April 23, 1910 



HORTICULTURE 



617 



Plants for Edgings 



The formal garden is incomplete without the edging 

 plant. The attractive little evergreen Buxus sem- 

 pervirens suffniticosa is perhaps used more plentiful 

 than others for edging along walks as is exemplified 

 in some of the old-fashioned formal gardens in Brook- 

 line and elsewhere. For flower beds there are mul- 

 titudinous varieties to select from, but the blending 

 and contrasting of colors requires great attention. 

 Such foliage plants as coleus and achyranthuses with 

 their liighlj'-colered leaves are good edgings for gay 

 colored flower beds. Opiopogon japonica variegatus 

 with its beautifully striped leaves and the Golden Euo- 

 nymus are used extensively for edging the sub-tropical 

 beds in the Boston Public Garden. The Euonymus 

 cuttings are inserted in March. 



Santolina chamaecyparissus incana, Cineraria mari- 

 tima and Centaurea gymnocarpa associate themselves 

 well with all strong colors producing striking contrasts. 

 The two latter are easily raised from seed and the flower 

 stems must be pinched out as they appear. Geranium 

 Mme. Salleroi and Abutilon striatum variegatum make 

 very pretty adgings. Cuttings of these may be inserted 

 in early spring. I must not forget our old friend Py- 

 rethrum Golden Feather. In this also the flowers must 

 be kept regularly pinched out. There are various oth- 

 ers for foliage effect such as althernantheras in variety; 

 mesembryanthemums, sedums and so on. In the flow- 

 ering subjects we have many to select from, amongst 

 them being Begonia Vernon with rich red flowers and 

 Begonia Erfordii producing a wealth of rosy carmine 

 bloom. These are also extensively used in edging sub- 

 tropical beds in the Public Garden. Cuttings may be 

 taken from old plants held over from last year, or seed 

 may be sown during February or March. Lobelia Crys- 

 tal Palace compacta is a charming little plant when in 

 bloom, but the flowering period is rather short, and am 

 inclined to favor the one from which most of the dwarf 

 varieties have sprung — Lobelia erinus, as it produces 

 flowers nearly the entire summer. The ageratums, white 

 and blue, are excellent plants for edging, blossoming 

 continuously through the summer. Among the cocks- 

 combs Celosia cristata attracts considerable attention 

 and is very effective as an edging plant. 



X-'•^-^^-'t^-'t<?; 



Trans-Atlantic Notes 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



The meeting of this society on April 5 was a highly 

 successful one, and the hall at Vincent Square was filled 

 with growers of flowers and flowering plants. Very 



prominent were cineraries, shown by Messrs Veitch & 

 Sons, especially the varieties Antique Eose and Matador. 

 The habit of these and others of the same strain is np^uu vne 

 dwarf and compact. Carnations from Mr. H. Burnett botamca 

 made a fine display, among which Pluto, a clove variety, QARDEN 

 Emperor, a rose flake, and Countess of March were good 

 novelties. Eoses, and among them many E. Wichura. 

 varieties, were displayed by various exhibitors. Messrs. 

 G. Mount & Sons, Canterbury, showed Lady Hillingdon, 

 a flower of an apricot tint, and a new variety. Some 

 beautiful auriculas came from Mr. J. Douglas, Great 

 Bookham, and Phyllis Douglas, perhaps one of the finest 

 Alpine varieties the exhibitor has raised, got an award 

 of merit. Orchids were unusually abundant, and fine 

 groups and rare plants were shown by Messrs. H. S. 

 Goodson, G. L. Holford, Armstrong & Brown, Charles- 

 worth & Co., Stuart Low & Co., E. V. Low, Sir Trevor 

 Lawrence and Sir Jeremiah Colman. 



First class certificates: — Phalaenopsis casta superbis- 

 sima, shown by Sander & Sons, a splendid variety of 

 this natural hybrid. The flowers almost circular, whit© 

 with a pinkish tinge and spots at the base. Odonto- 

 glossum ardentissima "Norman Cookson," shown by 

 Mrs. N. Cookson. This is a splendid variety that has 

 improved since we last saw it. The segments are of 

 equal breadth , claret colored, with white margins. 

 Lyeaste Skinneri hellemensis, an exhibit from Lieut.- 

 Col. G. L. Holford. One of the finest colored of the 

 variety, rose pink with white tip spotted with purple. 



Awards of merit :— These were granted to Mrs. H. S. 

 Goodson for Odontioda Goodsoniae, flowers scarlet, with 

 markings of white; Odontoglossum Ceres, Goodson's 

 variety, the lip white and broad ; the other parts like 0. 

 Eossi. 



BUDDING EOSES BY FOEKER's METHOD 



Ordinary budding in summer, with a growing bud, is 

 sometimes a failure in great part, 40 to 50 per cent. 

 being lost. This may arise from a variety of causes — 

 such as a low temperature combined with a constant 

 rainfall, or that the buds were not suSiciently matured. 

 If the budding be carried out in September or October, 

 according to Forker's method, that is, with dormant 

 buds, there is success. These go through the winter 

 with safety, as no growth is made by them, and the 

 wildling stocks are likewise not sappy or growing, for 

 they have lost most of their leaves. Whether a bud is 

 furnished or not with wood behind the shield does not 

 matter. To insert the bud a downward incision is made 

 in the rind and wood, and about an inch is taken off 

 the loose uppper strip of rind, the bud attached to the 

 stock, and smeared with grafting wax. 



