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JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTTJEE AOT) COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ July 21, 18C3. 



I was so much pleased with the display that I took notes 

 of their names, and thought the list would be useful to 

 many of the readers of The Journal of Eorticultuee. I 

 was somewhat surprised at the small number of species, 

 though that only shows how a good gardener like Mr. North 

 may furnish his employer's flower-border at, comparatively 

 speaking, little or no expense. 



In order to render this list as useful as possible I shall 

 not only give their names but also their colours, height of 

 growth, the soil they will thrive in, and lastly the mode of 

 propagation. 



Altssum saxatile. — Bright yellow. Height 9 inches. 

 Soil, light sandy loam on a dry bottom. A plant that 

 spreads much ; miiny of the patches have measured 3 feet 

 across. Propagated by slips put in in June under a bell- 

 glass ; but the best way to procui'e a stock is to purchase a 

 s hillin g packet of seed and sow in April or early in May 

 on a warm border, and transplant the seedlings, as soon as 

 large enough, where they are to bloom. In order to obtain 

 a large patch quickly, plant five plants 6 inches apart toge- 

 ther, and the second year they wiB make a dense mass and 

 a good display. 



Anthericum liliastrum. — Clear satiny white. Height, 

 1 foot, light sandy loam well-drained. Propagated by dividing 

 the plants in autumn. 



Axjbkietia deltoidea. — Blue. Height, 2 inches. Soil, 

 light sandy peat and loam. Propagated either by slips put 

 under a bell-glass in a shadj- place in June, or by dividing 

 the plants just aJter the bloom is over, watering the divi- 

 sions every evening if the weather is dry. A beautiful spread- 

 ing plant. 



Bellis peeennis. — A dark red vaiiety. Height, 4 to C 

 inches. SoO, any good gaiden. Propagated by divisions 

 after flowering. Plant five together to form a good patch 

 to be effective. 



Cheiranthus Maeshalli. — Deeporange. Height, 9 inches. 

 Soil, common garden. Propagated by slips taken off in May, 

 June, or July, and planted in a bed, shading and watering 

 them till rooted. This beautiful plant is easy to propagate. 

 I seldom lose a single cutting. To make more sure it is 

 desirable to make each cutting with a portion of hai-d woody 

 stem at the bottom. Such cuttings or slips are more certain 

 to root. As soon as they are rooted Uft them up carefully, 

 and transplant them where they are to flower. Here again, 

 in order to make a good show of bloom at once, these young 

 plants should be put in in patches of at least five together. 

 Plant one in the centre and four around it, and you will 

 have a goodly display the year after. 



Ieekis sempekvirens (Perennial Candytuft). — Height, 

 6 inches. Colour, clear white. SoU, any good loam not too 

 rich, or it will spread too much and not flower freely. Pro- 

 pagated by cuttings in June under a bell-glass, though I 

 strike the cuttings freely enough when planted in shallow 



! pane in ordinary loam and sand, with a layer of sand on the 

 top, and placed in a shady part of a greenhouse. The best 

 kind of cuttings are such as are a little hardened at the 

 base. With such I generally manage to root nine cuttings 

 out of ten. When rooted plant them out in patches of three 

 only, because the plant naturally spreads very much. I 

 find it necessary every year to cut the plants in severely as 

 soon as the bloom is over, in order to keep the patches within 

 modciate compass. This is one of the greatest ornaments 

 to the flower-borders throughout May ; with me it is just 

 going out of bloom in the first week in June. 



Paneies. — The dark varieties are most suitable for a 

 mixed flower-border. I observed at this place that the 

 yellow and white colours rather predominated : hence the 

 dai-k varieties of Daisies and Pansies were most to be pre- 

 ferred. Any common kinds answer the purpose, provided 

 they ai-e pretty hardy and free bloomers. 



Veronica decussata. — Pale blue. Height, 1 foot. Soil, 

 common. Propagated easily by division as soon as the 

 bloom is over. To form a large patch, plant five or more 

 plants together at 6 inches apart. I am not certain this is 

 a correct specific name, especially as I cannot find it in the 

 Cottage Gardener's Dictionary. It is, perhaps, V. gentianoidcs. 

 At any rate, it is decussate, and is a handsome border peren- 

 nial, pei-fectly hardy, and delicately beautiful. 



With these few species of hardy perennials planted at 

 regular intervals, the borders here in May were truly 

 splendid. No doubt the colltction might be more numerous, 

 and Mr. North informed me he intended to add to it as sooa 

 as he could. I ought to mention that the effect was 

 enhanced by a good collection of hardy Azaleas of various 

 cclours, which formed a pleasing background to the low- 

 growing flowers. The pleasure ground was in high order, 

 the lawn close-mown and of the finest kinds of grasses, the 

 lines of the borders were well defined, and not a vestige of a 

 weed was to be seen. 



In the parts where bedding-out plants are used, Mr. 

 North had ventured to plant out early, and fortunately no 

 late frosts have taken place in the neighbourhood. So it is 

 to be hoped that this style of flower-gardening will be more 

 effective than it was last year, when in many places in the 

 north, owing to the wet summer, many beds totally failed, 

 others gi-ew too much into leaf, and even those that did 

 flower had their blooms dashed and BpoUt by the splashing 

 rains. 



I was much pleased with a novel mode of forming a ribbon- 

 border here. It is the gardener's invention, and looks well„ 

 even as soon as it is planted. There are two straight 

 lines and then two wavy lines that cross each other. These 

 two lines are planted with Flower of the Day Geranium 

 crossed with Calceoliuia Aui'ea floribunda. 



I send a rough sketch of the bed or bordei'. It is 72 feet 

 long and 12 wide, and is planted thus : — 



-iO- 



-ao~ 



1. "Walk in front of hothouse. 



2. Edging of Box. 



3. Lobelia ppeciosa. 



4. Variegated Sweet Alyssum. 

 9. Grass bolder. 



The sketch is drawn to a scale of one-eighth of an inch to 

 the foot. It is just half the length of the border. I have 

 seen the latter since the above was written, and in my 

 opinion it is much more pleasing and elegant than mere 



.'). Purple King Verbena, 

 f. Firefly Scarlet Verbena. 

 10. Low hedge. 



7. Tom Thumb Geranium. 



8. Calceolaria Aurea floribunila. 



straight stiff, Unes. Next season' let some one that' has 

 spice try the same plan, I am sure^he or they will be welJ 

 pleased with it. ^^^^^^ T.^Applbet. 



