JOURNAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENER. 



r July 7, 18G3. 



Of sucli, many reasons jjoint out the Violet as one of 

 the most suitable. Lowly and unassuming in its out- 

 ward charaoter, its beauties and its worth are ascertained 

 by a closer acquaintance ; besides which, there is sometliing 

 almost hallowed in the name, and I would in this instance 

 go as far as to allow the cultivated variety to be substituted 

 for the wild one. 



Next to the Violet we have the Primrose, than which 

 neither the flower garden nor the hothouse jjossesses a more 

 lovely gem. If more variety than the wild one be wanted, 

 the double one of the same colour, or the double or single 

 white, might be admitted ; but I would not advise the dark- 

 coloiu'ed ones. 



Primroses and Violets are imqnestiouably the most im- 

 portant of cm- graveyard plants ; although closely following 

 on them, and perhajjs in some instances, as in that of 

 beautifying the resting-place of a child, the Snowdrop be- 

 comes appropriate ; and this early harbinger of returning 

 spring may al.^o be planted on every grave almost, where 

 its unassuming iiowers present to the iiUgrim the first of 

 Nature's gems of the season. Contrasting, therefore, so 

 well with the herbage which aftenvai-ds succeeds it, the 

 Snowdi'oiJ is by universal consent an acknowledged legal 

 occupant of the grave. 



I am far fi-om acknowledging the same right to its neigh- 

 bour- in the garden — the Crocus. Its foreign origin and 

 gaudy hue seem to point out a place for it elsewhere. If, 

 however, the taste of the party interested decide on the 

 Crocus, I would confine the colour used to white, or, in 

 stretching a point, blue might be added ; but I think yeUow 

 too glaring to harmonise with other sober objects around it. 



I believe with these few and simple flowers my ambition 

 in doing honour' to the grave would be satisfied, as all might 

 be planted on an unprotected mound, and all siu'vive the 

 rough ordeal of the scythe. It would, however, be as well 

 to mention here plants adapted to certain localities which 

 might with perfect propriety be included also in our cate- 

 gory. In iby soils partaking of the sand the little Stone- 

 crop (Sedum acre), might be advantageously used. In like 

 maimer on a chalky soil the wild Thyme might form a useful 

 adjunct : there is something appropriate in the sound of the 

 name of the latter. 



On soils of an opposite character, shady and moist, some 

 of the Mosses might foi-m usefol adjuncts ; and here, again, 

 the plant by its name speaks poetically to our feelings. 

 And while we in all instances would allow the turf to a certain 

 extent to occupy the prominent part of the "sod" which 

 overlies the remains of a departed friend, a judicious admix- 

 ture of the plants mentioned above may form an ornamental 

 feature to au unenclosed grave better than the rough herbage 

 which otherwise might occupy the place. The pretty little 

 grass-lite plant Thrift might, however, be admitted, and 

 might form a usefvd featm-e on exj50sed places near the coast ; 

 and a neat-gi-owing little herbaceous plant, an Everlasting, 

 might be introduced as a fitting object here also. 



Observe, I have advised the adoption of only low-gi'owing 

 plants as fitting memorials of such a place. The WaUflower 

 which grows on some church walls and on some ascends to 

 the summit of the tower, sowing itself abundantly below, is 

 nevertheless in my opinion nnsiuted to the grave. In like 

 manner Snapdragon, which I have seen take possession of 

 a waU at a great elevation, as well as Valerian, ai-e plants 

 all too tall to meet the requirements of what I would lay 

 down as a standard in such cases. 



The herbaceous flower-border afi'ords several more plants 

 of great beauty and suitability ; but I am unwilling to allow 

 any but those of home origin a place among our British 

 dead. Much has been said about the Rose, and it is almost 

 sedition to say anything against this acknowledged queen 

 of flowers ; but I am far from certain that the graveyard is 

 a fitting abode for her. 



Ths time-honoured custom of associating the sombre Yew 

 with oiu- graveyards has in all Ukelihood led to the Cypress 

 being a subordinate appendage to the same object, and 

 small Cypresses are frequently studded around sculptural 

 ornament. This, of course, is confined to the more affluent, 

 and deserves a notice hereafter ; but I would ask a very 

 homely question of those who recommend such aspiring 

 plants as Cypress and Juniper to ornament the graves of 

 a crowded churchyai-d, what it would look liie if every graD-e 



in the place were simOarly planted ? It would be a perfect 

 shi'ubbery lacking the variety observable elsewhere. Be- 

 sides, a grave planted with shrubs or high-growing plants 

 conceals from view the sight of several of the graves beyond 

 it, thereby acqidring exclusive attention from passers-by. 

 More might be said on this head, but I leave it and pass at 

 once to another feature in graveyard or cemetery decoration 

 — that of the enclosed plots called family graves. 



Belonging as these objects do to the wealthier classes of 

 society, we might reasonably expect in these tokens of a 

 refined taste. It is much to be feared the spii'it of compe- 

 tition has much to do with the pageantry to Ije found here. 

 Of sculptural ornament it is not my province to speak ; but 

 can anything be more at variance v.'ith the quiet solitude 

 by which the spot is invested than the glaring colour's by 

 which it is too often decked out ? An enclosure containing 

 white stone or marble sculjitiu-e is surrounded by ii'onwork 

 often bronzed or gilded, and through the openings ai-e seen 

 the brightest scarlet Geraniums and yellow Calceolarias that 

 the florist can furnish. It may be that my ideas lag behind 

 the spirit of the times ; but I nevertheless have no hesita- 

 tion in putting them forth as opposed to this glitter. 



The gayest part of the parterre caimot exceed what is 

 seen sometimes around a grave. Assuredly there is a jjroper 

 place for everything. Elsewhere the Verbena, Lobelia, and 

 Petunia look well, but a grave is not the place for them. 

 That plants ai-e necessary there I admit ; and those proper 

 for such a small plot as is sometimes enclosed render it 

 anything but easy to suggest what is best suited for it ; and 

 I hope some of your readers will impart their oi)inions on 

 this matter. My own are as follow : — 



If it were possible to retain the verdure of the turf, short, 

 thick, and velvety in the imiform condition it is seen in when 

 at its best, as in showery weather in May after it has been 

 recently mown, I do not know of anything which could 

 improve it ; but the ever-changing features of vegetable life 

 render a certain amount of labour necessary to keep tui'f in 

 order. This is not always convenient to those who reside 

 at a distance from the spot. Something, therefore, that 

 would form a substitute for grass in smaD isolated spots is 

 much wanted ; and when Spergula pdifera was announced 

 to the gardening world as an acquisition Ul^ely to supersede 

 turf, not requiring any mowing, &c., I was in hopes we had 

 a plant in many respects suitable to decorate the grave. 

 Unfortunately, with me at least, the plant has been a com- 

 plete failui'e ; and we must select something else as a sub- 

 stitute for that sod which is destined to cover the remains 

 of all that is left of mortality. 



A plant that woidd look well at all times, and without the 

 trouble which grass entails, would be a great acquisition. 

 The compact habit and deep green foliage of Saxifraga hyp- 

 noides give it strong claims to our notice, and I am in 

 hopes it will answer. There is, however, no reason why some 

 of the flowers mentioned as applicable might not also be 

 adopted here ; and perhaps a dwarf Rose might be intro- 

 duced, a miniatui-e Cypress or two, or a small stunted Yew, 

 which may have previously been ke2jt in a fiower-pot, and 

 to keep it dwarf may still be kept plunged in that condition ; 

 but gay summer-flowering plants, such as are usually called 

 bedding plants, ought not to be used. 



Certainly some little order and appearance of cultivation 

 may be shown. The plants may just touch each other, but 

 need not crowd. Supposing a plot G feet square required 

 planting, there might be one or two dwai-f Cypresses, just 

 as the number of graves required. These might stand near 

 the head, and the remainder of the space dotted over with 

 patches of Violets, Stonecrop, Saxifraga hypnoides, or S. tii- 

 dactylitos, which becomes an excellent and closely formed 

 cushion of the deepest gi-een ; a jjatch or two of Primroses, 

 which if removed when done flowering might give place to 

 a dwarf Phlox, of which P. subulata is very good ; and I am 

 not certain but that the deep gi'een foliage of the Saxi&'age 

 might .allow an Auricula by the side of it. Snowdrops, of 

 course, must not be forgotten ; and there is a dwai-f Ever- 

 lasting, the foliage of which, as well as its flower, looks well 

 at all seasons. With these I shordd say be content ; or if 

 some of them were omitted it might perhaps be as well. 

 It is, nevertheless, not unlikely but another set of plants 

 might be adopted by some one else equally well adapted for 

 the pui-pose. 



