October 2, 1873. ] 



JODBNAti OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



247 



ORNAMENTAL PLANTING.— No. 9. 



; N the various examples whicli have been 

 selected to illustrate as clearly as might be 

 the most important parts of this work, it is 

 by no means intended to imply that the 

 method described is the only good one ; yet 

 it is hardly possible to deal with the sub- i 

 ject in any other than a general way, be- 

 cause every undertaking of the kind, how- 

 ever similar in its general details, is almost 

 certain to be influenced by those local pecu- 

 liarities which invariably occur. Take, as an instance of 

 this, my last paper, in which it was advised that when a 

 drive passed tln-ough plantations of underwood it should 

 be embellished with an ornamental avenue. Now, there 

 are undoubtedly instances in which the adoption of such i 

 advice would be decidedly a mistake, and I think this 

 paper may usefully be devoted to the consideration of, 

 perhaps, the most important exception to the rule. A 

 drive passing through woodland of an uneven and very 

 irregular surface, along the face of a boldly sweeping slope, 

 over embankments or bridges, between the steep sides 

 of cuttings, opens up scenerj- which is naturally so 

 picturesque that it may very readily be rendered orna- 

 mental, however unkempt or wUd in the first instance ; 

 and I need hardly add that an avenue would be totally 

 out of place in any part of such a drive. 



Let us first of all take a steep bank or long slope, i 

 which, spiinging from one side of the road to a consider- 

 able altitude, offers a large expanse of surface that is 

 visible at a glance, and thus affords an admirable situa- 

 tion for the formation of a scene that may be rendered 

 as beautiful as it is uncommon. -Just a few lofty- gro-iving 

 trees arranged in a scattered informal order, an occa- 

 sional Oak or Beech near the margin of the road, a Birch 

 waving its pendant wreaths liigh up upon the ridge of 

 the slope, a clump of Larch, a L)eodar or other favourite 

 Conifer midway between the two, will serve to grace the 

 scene with the dignity of their presence, without crowd- 

 ing or unduly .shading it. Then, where the sun and air 

 have full play, come bold groups of the poet's Eglantine 

 (Rosa rubiginosa), and the wild Dog Rose (Rosa caninal, 

 that in its fi-ee wild growth produces wreaths of its tiny 

 buds and flowers charmingly interspersed with fresh green 

 foliage, possessing such rare grace and loveliness as is 

 but too often vainly sought for among cultivated Roses. 

 Here, too, the wild Clematis, Honeysuckle, and yellow 

 Broom should find a place, and with them the Hawthorn, 

 wild Crab, and some of the garden varieties of both 

 genera ; the Lilac, Gueldres Rose, Laburnum, Mountain 

 Ash, and Scarlet Elder, with the common Holly for 

 greenery in winter. Trees of a pendant growth might 

 also be introduced with good effect ; but whatever kinds 

 of trees are selected should be planted, not so much for 

 the effect of individuality as for tlie production of relief 

 or contrast, so as to enhance the beauty of the mingled 

 mass of which most of the occupants would form a part. 

 When the ascent becomes more abrupt and precipitone, 



No. 658 —Vol. XXV., New SiRirs. 



this stage of planting might merge into that of masses 

 of dark-foliaged Pinuses, which are most suitable for 

 clothing very steep banks either by carriage drives or 

 near buildings. 



In making a drive over such an irregular surface, 

 cuttings have ft-equently to be made in order to reduce 

 the hills to suitable gradients, and it then becomes of 

 importance to clothe the bare sides as quickly as possible. 

 This is not usually an easy matter, owing to the poverty 

 of the exposed soil; for if planting is attempted upon 

 the face of the sides, holes must be excavated and suitable 

 soil put in them, and even then the results are not alto- 

 gether satisfactory ; so it is best to plant hardy trailers 

 along the tops and train the growth downwards to the 

 bottom. Any of the free-growing Ivies answer ad- 

 mirably for this purpose, and so does Cotoneaster micro- 

 phylla, which has an additional merit from the beautiful 

 contrast which its dark fohage presents to the white 

 flowers or scarlet berries as they occur. If there were 

 no difliculty about the soil, so "that planting could be 

 safely and easily practised upon the sides themselves, 

 greater variety could, of course, be obtained by mixing 

 with the Cotoneaster some Mahonias, Vinca major and 

 minor, St. .Tohu's Wort, Gorse, Broom, and hardy Heath. 

 The common Willow has, under peculiar circumstances, 

 been found to flourish tolerably well in very poor soil 

 upon banks that are not in a very prominent position. 

 It was one of those cases of necessity which tend so 

 materially to sharpen one's wits that taught me this 

 useful fact, and this was how it happened : During last 

 year, having made an artificial bank, one face of which 

 was necessarily of so sharp a gradient as to be quite 

 unsafe, and which it was not desirable to cover with turf, 

 it occm-red to me to drive a lot of short Willow stakes 

 into it about a foot apart, as I knew such stakes usually 

 emit roots, and, in fact, become living plants. I am glad 

 to say they have done so in this instance, and I do not 

 doubt that the roots will eventually become so much 

 interwoven as to maintain the soil in its present position 

 perfectly well. — Edw.\rd Luckhurst. 



AURICULA CULTURE. 



It is not often that the blooming of a favourite flower is 

 unwelcome and vexatious, yet the Auricula is one which 

 does at times aggrieve its cultivators by coming into bloom 

 , when they would much rather it did not. In the eco- 

 j nomy of this plant there is much for it to do in the period 

 of its autumnal growth. Some growers give it then the 

 trouble of establishing itself after repotting ; for the plant 

 certainly exhibits in the autumn considerable root-action. 

 It is also at the same time busy with the heart, from 

 which the future truss shall rise ; and, in preparation for 

 the winter rest, casts off the free large foliage of its active 

 hfe, putting on a low dress of small and fleshy leaves of 

 the very texture for withstanding keen dry cold, and of 

 pattern's so distinct that many a variety may be perfectly 

 well known by its winter habit. But when the autumn 

 growth sets in there are always plants, often young and 



No. 1305.— Vol. L., Old Sebiis. 



