect by plantuig something 

 between them, such as ^'iohi cornuta or Verbena. 

 Annie. 



For the i)arallelr)grams, 1,1,7 -l'), we have im 

 the first place the (ierani»nn«i, but do not take 

 pride in having many varieties. If there are- 

 flfty beds to be filled with only Geraniums, it is- 

 better to have four kinds of the choicest than a. 

 score not fit for bedding. General Grant is the- 

 t)est as a bright scarlet, being moderate in. 

 growth, and giving abundant flowers through the 

 season, if due attention be j)aid to watering and. 

 cutthig away of the seeds. Then there is Lucius, 

 orange scarlet ; Master Christine, pink audi 

 white, and Princess, white. With the exception 

 of Asa Gray and a couple of others, there is. 

 hardly any double Geranium that does tolerabl)- 

 for bedding. Other plants for these beds are- 

 Shrubby Calceolarias, Salvias, Begonias, Helio- 

 tropes, and Vinca alba and rosea. In some 

 places it is the custom to border these plants- 

 with one or two ribbon plants, but let us keep- 

 them for the ribbon beds, and use one kind for 

 each ; it will make them look larger. 



Roses, Dahlias and Gladioluses may he- 

 planted on beds of any shape 5 to 10 feet 

 from the walks; but my experience here (on th^- 



Fig. 3. 



be a continuance of these on both sides of a 

 straight walk, with every other to be a circle, or 

 either circle or the rounded parallelograms may 

 be placed singly wherever a flower-bed is desired. 

 It is not necessary, as in the old German style, 

 that flower-beds of same shape, etc., must 

 lay opposite each other. The circle £ is 

 supposed to be ten feet in diameter, and will 

 do first-rate for solid beds of Coleus (strictly 

 only one variety), tri-colored Geraniums and 

 Achyranthus. The Coleuses should be trimmed j 

 all the time, or they will not stand the Fall \ 

 wind and rain. My practice is to take one joint | 

 above another from time to time, and to keep j 



37th latitude) makes me suggest that we in the 

 South had better plant every other row or circle 

 on the Gladiolus beds a'month or so later tlian 

 the first set, in order to prolong the time of 

 blooming, or that will be over too soon, and 

 make the bed an empty spot on the ground. 



ALPINE PLANTS. 



I5Y MR. A. VEIT( II, XKW HAVEX, f ONX. 



In the strict sense, Alpine plants are such as- 

 grow in latitudes ranging from the greatest 

 elevation, or perpetual snow line towards the 

 equator, to less elevated situations near the 



