1883.] 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



355 



gans, Latania borbonica and Phoenix Australis. 

 We next come to what I consider one of the 

 most striking and pleasing beds I have ever seen. 

 The bed is circular in shape and about four- 

 teen feet in diameter. The center was filled with 

 variegated Stevia, surrounded by Achyranthus 

 Gibsonii, planted in the form of a star, the points 

 of which reached the edge of the bed ; the spaces 

 between the points being filled with Pyrethrum 

 Golden Feather, in which circular panels of Agera- 

 tum John Douglas were inserted. The colors in 

 this bed were as clearly defined as if they had been 

 laid on with a painter's brush ; not a leaf or spray 

 appeared out of place, and the plants were so close 

 and even as to forcibly remind us of a design 

 worked out in Brussels carpet. Of course this very 

 fact will cause the critics to exclaim "Why not 

 have the beds covered with boards and set a 

 painter to work on them?" Such arguments as 

 this however will have no effect we fancy in stop- 

 ping the carpet-bedding boom. 



My attention was next called to what Mr. Good- 

 ing correctly designated, the " hearth-rug " beds. 

 One of these was planted as follows : Center 

 diamond of Kleinia repens, surrounded by Alter- 

 nanthera paronychoides major, forming a square ; 

 outside of this came a band of Pyrethrum Gol- 

 den Feather, the whole being edged with Echeveria 

 secunda glauca, planted in a horizontal position so 

 as to raise the bed some four or five inches from 

 the grass. Another of those " hearth-rugs " had a 

 ground work of the Alternanthera just named, with 

 panels of Ageratum John Douglas, and Pyrethrum 

 Golden Feather, the edge consisting of Echeveria 

 secunda glauca, planted in a similar way to the 

 previous bed. Another of these beds had the center 

 filled with two small ovals of Kleinia repens sur- 

 rounded with Coleus aurea, the remaining portion 

 of the bed being filled in with Alternanthera par- 

 onychoides major and Echeveria secunda glauca. 

 At a point of the grounds where two drives meet a 

 triangular shaped bed planted as follows was very 

 effective : Center Coleus aurea, next Achyranthus 

 Herbstii, then band of Coleus Starlight, sur- 

 rounded by Lobelia speciosa (var.) the whole 

 edged with Sedum glaucum. Several beds were 

 filled carpet fashion with different varieties of 

 Coleus, the majority of which were very telling ; 

 but in my opinion the varieties which appeared 

 to withstand the vicissitudes of the weather best 

 were Starlight, Spotted Gem, and the old Verschaf- 

 feltii. There were a large number of other 

 carpet-beds, but I fear it would prove a weariness 

 to your readers to wade through a description of 



them, as it would merely be giving a list of the 

 plants already named, planted in different patterns. 

 Your readers must not imagine from what I have 

 stated that flower-gardening at Glenville Park is 

 altogether confined to carpet-bedding. By no 

 means. I noticed some exceedingly fine masses 

 of sub-tropical plants placed in suitable positions. 

 A large circle filled with Castor-oil plants, yellow- 

 flowered Canna, Arundo donax variegata, the 

 curiously-marked Eulalia, and the whole edged 

 with Anthericum repens vittatum variegatum was 

 exceedingly effective. Large masses of the double 

 and semi-double flowered geraniums lit up the 

 scene with their bright glowing colors, one of the 

 best being Dr. Kirkland (a purplish scarlet), and 

 running along one side of the grounds was a broad 

 and very brilliant ribbon-border, having a back- 

 ground of choice flowering shrubs and trees. 



I feel how far short is this description towards 

 doing anything like justice to the beauties of the 

 flower-garden at Glenville Park, and would strongly 

 advise all lovers of horticulture having an oppor- 

 tunity during the summer, or fall months, to 

 pay a visit there and judge for themselves. I 

 can guarantee them each and alia hearty welcome 

 from Mr. Gooding, the presiding genius, whose 

 enthusiasm is only equalled by his practical knowl- 

 edge in all that pertains to the gardener's art. 



THE DUTHIE PARK, ABERDEEN, SCOT- 

 LAND. 



BY N. ROBERTSON, SUPT. GOVERNMENT GROUNDS, 

 OTTAWA. 



I send you an extract from the Evening Gazette, 

 Aberdeen, Scotland, my native city, about the 

 opening of a pubhc park presented to that city 

 by Miss Duthie, which it would be needless to say 

 anything more in conveying some idea of so 

 grand a gift for the benefit of that city, than to 

 state it cost fifty thousand pounds sterling. Never 

 could any people have shown more gratitude 

 to her than on the day the key was handed 

 to them of a place of amusement and I'ecreation 

 complete with its lawns, walks, trees, shrubs and 

 flowers. Well might she think it was happier to 

 give than to receive, as cheer after cheer went up 

 from that immense throng as she presented her- 

 self in the park to deliver the key to them. There 

 was a cessation from all labor. The rich and 

 the poor mingled in praise of so noble a lady. 

 The streets seemed to excel each other with the 

 grandeur of their decorations. 



The opening ceremony was performed by the 

 Princess Beatrice with the following words : 



