292 



JOURNAL OF HOKTICULTTJEE AND COTTAGE GARDENEE. 



[ October 13, 1863. 



allied to the preceding in its form, habits, and mode of 

 flowering. The remai-ks given above will serve generaUy 

 for the successful cultivation of these also, though perhaps 

 our ikvourite, J5chmea fulgens, wiU by a distinct ti-eatment 

 submit to our wishes more readily than any of the others. 

 The way this is now generally treated is the following : — 

 Take off with a sharp knife any young shoots about three 

 parts gi-own, place them upon the tan in a Pine-pit, or on 

 the soil in a Cucumber-house, or in any other place where a 

 high moist temperature is kept up, where thoy will eventually 

 root. "Wlien rooted the cuttings should be cai-efully potted 

 into 48-pots in a composition similar to that detailed for 

 BiUbergias, but with rather more sand, potsherds, and 

 drainage. Continue to keep them in a w.oi'm moist atmo- 

 sphere until you suppose they ai'e well established or are 

 showing for flower. They come quickly into flower when 

 permitted to remain in heat ; yet when we wish to retard 

 theii- period of flowering, it does not injxu-e them to remove 

 them into a lower temjjeratm'e for a time. 



Besides this, other modes of obtaining a succession of 

 flowering plants might be practised, such as taking oft' the 

 cuttings at twice, the strongest first, or by remo\-ing half or 

 so fi-om the higher temperature when the young plants 

 have become established, and when they show any signs of 

 flowering to return them into heat as requii-ed. Grown 

 thus they are exceedingly useful for di-a-\ving-room or other 

 decorations, lasting a long period in flower. They ai'e very 

 effective when tastefully lUTanged in a stpjid with some of 

 oui- more graceful Ferns. 



Of the kinds J like fulgens best, though the beautiful and 

 evenly balanced mai-kiugs upon discolor constitute it a veiy 

 pleasing object. Besides these there are Milinoni, spectabilis, 

 and miniata. They should have .ill the sun and light 

 possible. — William Eap.let. 



THE AEEANGEMENT OP COLOUES I^s" THE 

 FLOWEE GAEDENS AT APLEY TOWEES, 



HYDE. 



"Where flower-gaa-dening is can-ied on to any extent and 

 carried on with spirit I think it adds vei-y gi'eatly to the 

 gener.il effect, and gives a varied charm and interest to the 

 whole when the system of .aiTanging the coloiu's is varied as 

 much as possible in the different gardens or divisions into 

 which the pleasure grounds and flower gardens may be 

 divided. By way of illustrating more plainly what I mean, 

 I will as briefly as possible give a short outhie how I have 

 had them arranged here this season. 



I think it gives additional interest to the pleasure 

 grounds to have the flower borders and beds altered in their 

 an'angements each succeeding season as much as can be 

 done, so that the family and visitors may not have the same 

 arrangement often repeated in the same place, however 

 pleasing and attractive it may be in the general effect. 



The mansion here stands upon the top cf a piece of 

 ground gently rising fi'oni the west, north, and north-east, 

 and these tlu'ee sides ai'e open — that is, free from trees, 

 while the rest is pretty well closed in with lai-ge trees and 

 shrubs. On the east, north, and west axe the flower gardens, 

 and nearly all are seen from the windows. On the thi-ee sides 

 of the mansion, as stated above, grass extends for several 

 yaa'ds ; then comes the terrace walk, and beyond it there is 

 grass to the top of the ten'ace bank, which gently slopes for 

 9 feet. On the east side, and level with the teiTace walk, 

 is a flower garden in grass having the beds all of one 

 colour, excepting a small edging of a different coloui' to 

 contrast with the bed as much as the means at command 

 will allow. Forming part of this garden is a set of smaller 

 beds, all filled ■with Verbenas of one colour, and each bed 

 diffeiing from the one adjoining to it. This composes the 

 flower garden on the east side of the house. 



The flower gai'den on the north side lies beyond the slope 

 of the terrace bank — it is a polychi'ome garden having a 

 walk running round it, and joining the terrace walk by a 

 flight of steps. Here each bed has been confined to two 

 colours — that is, the bed is filled with one colour, excepting 

 an edging of another contrasting colour. This garden is 

 flanked on three sides with vases filled with gay flowering 

 plants. 



The first garden on the west front is on the same level 

 below the terrace as the one just described as being on the 

 north side. It forms half a circle, havhig its base towai'ds 

 the house and terrace bank. It is likewise a polychrome, 

 but quite ilifl'erent in design and execution ; its principaJ 

 featm-e being a centre of gi-ass, on which is a pedestal sur- 

 moimted with the figures of two boys contending for some 

 fi-uit. .and from this centre radiate the principal walks. This 

 garden like the north one is surrounded with a walk, and 

 the base is connected ^^•ith the ten-ace walk by a flight of 

 steps. On the top of the balustrades are two boys iu bronze, 

 apparently requiiing all their strength to hold and restrain 

 a struggling fish. 



The bottom of the balustrades is ornamented with vases 

 full of Geraniums, and the sides of the flight of steps to the 

 north flower gai'den are also oi-namented with vases filled 

 in a similar manner. 



The colom's in the beds iu this, the west, polychrome 

 garden are more in the ribbon style — that is, there .ore thi'ee 

 colours, the centre being a good contrasting colour, each side 

 of another coloui', and the margin of a different hue. These 

 beds fall from the centre east and west. They ai'e flanked 

 with foiu' small round beds, each of one colour, two on each 

 side. Each pair of these round beds is divided by a longer 

 irregular bed filled with one colour', the same as the corre- 

 sponding bed on the opposite side. 



Bej'oud this flower gai'den the ground falls again. Another 

 flight of steps, right opposite to and in a line with the flight 

 of steps which connects this garden with the terrace walk, 

 descends to this portion of the grounds, which is by far the 

 largest. 



As stated already, the west side of the garden just de- 

 scribed forms half a cii-cle, this flight of steps being in its 

 centre. At the bottom of the wall, which is completely 

 covered and hid ^vith Lam'ustinus and Fuchsia Ricoai'toni, 

 which flowers more or less all the siuumer and autiunn, is 

 a flower-border about 13 feet ■wide and 300 long. This 

 border is planted in the panel style, every 11-feet long form- 

 ing a scmare, differing in colour fr-om the one adjoining it ; 

 and limning along the entire length at the back is a row of 

 the blue Ageratum, and next is a row of yellow Calceolaria. 

 Each square is di^\"ided by three rows of Calceolarias, the 

 centre one being Eugosa, the two others Prince o^ Orange. 

 Next the grass is a row of Alyssum variegatum, next to this 

 is a scarlet Verbena, and then Eugosa Calceolaria ; so that 

 each squai-e has three rows between it and the gi'ass, three 

 rows between each other, and t'wo rows at the back. In the 

 centre of each squai'e stands a plant of Humea elegans. 

 This border forms the fourth style of arranging the colours. 



Eunning at nearly right angles from the north end of this 

 border, and passing under large Oalc trees, is a serpentine 

 border 76 yards long. It is not everything that wiU answer 

 well under the shade of trees. This border is well seen from 

 the corner of the terrace walk : hence it is desu'able to have 

 it look gay and as trun as possible under the circumstances. 

 It is Ijacked with low shrubs, and -we have this season a 

 ribbon of four colours in it. The back row is the blue 

 Ageratiun staked up ; then Calceolai'ia latifolia Ukewise tied 

 up ; next, French Mai-igold with then- varied colours, and 

 the row next the grass is the white variegated Balm. 



Fifth arrangement. At about 12 yards in fr'ont of this 

 border, but not quite pai'aUel to it. is oiu' principal ribbon- 

 border. This has a gentle curve, backed -with shi'ubs, and is 

 weU seen from the terrace walk, which may be from 13 to 

 16 feet liigher. It is 12 feet wide, .and is composed of nine 

 colours, the back row being Sweet Peas neatly staked up, 

 then foUow the blue Ageratum, Perilla nankinensis. Calceo- 

 laria I'ugosp., Geraniums Flower of the Day and Tom Thumb, 

 Purjile King Verbena, Cerastium tomentosum, and next to 

 the grass is the bright low-gi'owing Verbena An'ay. The out- 

 sideof this curved ribbon-border being seen by the prome- 

 naders en the terrace walk, the effect is better than were it 

 straight, ha-i-ing one end to the ten'ace. 



Sixth arrangement. A little to the south of this border 

 are a number of lai-ge beds fUled in theu- middle with Ehodo- 

 dendrons, &c., which, of coui'se, flower eaily iu the season. 

 Each of these beds has amongst the Ehododendi'ons a few 

 HoUyhccks and some D.ahlias, LUies and Tritoma uvaria 

 giving variety and extending the season of bloom as long as 

 can well be done; all round each of these beds are two and 



