i8 97 . 



GARDhNINLr. 



85 



rows and the park proper. These beds 

 are planted with a great variety of flow- 

 ers, among the most prominent are fuch- 

 sias, tuberous rooted begonias and ivy 

 leaf geraniums. Begonia seperflorens is 

 bedded with good effect. Pansies are 

 largely used for borders and also to fill in 

 among fuchsias, ivy leaved geraniums and 

 other plants. Nearly all the beds were 

 planted in this way; tall growing stock 

 was set among that of lower growth at 

 such a distance that each plant stood out 

 prominently and those on the surface of 

 the bed had plenty of light and bloomed 

 quite as freely as their taller companions. 

 There was such variety in this style of 

 planting that each bed seemed more 

 interesting than the other 



There are several groups of palms, the 

 pots plunged and placed so that each 

 plant is effective in itself. Bamboos in 

 pots are arranged in the same way and 

 the effect of this grouping is very prett\ r . 

 Some quite tall plants of Plumbago 

 capensis are planted in a group, and like 

 the palms and bamboos they stood out 

 individually; they seemed to bloom freely 

 but were not looking as strong and 

 hearty as with us. 



There is no Begonia rubra grandiflora; 

 the good qualities of this variety may not 

 be known to them, but as other sorts 

 that do not seem to thrive well here on 

 account of the hot and dry atmosphere 

 do beautifully there, this grand kind 

 should attain a perfection that would 

 completely eclipse the others. K. 



flERBflGEOU* PLANT NOTES. 



The Siberian large leaved saxifragas or 

 megaseas, as they are called by some, 

 make excellent border plants not only 

 because they furnish us with attractive 

 flowers in early spring, but also on 

 account of their foliage being highly orna- 

 mental and practically indestructible, 

 lasting in full beauty throughout the 

 year. Exposing the plants to the full 

 action of sun and the piercing sharp 

 north and west winds in winter may 

 sometimes scorch the edges of the leaves 

 and in such exposed positions it may be 

 advisable to throw a few evergreen 

 boughs or a quantity of light litter over 

 the plants, just enough only to break the 

 ravs of the sun. It is not necessary to 

 keep the hard frost from the roots or the 

 foliage either, as they are natives of cold 

 countries, but are not accustomed to our 

 bright sun and the dry atmosphere oi our 

 winters. In theirnative habitat the deep 

 snow protects the foliage effectually 

 against harm and in some sections of our 

 own country, where the winters are 

 steady and the snow remains on the 

 ground until spring opens for good, no 

 other protection would be needed, nor is 

 it advisable to cover the plants as early 

 as November or December. The foliage 

 is perfectly safe from injury so long as the 

 sun is low, but by the middle of February 

 and in March when the sun rays are gain- 

 ing in strength, a slight shading will pre- 

 vent the scorching of the leaves. 



Not so very long ago I had an oppor- 

 tunity to notice a large patch of about 

 twenty or twenty-five clumps in an old, 

 half neglected country garden. White 

 arabis had creeped in between them from 

 one side and the ordinary rose colored 

 moss pink, Phlox subulata, had overrun 

 the intervening spaces from theotherend; 

 weeds were also in evidence but the large 

 glossy deep green foliage had a very bold 

 and striking effect. I had not seen any- 

 thing like it in a long time, for we seldom 

 meet these plants now grown in quantity. 

 Here the thick leather-like leaves were 10 



STANDARD FUCHSIAS IN REGENT PARK. LONDON. 



AN EIGHT FOOT VASE IN REGENT PARK. LONDON. 



inches long and about 6 inches wide with 

 undulated, wavy and serrated edges. It 

 was S. crassifolia which blooms in April 

 and Ma}' in large upright panicles of very 

 showy, rosy red flowers and the numer- 

 ous dried-up flower stems gave evidence 

 of the freedom with which they had 

 bloomed. The dry weather of August 

 and September had not affected the beauty 

 of the foliage in the least, though the sit- 

 uation was fully exposed to the sun all 

 day and the soil was naturally rather on 

 the dry side, conditions which are not 

 considered the most favorable for these 

 plants. They had been there undisturbed 

 in the same placefortwelveormoreyears, 

 as I was informed, and this surely had 

 something to do with their unusual vigor. 

 How this patch comes through the win- 

 ter I cannot say, for the old foliage was 

 not there, only this seasou'sgrowth could 



be seen, but even if the leaves were defect- 

 ive in this instance at the time of flower- 

 ing, the abundance of bright bloom 

 would have caused us to overlook this 

 imperfection. 



Equally hardy is a second Siberian spe- 

 cies, S. cordifo Ha, which has paler colored 

 'flowers and more roundish foliage with 

 less crimped edges. Both are valuable 

 plants also in the rockery and by intro- 

 ducing them on the north or northeast 

 side, no protection of any kind would be 

 required. Another large leaved variety 

 goes by the name of S. speciosa. It has 

 flowers of a brighter and deeper color 

 than the others, with the leaf-stalks 

 tinged a lively red and the edges of the 

 foliage not so distinctly waved nor ser- 

 rated as deeply. It is. however, a most 

 desirable and distinct variety. 



S. lingulata, a European alpine species 



