481 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTDKB AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Becember 18, 1873. 



fulness in a more forcible and appropriate manner than yon 

 conld find words to express. If a small quantity of spirits of 

 camphor is placed in the water contained in the vase, the 

 colour and freshness of the Howers will remain for a much 

 longer period. Thus prepared, we have had flowers keep a 

 week, and at the end look quite fresh and bright. — {Maine 

 Farmer.) 



NEGLECTED BEDDING PLANTS.— No. 2. 



Polemoniiim cieritleum varictjatum. — It is to be regretted that 

 this fine-looking plant cannot be depended on to do well every- 

 where, for although it has been known a dozen years or more, 

 it is far from plentiful yet. The positions suited to its growth 

 are few, and in the south of England, especially, are somewhat 

 capriciously placed. My own experience with it has not been 

 satisfactory, for with the treatment given to similar plants I 

 have on more than one occasion lost my whole stock, and I 

 find others have been Ukewise unfortunate. It appears to me 

 that the plant requires more moisture than it receives in a 

 natiiral way in the south of England ; but even apart from 

 that it has some peculiarities which I am unable to under- 

 stand. The original form of the plant is hardy enough — in 

 fact, it is found wild in some places, as in the north of England, 

 but not very plentiful-, and, to the best of my recullection, on a 

 rather stiff soil ; I therefore cannot account for the variegated 

 form succeeding so well in certain soils' of a widely different 

 character. Where it is found in good condition no variegated 

 plant whatever excels it in appearance. I remember seeing it 

 many years ago at Archerfield in the best possible condition, 

 likewise thriving in other places in the north, also in Derby- 

 shii-e and the western counties, where rain falls more fre- 

 quently than in the south-eastern districts. It is much to be 

 regretted that so ornamental a plant should not grow every- 

 where, for its Fern-like neatly-pinnated foliage and compact 

 habit make it a general favourite. I am no advocate for any 

 plant requiring special treatment, for as most plants used for 

 ornamental purposes are grown along with others, the treat- 

 meLt one receives must in a great measure be the same as 

 that given to the rest. 



Salvia .^plendens. — This fine plant can hardly be classed as 

 a bedder, for no skill that has hitherto been directed to its 

 cultivation has been able to make it flower early enough in the 

 season to afford anything like the display that is wanted at 

 the present day ; but for a late-blooming plant I know of 

 nothirg handsomer, and as its fl.owers endure any amount of 

 rain without injury, it is well worth a place in the mixed 

 border, especially where there is a likelihood of its escaping 

 the early autumn frosts, for no plant is more tender than this. 

 We usually plant a number out of doors in May, and take 

 them up in September for use in-doors. I know of no plant 

 that bears transplanting better ; but as a bedding plant it 

 ought not to have a place, except as an adjunct to Chrysanthe- 

 mums, which it, however, precedes by a fortnight or more. 



Auhrielia purpurea variegata. — This neat, dwarf, variegated 

 plant is not so much grown as it deserves to be ; for, like the 

 Polemonium, it is quite hardy — in fact, more so than it, and 

 more ornamental in midwinter. At all times it has a neat and 

 compact appearance, and but seldom runs into the green condi- 

 tion. It is an excellent winter plant, and also deserves notice 

 as a summer-growing one, especially in the mixed border or as a 

 permanent edging, in which case it contrasts well with the turf 

 by which it may be surrounded, and in every other sense is a 

 highly deserving plant. It is equally good in a dry season as 

 in a wet one, and a hard winter makes no impression on it. 



Golden Feather Pyrcthrum. — It is needless to say a word in 

 favour of this highly popular and useful plant, unless it be to 

 pay the introducer of it a justly merited compliment for sup- 

 plying one of the easiest cultivated, as well as one of the most 

 ornamental, plants that have been added to the flower garden 

 of late years. A plant that does duty all the year round car- 

 ries its own recommendation with it. I only wish we had 

 some other plants equally accommodating, with foliage of a 

 different hue, as its form, in my opinion, far exceeds that of 

 the much-vaunted Coleus. 



Verbena venosa. — This old species thirty years ago was toler- 

 ably plentiful and much grown until the more showy varieties, 

 ■which claims V. Melindres as a parent, came into vogue, but 

 venosa promises to see the latter out, as there never was a 

 time at which it was so popular as it is just now. To grow 

 Verbena venosa well it ought to have a good-sized bed or space 

 to itself, for it cannot so well be pegged down as the other 

 kind, neither does it look so well when submitted to this 



ordeal. We have several beds of it here, some of them mor© 

 than half-a-dozen years old, and the centres of two of our 

 largest ribbon borders were planted with this Verbena in 1870 

 and have flowered well ever since, forming a mass from '2 to 

 3 feet wide every year and quite 2 feet high by the end of the 

 season. We usually plant a row of Calceolarias or other light- 

 looking plants in a line by the side of it, and it invariably 

 looks well. This Verbena is easily obtained from seed, which, 

 however, is long in vegetating, but the plants flower quickly 

 when once up. It may also be propagated by cuttings of the 

 roots, but I like seedlings better. 



Verbena puldiella. — Like V. venosa this is also much neg- 

 lected, but it is hkely to be called upon more hereafter as the 

 more showy Verbenas are so uncertain whilst this is always to 

 be depended on. I would give something for a good scarlet 

 variety of this species ; a dull yellow or sulphur-coloured one 

 was common some years ago, now and then a sort of creamy 

 white is to be seen, and we all know the variegated form 

 named Imperatrice Elizabeth. May I ask if anyone has been 

 able to make anything of Verbena miniata, a species related 

 to V. pulchella but more robust ? There is also another Ver- 

 bena of still more robust growth but resembling the once 

 popular class having large deeply-cut leaves ; it is V. teucrioides, 

 white, easily raised from seed, somewhat coarse in its habit, 

 but of rapid and robust growth, and not so liable to mildew as 

 the florists' varieties. 



Fuclisia Eiccartoni. — This, perhaps, is of too robust growth 

 to be retained in the list of bedding plants, but it may take 

 its place in the shrubbery border, and is well deserving of 

 notice for its neat foliage, abundance of bloom, and general 

 hardiness. Plants here that are fully exposed have stood 

 several years without their stems being killed in winter, but 

 there is not so much advantage in this as might be expected, 

 for they do not flower earlier, or but very little earlier, than 

 those that have been cut down by the winter's frost and have 

 grown again. We have several bushes quite 6 feet high and 

 about 8 feet through, which look the picture of health and 

 whoso tips afford quantities of cut twigs for bouquet making. 



It would be easy to extend this list by taking-in some plants 

 that are now no longer retained on the lists of bedding plants. 

 The double white Pyrethrum Parthenium is pretty in its way 

 and for a time looks well, and a bed of the blue Anagallis is 

 also sometimes very good. It was a popular bedding plant at 

 one time, but like the Petunia not so easy to retain through 

 the winter from cuttings as it used to be. Cuphea platycentra 

 and C. strigillosa seem also to be neglected now, the former as 

 hardly showy enough, and the latter too late to meet the re- 

 quirements of the time. Other old-fashioned plants have like- 

 wise fallen into neglect, some deservedly so, but some may 

 still have a place assigned them, as no ornamental garden is 

 complete without its mixed border, and in such a place there 

 are a great many useful plants that ought to find a home that 

 is denied them in the parterre. — J. Bobson. 



LEAP MOULD. 



It may be interesting to some of yom' readers to know that 

 I have grown Ferns in a compost of nothing but leaf soU and 

 silver sand, and have always been able to cut good fronds 

 from very good plants, especially Adiantum cuneatum, which 

 I have always found succeeded admirably. I have also grown 

 Azaleas in the same compost, and, with but few exceptions, they 

 have succeeded very well, making good firm wood well set 

 with buds. I do not, as a rule, recommend it for Azaleas, 

 but some of your readers may be placed, as I have been, where 

 no peat was to be had without going to the expense of bring- 

 ing it a long way by rail. 



I am not particiilar about keeping Oak leaves separate for 

 the purpose of making leaf mould; all the rakings of the 

 pleasure grounds and lawns are harrowed together and used 

 in the same manner, as mentioned in your number of Decem- 

 ber 4th by Mr. Meacock. I also find leaf soil very useful in 

 the spring as a compost for cuttings and seed-sowing. 



I may also mention here that I quite agree with Mr. Mea- 

 cock regarding the value of manure from old Mushroom beds, 

 I always have it saved for use in potting Pelargoniums, Ukewise 

 for many plants in the stove. — t'. M. B. 



Hessea spiralis. — Under the name of Heseea spiralis I re- 

 ceived Carpolyza spiralis (Salisbury Parad. Lond. and Herbert). 

 The name of Hessea was given by some authors to this plant, 

 but is now appUed to an allied genus. It is a rather pretty 



