HiEi^TiT, WIU.MMS., 





YOL. 28. 



MAY, 18T3. 



E'O. 323. 



Subtropical G-ardening. 



BY JAMES TAPLIN, SOUTH AMBOY, N. J. 



MUCH has been written on this subject in Europe, and many plants tried for the 

 purpose, with more or less success, which in a great measure depends on the 

 season, which is proverbially uncertain, especially in England ; but enough success 

 has attended the trial of many fine foliaged plants previously generally grown in 

 hothouses all the year, to vary the uniformity and monotony of large masses of 

 flowering plants. 



In this country, many hothouse plants are far more satisfactory in the open ground 

 than under glass during the hot summer months, and grow with a vigor and rapidity 

 unknown in the cold, dull climate of England. But here comparatively little advan- 

 tage has been taken of those advantages ; and the effort has been used in trying to 

 have such plants as variegated geraniums make an equal display to those seen in 

 English gardens. This I consider a riiistake, the climate being so very different ; 

 that a real satisfactory flower-bed to last in full beauty for, say, three months would 

 be seldom seen. With few exceptions, the extent of subtropical gardening here 

 has been a few large masses of Coleus Verschaffeltii, the poorest varieties of Cannas 

 and Caladium Esculentum ; these are very well as a beginning, but variety is charm- 

 ing, and having such a large variety to choose from, we should make use of many 

 others, which might be planted in large quantities in the splendid public parks with- 

 out destroying the natural scenery, but rather adding the luxurious growth of the 

 tropics to the tropical climate. 



Some of your readers may make an objection to the expense of this style of gar. 

 dening ; but, after the first outlay, it is in reality less than keeping up a supply of 

 flowering plants ; and where large quantities are required to be stored, the spacQ 

 9 



