1883-] 



AND HORTICULTURIST 



35 



■quiring thirty-six thousand plants to fill them, 

 which may be called of three sorts — motto, design 

 in flower, and mass. The first is entirely made of 

 low-growing plants, which I will try to describe. 

 One is at the junction of two sweeping-walks, and 

 forms somewhat of a triangle, in the center of 

 which are the words "God Save our Queen," 

 in Alternanthera amcEna, carpeted with Sedum, 

 surrounded by a border of Alternanthera aurea. 

 In a sort of fancy scroll work, apart from this, is 

 another of Pachyphytum aurem, filled between 

 with Echeveria Californica. Next to the grass 

 border is another, running in a line with this bor- 

 der, of Leucophytum Brownii, filled in with various 

 plants, as the second border divides it into sections. 

 Another is a circular bed, twelve feet in diameter; 

 in the center is a circle of Alternanthera with four 

 points running to the outer border, and the words 

 " Be true."" The center and points are carpeted 

 with Sedums. Between those points is another 

 device boi'dered with Silver Thyme, carpeted with 

 Oxalis trifolioides ; the outer circle is Echeveria 

 secunda. The third has also a circle in the cen- 

 ter with the words '.' Be kind," having eight points. 

 The circle and points are bordered with Golden 

 Feverfew ; center carpeted with Sedum ; points 

 with Oxalis trifolioides. Between these points are 

 figures bordered by Alternanthera, carpeted with 

 Sedum, with an outer border of Sempervivum. 

 Much attention is given to bring out contrast by 

 the color of the plants used. 



My flower designs are made with flowering 

 plants, which grow as near a uniform height as pos- 

 sible, always taking care that the tallest is in the 

 center. One of the simplest that any one can 

 make is one I had this year. The bed is twenty 

 feet diameter, circular, with four points running 

 out five feet long, and the same where they leave 

 the circle. A Pandanus in the center, a circle 

 of Centaurea gymnocarpa eight feet diameter; 

 around this plant was filled rose colored Phlox 

 Drummondii, then a band of Phlox outside the 

 Centaurea, Fire Ball three feet, another of Snow 

 Ball, then a line of Teilanthera ; the outer a bor- 

 der of Cerastium tomentosum. Following around 

 the points forming an edging those points were 

 filled with Agcratum John Douglas. This is what 

 may be called a ribbon bed ; but I carry out many 

 designs in flowers, having various ways to keep my 

 lines distinct, which is a necessity for proper effect. 

 My method of doing this I will describe at some 

 other time. For massing I use such as Petunias, 

 Zinnias, Portulaca, &c. All those beds are cut 

 in the«grass in Gothic style, corresponding with 



the order of the buildings. I always use some dis- 

 tinctive plant in color from the grass. All beds 

 have a border of some sort. 



The grounds require a staff of fourteen active 

 men to keep them in order. They are divided ac- 

 cording to their different tasks, and soon become 

 very expert. Some trim the beds, which job is 

 done once a week, never allowed to get out of 

 shape, but as it were training them. Others attend 

 to the mowing of the grass. About fifteen acres of 

 this is done by a horse mower, and a hand one to 

 cut corners and slopes where the horse cannot go. 

 Some, again, clip the edges, and sweep the walks ; 

 others the watering. Every one has his portion 

 to attend to, and is expected to do it. These lawns 

 are mowed all the summer — at least once a week ; 

 in fast growing times twice, and never allowed to 

 show signs of burning for want of water. They 

 are always as green as a spring day morn- 

 ing, even in the month of July. Some of our 

 horticulturists who have visited them say that 

 they are equal to the best of theirs. My method 

 of treating these lawns I will give you afterwards. 

 The task has been a most difficult one, owing to 

 their high, unsheltered position, largely excavated 

 from the rock, and the nature of the soil found on 

 them, all mixed up with the debris from the build- 

 ings at their erection — sandstone cuttings and such 

 like. 



My facilities for propagation for my beds have 

 been very limited, having only two greenhouses. 

 One, forty by twenty, contains a specimen of most 

 plants of a tropical nature, that I can find worthy 

 of growing. The other is sixty-seven by eighteen, 

 and contains all greenhouse plants that are to be 

 found in catalogues, on this side of the ocean. 

 This lack of glass, although very inconvenient, has 

 had its good results, as it has driven me to try 

 many plans, and I am now able to keep a large 

 stock of plants in a very small space. In public 

 places no one ever stops to enquire whether one 

 has proper facilities to do the work properly or not, 

 but would put him down as incapable if the work 

 be not done right. 



Besides this, I use "twenty hot-bed lights for the 

 raising of annuals, which are pricked out as soon 

 as ready, into spaces furnished with bottom heat 

 by manure, so that they can be covered up at night 

 for fear of late frosts. From this I get much har- 

 dier plants than from under the glass, and it en- 

 ables me to do much with this small quantity of 

 hot-beds. 



The grounds have been the admiration of every 

 one during past seasons. To use tlie common ex- 



